How & When To Get A Black Mamas ATX Doula

Black Mamas ATX provides no-cost community doula support to the Black community in the Austin 5-county metro area. That means, if you are Black and pregnant, living in Travis, Williamson, Bastrop, Hays or Caldwell counties in Texas, then you are within our service area! To sign up, simply click Request Doula Services and fill out the form (sometimes it takes a few seconds for the form to load, depending on internet speed).

Sign-up early to get a Black Mamas ATX doula. We accept clients in their first or second trimester (up to 28 weeks). Our doulas start working with clients early in order to support a healthy pregnancy and ensure enough time to be well prepared for childbirth.

If you are in your third trimester, we recommend reaching out to a private doula, or other doula support organizations. Private doulas often prefer to take on clients during their third trimester. If you need financial support to get a private doula, try out the Dove Birth Equity Fund. Even if you are unable to secure a Black Mamas ATX doula for one-on-one support, you can still join our Black Mamas ATX Sister Circle Community, and have access to our Doula-Led Education (on topics like childbirth education and lactation education), our Mamas Meetups, GirlTrek walks and other Black Mamas ATX activities.

What To Expect As A Black Mamas ATX Client

Prenatally

Our doulas do one (1) visit per month to give informational support such as discussing options, alternatives, pros and cons related to birth and postpartum; to educate client about the labor process; to teach comfort measures that can be used to help the client maneuver through the different stages of labor; to help the client think through and prepare their birth plan and postpartum plan; to share signs of labor and when to call the doula, etc.

• AT LEAST one (1) prenatal visit will be in-person. Other visits may be virtual (by phone or online) or in person as agreed between the doula and the client.
• Clients may invite their chosen support person/people to prenatal visits (the main support person should definitely be at the comfort measure prenatal visit)
• Prenatal visits typically last about 1 hour

Labor and Birth

When the client is in active labor, the doula will give in-person support at the client’s chosen birth location until about 1 – 2 hours after the baby is born.

The doula will remain present to support for about 1 – 2 hours to ensure both client and baby are stable and, if the client chooses to breastfeed, to provide support with the client initiating breastfeeding. 

Postpartum

In the first 6 weeks postpartum, the doula will do 5 check-ins:

• 1st – within 36 hours of birth
• 2nd – by day 5 postpartum
• 3rd – at 2-weeks postpartum
• 4th – at 4 weeks postpartum
• 5th – at 6 weeks postpartum

These postpartum visits are primarily to see how the client’s transition into parenthood is going, to determine if the client needs additional services, and to give encouragement to the client. The doula will also try to identify any signs of postpartum complications developing so they can raise the red flag to the client and encourage them to contact their care provider and/or go to the hospital for medical evaluation.

• There is one (1) in-person postpartum visit within the first 3 weeks postpartum.
• After 6 weeks postpartum, the doula will do check-ins at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postpartum.

Black Mamas ATX doulas do not provide traditional postpartum doula support (e.g childcare, light housekeeping, overnight visit). If you will need more in-depth traditional postpartum doula services beyond what we provide, we recommend reaching out to GALS and/or Mama Sana Vibrant Woman for additional postpartum support (yes, it’s okay to get support from more than one organization. We work well together!) or private postpartum doulas.

• Childcare for wellness visits, respite, and medical emergencies is available at no cost to BMATX doula clients through the Maternal Health Equity Collaborative (MHEC) childcare program.
• Black Mamas ATX sponsors culturally congruent therapy with Black counselors, available at no cost to our doula clients.
• Clients get screenings and surveys that assist Black Mamas ATX in supporting you. Please do your best to fill out these screenings and surveys.