World Doula Week Contest Winner
Creating Inclusive and Equitable Doula Care for Every Family
By: Aisha Drake
I was born in 1974 at Columbia Hospital for Women, a place once dedicated solely to serving the healthcare needs of Birth Persons and Babies. Sixteen years later, when my sister was born, I found myself wondering what had changed.
As a Doula, this reflection reminds me that No Two Births are ever the same, and neither are the needs of the families we serve. Leading with Heart is essential-It allows us to provide compassionate, personalized support. But true care goes deeper. It must also be inclusive and equitable, ensuring that all families, regardless of their identity or background, feel safe, valued, and respected. In this essay I will explore how Doulas can lead with empathy while championing justice, creating meaningful and affirming birth experiences for every family.
To lead with heart is to show up with presence, empathy, and unwavering support. It means holding space for the rawness and beauty of birth, offering comfort during moments of vulnerability and celebrating the strength of the birthing person. Doulas who lead with heart build trust through compassion-listening without judgement, reassuring without assumption and honoring each family’s unique journey.
This kind of care goes beyond physical support. It acknowledges the emotional and psychological aspects of birth. A heart-led Doula offers reassurance through touch, encouragement through words and calm through their presence. It is about being fully present-not just as a birth worker, but as a witness and advocate for the family’s experience.
While leading with the heart is powerful, it is incomplete without inclusivity. Families are diverse in their makeup including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, persons with disabilities and those experiencing mental health challenges. Doula care must reflect this diversity by being intentionally inclusive.
Inclusive care means using affirming gender-neutral language, honoring cultural practices, and ensuring that every family feels welcomed and seen. It requires Doulas to recognize their own biases and Actively challenge them. For example, instead of assuming a family dynamic, we can ask about pronouns, family roles and preferences. Small but meaningful shifts in language and practice can create safer, more affirming spaces.
Inclusivity also means representation. Doulas should seek to reflect the diversity of the communities they serve in their marketing, partnerships, and outreach efforts. When families see themselves reflected in their care providers, it fosters trust and belonging.
Inclusivity opens the door, but Equity ensures that everyone receives the support they need. Equity in Doula care acknowledges that not all families have the same access to resources or the same experience with the healthcare system.
For Doulas, practicing equity might look like offering sliding-scale fees or pro bono services for families with financial barriers. It could mean volunteering with community organizations that serve marginalized groups or providing trauma-informed care for those impacted by medical mistreatment.
Equity also calls for Doulas to be advocates-helping clients navigate healthcare systems, ask informed questions, and assert their rights. It requires us to continuously educate ourselves about systemic disparities and actively work to dismantle them.
When Doulas lead with both heart and justice our care becomes transformative. Compassion alone without a commitment to equity can unintentionally leave families behind. Advocacy alone without tenderness can feel distant. But together, they create a powerful model of care one that offers both warmth and empowerment.
Heart lead, equitable Doula care means celebrating the beauty of birth while remaining aware of the realities that many families face. It means being gentle and fierce, holding a Birthing person’s hand while also amplifying their voice. It means knowing that love and justice are not separate forces, but rather two sides of the same coin.
The birth of my sister, sixteen years after my own, made me pause and reflect on how much had changed and how much still needed to. Now as a Doula I have the privilege and responsibility to create Birth spaces where all families feel held, valued, and respected. I can help shape a birth world where every family can thrive. One Birth at A Time.
As winner of this contest, Aisha has chosen to use her scholarship funding to become a certified Postpartum Doula with our training agency Whole Doula.
“Grateful and proud to be the winner of the Doulas of Capitol Hill essay contest on Heart-Led Care for Doulas. This work is deeply personal to me, and I’m committed to holding space for families with empathy, intention, and love.”
Aisha has been trained by the NBDA as a Birth Doula and is currently working toward her certification.
Aisha’s journey to becoming a doula began at the age of 16 when she helped her mother during the birth of her younger sister. The experience inspired her to advocate for and empower friends and family during their pregnancies.
Aisha will be the doula for you with advocacy and education. Her personal experiences giving birth to her own children inspired her to be passionate about bodily autonomy.
Ensuring a peaceful healthy environment for a pregnant person is most important to Aisha. Encouraging moms and birthing people and their partner/family/supporters to create such an environment is her priority.
Aisha is a mother of two daughters, an auntie of three nieces and a dog mom.
