Untapped Postpartum Fund

"Untapped" refers to the potential that exists and remains dormant in communities that historically and systemically have had access blocked to privileges and resources. We know that from healthy families, healthy communities are born.

At North Star Doula, we see the generational impact that occurs in communities built of Untapped populations (specifically Black, Indigenous, Latinx, LGBTQAI+, Muslim, working poor, disabled people and people experiencing mental illness). The evidence of epigenetic research shows that the effects of gestational stress and lack of postpartum support can alter a lineage's DNA structure for anywhere between three to seven generations.

Oregon is extremely rare and progressed due to the fact that our state medicaid (Oregon Health Plan) offers reimbursement to birth doulas who work with OHP members. And while up to four postpartum visits are covered under the medicaid reimbursement contract, birth doulas offer a different scope of care during the postpartum period that doulas specifically trained and hired for that level of support. At this time, postpartum doulas, and many other necessary postpartum professionals, are not eligible for medicaid reimbursement which creates an added barrier to people who need those services but are struggling financially to access them.

The Untapped Postpartum Fund was created to help provide access to services for those that are in need of them by collecting donations that can be used to pay for the professional support needed during the postpartum period. By giving to the Untapped Postpartum Fund, you are helping to provide access to postpartum doulas, postpartum meal prep, pelvic steaming, holistic pelvic floor care, or any other postpartum service that the recipient is in need of.

If you feel like you are in need of supplemental funds in order to receive the postpartum care you deserve, you’re invited to apply for services through the Untapped Postpartum Fund.

If you feel called to keep this program available and accessible to families in your community, consider making a contribution to the fund. Credit and debit payments are processed securely using the options below.