Doulas are trusted partners for families, yet their role in lactation support is often underrecognized and insufficiently integrated into systems of care. Drawing from lessons learned through the Mississippi CHAMPS Doula project and the NICU for Families project with University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, this session will explore the lactation knowledge doulas need to better support families from pregnancy through the 4th trimester, including in complex settings such as the NICU. Participants will gain practical insight into preparing families for breastfeeding, supporting early lactation, addressing common problems, recognizing when additional clinical support is needed, and strengthening collaboration with healthcare teams to improve family-centered outcomes.

Dr. Kimarie Bugg, DNP, MPH, IBCLC, FAAN

The placenta is more than a variety of complex biological functions - it is a powerful organ, a ritual symbol, a resource, a wonder. But what are the findings of basic research when it comes to placenta remedies for the postpartum period? Women report enhanced milk supply, stable mood and more energy after the consumption of processed placenta tissue (referred to as human maternal placentophagy). Scientific publications are not always easily accessible and often written in specialist “slang”. In this session we will have a closer look at latest publications from the placenta lab and will discuss „placenta remedies“ from a perspective of integrative and holistic medicine. Based on this information doulas can encourage mothers to make self-determined decisions during the postpartum period – free from shame, supported by knowledge.

Dr. Sophia K. Johnson, MD

Despite advances in obstetric care, pregnancy and postpartum remain some of the most vulnerable seasons in a woman’s life. While medicine excels at managing pregnancy and delivery, it often overlooks the realities of recovery after birth. The true gap is not a lack of medical knowledge, but a lack of continuity, education, and support once a mother leaves the delivery room. Gaps between visits, dismissed concerns, fragmented follow-up, and minimal preparation for the fourth trimester leave many families navigating recovery alone. This session examines how postpartum is structurally under-designed — not because of individual providers, but because systems were never built with the fourth trimester in mind.

Val Addams, MPH, CHES, CD(C)

The perinatal coaching services market is experiencing significant growth, expanding from $22.3 billion in 2023 to a projected $36.29 billion by 2030, driven by corporate wellness integration and rising demand for evidence-based maternal care. Within this evolution, a significant opportunity has emerged: platforms providing employer-sponsored benefits focused on women's health from fertility to menopause.

While many doulas work in community-based or traditional private practice settings, femtech companies are building networks of doulas to deliver virtual and/or in-person perinatal support as an employee benefit worldwide.

This session equips participants with the knowledge to access these opportunities—understanding how platform-based work differs from traditional settings, what is required to work in this environment, and the practical realities of virtual doula work. Whether supplementing your existing practice or exploring remote work and other flexible options, participants will leave with actionable strategies for entering this growing market.

Dr. Michelle El Khoury, PhD, CD/PCD(DONA), HBCE, RPYT, CNMI

Pregnancy and birth are profoundly proprioceptive experiences, yet nearly all perinatal models assume a neurotypical sensory baseline. This session introduces a groundbreaking framework for understanding pregnancy and labor through the lens of neurodivergent proprioception, interoception, and sensory integration. Autistic, ADHD, trauma-impacted, and chronically ill pregnant people often inhabit bodies that process space, time, touch, pressure, and internal cues through different neural pathways. These differences shape pain perception, labor rhythms, emotional regulation, tolerance for medical environments, and early lactation, yet are rarely addressed in traditional doula education. Grounded in embodied neuroscience and enriched by culturally rooted Caribbean somatic frameworks, this session challenges the “neurotypical canvas” of mainstream birth support and equips doulas with practical tools to create truly individualized, sensory-affirming care for non-neurotypical pregnant bodies.

Lesliebeth Sánchez Sierra, BSW, Doula, Perinatal Educator, Birth Coach

Over half of states have implemented Medicaid coverage for doula care, and additional states are currently in the process of implementation. Meanwhile, a growing number of states have passed legislation for private insurance coverage of doula care. This session will provide an overview of national trends in Medicaid and private insurance coverage of doula care, and how doulas and state advocates can continue to advocate for expanding access in spite of ongoing challenges to Medicaid and the health care system more broadly. 

Amy Chen, Esq.

Birthwork is emotional, embodied, and deeply relational—and doulas often become the grounding presence families rely on during moments of intensity, uncertainty, joy, and grief. The Sound of Safety introduces trauma-informed, culturally rooted practices using voice, vibration, rhythm, and creative grounding to support clients during labor, postpartum transitions, and bereavement. Drawing from somatic practice, nervous system literacy, and the ancient role of sound in community care, this session offers doulas practical tools for attunement, emotional containment, and restorative presence.

