Professional Doulas in Portland, Oregon
Rebecca Durlin Smith and Brooke Noli founded Birth First Doulas to help families and doulas find each other! Today, Rebecca continues to lead and nurture the Birth First Doulas community, supporting both families and birth professionals with the same care and dedication that started it all. Discover for yourself why Birth First Doulas has the most 5 Star Google Reviews of any professional doula group in Portland!
Supporting Doulas & Educators So They Can Support You!
Portland, Oregon has a rich community of birth and postpartum doulas, and at Birth First we believe doulas are at their best personally and professionally when they’re part of a supportive, structured community.
The professional doulas in our Birth First community have access to a built-in network of back-up doulas, collegial support, and mentoring.
Doulas in this community offer birth doula services, postpartum doula services, and childbirth education classes to help your family thrive before, during, and after the birth of your baby by meeting your needs for information and education.
The goal is to contribute to positive childbirth and parenting experiences, while also supporting educators and doulas in Portland.
Our Mission
Birth First Doulas’ mission is to connect growing families with professional doulas, contribute to positive childbirth experiences, promote the rights and autonomy of birthing people, nurture the professional experience and continuing education of doulas, and uplift the doula profession as a whole.
Our Values
Birth First Doulas’ values include non-judgemental support for families, communicating respectfully and mindfully, nurturing doulas both professionally and personally, and fostering a spirit of community and abundance.
The Birth First Approach to Doula Care
Honoring
your birth and postpartum experiences as transformative life events.
Believing
there are as many ways to give birth and parent as there are families in the world.
Practicing
informed consent so you can make well-informed decisions.
Encouraging
your distinct birthing and parenting style and offering complimentary suggestions.
Respecting
your family’s identities, beliefs, preferences, and communication styles.
Supporting
your relationship to promote teamwork and success throughout the process.
Recognizing
that birth and parenting can be unpredictable and may need openness and flexibility.
Appreciating
medical providers for their expertise and respectfully advocate for your family.
Understanding
that your family, birth, and postpartum are unique and deserve individualized care.
Dedicated To Becoming An Anti-Oppressive Community
Racism and white supremacy are forces that have shaped all of us and need to be actively resisted and fought against. Our Birth First Doulas is committed to being anti-oppressive and fighting white supremacy culture in ourselves, others, and the systems with which we engage. We strive to build a more just, compassionate, and equitable workplace that reduces harm and values belonging.
Dedicated To Becoming A Queer Affirming Community
Birth work and reproductive spaces have been dominated by cis-heteronormative cultures that tend to exclude queer experiences and discriminate against the queer community. The Birth First Doulas community is dedicated to the affirmation of LGBTQ+ families and doulas to create a sense of belonging that honors and celebrates people who identify along the queer spectrum.
Explore Our Services
Kind Words From Our Lovely Clients
“The Birth First Doulas community is great! My doula empowered me throughout my pregnancy and she was right by my side through the ups and downs of my birth. She helped keep me in the loop when things got a little complicated and uncertain in the birth room and made me feel so safe and secure. I highly recommend adding a Birth First Doula to your team! You will be so happy you did.”
Camille, Portland, Oregon
“10/10 recommend!! My husband and I hit the jackpot with Birth First Doulas. Our doula was warm, kind, funny and ALWAYS there to support us in all the right ways. Every time I talk about my pregnancy and birth, I share how grateful we were to have had our doula by our side during the most important time in our lives.”
Hannah, Portland, Oregon
“All of the glowing 5-star reviews are true – working with our doula from Birth First was definitely one of the best decisions we made during our pregnancy. We are forever grateful for the experience our doula provided us with during the birth of our first child. Amazing experience all around!”