Support Community Midwifery Care in California

Greetings friends and supporters,

My name is Ceci Duncan, and I’m a Licensed Midwife recently relocated back to my home state of California, where I am building a home birth midwifery practice focused on accessible, inclusive, and community-centered care. At the same time, I am also in a season of stepping back from full-time doula work to focus on establishing this practice, stabilizing my personal finances, and caring for myself and my family during a period of major transition.

I am deeply committed to providing personalized, evidence-based support to all families, including those from communities that have historically faced barriers to respectful, high-quality care. This includes families of all racial, ethnic, cultural, and gender identities. My goal is to offer a practice rooted in respect, safety, autonomy, and compassion for everyone choosing to give birth outside of the hospital system.

This GoFundMe serves two critical purposes:

To help close the gap on essential clinical equipment needed to operate a safe, autonomous home birth practice, and to provide short-term financial support for me personally as I build this practice from the ground up while stepping back from contract doula work and navigating real-life family responsibilities.

What This Campaign Will Fund

Your donation will directly support the purchase of the following equipment:

Fetal Doppler (additional unit) – $700

Portable Non-Stress Test (NST) monitor – $3,000

Infant Hearing Screening Device – $5,000

Portable Ultrasound Machine – $3,000

Neonatal Resuscitation Cradle/Cart – $1,500

Estimated GoFundMe Fees (approx. 3%) – $525

In addition, remaining funds will go toward:

• Covering basic living expenses during this startup phase

• Allowing me to reduce my physical workload while transitioning out of intensive doula shifts

• Supporting family needs during a period of rebuilding and restructuring

• Creating the stability required to launch this practice with integrity and sustainability

Total Goal: $25,000

Why This Matters

These tools are more than just equipment. They allow me to deliver safe, responsive, and comprehensive care during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum in the home setting. Your support also allows me the space to properly build this practice without burning out or compromising the quality of care I provide. With your help, I will be able to:

• Monitor fetal and newborn well-being in real time

• Respond swiftly to complications or emergencies

• Offer newborn screenings often only available in hospital settings

• Provide trauma-informed, culturally respectful care to diverse families

• Create greater access to midwifery care in communities that need it most

• Sustain myself and my family while this practice becomes established

Every Contribution Helps

Whether you give $5 or $500, your support plays a crucial role in making community midwifery care more available, more equipped, more equitable—and more sustainable for the provider behind it. Your donation is a direct investment in safer birth outcomes, empowered care for families, and the long-term viability of independent, community-rooted midwifery.

Thank you for being part of this vision. Together, we can build a future where everyone who gives birth is met with dignity, choice, and care that honors their full humanity.

With gratitude,

Ceci Duncan, MSM, LM, CPM