Doulas Can Make The Difference
- Danielle Carter
- Mar 16, 2022
- 2 min read
Did you know that marginalized women are more likely to experience poor birth outcomes? One of the leading causes of infant death is preterm birth and low birth weight. Babies born preterm and/or with a low birth weight have a higher chance of dying before their first birthday than babies born full term and in a normal weight range. Low birth weight babies also have a higher chance of developing obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension in adulthood. Mothers who are black, indigenous, hispanic, young, single, low income, or who smoke, use illegal substances, experience high levels of stress, or have chronic health conditions are more likely than others to give birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy, and are more likely to give birth to low birth weight babies. And these babies are more likely to experience (sometimes fatal or life-threatening) complications before their first birthday. Although it can be scary to look at the statistics and disparities in maternal and infant care, you don’t have to become a statistic or another victim of the very system that was supposedly created to save you.
And that’s where a doula can help.
Doula care has been shown to decrease the instances of preterm birth and low birth weight. There is also research that shows doula care can reduce medical interventions including the use of pitocin and c-sections.
Doula care has been found to have even more positive of an effect for women who were socially disadvantaged, low-income, unmarried, first time moms, gave birth without a companion, or experienced language/cultural barriers. You’ve heard it said that there is “safety in numbers” and it is especially true in medical settings! Simply having another person present during your labor and delivery increases your chance of being treated with dignity and respect.
No one deserves to feel disrespected, violated, or traumatized by what should be one of the best days of their lives - the birth of their child. The vision of DONA International, the first certifying doula organization, is that there would be a doula for every woman who wants one.
While some see doula care as only for the privileged, the above evidence shows that no one benefits more and needs it more than those who are marginalized. If you are facing the birth of your child as well as any of the aforementioned challenges, hiring a doula can seem like an impossible dream; please know that many of us are doing what we can to make doula care more accessible.
One of my main motivators for becoming a doula was the desire to empower other mothers to feel empowered on their journey to motherhood, regardless of her means or socioeconomic status. I first enrolled in doula training so that I could better serve my community around me, and to give all babies the best start in life. This is why I have begun partnering with The Ohio Parenting Collaborative - a non-profit organization that offers doula and lactation services to families who may not otherwise have access to these services.
All fees are based on a sliding scale based on income level and family size. You can find out more or make a donation at www.ohioparentingcollaborative.org
#birthdoula #ohioparentingcollaborative #ittakesavillage #momssupportingmoms #naturalbirth #bethechange #doulascanmakethedifference
References:
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD003766.pub6/full
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