A Perinatal Health Program Connecting
Black Families With Black Doulas
Centering the Community
The Frontline Doula Hotline is Live!
If you are pregnant or postpartum and want to speak to a doula, schedule a call now!
“My Hotline doula was amazing, warm, friendly, and knowledgeable. I felt so connected, heard, and seen. This service is invaluable!”
— Caller (Frontline Doulas Hotline)
Register for our in-person and online events to learn more about the new Medi-Cal Doula Benefit in California.
You can help a birthing person advocate for a healthy birth experience.
Donate $25 to help cover the cost of a 50-minute Frontline Doula Hotline call.
Who are the Frontline Doulas?
We are an uplifting generation of community doulas on the frontline of birth in the black community co-creating and reclaiming family-centered narratives for generations to come.
“Nurturing and compassion during labor and the entire birth experience must be restored, I strive to enhance the birth team by providing comfort and peace.”
— Brittney Hinton, FrontLine Doula
What is a doula?
How do they support black birthing people, families and communities?
Our team of African American FrontLine Doulas will provide African American families in Los Angeles County (at no cost to the families) non-medical professional perinatal services. This includes; physical, emotional, informational, psychosocial and advocacy support during the pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum period.
What is a doula?
These Doulas Are Delivering Support For Black Mothers | HuffPost
“As a Community Doula I vowed to take action and stand in the gap as an advocate in a sweet sovereign and vulnerable life changing moment for families who just want and deserve to bring forth life in peace!”
— Bethany Benson, FrontLine Doula
Doula Care from a Frontline Doula
3 Prenatal Visits
Support at Birth
3 Postpartum Visits
Community-Centered Practices
Advocacy
Emotional Support
Culturally Competent Care
Lactation Education
Referrals for IBCLC Lactation Consultations
Childbirth Education Resources
Frontline Doula Client Portal
PlumTree Education Curriculum
Educated Birth Handouts
Fatherhood/Partner Support
Monthly father support group partner Donuts with Dads
Fatherhood & Partner Awareness Education handouts, videos
Queer Parent Support
Who and Where:
We are funded to provide NO COST Doula care for pregnant people/birthing families in Los Angeles County who identify as African American.
All ages (including teens), all forms of insurance and all locations in LA County whom meet this criteria are encouraged to apply now.
While this program has no income requirement, families with financial need are strongly encouraged to apply.
Why Frontline Doulas?
Community doulas are usually from the communities served who can connect clients to community resources that traditional doulas may not have, and center the experiences and voices of the community. They are more likely to encounter families with social-economic hardships that impact perinatal stress and health.
Given that community-based doulas are focused on marginalized and/or under-served birthing families, they are more likely to witness and support clients in navigating institutionalized racism and cultural incompetence within the medical setting.
While serving past birthing clients, in the extreme situations presenting in some of the lives of the mamas and babies, our team of doulas never waivered, acting with such strength and camaraderie that supervisors and mentors Dr. Sayida Peprah and Khefri Riley affectionately gave them the name they earned, “The Frontline Doulas.”
“To be a doula is to be of service… to offer your experience, wisdom and knowledge to a pregnant person. Being a Black Doula is to be the champion of brown babies and their moms. We are a safe harbor in places where racism impacts their birth outcome. We show up to advocate for, support and educate these moms. The end goal being to counteract the systematic racism that impacts the Black community. Finally we get to be present for a birth. What an honor and gift.”
— Felicia Francis-Edwards, FrontLine Doula
