Doula Support

Community Doulas is dedicated to the belief that all birthing people deserve the care of a doula, regardless of social or economic status.

What do we do?

We provide birth and postpartum doula services to birthing people and their families living in Maine and parts of New Hampshire.

Our organization is dedicated to improving birth outcomes for pregnant individuals facing social or economic challenges. We aim to confidently support, educate, and guide them throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period.

We offer the following support to perinatal persons and their families:

  • Prenatal consulting and education

  • Continuous labor support

  • Postpartum support

  • Adoption support - both for the birthing person and the adoptive parents

  • Loss support – pregnancy loss, adoption loss, stillbirth, planned Cesarean support

What is a Postpartum Doula?

A Postpartum Doula is a trained support person who provides non-judgmental, evidence-based care to new parents during the postpartum period, also known as the fourth trimester, which encompasses the first six weeks after birth. Unlike a birth doula, who assists during labor, birth, and delivery, a postpartum doula offers guidance, practical help, and emotional support once the baby is home, helping families navigate the transition to parenthood.

Postpartum Doulas offer support & guidance with:

  • Basic newborn care

  • Baby wearing

  • Basic household chores

  • Meal preparation

  • Connections to local resources

  • Newborn & infant feeding

  • Emotional & physical recovery from labor and birth

  • Parent-baby bonding

  • Infant soothing

Birth Doulas offer support & guidance with:

  • Preparing for childbirth

  • Writing a birth plan

  • Emotional support

  • Continuous labor support

  • Connections to local resources

  • Education

  • Assist with provider communication

  • Partner involvement

  • On-call 24/7 leading up to birth

I would like a Doula! What do I do next?

  • Complete the doula support application.

  • Community Doulas will be in touch with you by email to let you know if you qualify for our program and to schedule an intake call.

  • You will be matched with a doula to interview.

  • Choose the doula you would like to work with.

  • Submit your consent for doula support.

  • Schedule your prenatal visit to ask questions and build rapport.

  • For Birth Doulas:

    • You’ll have one more prenatal visit before your due date.

    • Your doula is available 24/7 from 38 weeks until birth.

    • When labor begins, contact your doula for continuous support at home or the hospital.

    • Your doula will assist with the first feeding and stay until you're ready for privacy.

    • Birth support only clients will have a postpartum follow-up visit within a week of their baby’s birth.

  • For Postpartum Doulas:

    • After your baby is born, contact your doula to schedule when you would like your doula to support you.

    • You receive 12 hours of support, or 3, 4-hour visits to be used within the first 6 weeks postpartum.

What is a Birth Doula?

A doula provides physical, emotional, and educational support to both the pregnant person and their partner. They work with a family prenatally to prepare for the birth, stay for the duration of the labor—whether at home, in a birthing center, or at a hospital—and assist with the postpartum adjustment.

Doulas encourage, normalize, massage, coach, and act as a living resource guide. They bear witness to the amazing transformation that birth is.

Aren’t Doulas Expensive?

The average cost of a birth doula in Maine is over $1700.

A postpartum doula can cost $25-$50 per hour.

Community Doulas offers a more affordable option.

Can I Afford A Doula?