What Birthwell Partners does

BirthWell Partners is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2011 and headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. The organization trains community doulas and provides free or low-cost birth and postpartum doula support, lactation and perinatal health education, and community classes to under-resourced pregnant and postpartum individuals. As of its 15-year milestone, BirthWell reports 2,000+ families supported, 800+ births attended, and 500+ doulas trained, with active service delivery in seven Alabama cities.

The core programmatic offerings are: (1) free birth and postpartum doula services for Medicaid-eligible families on a sliding-scale basis for others; (2) a DONA-approved birth doula training priced at $750 per participant, plus lactation and perinatal training courses; (3) community education classes; (4) a CRSS Doula Training Program developed in partnership with the Alabama Department of Mental Health; and (5) a Work Study Program supporting emerging doulas. There is no underlying software platform; the delivery model is human-staff-intensive, dependent on a network of trained community doulas.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit structure. Earned revenue is limited to training fees and small community-class fees, while the majority of operating revenue comes from grants and donations from a network of 15+ financial partners including the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Alabama Power Foundation. The organization operates with approximately four core staff, led by Co-founder and Executive Director Susan Petrus and Co-founder and Birth Doula Trainer Dalia Abrams following a leadership transition completed between 2023 and 2024.

Name

Birthwell Partners

Legal name

BirthWell Partners

Website

https://birthwellpartners.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BirthWell Partners is a Birmingham, Alabama-based nonprofit founded in 2011 that trains community doulas and delivers free or low-cost birth and postpartum support to under-resourced pregnant individuals across seven Alabama cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maternal Health Community Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Lactation, Postpartum & Perinatal Support Services (HLAFAJAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Postpartum Newborn Care & Parent Education (NCS) (HSAAACAA), Maternal, Child & Family Health Organizations (BPAGACAF), Newborn Care Specialist Placement, Matching & Staffing Services (HSAAACAK), Newborn Care Specialist (NCS) Placement (HSAAALAE)

Keywords

• Community doula services
• Birth doula training
• Postpartum support
• Perinatal health education
• Maternal health nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Primary funding from grants and donations from foundations, corporations, and individuals to support free and reduced-cost doula services for under-resourced families.
2. Doula Training Fees: Birth Doula Workshop training at $750 per participant. Additional training programs include Lactation Basics ($50) and Perinatal Health Advocate Training ($40).
3. Community Classes: Fee-based community education classes including Easy Breezy Labor ($10) and Feed That Baby! ($10). Some classes offered free of charge.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BirthWell Partners is a Birmingham, Alabama-based nonprofit that trains community doulas and provides free or reduced-cost birth and postpartum doula support to under-resourced pregnant and postpartum individuals in Alabama. It also delivers DONA-approved birth doula training, perinatal health advocate training, lactation education, work-study financial assistance, and community education classes across seven Alabama regions.

