Black Doulas: A community-based response to the maternal care crisis
If you want a reason to celebrate, then the graduation of more than 40 Black women from the FIERCE Advocates CoCo Doulas community-based doula program is that reason. We are so proud to have graduated our three cohorts of community-based doulas.
Black women are facing a maternal care crisis. Discrimination and implicit bias in the healthcare system have been well-documented as some of the main culprits. In a time of great vulnerability for all women, Black birthing people and their families are unjustly saddled with an extra layer of stress and concern during their birthing journeys.
Black women in the US, along with their Native American counterparts, have the highest maternal mortality rates of all American women. They die at nearly three times the rate of non-Hispanic white mothers. Babies born to Black women have the highest infant mortality rate of all American babies.
Trained community-based doulas can be an antidote to address the maternal healthcare crisis in addition to much-needed healthcare and systems changes.
What Is a Doula?
Doulas offer the extra time and support birthing women may need to feel a sense of safety, ease, and comfort before, during, and after the birthing experience. Think of doulas as empowering, protective coaches with specialized maternal health knowledge. Doulas also help birthing people prepare a birthing plan and advocate for the birthing person’s well-being, dignity, and agency during labor.
It’s important to note that unlike a midwife or other medical provider, doulas do not provide medical care and perform clinical tasks. Although doulas do not typically need certification, a high-quality certification program can prepare them with specialized skills and resources to better serve their clients.
Studies show that having a doula can lead to improved maternal health outcomes and satisfaction for Black families. In the absence of universal access to quality maternal care and equitable treatment within the healthcare system, Black women stand to gain significantly from quality doula care.
Why Community-Based Doulas Matter
The healthcare system continues to fail Black women despite the availability of significant research and anecdotal evidence. This is why communities must create solutions for themselves.
Black community-based doulas typically reside in the communities they serve.
They are intimately aware of the poor access to quality care, discrimination, and health risks that disproportionately impact Black women and infants. The shared culture and values also help Black doulas offer Black families a sense of safety, trust, and validation during the birthing process.
Since we launched CoCo Doulas in 2021, we have trained and graduated more than 40 Black doulas in our three cohorts at no cost and have provided exciting new career opportunities for graduates through our two-year fellowship.
Black families throughout Contra Costa County have received doula care from our CoCo Doulas fellows, with more than150 babies born to date and, even more importantly, most born at full-term with baby and mommy doing well, and when challenges happen our team is there to support.
We are committed to delivering birth justice to Black women and their families in our community. Despite the continuous inequities and discrimination in the healthcare system, we’re doing our part to create solutions for Black women’s maternal care and well-being.
You can learn more about our CoCo CoCo Doulas program and our community-based doula services here!
