"Becoming a doula is a calling I didn’t know I needed. Every birthing person deserves to be seen, supported, and treated with the utmost care. Being a doula is the voice that tells someone they are worthy, because they are.” – Scholarship recipient of registered doula training through Everyday Miracles.

In 2020, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota began collaborating with doula provider Everyday Miracles to fund scholarships to train Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) doulas. Since then, 45 BIPOC doulas have been recruited, trained, certified, and registered to work with, and support, BIPOC birthing people in the Twin Cities, St. Cloud and Duluth. Everyday Miracles provides doula services as a benefit for Blue Plus members enrolled in a Minnesota Health Care Program.

Reach out to Everyday Miracles for more information.

Training as a doula

A doula is a trained professional, providing physical, emotional and informational support throughout the entire pregnancy, labor and childbirth as well as post-partum assistance. The doula staff at Everyday Miracles is diverse and passionate about supporting and empowering women.

“We need to have more trained Black doulas and more providers of color,” says Sierra Leone’ Williams, birth doula, birth educator and lactation counselor who works both independently and through Everyday Miracles. “And it’s important to connect more Black women with more Black providers.”

Working with a health care professional with a shared cultural background can make a big difference in health outcomes, especially for pregnant BIPOC  women who are at greater risk of birth complications.

Everyday Miracles is committed to improving maternal health, and specifically to reducing health disparities in communities at risk for poor outcomes. They provide compassionate, culturally aware support and a nonjudgmental, welcoming community.

A 2016 study published by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health showed that Everyday Miracles clients had lower rates of C-sections and pre-term births, a positive outcome as reducing these rates have been shown to result in lower rates of birth defects and infant mortality.

“Becoming a doula is a wonderful opportunity and a great way to have a positive impact on health outcomes for mothers and babies,” says Debby Nelson, executive director of Everyday Miracles. “Everyday Miracles was founded on the belief that everyone should be empowered, supported and celebrated during pregnancy, birth and post-partum regardless of age, race or socioeconomic status.”