Tika Simone, MBA

ACTT Workshops are community-centered learning experiences offered nationwide, both virtually and in person, designed to strengthen advocacy, communication, and confidence in medical settings. These workshops welcome community members, birth workers, doulas, educators, and supporters who are committed to amplifying the voices of Black and Brown birthing people and improving pregnancy and birth experiences. Through practical tools and collective learning, ACTT helps participants overcome barriers to effective communication, reduce medical harm, and prevent obstetric violence. Over 90 percent of participants report increased confidence in asserting their rights, making ACTT both a self-affirming and potentially lifesaving experience.

ShLanda Burton, B.S., NDTR, CHW, BDT/AdvCD(DONA)

Creating a postpartum plan can help decrease the maternal morbidity and morality rate, strengthen bonding, improve breastfeeding outcomes, and facilitate a smoother transition into parenthood. It shifts the focus from baby-focused to family-focused and creates realistic expectations.

Carrie Benson, PCD(DONA)

Mentorship is often treated as optional support, yet for many doulas it is the difference between sustainability and leaving the profession altogether. In a landscape shaped by systemic inequities, high emotional labor, and increasing professional pressure, certification alone does not prepare doulas to navigate ethical complexity, burnout, or trauma exposure.

Lorie Michaels, CD(DONA), LCCE, CLC, BRMPro+, PMH-C, EBB Instructor, BRM/BRB Instructor, Spinning Babies Childbirth Educator & Bodyworker

DONA Leadership invites DONA members to our annual membership meeting!

Each year the DONA International Board of Directors holds a membership meeting during the meeting you’ll hear from leadership with a report from the prior year as well as what’s coming in the future! Join us for this fun and informative meeting and get to know your leadership and DONA happenings even better.

Attendees will receive 1 DONA Contact hour for attendance at the membership meeting.

Things to expect:

• State of DONA International
• Reports from all areas (Membership, Education, Certification, and Financial, DEI, Advocacy etc.)
• Highlights from the past year
• Highlights of current and upcoming projects
• Ways to get involved and help your voice be heard

Join us for this annual meeting and learn about what's happening from you DONA leadership! 

This session is sponsored by:

A film by Lee S. Cohen, M.D, Directed by Julia Marchesi

We are honored to bring More Than Blue to the DONA Summit as a special film screening event. As a community deeply invested in perinatal mental health, we are always looking for new ways to engage with this conversation. This documentary brings a distinct perspective to PMADs, one grounded in the lived experiences of families and well worth experiencing together.

Weaving personal stories together with expert insight, the film works to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and champion the care that clients deserve as they recover and heal. Despite meaningful progress in screening over the past decade, most individuals experiencing postpartum depression, anxiety, or psychosis continue to go undiagnosed or untreated. The work is continues.

For doulas, this film hits close to home. We show up during the rawest, most tender moments of the postpartum experience, and we are often the first person a client feels safe enough to be honest with. That trust matters. In the spirit of Awareness to Action: Insight to Practice, More Than Blue invites us to take what we witness in our work and turn it into something more, deeper knowledge, more confident responses, and a stronger ability to ensure that no one falls through the cracks.

More Than Blue is both a tribute to the resilience of families and a grounded, science-backed call to action, because no one should suffer in shame or silence.

Watch the Trailer

 

After the Screening: More Than Blue

From Awareness to Action: The Doula’s Role in Supporting Families; The conversation doesn’t end when the credits roll.

Following the screening of More Than Blue, join producer Lee Cohen, M.D., and DONA International doula trainers Krista Maltais, Ann Grauer, and Melissa Harley for a conversation about the stories shared in the film and what they mean for doulas.

Doulas often build trusted relationships with families before concerns arise and may be among the first people a parent feels safe enough to tell, “Something doesn’t feel right.” But recognizing that someone is struggling is only the beginning.

Together, the panel explores the power of relationship, the importance of beginning conversations about perinatal mental health early, and the doula’s role in helping families connect with meaningful resources and support.

The film creates awareness. This conversation asks what comes next.

Dr. Lee Cohen, M.D.

Ann Grauer, AdvCD/AdvPCD(DONA), BDT/PDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, IBCLC, RLC

Melissa Harley, B.A., AdvCD/BDT(DONA), CLC, LCCE, FACCE

Krista Maltais, AdvPCD/PDT(DONA), ALC, BS