Born Again AcademyFree Information Session
Get a full walkthrough of the Community Perinatal Doula training program — what you'll learn, how the six-week format works, and what it takes to become Medicaid-ready — straight from Born Again Academy.
What to do next:
- Ready to get started? See upcoming cohorts, pricing for your state, and how to enroll on the Doula Training page.
- Read more about the Medicaid doula work
- Talk to Inga to get your questions answered and explore your State opportunities
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Community Perinatal Doula?
A Community Perinatal Doula provides non-clinical emotional, physical, informational, and practical support to families through pregnancy, birth, postpartum, newborn care, and early parenting. This role does not replace doctors, midwives, nurses, lactation consultants, or mental health professionals. Instead, a doula helps families understand, prepare, communicate, follow through, and know when to seek medical care.
During pregnancy, she may help a mother prepare questions for prenatal appointments, understand common birth options, make a birth plan, recognize urgent warning signs, find community resources, arrange transportation support, and prepare for breastfeeding, newborn care, and postpartum recovery.
During labor and birth, she may provide comfort measures such as breathing support, position changes, massage, counter-pressure, hydrotherapy, encouragement, and help communicating preferences to the care team.
After birth, she may support recovery, breastfeeding basics, newborn care, infant soothing, safe sleep education, light household help, meal preparation, emotional encouragement, and connection to medical, lactation, mental health, or community resources when needed.
As a community doula, she is familiar or comes from the community that she serves. This means she understands the strengths of the community as well as the barriers that her community members must overcome in order to access health literacy and health care. One important job of the community doula is connecting families to social resources and helping them navigate the healthcare system.
Read more: Called To Serve
Is Born Again Academy accepted in my state?
Currently, BAA can train doulas for Medicaid in the following states:
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Utah
- Washington
Applications are also pending in New Jersey and Virginia. Applications will be submitted in January to Maryland and Oregon.
Because every state has its own process, I am happy to help you understand what your state requires and what steps may apply to your situation.
Read more: State Approved Doula Pathways
Can doulas really get paid through Medicaid?
Yes, in many states Medicaid doula reimbursement is a real pathway, but payment depends on your state’s rules, the services you actually provide, and whether you complete the required approval, documentation, and billing steps. Most Medicaid programs pay for specific services such as prenatal visits, labor and birth attendance, and postpartum visits. In the Entrepreneurship lesson in this course, I teach students how Medicaid billing works and how doulas can prepare to bill for their covered services. Students should understand the business side clearly before they begin.
Read more: Medicaid Readiness Basics
How does Born Again Academy train students?
The Community-based Perinatal Support and Childbirth Education course is an 80-hour training. It includes 50 hours of independent guided coursework on Moodle and a 30-hour live online Applied Intensive. Students learn through video lectures, textbook reading, handouts, quizzes, field projects, scenarios, role play, discussions, and instructor feedback.
Read more: Doula Training
Is course completion the same as certification?
No. Course completion and BAA certification are separate. Students may complete the course without pursuing certification. BAA certification is an additional process for students who want to meet BAA’s professional standards. Students must still follow their own state’s Medicaid pathway where state approval or Medicaid enrollment is required. Some states require external certification, others do not.
Read more: BAA Doula Certification
What if my state requires birth or client experience?
Some states require documented birth or client experience, and some do not. BAA offers an optional practicum for students who need support with experience documentation. Students should check their state pathway before deciding whether they need the practicum.
Read more: Optional Practicum
How much does the program cost?
The program option you need depends on your state’s pathway. All options include course books.
Every student takes the Community-based Perinatal Support and Childbirth Education Course, and every package includes the course books. States differ in whether they also require certification or a supervised practicum, so your total depends on where you practise. Not in a state we're approved in yet? You can still take the course for your own education.
Read more: Course Dates and Pricing
Are there payment plans available?
Payment can be made through Stripe, and payment plan options may be available through Klarna and Affirm at checkout.
Can I practice solo or work under an agency?
After training, doulas may choose different practice paths. Some start a private-pay solo doula business, some contract with an agency or network, and some combine these options (e.g. work with an agency to handle Medicaid clients, but handle private pay clients separately). Students who complete BAA training and meet the necessary requirements may also be interested in serving through Born Again Perinatal, the agency arm connected to Born Again Academy.
Read more: Serve with Born Again Perinatal
Is this a Christian program?
Yes. Born Again Academy is an evidence-based Christian program. We believe this work can open doors to serve mothers, babies, and families in a practical way. At the same time, Medicaid doula care must be client-centered care. We serve families according to their values, preferences, and care goals, without pressure, manipulation, or preaching at clients. We hope that by the time the Medicaid contract is over with a client, you have gained a new friendship to continue cultivating for Jesus.
Read more: Christian Doula Training
If you are still interested, I would be glad to discuss your situation with you and help you think through whether this course fits your goals and your state’s pathway.