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Once a luxury for moms, doula care is going mainstream
More than 30 states now reimburse doulas through Medicaid, with studies showing doula care reduces C-sections by 47% and improves birth outcomes, experts say.
- More than 30 states now reimburse doulas through Medicaid, up from 14 in late 2022, while industry giant UnitedHealthcare launched a new doula benefit this year.
- Research published last year found Medicaid recipients using doulas had a 47% lower risk of C-sections, a 29% lower risk of preterm birth, and were 46% more likely to attend postpartum checkups.
- In Memphis, Tenn., doula Shanille Bowens supports clients like Shaquoiya Stewart, a 35-year-old single mother who credited Bowens for guidance through pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum challenges.
- Dr. Margaret-Mary Wilson, chief medical officer at UnitedHealth Group, sees doulas becoming "more and more integrated" into health care systems, a shift from 10 years ago when Dana Morrison of Doulas of Duluth in Minnesota reported "definitely" resistance.
- Expanding doula care offers a relatively inexpensive strategy to reduce maternal mortality, which kills Black mothers at a rate more than three times higher than white women.
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66 Articles
Associated Press News+64 Reposted by 64 other sources
Once a luxury for moms, doula care is going mainstream
Doulas provide physical and emotional support before, during and after birth. Such care used to be seen as a luxury and was available only to those who could afford it.
·United States
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Why are doulas going mainstream?
Doulas move from niche luxury to broader maternity support Doulas—trained companions who provide physical and emotional support during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period—are becoming more widely used, according to the newest reporting in the pool. The story frames the shift as a move away…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources66
Leaning Left13Leaning Right3Center44Last UpdatedBias Distribution73% Center
Bias Distribution
- 73% of the sources are Center
73% Center
L 22%
C 73%
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