MARS LORD

FOUNDER OF ABUELA DOULAS

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Abuela Doulas is the UK's first Black-owned and led doula training organisation, founded by Mars Lord in 2004. For over two decades, this has been the training home for doulas who understand that anti-racism is not an add-on to good birthwork. It is the foundation of it. The training here does not sit alongside the mainstream and try to be more inclusive. It builds from a different starting point entirely — one that sees, listens, hears, and holds Black women and birthing people, and prepares doulas to do the same.

There are two pathways within Abuela Doulas: the ethical birthwork pathway, for those training to support families through birth and the postnatal period, and the ethical antiracism pathway, for birthworkers and healthcare professionals ready to do the deeper work of examining and changing practice. The queer community train here. The disabled community train here. Global Majority birthworkers train here. If you have ever felt that mainstream doula training was not built with you in mind, you were right. This is what was built instead.

Courses and Training

Postnatal Sankofa — Culturally grounded postnatal doula training. Next cohort: 3-6 November 2026. Book here

Birth Doula Training — Anti-racist birth doula training for those ready to do the work properly. Next cohort: 8-11 December 2026. Book here‍ ‍

Awakening Seeds: Anti-Racism for Birthworkers — Self-paced. Start when you are ready. Enrol here