Birthwell Partners

Demand for BirthWell doulas is GROWING! Help assure that families needing a doula are not turned away in 2024!
Donate today and give the gift of a doula!!!

Marginalized families are disproportionately impacted by health inequities. During the perinatal period, this is seen in higher rates of infant and maternal mortality among Black families, compared to their White peers. Doulas*, as specialized perinatal support professionals, are increasingly recognized as an effective strategy for addressing disparities in maternal and infant health, particularly for under-resourced families. A large body of research has shown that having a doula during pregnancy, labor and birth leads to fewer babies born too small or too soon, fewer cesarean sections when they are not needed, more breastfed babies and more! These impacts are especially pronounced for under-served families. Doulas help address the informational, emotional & physical needs of pregnant people and their families during pregnancy/birth/postpartum, while mitigating some of the impacts of implicit bias and racism in the health care system.

BirthWell Partners was founded in 2011 with the mission of addressing inequities in maternal and infant health outcomes for under-resourced families, by making doula training and doula services equitable and accessible. Focusing at first on the in the Greater Birmingham Area, BirthWell is now expanding services across the state, especially for families living in rural areas, and for substance involved mothers. BirthWell Partners has a two-pronged approach: (1) increase the number and diversity of doulas and (2) match doulas with families who can’t afford them. Since its founding, BirthWell Partners has hosted DONA International Approved Birth Doula Workshops every year, 35 workshops so far, training over 400 doulas from AL and nearby states. BirthWell Partners has eliminated financial barriers to doula training by having a work-study option that includes classroom training, hands-on experience, and mentoring through the certification process.

BirthWell Partners has utilized a combination of volunteer, work-study and contract doulas to provide services for over 1200 families, attending over 600 births. All BirthWell Partners clients are families that do not have the means to hire a doula (the cost in central AL for a new doula is $600-$1500). Without BirthWell Partners, none of these families would have had a doula. 

Birth outcomes are significantly better for BirthWell Partners (BW)  clients compared to Alabama (AL) state rates: Preterm birth: BW 9.0% vs. AL 12.5%, low birthweight: BW 8.3% vs. AL 10.7%, C-sections: BW 24.9% vs. AL 34.7%, babies receiving breastmilk (optimal nutrition for the start of life): BW 94.4% vs. AL 69.6%.

*Definition: Doula | dou·la | \ ˈdü-lə - noun: a person trained to provide information, emotional support, and physical comfort to a mother before, during, and just after childbirth. A doula is a non-clinical pregnancy, labor and birth support professional.