Tag Archives: Doulas

Voices

OPINION | Washington State Doulas Secure Highest Medicaid Reimbursement Rate in the Nation

by Megan Burbank

For six years, birth workers in Washington State have been fighting to make Medicaid coverage for doula support a reality. And in March, they secured a major victory when the Legislature signed off on a reimbursement rate for doulas that will be the nation’s highest. With a push from Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-28), lawmakers also approved a $100,000 budget allocation to create a “doula hub” that will help doulas work within Medicaid’s billing system and provide referrals for families on Medicaid.

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News

A Black-Women-Led Collective of Doulas Is Working to Open a Holistic Birth Center in King County

by Lauryn Bray

Content Warning: This article discusses medical racism and traumatic birth and postpartum experiences.

Research shows that Black women across the United States are dying from childbirth at a disproportionate rate due to medical negligence in what has been referred to as the Black maternal health crisis. BLKBRY, a collective of reproductive and birth workers, doulas, lactation and feeding specialists, and womb healers founded by Jazmin Williams, is currently working to raise $4 million to purchase, renovate, and launch a Black-owned wellness and birth center to specifically serve Black women in and around King County. Williams, who has been training and practicing as a doula for years, says she was called to her work after a traumatic birth and postpartum experience with both of her children left her outraged at the incompetent care Black women receive during and after childbirth.

“What we’re building at BLKBRY is a center no one has seen before. The fact that we are centering the descendants of enslaved Africans of the U.S., the fact that this is for the African diaspora and that when you come here, you see representation of us both in this space. This is a safe space for us,” explained Williams. 

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Features

Birth Doulas Rally for Pathway to Certification in Washington State

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by Megan Burbank

When Seattle full-spectrum doula Jasmyne Bryant meets with a client for the first time, she often encounters one of two responses. “As Black and Indigenous doulas, when we’re interviewing clients who are in our community, who are also Black birthing people, it’s not nearly the same as interviewing with a white birthing person.”

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Features

How Medical Racism Robs Black Families of Joyous Birth Experiences

by Chamidae Ford

(This article is published in recognition of Black Maternal Health Week, which takes place every year from April 11–17. The week is intended to deepen the national conversation about Black maternal health in the US; amplify community-driven policy, research, and care solutions; and center the voices of Black mamas, women, femmes, families, and stakeholders.)

Childbirth is often thought to be the most magical experience one can have. But for Black women, the road to motherhood can often be paved with horror due to the racism they face in the medical field. 

Shayla Akande gave birth to a baby girl on January 24, 2021. Although her story ends with a happy and healthy baby, the birthing process wasn’t the smooth transition she had been hoping for. 

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