More Tennessee women are turning to doulas for prenatal planning, labor support and postpartum care, a trend growing as the state continues to rank near the bottom for maternal mortality.

Major insurers, including UnitedHealthcare, are starting to cover doula services to improve outcomes.

Doula Kristin Mejia, instructor and CEO at Nashville’s Homeland Heart Birth and Wellness Collective, said her group is training more Black women from marginalized communities in culturally competent care, noting that representation matters and should be fairly compensated.

"All of our clients are able to receive care in the form of both a birth doula and a postpartum doula," she said. "The birth doula, as it sounds, is the one that is going to walk with you through your pregnancy, labor, delivery and that immediate postpartum period."

Mejia said that around 36 to 37 weeks of pregnancy, doulas are on call 24/7, since labor could begin at any time. This ensures that the same doula who has supported the mother throughout pregnancy will also be there during labor and delivery.

Research shows doula services have been linked to a lower risk of C-sections, higher birth weights and a lowered risk of premature labor.

Mejia explained that doulas also help families adjust after bringing the baby home and check in during the first six weeks to ensure mothers attend follow-up visits. She noted that missed visits are common among Medicaid patients.

Mejia said they also teach parents to identify postpartum warning signs and when to call a doctor or return to the hospital.

"Based on our own state statistics," she said, "women are more likely to die in their postpartum period from these postpartum hemorrhage issues, postpartum preeclampsia issues, things that we think we're in the clear of."

Dr. Lisa Saul, chief medical director of women’s health for UnitedHealthcare, said doula support services have been shown to help reduce preterm births and cesarean deliveries, increase breastfeeding rates and help people feel more supported and satisfied with maternity care.

"With the United States having the highest maternal mortality rate as well as maternal morbidity rate among high-income countries," she said, "we know that most of these deaths and most of these scenarios are considered to be preventable."

Saul said studies show a decrease in postpartum anxiety and depression among people who have access to doula services. She said UnitedHealthcare members may have coverage for a set number of visits or a reimbursement allowance for doula support services.

Source: Public News Service