LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas communities would benefit from an increase in more doulas in the state, according to a study conducted by the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences.
The study comes as officials are working to improve maternal health in Arkansas, which has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the United States.
Doulas who participated in the study shared their experiences and expressed a need for more community-based doulas to serve more mothers. Doulas are trained birth coaches who can help with emotional support, decisions during labor and delivery, culturally sensitive care during the pregnancy.
“We need more doulas,” said one participant, according to the UAMS press release. “We really tire out the ones we have. I want to give my client 100%, but if I’ve just done a 26-hour birth and then go right into another 29-hour birth, I don’t feel that I can give them 100% even if I have done everything I possibly could. At some point, I do need to sleep.”
Arkansas has under 50 trained doulas and is one of nine states that doesn't offer certification for doulas.
Doulas are multi-faceted in their work with pregnant mothers as they can help provide cultural support as well as navigate the health care landscape and social services, according to Britni Ayers, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the UAMS College of Nursing.
An increase in more doulas in the state could help improve birth incomes for mothers and infants alike and can lead to better breastfeeding rates and lower rates of postpartum anxiety and depression.
“I wish everyone understood the impact a doula can have because they not only provide the support a mother needs when she is in labor, but they also empower women by advocating for their wishes and rights in the delivery room,” said Mary Victor, a nurse educator at the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation. “If more people understood the power of a doula, there could be more opportunities to support and expand the current doula workforce in Arkansas.”
The UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation works along with the Arkansas Doula Alliance, Ujima Maternity Network, and others to train doulas in the state. Click here to learn more about the effort to improve maternal health outcomes.