Postpartum doula explains services, scope and plans to pursue Medicaid certification

Laura Carlson Keeley, founder of PPOD Postpartum, presented to the St. Louis County perinatal team about postpartum doula services for families across the Iron Range, Ely and the Twin Cities metro.

Keeley emphasized that postpartum doulas provide nonmedical support: "Postpartum doulas do not provide medical care," she said, adding that doulas refer clients to medical and mental‑health providers when issues exceed their scope. She described entering families’ homes shortly after birth to provide emotional support, practical help with newborn care, and education to help caregivers learn their baby’s cues.

Keeley outlined common services: rest and self‑care support, meal planning and meal preparation, newborn‑care education, babywearing instruction, sibling support, light household management (infant laundry, dishes, tidying) and lactation assistance within scope. She said she is training to become a certified lactation counselor to expand local capacity for lactation support.

On payment and Medicaid, Keeley said she is completing certification and paperwork required by DONA and state processes so she can accept Medicaid once approved: "And once I get through that, then I can be set up with the state of Minnesota to accept Medicaid," she said, and estimated that Medicaid enrollment would be a 2026 activity.

Keeley described flexible scheduling and a sliding‑scale fee structure and noted local funding pools such as the Ely Community Center and Thiele Community Center that may help subsidize services. She offered to share her slide deck after the meeting and invited referrals from public‑health staff.

Next steps: Keeley will send her slide deck to meeting organizers for distribution; she encouraged providers to refer patients and to contact her directly for partnership or questions.