Doula Services

Open Arms’ doulas are trusted members of the communities they serve and are intermediaries between the health care and social services systems, helping to ensure that services are provided in a culturally appropriate way. Our ethnically diverse and multilingual doulas receive extensive training through established local training and certification programs.

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What Is a Doula?

A doula is a trained, community-health worker that provides emotional, physical, and informational support for pregnant people before, during, and after labor. Doulas give useful information on what to expect during labor and help you plan for the birth experience you want. With support from an Open Arms doula, you will feel more prepared for this big life transition.

We have two doula programs to meet the needs of our families: Birth Doula Services and Community-based Outreach Doula Services. Our intake coordinators will work with you on which program best fits your needs.

Doulas are matched based on culture, ethnicity, preferred language, and region served. All our doulas provide: 

  • Prenatal and postnatal visits
  • On-call labor support two weeks before and after your expected delivery date
  • Continuous labor support 

About Our Doula Services

Our Birth Doulas provide three prenatal, labor, and delivery support, and three postnatal visits to families enrolled in the program. Families can remain enrolled in Birth Doula Services until their baby is six months old. Our Birth Doulas are knowledgeable in birth, lactation, and parenting. 

For families seeking Birth Doula Services, we’ll connect you with a doula three months prior to your estimated due date.  

Our Community-based Outreach Doulas expand the role of a birth doula by providing more frequent visits and continuing services until the child’s second birthday. Our Community-based Outreach Doulas are expertly trained to provide comprehensive culturally responsive support prenatally, during birth, and into early parenting.

They promote the parent-child relationship through evidence-informed practices such as Promoting First Relationships. We are proud to be the first Community-Based Outreach Doula program to be nationally accredited through HealthConnect One.