What should expectant BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) parents know about hiring a doula?

"It’s important to consider the devastating data surrounding expectant mothers in marginalized communities and mortality. "Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women–and this disparity increases with age," according to a 2019 report conducted by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). For Black and AI/AN women older than 30, pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 live births was four to five times as high as the mortality rate for white women.

'Doulas provide a voice and advocacy, especially for BIPOC parents who may not feel comfortable speaking up to their medical providers. A doula can also help prepare parents with questions to ask about their prenatal, delivery, and postpartum care to ensure that they are informed and can research what they’re being told about their health and the health of their baby,' says labor and postpartum doula Talitha Phillips, CEO of Claris Health.

Phillips also stresses that doulas help clients transition from pregnancy to parenthood, providing emotional support and assistance with breastfeeding, nutrition, ensuring new parents get proper rest, and more postpartum. 'All of these things can affect the rates of postpartum depression and general health' she comments. 'Having a doula can also increase safety for Black women in a hospital setting and provide additional support should she choose an out-of-hospital delivery. Having a doula can decrease the level of labor intervention, including medication and cesarean sections. This positively impacts birth outcomes." Source