Days after the birth of her baby girl, Yaneth Tzek Baas welcomed her doula into her apartment in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood.
Mom and baby were doing well, but Baas had been having trouble breastfeeding. Lorena Sanabria, who has been Baas’ doula since her fifth month of pregnancy, listened sympathetically, asked a few questions, then offered advice to help ease breastfeeding.
A doula is a trained, non-medical professional who provides information and physical and emotional support during pregnancy, childbirth, and in the weeks after birth. Studies show people who use doula services tend to enjoy many benefits, including shorter labors, less need for pain medication during labor, and lower likelihood of cesarean birth.
Improving health for mothers and babies
Over the past 2 years, Kaiser Permanente in Northern California has provided grants totaling $1.4 million to 11 community organizations working to improve maternal health. These groups offer doula training and services, breastfeeding support, mental health care for mothers, and other practical help for new parents.
“We’re proud to support these organizations that improve health for new parents and their babies in vulnerable communities,” said Yvette Radford, vice president for External and Community Affairs for Kaiser Permanente in Northern California. “This is one way we can help prevent serious pregnancy-related health problems, save lives, and promote more equitable health outcomes for all.”
According to the CDC, about 650 people in the United States die each year during and after pregnancy because of health issues related to pregnancy. Thousands more have significant health complications. Black and Native American women are at highest risk of dying or having serious pregnancy-related health problems.
Because doula care has been shown to improve the health of mothers and babies, 27 states, including California and Washington, D.C., now pay for doula services through Medicaid, known as Medi-Cal in California. Most Kaiser Permanente commercial plans in California also cover doula care.
‘It made me feel very cared for’
Baas has Medi-Cal coverage and received Sanabria’s services at no cost through Birth Companions Community Center in San Francisco, one of Kaiser Permanente’s grant recipients. The center trains doulas and provides doula care in multiple languages that respects the diverse backgrounds of the families they serve. It also offers parent education, baby essentials like diapers, and food for new parents and families.
When Baas gave birth at in May, Sanabria supported her through labor. She spoke to her in her native Spanish, massaged her back through contractions, and helped her relax with a warm bath. Baas said it was very different from the births of her older children, which were complicated and traumatic.
“This time it was very comforting,” Baas said. “I was hurting a lot, but Lorena was very attentive, and it made me feel very cared for.”
Expanded health insurance coverage has increased demand for doulas, helping organizations like Birth Companions Community Center grow. The center now has more than 85 trained doulas, most of whom work with immigrants and families with low incomes.
The center’s CEO, Veronica Fregoso, said doulas advocate for the people they support and help to ease their stress.
“When you have somebody to support you, to help you eat right, to exercise, to help you navigate the system, everything is different,” Fregoso said. “We are like aunties or sisters who are at their side during pregnancy and childbirth — it has a huge impact.”
