When a pregnant Georgia woman went into labor earlier this month, she planned for the two doulas she hired to stand beside her as she gave birth. Instead, those doulas say, security officers and county police escorted them out of the hospital while their client was in active labor, despite her repeated requests that they […]
doulas
Posted inMaternal Health
Why This Black Man Became a Doula: ‘Every Death Was Preventable’
While many doulas are women, one man is working to change the narrative about who can support families during childbirth. Sylvester Pierce, 44, operates a doula business called Younity Birthwork, where he provides services ranging from childbirth education, postpartum care, and more. “Doulas are there for the emotional, spiritual, and physical support of birthing parents. […]
Posted inPartner Content, Rural Issues
How Rural Doulas Are Addressing Georgia’s Maternity Care Crisis
This article was published by KFF Health News. When Bristeria Clark went into labor with her son in 2015, her contractions were steady at first. Then, they stalled. Her cervix stopped dilating. After a few hours, doctors at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany, Georgia, prepped Clark for an emergency cesarean section. It wasn’t the […]
Posted inReproductive Health
The Biggest Barrier to State-Funded Doulas for Pregnant Women
The discussion around offering state-funded doulas to low-income pregnant people might be headed back to the Georgia legislature, advocates and lawmakers say. Supportive legislators are planning to introduce a bill that would allow the state’s Medicaid dollars to fund doula services in an effort to reduce maternal deaths in Georgia. The state has among the […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
Need Help Finding a Black Doula? We Got You.
When it comes to maternal health, Georgia’s reputation as one of the worst places to give birth is well known. According to a Capital B report, since 1994, the state has lost 41 labor and delivery units, including at least six in the metro Atlanta area. Those closures, along with increasing maternal death rates among […]
Posted inHealth
Another Hospital Closure Means Another Maternity Ward Closes, Too
When Aleah Walker had her baby in late January 2014, she wanted to give birth at Atlanta Medical Center. Walker, a Powder Springs resident at the time, wanted a water birth and was willing to drive over 20 miles to Atlanta Medical Center because it’s one of the few hospitals in the metro area where […]