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Photo of a couple and a doula. Text: Meet Earlyn, a doula in East Bronx. New Yorkers can access quality services at low to no cost to make pregnancy, birth and infancy easier.

The Citywide Doula Initiative

The Citywide Doula Initiative (CDI) is part of the New Family Home Visits Initiative, which provides free access to home visitors and doula support for birthing people and parenting families.

Doulas from this initiative provide professional, no-cost doula services to residents of neighborhoods that have been especially affected by COVID-19.

Learn more about low-cost doula services in New York City.

A doula is a professional, trained childbirth assistant who provides non-medical support.

Doulas can:

  • Help you prepare and carry out your childbirth plans
  • Guide and support you during labor and childbirth
  • Help you with and caring for your newborn

People giving birth with support from a doula are also more likely to:

  • Have a shorter labor
  • Initiate breastfeeding earlier and breastfeed for longer
  • Have positive feelings about their birth experience
  • Have better parent-baby bonding

Eligibility

To enroll, you must meet both of these requirements:

In addition, the program prioritizes people who:

  • Have aged out of foster care
  • Have no other labor support
  • Are giving birth for the first time, or for the first time in at least 10 years
  • Had a previous traumatic birth experience
  • Have a high-risk medical condition

To see if you qualify or enroll, call 844-OK-DOULA (844-653-6852), Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or email cdi@health.nyc.gov.

Find a Doula

If you are eligible for Citywide Doula Initiative services, you may also reach out to one of the programs listed below, which provide services as part of the CDI. Each program is available only to people who live in the listed ZIP codes or in shelter or foster home within the borough, or to pregnant teenagers who are income-eligible for Medicaid.

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Bronx

  • Ancient Song Doula Services
    347-778-3490
    info@ancientsongdoulaservices.com
    ZIP codes: 10451, 10452, 10453, 10454, 10455, 10456, 10457, 10458, 10459, 10460, 10463, 10466, 10467, 10468, 10469, 10472, 10473, 10474

  • Caribbean Women’s Health Association
    718-826-2942
    CWHAdoulas@cwha.org
    ZIP codes: 10451, 10452, 10453, 10454, 10455, 10456, 10457, 10458, 10459, 10460, 10463, 10466, 10467, 10468, 10469, 10472, 10473, 10474

  • Mama Glow Foundation
    718-510-4015
    cdi@mamaglow.com
    ZIP codes: 10451, 10452, 10453, 10454, 10455, 10456, 10457, 10458, 10459, 10460, 10463, 10466, 10467, 10468, 10469, 10472, 10473, 10474

  • Northern Manhattan Perinatal Partnership
    212-665-2600
    info@nmppcares.org
    ZIP codes: 10451, 10452, 10453, 10454, 10455, 10456, 10457, 10458, 10459, 10460, 10463, 10466, 10467, 10468, 10469, 10472, 10473, 10474

  • The Mothership
    646-598-7199
    doula@themothershipnyc.com
    ZIP codes: 10451, 10454, 10455, 10456, 10457, 10458, 10466, 10467, 10469

Brooklyn

  • Ancient Song Doula Services
    347-778-3490
    info@ancientsongdoulaservices.com
    ZIP codes: 11203, 11205, 11206, 11207, 11208, 11212, 11216, 11221, 11220, 11224, 11226, 11232, 11233, 11235, 11236, 11237, 11238, 11239

  • By My Side Birth Support Program
    718-637-5231
    healthystartbrooklyn@health.nyc.gov
    ZIP codes: 11203, 11205, 11206, 11207, 11208, 11212, 11216, 11221, 11220, 11226, 11232, 11233, 11236, 11237, 11238, 11239

  • Caribbean Women’s Health Association
    718-826-2942
    CWHAdoulas@cwha.org
    ZIP codes: 11203, 11205, 11206, 11207, 11208, 11212, 11216, 11221, 11220, 11224, 11226, 11232, 11233, 11235, 11236, 11237, 11238, 11239

  • Hope and Healing Family Center
    347-384-1494
    hhfc01@ymail.com
    ZIP codes: 11203, 11205, 11206, 11207, 11208, 11212, 11216, 11220, 11221, 11224, 11226, 11232, 11233, 11235, 11236, 11237, 11238, 11239

  • Mama Glow Foundation
    718-510-4015
    cdi@mamaglow.com
    ZIP codes: 11203, 11205, 11206, 11207, 11208, 11212, 11216, 11221, 11220, 11224, 11226, 11232, 11233, 11235, 11236, 11237, 11238, 11239

Manhattan

  • Ancient Song Doula Services
    347-778-3490
    info@ancientsongdoulaservices.com
    ZIP codes: 10025, 10026, 10027, 10029, 10030, 10031, 10032, 10033, 10034, 10035, 10037, 10039, 10040

  • Caribbean Women’s Health Association
    718-826-2942
    CWHAdoulas@cwha.org
    ZIP codes: 10025, 10026, 10027, 10029, 10030, 10031, 10032, 10033, 10034, 10035, 10037, 10039, 10040

  • Mama Glow Foundation
    718-510-4015
    cdi@mamaglow.com
    ZIP codes: 10002, 10003, 10009, 10013, 10025, 10026, 10027, 10029, 10030, 10031, 10032, 10033, 10034, 10035, 10037, 10039, 10040

  • Northern Manhattan Perinatal Partnership
    212-665-2600
    info@nmppcares.org
    ZIP codes: 10025, 10026, 10027, 10029, 10030, 10031, 10032, 10033, 10034, 10035, 10037, 10039, 10040

  • The Mothership
    646-598-7199
    doula@themothershipnyc.com
    ZIP codes: 10025, 10026, 10027, 10029, 10030, 10031, 10032, 10033, 10034, 10035, 10037, 10039, 10040

Queens

  • Ancient Song Doula Services
    347-778-3490
    info@ancientsongdoulaservices.com
    ZIP codes: 11101, 11368, 11369, 11412, 11419, 11420, 11421, 11423, 11429, 11432, 11433, 11434, 11435, 11436, 11691, 11692, 11693, 11694

  • Caribbean Women’s Health Association
    718-826-2942
    CWHAdoulas@cwha.org
    ZIP codes: 11101, 11368, 11369, 11412, 11419, 11420, 11421, 11423, 11429, 11432, 11433, 11434, 11435, 11436, 11691, 11692, 11693, 11694

  • Mama Glow Foundation
    718-510-4015
    cdi@mamaglow.com
    ZIP codes: 11101, 11368, 11369, 11412, 11419, 11420, 11421, 11423, 11429, 11432, 11433, 11434, 11435, 11436, 11691, 11692, 11693, 11694

Staten Island

Become a CDI Doula

Train Through the CDI

The Citywide Doula Initiative conducts no-cost, multi-day workshops each year for community members who want to become birth doulas. Priority is given to applicants who live in TRIE neighborhoods or who are bilingual. After completing the workshop, new doulas enroll in a six-month apprenticeship with one of the eight CDI programs, where they receive mentorship, support, and professional development opportunities.

The waitlist is closed for this year's training.

Join as an Experienced Doula

Doulas who have attended at least 10 births can apply for openings in the eight CDI doula service organizations listed above. Doulas who are enrolled as Medicaid providers with New York State and with the managed-care organizations that serve New York City are preferred.


Additional Resources

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