Low-income women are at the highest risk of poor birth outcomes in the United States, and women of color, especially Black women, are especially vulnerable. Doula care is among the most promising approaches to combating disparities in maternal health. Women receiving doula care have been found to have improved health outcomes for both themselves and their infants, including higher breastfeeding initiation rates, fewer low-birth weight babies, and lower rates of cesarean sections. Doulas can also help reduce the impacts of racism and racial bias in health care on pregnant women of color by providing individually tailored, culturally appropriate, and patient centered care and advocacy.

Our Wisconsin Doula Project seeks to improve disrupt the maternal and child health disparities for Black women and babies in our state. It is our aim that all pregnant individuals  who want access to a doula will have one.

Since 2019, we have worked in partnership with and with the guidance of community doula groups, doula collectives, and individual doulas, especially Black doulas and Black-led doula groups, as well as doulas and doula groups serving low-income clients.

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Resources:

• Creating Policy for Equitable Doula Access by HealthConnect One (October 2019)
  
• Eliminating Racial Disparities in Maternal and Infant Mortality: A Comprehensive Policy Blueprint by Center for American Progress (May 2019)
• Tackling Maternal Health Disparities: A Look at Four Local Organizations with Innovative Approaches by National Partnership for Women & Families (April 2019)
• Advancing Birth Justice: Community-Based Doula Models as a Standard of Care for Ending Racial Disparities by Ancient Song Doula Services, Village Birth International, and Every Mother Counts (March 2019)
• Toolkit for Advancing the Human Right to Safe and Respectful Maternal Health Care by Black Mamas Matter Alliance (2018)
• Battling Over Birth Report by Black Women Birthing Justice (December 2017)
• Sustainable Funding for Doula Programs: A Study by HealthConnect One (June 2017)
• Overdue: Medicaid and Private Insurance Coverage of Doula Care to Strengthen Maternal and Infant Health by National Partnership for Women & Families, Childbirth Connection, and Choice in Childbirth (January 2016)

• Issue Brief A Guide to Proposed and Enacted Legislation for Medicaid Coverage for Doula Care (August 2019)
  
• Blog post Women are Dying in Childbirth: Doulas are Part of the Solution (August 2019)
• Blog post Legislative Proposals Addressing Maternal Mortality (August 2019)
• Guest interview for Good Birth For All Podcast about Medicaid coverage of doula care (February 2019)
• Fact sheet 2017-2018 Federal Legislative Proposals Relating to Maternal and Infant Health and Mortality (January 2019)
• Blog post  The Doula Difference: State and Federal Bills Aim at Reducing Maternal Health Disparities through Doula Services (March 2019)
• Fact sheet State and Federal Legislative Proposals Relating to Doula Care (February 2019)
• Issue brief  Routes to Success for Medicaid Coverage of Doula Care co-published with the California Preterm Birth Initiative (December 2018)