Our Approach

Our mission is to promote a positive experience for all pregnant people and new families through education, nurturing and advocacy in their pregnancy, labor and postpartum journeys.

We create a safe and positive community for doulas in the Greater Kansas City area by fostering respect, knowledge, and integrity as well as offering hospital and community connections, continuing education opportunities, networking, and social gatherings.

Our vision is a supportive community in which parents are informed, respected, and encouraged to make birth and postpartum decisions that are appropriate for themselves and their babies.

Our Story

In 1995, four women were trained as birth doulas through DONA International. Their backgrounds in nursing, childbirth education, and lactation support reinforced their desire to support birthing people and their partners through the childbearing experience. Sally Riley, Linda Herrick, MaryAnne Hammond, and Cindy Cameron organized the first doula group in the Kansas City area: Doulas of Greater Kansas City.

Over the past 20 years Doulas of Greater Kansas City has grown As a nonprofit organization, Doulas of Greater Kansas City offers financial assistance to help birthing people access doula support. We believe that all , educational conferences, financial assistance, and has a website, where individual members describe the services that they provide. Members of DGKC practice by a Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice in birth centers, hospitals, and homebirths.

Educating childbearing people and their partners about the choices available for their births such as: choosing a supportive care provider and place of birth, positions for labor and birth, pain relieving strategies, and caring for their babies were the goals of these women.

Compassion, integrity, and education guide us in our work as doulas.