Community Doulas of Johnson County

The purpose of the Community Doulas of Johnson County is to provide accessible and comprehensive support to low-income birthing individuals, and families living in Johnson County, Iowa. Our work is rooted in promoting positive health outcomes and empowering families through every stage of pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery.

Purpose and Goals:

Increase access to doula services
Provide culturally responsive and holistic care
Education that meets the needs of all communities
Support maternal mental health

We offer:

Prenatal support- Pregnancy and childbirth education and preparation, resources, hands on comfort measures and tools for pregnancy and labor
Labor and birth support- Continuous support during labor, helping families navigate healthcare settings, and advocating for their birth preferences
Postpartum support- Assistance with newborn care, breastfeeding support, emotional support, and connection to local resources for ongoing needs

Long Term Vision:

The community doulas of Johnson County envision a future where all families have access to supportive and respectful maternity care, and where doulas are an integrated part of the maternal and infant health care systems. Doulas work not only supports individual families but contributes to healthier communities by fostering resilience, knowledge, and support networks that uplift all members.

About Us

What is a doula?

A group of Johnson County Iowa doulas that work with the Community Doula project.

A Doula is a trained professional who provides physical, emotional and informational support to birthing people during the childbearing year, with the goal to help them achieve a healthy, empowered and satisfying experience. A Doula is not a midwife. Doulas act as a companion or guide, not a care provider. Doulas do not perform clinical duties or tasks and do not provide medical care for the birthing person or the baby. Some clients hire a doula for reassurance and someone to turn to them with questions, some may have a history of trauma or a previous undesired birth experience.
The research shows that birthing people who receive continuous doula support are more likely to have spontaneous vaginal births, less likely to request or require pain medication or epidural, less likely to require vacuum or forceps delivery and less likely to have negative feelings associated with their childbirth.
Doulas help partners feel less stressed, more present, and more confident in their role by providing breaks, self-care encouragement, and by taking some of the responsibility off their shoulder.
Doulas offer a range of support to partners during labor and childbirth, including emotional and physical assistance, guidance, and advocacy.
Doulas play an important role in agency and autonomy, supporting the client’s natural capacity to make their own decisions, to act or make their own choices. Doulas also help clients understand options and can help facilitate conversations with care providers so that clients feel fully heard and understood and feel ownership in their birth experience and care.
According to Evidence Based Birth, birthing people who have continuous support during labor report decreased worry or concerns, increased natural oxytocin-a hormone to promote labor, increased self-esteem, increased movement, and decreased pain. Doulas empower and bring out the natural strengths in clients to help them navigate labor, birth and postpartum.

About our Program

This program is a collaborative effort between the University of Iowa College of Nursing, Iowa Health Care, and Johnson County Public Health.
Program participants will be matched with a trained doula for support during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum recovery, including help with breastfeeding.
Participants will receive prenatal and postpartum essentials to support health and healing, and to support breastfeeding.
All low-income and/or Medicaid eligible residents of Johnson County, Iowa can receive these free services.

Our Leadership