Product overview

BirthWell Partners is a nonprofit organization based in Birmingham, Alabama that operates as a community doula project. The organization offers a unified service model combining free and reduced-cost doula support services for under-resourced families with professional doula training programs. The core product portfolio includes Birth Doula Services and Postpartum Doula Services (provided free or at reduced cost to families meeting Medicaid eligibility guidelines), supplemented by Community Classes and a Postpartum Support Group. Professional development offerings include DONA-Approved Birth Doula Training ($750), Perinatal Health Advocate Training ($40), Lactation Basics for Doulas ($50), and a Work Study Program that covers training costs in exchange for serving clients. A specialized CRSS Doula Training Program serves Certified Recovery Support Specialists. All trainees receive access to ongoing Doula Continuing Education events. The organization also maintains a Community Resources Directory to connect families with additional support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Birth Doula Services Trained birth doulas provide physical, emotional, and informational support to individuals and families before, during, and shortly after childbirth, including prenatal visits, labor support at hospitals, and postpartum check-ins. Services are free for Medicaid-eligible families and sliding-scale for others.
• Postpartum Doula Services Postpartum doulas support families in the weeks and months after birth by offering guidance on infant feeding, helping parents recover emotionally and physically, teaching soothing techniques for babies, and providing practical tips for adjusting to life with a newborn.
• Community Classes Classes to prepare parents for labor and birth, including 'Your Birth, Your Choices,' 'Easy Breezy Labor,' 'Feed That Baby!' breastfeeding and bottle-feeding classes, and ACTT self-advocacy workshops.
• Postpartum Support Group Monthly support group held on the 3rd Thursday of every month providing a safe space for new parents to share experiences, ask questions, and find encouragement from others on the same journey.
• Birth Doula Training DONA-Approved Birth Doula Training workshop conducted in-person in Birmingham, AL over two back-to-back weekends. Covers anatomy, labor support techniques, evidence on common labor practices, and business of being a doula. Cost: $750 per participant.
• Perinatal Health Advocate Training Training focused on maternal and infant health disparities and connecting families with resources for pregnancy, birth, and parenting. Covers mortality rates, systemic disparities, environmental factors, and resource connection. Cost: $40 per participant.
• Lactation Basics for Doulas Foundational lactation education and practical skills for doulas to support clients with breastfeeding and infant feeding during the postpartum period. Fulfills lactation support education requirement for DONA certification. Cost: $50 per participant.
• Work Study Program Financial assistance program covering the cost of doula training in exchange for providing birth doula services to 2-3 under-resourced BirthWell clients. Includes classroom training, mentoring, and 6 required doula coaching sessions.
• CRSS Doula Training Program Free birth doula training program funded by Alabama Department of Mental Health specifically for Certified Recovery Support Specialists. Provides training, mentoring, and support for completing DONA certification with no requirement to attend births.
• Doula Continuing Education Monthly continuing education events for doulas including Breastfeeding Basics, Labor Positions, Certification Support sessions, Language Nutrition Coach Training, and social Mix & Mingle events.
• Community Resources Directory Online directory of trusted resources including housing, food, substance use, prenatal, breastfeeding, mental health, transportation, insurance, and childcare resources for Alabama families.

Quantifiable outcome

• 800+ births attended since 2011
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Crescent Cultural Community CenterminorOthersCommunity venue partner for hosting training sessions and community classes.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Uzazi Village: Uzazi Village is a Kansas City-based nonprofit offering doula training, postpartum support, and perinatal health services to communities of color. Comparable in combining community doula training with direct services targeting Black maternal health disparities.
• Mamatoto Village: Mamatoto Village is a DC-based nonprofit that trains community doulas and provides free/low-cost perinatal support to under-resourced birthing people of color. Directly comparable to BirthWell in mission, target population, and the dual training-plus-service model.
• Commonsense Childbirth: Commonsense Childbirth provides midwifery, doula, and perinatal support services with a focus on communities of color. Comparable dual focus on workforce development (training doulas/midwives) and direct service delivery to under-resourced families.
• Ancient Song Doula Services: New Jersey-based nonprofit offering birth doula training and community doula services to under-resourced families of color. Comparable in combining DONA-style training with free/reduced-cost services for underserved populations.
• HealthConnect One: HealthConnect One is the national pioneer of the community doula model, training community-based doulas and supporting replication in under-resourced communities. Both organizations share the same foundational model (community doulas serving under-resourced families) that originally inspired BirthWell Partners.

Broad incumbents

• DONA International: DONA International is the largest doula certification body in the U.S. and approves BirthWell's training curriculum. A broader industry incumbent that sets training standards and certifies doulas rather than delivering direct services to under-resourced families.

Others

• Black Mamas Matter Alliance: BMMA is a national alliance advancing Black maternal health policy and advocacy. Not a direct service provider but an adjacent ecosystem player that influences funding flows and policy environment for community doula organizations like BirthWell Partners.

Emerging players

• National Birth Equity Collaborative (NBEC): NBEC is a national nonprofit focused on Black maternal and infant health through training, advocacy, and direct services. Comparable focus on maternal health equity and community-based perinatal workforce development, though it operates more as a national advocacy and training organization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BirthWellPartners
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/birthwell-partners
• Instagraminstagram.com/birthwellpartners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Birthwell Partners