RWJF’s Sheila Reynertson, a former doula and now RWJF senior program officer, and Tatiana Smith, a Jersey City-based doula and education product designer, write: "Doulas need proper resources and support to effectively address the maternal health crisis. We have seen firsthand the powerful impact of compassionate and respectful doula care, especially when integrated seamlessly into hospital settings."
Amid a nationwide maternal health crisis, doulas in New Jersey are taking action to ensure every birth is as healthy and joyful an experience as possible, by providing respectful care and advocating for meaningful policy change.
Yet the reality for these very doulas--those consistently called upon to help solve this crisis--tells a very complicated story: one of unlivable wages, biased administrative barriers, and persistent distrust from medical staff.
Instead of empty promises, New Jersey lawmakers and health system leaders must fully support and trust doulas, especially Black doulas, and equip them with the tools and access they need to address the maternal health crisis with the urgency it requires.
The above is an excerpt of a piece originally published in The Star Ledger.
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