Isuroon's Doula Program for Healthy Birth Outcomes

How does your donation help?

The cost of Doula training for each participant is $1,200. Your support will offset training costs for East African women, who are interested in becoming doulas and are in need of financial assistance. 

A Doula is a professional trained in childbirth who provides emotional, physical, and educational support to a mother who is expecting, is experiencing labor, or has recently given birth. Their purpose is to help women have a safe, memorable, and empowering birthing experience. There is a significant population of Somali and East African women who could benefit and would welcome the services of a doula during their pregnancy and time of delivery. Based on the challenges that many immigrant and refugee women report in pregnancy, the ability to have an individual from their culture who understands their challenges is significant support that many would find most reassuring as they enter into a complex medical setting to give birth to their child.

Our Goals

lsuroon will recruit and train members of Minnesota's East African community to become Doulas to achieve two goals:  

1. To provide increased economic opportunities within the East African community; 

2. To provide pregnant women with individuals from their culture who can help them navigate their pregnancy while understanding the unique challenges. 

Each Doula will participate in 24 hours of professional Doula training through the Cultural Wellness Center. Classes will cover the following topics - The Role of the Doula; Reflective Practice; Diversity, Culture, Morals and Ethics; Grief and Loss; Labor and Birth; Postpartum Physiology; Health and Nutrition; Pain in Labor; Management of Labor; Getting Started as a Birth Doula; Working with Clients Prenatally; Working with Clients During Labor; Adapting to Difficult Births; and Postpartum Work. 

Thank you for your support!