Black doulas want to make pregnancy safer for women in their community.

Black doulas want to make pregnancy safer for women in their community. According to the Common Wealth Fund, the U.S. “has the highest maternal mortality rate of all high-income countries, with 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births.” The rate is alarmingly higher for women of color, jumping “to 55.3 per 100,000 for Black women and an astounding 263 per 100,000 births for non-Hispanic Black women 40 or over.” A common factor attributing to maternal deaths stems from doctors ignoring a pregnant woman’s pain or fears related to their births, especially women of color, but luckily in response to this, “many organizations and resources have been launched to offer the services of Black doulas who can specifically help people have a safer birth experience” such as the National Black Doulas Association, the Black Doula Project, and the Alliance of Black Doulas for Black Mamas. These women serve as a pregnancy and labor guide and advocate, and assist mothers during the postpartum stage as well. (Buzzfeed News)