Before this law became active, women were having to pay out of pocket for any doula service they desired, which left a lot of low income families not able to access the care that they needed. Now that Medi-Cal is beginning to cover doula services, more women and their families will have access to prenatal, birth, & postpartum support.

Being a Registered Medi-Cal Doula Provider requires;

• Doula certification/training of 16+ hours that meets their standards of education in the following topics; lactation support, childbirth education, foundations on anatomy of pregnancy and childbirth, non-medical comfort measures, prenatal support, and labor support techniques, and developing a community resource list

• Attendance of 3+ births

• Active adult/infant CPR Certification through Red Cross

• HIPAA Certification

• Business License & Tax ID

• Attendance of 3 hours of maternal, perinatal, or infant care education every 3 additional years following

Covered services include:

• One initial ~90 minute visit and consultation

• Up to Eight additional visits ~ throughout the perinatal and/or postpartum window

• Support during labor and delivery

• Up to Two 3-Hour extended postpartum visits within the 12 months from the end of pregnancy

Services that are not covered by medical include:

Anything beyond standard Doula Care;

• Mother Blessing / Closing the Bone Ceremonies

• Postpartum Meal Plans

• Belly Binding

• Placenta Processing

• Prenatal Yoga / Massage

• Lactation Consulting

I believe it is all women’s birthright to have access to these service. Please directly contact me to figure out something affordable if you feel financial matters are prohibiting your access to these essential services. Most private providers work with their own insurance agencies, and there are Doula Collectives forming with the initiative to make more of these services accessible to the general public through local grants. We can find a way.

The Humboldt Birth Collective (HBC) is a collective of Birth and Postpartum Doulas, Certified Midwives, and IBCLC Lactation Consultants in Humboldt County with the mission to expand affordable access to prenatal, birth, and postpartum support through grant funding. Our goal is to provide insurance-covered care and financial assistance for full spectrum doula, midwifery, and lactation care. We strive to build community among women and birthing people through childbirth education and breastfeeding classes, mothers and breastfeeding support groups, and community gatherings.