Culturally Congruent Doula Care & Maternal Health Outcomes in Nevada

Описание: Pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period are significant events in a woman's life but are not without risk. Most women in the United States deliver their babies in hospitals with obstetricians, where one-third of all births result in cesarean delivery, and up to 45% of mothers and birthing people report birth trauma. Traumatic childbirth is a growing international public health problem, and it can leave devastating impacts on parents and their children and can lead to detrimental maternal health outcomes. Additionally, one of the most common conditions identified during pregnancy and the postpartum period is perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), which can be exacerbated by negative birth experiences. Although there is a significant impact on PMADs and maternal health outcomes, the prevalence of these conditions are understudied, particularly among women from historically marginalized communities. One way to reduce traumatic childbirth and negative birthing experiences is for families to hire a doula to be a part of their birth team. Doulas are trained professionals who provide non-medical continuous emotional, physical, and informational support throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, with an emphasis on helping them achieve satisfying reproductive experiences.

In this talk, I will discuss an on-going study the DOULA CO-OP of Nevada is conducting to understand how culturally congruent doula care might impact maternal satisfaction in childbirth experiences and reduce PMADs among the Nevada Medicaid Population. As this study is on-going, I will not have any results to present, but I will highlight the current state of maternal health in Nevada for birthing families, the current workforce shortage of doulas of color, in particular, those willing to enroll and credential as Medicaid providers, as well as stories of doulas already in the process of certification with the state Medicaid program.

Speaker: Kristen Herlosky (Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Public Health, UNLV)