Demographics of the birth doula workforce in Washington state

Gender and age

The birth doula population that serves Washington state is primarily made up of people who identify as female (96.6%) between the ages of 21 and 59.

Race/ethnicity

The birth doula workforce consists of birth doulas who identify as:

• White only (67.4%)

• Multiracial or multiethnic (11.8%)

• Black or African American only (7.6%)

• Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish only (4.2%)

• African only (3.5%)

Those who chose more than one race or ethnicity represented people who are White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, Asian, and Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish. Among the African respondents, all reported that they were Somali.

Languages spoken

English is the dominant language spoken (85.9%) while 13% reported speaking two or more languages, with Spanish and Somali being the predominant languages spoken other than English.

Sexual orientation

Of the respondents who reported their sexual orientation, 60.3% are straight (heterosexual), 15.9% are bisexual, and 8% are queer.

Religion

Religious preferences vary significantly among birth doulas, with 19.3% identifying as Christian. About 19% of respondents selected “something else” and 12.6% said “nothing in particular.”

Personal experiences with public assistance
and childbirth while using Medicaid

• 70% of reported using public assistance — including Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and/or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — at some point in their lifetime

• 48.6% gave birth while enrolled in Medicaid