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Doulas Support Black Maternal Health

Doulas Support Black Maternal Health

Pregnancy and childbirth will bring about some of the most exciting moments in your life, but this can also be a difficult and overwhelming time. With the added stressors of racism and bias that people of color often face in their health care, having extra support is always beneficial. Doulas are trained workers who provide education, advocacy, and physical and emotional aid in a non-medical capacity through pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period.

In honor of Black Maternal Health Week, we spoke with one of the doulas Mary’s Center partners with, Dr. Chinita “Sheena” Richardson, about her work with the Black community. Dr. Sheena is an educator, scholar, researcher, advocate, speaker, pastor, and legacy builder who has traveled around the world to gain a greater understanding of the connectedness of women.

What do you love about your work as a Doula?

I love providing birthing persons with emotional support and educational information about breathing techniques and relaxation techniques. I enjoy empowering birthing persons and their partners. When I discuss options, often times I hear that the birthing person is not aware of such options.

As we prepare for the birth, they begin to feel more in control of the experience and this is fascinating to me. It is a joy to educate the entire family about expectations, and seeing the experience come full circle brings me much peace and gratefulness to be a part of such experience.

What inequities do Black women face with maternal health?

I am aware that there are communities that experience inequities in maternal and infant health outcomes. There is a crisis in maternal and infant health that disproportionally impacts the birth experience and outcome of Black women.

Studies have shown that the contributing factor is racism, which causes maternal mortality rates that are much higher than in other communities. Relative to Black women, factors such as income level, education, and access to insurance are not protective against maternal mortality as in other communities. This is unacceptable. These unacceptable inequities are mostly due to structural systemic racism, and implicit and explicit biases.

It is essential that we as a nation  engage and address these inequities in maternal outcomes. We must rapidly improve our focus on ensuring equity, dignity, and safety for all birthing persons to reduce the inequities in birth experiences and outcomes such as maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity.

What role do birth doula services play in supporting Black maternal health?

What’s promising is that community-based programs such as Mary’s Center have developed and created programs that are successfully trying to reduce barriers to access and prioritize support by implementing community-based doula programs. I am fortunate to be a part of this program. We are trained men and women who are trusted members of the community and are able to provide doula services at low or no cost.

This endeavor helps to improve prenatal care and raise breastfeeding rates, and attempts to decrease unnecessary medical interventions with education and support. The results are positive birth experiences and improved parenting skills for all involved.

Additionally, community-based doula programs such as Mary’s Center play an important role in combating the discrimination, racism, and loss of autonomy that people of color frequently report experiencing. We are trained to help birthing persons to feel empowered and to advocate for themselves. Community-based doulas programs have shown improved outcomes when continuous support is received, including evidence of a reduced likelihood of complications and an increased likelihood of a healthy birthing person and baby.

What has been your personal experience working with the Mary’s Center’s team to support birthing persons?

The training and support have been exceedingly great. We have experienced and trained professionals that show they care for us as doulas and we reflect the same to our birthing persons. I have enjoyed and respect the communication, growth, and support from the staff at Mary’s Center. The willingness to make changes for best practices is always acceptable and encouraging.

Mary’s Center has empowered me as a doula to provide culturally appropriate and kindred-spirited non-clinical emotional, physical, and informational support before, during, and after birth. Mary’s Center has helped me to become an effective servant leader in my purpose as an educator and trained doula for the support of others in my community. For that, I am inspired and grateful.


Mary’s Center’s Doula Referral Program connects our pregnant participants with professional doulas from the training organization Graceful Fusion. The doulas work on a volunteer basis, offering their services free of charge regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.

Mary’s Center also has several paid contract doulas offering birth support specifically for participants in our Healthy Start program from Wards 5, 7, and 8 in DC.

To learn more about connecting with a doula through Mary’s Center, contact Austyn Holleman at aholleman@maryscenter.org.