NYC Free Doula Program vs. Private Doula
New York City has invested significantly in making doula support accessible to all families — regardless of income. Here is a complete guide to the free and subsidized options, what they provide, and how they compare to private doula care.
Free and Subsidized Doula Programs in NYC
New York State Medicaid Doula Benefit
Since 2023, New York State Medicaid covers birth doula services as a standard benefit for all enrolled families:
Up to 3 prenatal doula visits
Labor and delivery support
Up to 3 postpartum visits
Cost to you: $0 if you are enrolled in NY Medicaid.
To access: Ask your OB, midwife, or managed care plan to connect you with a Medicaid-enrolled doula. YourCherish is enrolled in the NY Medicaid doula program.
NYC Health + Hospitals Doula Program
NYC's public hospital system (Bellevue, Elmhurst, Kings County, Lincoln, Metropolitan, Jacobi, and others) provides doula services through hospital-employed or affiliated doulas for families delivering at H+H facilities.
How to access: Ask your OB or midwife at your H+H hospital for a doula referral. It is free for patients.
Limitation: You typically do not choose your doula in advance, and you may not meet them until labor.
Ancient Song Doula Services (Brooklyn)
Brooklyn-based nonprofit specializing in Black and Brown communities. Provides sliding-scale and free doula services.
Contact: ancientsongdoula.com
Choices in Childbirth
NYC nonprofit that maintains a resource list of low-cost and sliding-scale doulas.
Contact: choicesinchildbirth.org
Roots Community Birth Center (The Bronx)
Provides birth center services and doula support on a sliding-scale basis for Bronx families.
How Free Programs Differ From Private Doula Care
Both provide real support. Here is the honest comparison:
Who Should Use Each
Free programs are right for:
Families on Medicaid who want to access the state benefit they've earned
Families in financial hardship for whom private care is genuinely inaccessible
Families delivering at NYC H+H facilities who want the hospital's program
Private doula care is right for:
Families who want continuity — knowing exactly who will be there before, during, and after birth
Families using Carrot, Maven, HSA/FSA, or other benefits that make private care accessible
Families who want a combined doula + photography experience
Families with complex birth situations (high-risk, VBAC, multiples) who want a doula with specific relevant experience
Both is also an option. Some families use the Medicaid benefit for prenatal and postpartum visits and book a private doula for labor support specifically.
Accessing NY Medicaid Doula Benefits Through YourCherish
If you are enrolled in New York Medicaid, you can access your doula benefit through YourCherish. We are enrolled as a Medicaid doula provider.
Contact us with your Medicaid managed care plan information and we'll verify your coverage and coordinate billing.
Working With YourCherish in NYC, NJ, and Connecticut
Every pregnancy is different, and the right support depends on your health history, birth setting, and personal goals. The YourCherish team — Olya, Anna, Olga, and Julia — are DONA-certified, trauma-informed birth doulas who serve families across all five boroughs, Westchester, Long Island, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Olya, Olga, and Julia are also professional birth photographers; Anna focuses exclusively on doula care. Together we bring Spinning Babies techniques, TENS support where helpful, and steady emotional presence to hospital births, birth centers, and home births alike.
Whether you are planning your first birth or navigating a VBAC, induction, cesarean, twin pregnancy, or high-risk journey, we meet you where you are — without judgment and with practical tools you can use from early labor through the fourth trimester. Our prenatal visits are designed to build real trust before your due date, so when labor begins you are calling someone who already knows your preferences, your fears, and your strengths.
This is one reason many NYC families choose to hire a private doula who knows them well before labor begins.
Your care team may change shifts during a long labor, but your doula remains a consistent presence throughout.
Preparing questions in advance helps you feel more confident when conversations move quickly in the delivery room.
This is one reason many NYC families choose to hire a private doula who knows them well before labor begins.
Your care team may change shifts during a long labor, but your doula remains a consistent presence throughout.
Ready to Meet Your Birth Team?
YourCherish is a DONA-certified, trauma-informed birth doula and photography team serving families across NYC, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Olya, Anna, Olga, and Julia bring deep clinical knowledge, Spinning Babies techniques, TENS support where helpful, and steady emotional care to every birth — whether you are planning a hospital birth, VBAC, cesarean, induction, or unmedicated experience. Anna provides dedicated doula support; Olya, Olga, and Julia serve as both birth doulas and photographers, so your story is held with skill and compassion from the first contraction through the fourth trimester.
Schedule a free consultation:Book online · Email love@yourcherish.com · Call (347) 263-4267