Doulas Now Offered to Support Your Birth Experience
Doulas offer support to expecting and new parents. And they’re covered by Medi-Cal!
Pregnant and Postpartum Medi-Cal members
Call Health Net to get matched with a doula in your area.
Call 1-800-675-6110 (TTY: 711).
Medi-Cal members who are pregnant, or who were pregnant within the past year, are covered for doula services at no cost to them.
What is a doula?
A doula is like a birth helper. They help pregnant people before, during, and after childbirth.
Having a doula can be really helpful for parents. Here's why:
- Education and Emotional Support: Doulas can help parents feel confident and prepared for their baby’s birth. Doulas offer guidance during pregnancy and the birth process. They can help families plan and make good choices.
- Physical Comfort: Doulas can offer physical support during labor, such as helpful positions and guided breathing.
- Better births: Doula care is linked to a more positive birthing experience and better health outcomes.
- Postpartum Support: Doulas can help parents after the baby’s birth with things like breastfeeding and newborn care.
Note: Doulas are part of a care team, but they do not have medical training. They do not offer clinical advice like a doctor or nurse does.
An Ob-Gyn doctor is glad she used a doula and she recommends them to patients.
What doula services are included for Medi-Cal members?
Medi-Cal covers:
- Initial 90-minute visit to meet and get to know each other.
- Up to 8 more visits
- These visits can be pre-birth and after birth.
- Support during labor and birth.
- Up to 2 more visits after birth
- Talk with the doula about breastfeeding, mental health, sleeping patterns or any other concerns.
- Visits can last up to 3 hours.
Note: Doula care is also available for a pregnancy that ends in a miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion.
How do I get a doula?
Take one of the steps below to learn more about Doula services:
- Call Health Net at 1-800-675-6110 (TTY: 711), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Choose your own doula, or ask for help to find one that meets your needs.
- Call the State's Medi-Cal Health Care Options at 1-800-430-4263 (TTY: 1-800-430-7077).
- If you prefer an online support program (which also offers in-person services in some counties), contact the Mahmee organization at 1-855-695-4863 or visit Mahmee.
- Health Net Medi-Cal members may select Mahmee's team-based service, or work with an individual doula, but not both.
- Operating hours for Mahmee:
Monday through Friday 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Pacific time, and Saturday and Sunday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pacific time.
Doula Resource Materials
Doula Services
- Doula Services Flyer – English (PDF)
- Doula Services Flyer – En Español (Spanish) (PDF)
- Doula Services Flyer – Arabic (PDF)
- Doula Services Flyer – Armenian (PDF)
- Doula Services Flyer – Cambodian (PDF)
- Doula Services Flyer – Chinese (PDF)
- Doula Services Flyer – Farsi (PDF)
- Doula Services Flyer – Hmong (PDF)
- Doula Services Flyer – Korean (PDF)
- Doula Services Flyer – Russian (PDF)
- Doula Services Flyer – Tagalog (PDF)
- Doula Services Flyer – Vietnamese (PDF)
Mahmee Resources
- Mahmee Resource Flyer – English (PDF)
- Mahmee Resource Flyer – En Español (Spanish) (PDF)
- Mahmee Resource Flyer – العربية (Arabic) (PDF)
- Mahmee Resource Flyer – հայերեն (Armenian) (PDF)
- Mahmee Resource Flyer - 中文 (Chinese) (PDF)
- Mahmee Resource Flyer – فارسی (Farsi) (PDF)
- Mahmee Resource Flyer – Hmoob (Hmong) (PDF)
- Mahmee Resource Flyer – ខ្មែរ (Khmer) (PDF)
- Mahmee Resource Flyer – 한국어 (Korean) (PDF)
- Mahmee Resource Flyer – Русский язык (Russian) (PDF)
- Mahmee Resource Flyer – Tagalog (PDF)
- Mahmee Resource Flyer – Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese) (PDF)