Birth Workers & Doulas

How Doulas Can Recognize PMAD Symptoms in Their Clients

Doulas see clients during some of the highest-risk weeks for PMAD onset. Practical symptom recognition guidance for labor and postpartum doulas — what to look for, what to ask, and when to refer.

Birth Trauma: How to Support Clients Without Overstepping

Doulas and birth workers are frequently present for traumatic births and are often the first support person a client turns to afterward. A scope-of-practice guide to supporting clients through birth trauma while staying within appropriate professional boundaries.

Supporting Clients Through High-Risk Pregnancies and NICU Stays

Doulas who work with high-risk pregnancies and NICU families navigate an elevated PMAD risk landscape. Practical guidance on recognition, scope-appropriate support, and referral for one of birth work's most emotionally complex client populations.

Perinatal Mental Health for Doulas and Birth Workers: A Complete Practice Guide

Postpartum Mental Health in Your Clients: What Doulas and Childbirth Educators Should Know

Doulas and childbirth educators encounter PMAD symptoms regularly. This guide covers prevalence, risk factors, and why birth workers are positioned to help.

How Doulas Can Identify Signs of Postpartum Depression and Anxiety in Clients

Practical signs doulas can observe in postpartum clients, including PPD, PPA, birth trauma, and OCD presentations, with guidance on what warrants a referral.

When and How to Refer Doula Clients to Postpartum Mental Health Support

When to suggest mental health support and what to say: a practical referral guide for doulas, including how to handle client resistance and what to do after.

Prenatal PMAD Risk Signs for Doulas and Childbirth Educators

The prenatal window is when PMAD risk accumulates. This guide covers prenatal risk factors doulas and childbirth educators can observe and when to refer.

Why Birth Workers Miss Postpartum Mental Health Distress

Birth workers miss PMAD distress for four reasons: competence masking, normalization habit, scope conflict, and non-obvious presentations like PPA or OCD.

Postpartum Mental Health in NICU Families: Signs and Support

NICU parents face two to three times the PPD risk of full-term families. Covers PMAD signs specific to NICU stays and how doulas and NICU staff can refer.

How Doulas Can Build a Referral Process for Postpartum Mental Health Support

Most referrals fail at handoff. This guide helps doulas build a referral list, make warm handoffs, follow up, and get clients connected to postpartum care.

What to Look for in a Perinatal Mental Health Referral Partner: A Birth Worker's Guide

Birth workers transfer trust when they refer clients. This guide covers PMH-C, telehealth, insurance, and response time for evaluating referral practices.

Vicarious Trauma and Burnout in Birth Workers: Prevention and Support

Birth workers are regularly exposed to traumatic births, postpartum crises, and perinatal loss. A clinical overview of vicarious trauma, occupational burnout, and sustainable practice for doulas and childbirth educators.

Supporting Perinatal Mental Health as a Birth Worker

Birth workers are often the first professionals to recognize when a client is struggling. A complete guide to PMAD identification, scope-of-practice referral, client communication, and birth worker self-care for doulas, childbirth educators, and postpartum support providers.

Referring Clients to Mental Health Support: A Doula's Guide

The referral conversation is where doula support and mental health care connect. Scripts, logistics, and client communication strategies for making warm referrals from within your professional scope.

Postpartum Doula Care for Clients Experiencing PPD or PPA

A practical guide to providing effective postpartum doula support when a client has been diagnosed with postpartum depression or anxiety — including how to adapt your support, communicate with the client's care team, and stay within your professional scope.

Why Doulas Refer Clients to Phoenix Health for Perinatal Mental Health Care

Doulas see emotional distress that falls outside their scope. Phoenix Health provides PMH-C certified telehealth therapy for perinatal clients in all 50 states.