Background and Purpose

Background and Purpose

Maternal mortality has been steadily declining worldwide, with one significant outlier: the United States. It is only 1 out of the 8 countries that have seen an increase in maternal mortality. Particularly, women of color are at a greater risk for preterm deliveries, smaller babies, preeclampsia, and high blood pressure, and 3-4 times more likely to die for pregnancy-related reasons than white women.

During a woman’s pregnancy, a doula (trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a mother) can mitigate these disparities. Recognizing doulas’ benefits, Minnesota and Oregon began providing Medicaid coverage for doulas in 2014. Since then, 19 states have at least proposed similar actions.

However, according to the Center for American Progress, some community-based doulas believe the credentialing, training, and registration requirements under such legislation may serve to exclude doulas of color and low-income doulas. If these barriers are significant, they prevent high-risk communities from effectively utilizing doulas. This project aims to understand whether such barriers exist, their significance, and what improvements doulas believe would be most beneficial for their profession.