When Duke medical student Nicola Young envisioned creating a volunteer birth doula program, she saw an opportunity to address health equity gaps for families navigating childbirth. But a pivotal conversation with a Duke obstetrician with experience in community collaborations for health equity changed everything. The feedback revealed an uncomfortable truth: her well-intentioned program could undermine local community-based doulas who served historically excluded families of color.
"That feedback stopped me in my tracks and made me rethink everything," Young recalled.
This revelation inspired a powerful shift. Recognizing the critical gaps in postpartum care—where marginalized families face disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity—Young, her student partner Siera Lunn, and their rapidly growing team of faculty mentors refocused their efforts. The result was Postpartum Partners, a pilot service-learning collaboration between Duke University Schools of Medicine and Nursing, supported by the Duke Health Center for Interprofessional Education and Care (IPEC). This initiative trains future health professionals in community-centered postpartum care, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration and community engagement.
Students in the program complete postpartum doula training, participate in postpartum health-related seminars, and collaborate with organizations to address systemic inequities during the perinatal period.
They partner with MAAME, Inc., a Durham-based community doula agency that empowers Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other historically excluded people to navigate systems of care. MAAME, Inc. focuses on addressing systemic inequities and supporting individuals throughout the perinatal journey.
Students also work with Breastfeed Durham, a health equity advocacy group that works to make Durham more supportive of breastfeeding and families. The organization advocates for policies and practices that promote breastfeeding as outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Over the course of three months, students volunteer with these organizations to support their programming, engaging in true community-based work.
"The training transforms how students approach patient care," Dr. Berry explained. "They don’t just learn what to recommend; they learn to understand the full context of a family's life after birth—their home environment, cultural background, and real-world barriers. Without this understanding, even well-intentioned medical advice can fall short."
Collaboration Across Disciplines
A hallmark of Postpartum Partners is its interdisciplinary approach. As a pilot service-learning collaboration between Duke University Schools of Nursing and Medicine, it brings together students from medicine, nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and physician’s assistant programs to tackle shared challenges through diverse perspectives. Faculty mentors, including Dr. Stephanie Gedzyk-Nieman from nursing, Anne Fields from social work, Dr. Anne Berry from family medicine, and Dr. Annie Dotson from family medicine offer expertise in perinatal health, mental health, and breastfeeding medicine. Collaborators from Duke physical therapy teach about pelvic floor health, and community experts share about their experience working in the perinatal health space.
This work is supported by Duke Service-Learning, which provides faculty with resources like course grants and expert guidance on embedding community engagement into their teaching. By fostering connections between academic programs and local organizations, Duke Service-Learning helps educators design courses that prioritize equity and community impact—values central to Postpartum Partners.
"Bringing together many minds with different backgrounds allows us to tackle challenges we couldn’t solve alone," Young reflected.
This approach not only builds knowledge but fosters a sense of community among participants. As one student shared, "Connecting with peers across disciplines was one of the best parts of the program. I now consider them some of my favorite people in Durham."
Challenges and Future Goals
Despite its successes, the program faces hurdles. Securing sustainable funding—especially for essential postpartum doula training—remains a pressing challenge. Formalizing partnerships with community organizations and expanding academic credit options are also priorities.
Trust barriers between academic institutions and community partners require ongoing attention. Acknowledging the history of harm in some academic-community collaborations, Postpartum Partners builds relationships on transparency and equity.
"Community partners put their reputation on the line for us," Dr. Berry emphasized. "Their healthy skepticism pushes us to constantly reexamine our approach." By centering community voices and fostering mutually beneficial relationships, the program aims to expand its reach while staying grounded in equity. "This work," Young reflected, "reminds us of what it means to truly care."
Feel free to reach out to the Postpartum Partners team at postpartumpartners@duke.edu or attend their Education Grand Rounds on Wednesday, January 15 at 12pm via Zoom: https://duke.zoom.us/j/99961894654
Explore these resources to learn more about the program’s collaborators and the broader issues of postpartum care and health equity:
