Join our doula team
Expand your doula experience and skills, whilst providing trauma-informed, inclusive care to families in our community.
Become a volunteer doula
lend a hand, change a story
Join a movement of volunteer doulas making birth better for all. As part of Birth for Humankind, you’ll help families — particularly those facing social and financial disadvantage — feel seen, heard, and supported through one of life’s most transformative moments.
Help clients find their own strength and confidence, while gaining the skills to deliver trauma-informed, inclusive care that honours each family’s culture, values, and traditions.
You’ll be part of a community of dedicated birth workers who learn and grow together through expert-led training, ongoing mentorship, and professional development.
Be the best doula you can be and help make birth fairer, safer, and more supported for everyone.
Interested in joining our Volunteer Doula Team?
Our next ‘Volunteer Doula Orientation’ session will be Saturday 28th of February 2026 (venue TBC – inner city Melbourne).
See our Doula Eligibility Criteria for further details.
The application process
- Check that you meet our Doula Eligibility Criteria.
- Read through our Doula Volunteer FAQs and make sure you understand the commitment needed to join our volunteer team.
- Submit your application.
- Once submitted, we will contact you to arrange a telephone interview.
- After your application has progressed, we will email you with additional information and the next steps to complete the orientation process.
- Complete the required e-learning and orientation components and attend the ‘Volunteer Doula Orientation’ day.
- You are ready to start supporting clients!
The volunteer process
- Accept your first client within 3 months of completing the ‘Volunteer Doula Orientation’. This is to ensure you can apply your orientation learnings effectively into your practice with clients.
- Provide a minimum of 2 services (birth support, backup support, or extended postnatal support) in a 12-month period to remain an active volunteer.
Doula Eligibility Criteria: Live in Greater Melbourne; have completed a comprehensive doula training program, be a midwife or student midwife; and have a attended a minimum of three births in a professional capacity for birth support OR have provided postnatal support to at least three families.
The work
Birth for Humankind has a team of over 50 active doulas who dedicate their time and skills to support our clients. Join a movement of volunteer doulas making birth better for all. Your care and support will help ensure families experience dignity, respect, and continuity of care.
What our clients say:
“She took away my fears and made me feel empowered to stick by my decisions and gave me so much education and helpful tips.”
“You were amazing right through my pregnancy and birth and so much help to keep me calm and very thankful for her and she was such an amazing person.”
Professional development
When you join the Birth for Humankind Volunteer Doula Team, you will have access to exclusive, free (or low cost) professional development and training.
We partner with field experts whose values align with our mission, to provide training that caters to the needs of our growing doula community and our clients.
What our doulas say:
“Being able to access the exclusive Professional Development Birth for Humankind provides has been so great. I have learned so much and my doula practice has reached another level. I’m so grateful”
The community
When you join the Birth for Humankind Volunteer Doula Team, you’re becoming part of something bigger—a supportive volunteer doula network committed to improving birth experiences for families facing social and financial disadvantage. Through expert-led training, professional development, networking events and ongoing mentorship, you’ll gain the skills, confidence, and connections to support families in our community. Our dedicated staff team provides ongoing support to help you thrive as a volunteer doula.
Throughout the year, we bring our doula community together through various gatherings and create spaces designed for connection and knowledge sharing. You’ll be part of a network that understands the profound privilege and responsibility of birth work and the importance of feeling supported in this role.
What our doulas say:
“Birth work is always meaningful to me, but the meaning is amplified when working with an organisation like Birth for Humankind. Being able to provide physical and emotional support to clients who are faced with complex and challenging situations is difficult but brings a lot of satisfaction and fulfilment.”
“I have learnt so much and feel my practice is more family centred and culturally sensitive because of my time volunteering with your clients.”
Interested in joining our Volunteer Doula Team?
Not ready to apply yet? Need more time to think about it? No problem!
Join our ‘Expression of Interest’ mailing list to stay up to date with the latest information about our Volunteer Doula Orientation and joining our Volunteer Doula Team.
“The way people birth can change the world. We think of this work as being part of social change.”
– Kirstan Flannery, Co-Founder Birth for Humankind