Atrium Health launches doula program for moms

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Atrium Health is launching a doula program to help mothers in underserved communities navigate their prenatal and postnatal health.

Atrium Health is launching a doula program for pregnant women in the fall.

The hospital company received a $800,000 grant from Truist to start the program at Atrium Health Myers Park OB-GYN clinic and NorthPark OB-GYN clinic. The program will be free to patients. According to the Mecklenburg County Health Department, most of the infant deaths from 2015-2019 were in north and west Charlotte.

“They have been aware, just as aware of the issue that specifically Black birthing folks are facing with high rates of maternal mortality and even infant mortality,” said Racquel Washington, the program’s coordinator.

“The reason those two clinics were chosen was because of the demographic there being that they're underserved patients,” said Dr. Ngina Connors, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Atrium Health. “Some of them are self-pay, some are Medicaid, and the patients in those clinics may not be able to afford doula services. That's the whole purpose of the program is to provide this extra care for people where they don't have to pay for it because doula services can be expensive.”

Prior to this initiative, expectant mothers would have to do their research to find a doula and pay them out of pocket without the help of health insurance.

A doula provides guidance, emotional, physical, and educational support to a pregnant woman before, during, and after childbirth, according to the American Pregnancy Association. For instance, they can answer any questions, fears, or concerns the woman may have during their pregnancy. The health professional can also help the woman with breathing and relaxation techniques, massages, and laboring positions.

A doula also encourages mothers to be an advocate for their health at the doctor's office and to speak up if a health concern arises.

“There's a lot of research around how doulas have improved birthing outcomes specifically for black birthing folks, especially when those doulas are community based and those doulas love and share experiences like them,” Washington said.

The community program aims to hire 10 women of color and the goal is to reduce infant and maternal deaths in the county.

A family will be able to keep the doula for up to six weeks postpartum to ensure the health of both mom and baby.

From 2017-21, most of the infant deaths in North Carolina occurred in Charlotte and the surrounding area, according to the state health department. During the four-year period, there were 386 infant deaths in Mecklenburg County, with Black babies accounting for 208 deaths compared to 83 white babies, data showed.

“The research that’s out there shows that it's a systemic racism problem,” Washington said. “That’s what we really need to get to. Doulas are providing some support, but they are not answering the question of systemic racism. We do still need to make sure that we continue to address that as we work through this.”

From 2016-20, maternal death rates for Black women in Mecklenburg were five times that of the rate in white women, according to the North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics.
Some health providers tend to focus more attention on the baby’s health after birth rather than on the mother’s well-being.

With the premature birth rate for Black women in North Carolina 52% higher than among all other women, breastfeeding can help reduce these disparities. Breastfeeding is a healthier option to formula because it provides exceptional benefits to the infant and the mother. Doulas can help mothers learn how to breastfeed after childbirth.

“The protection that breast milk provides with the different live antibodies that they received from breast milk that they wouldn't receive from formulas,” said TaHysha McClain, a lactation consultant at Atrium Health. “Those antibodies are very important to pass on to the baby and so that also keeps them a little healthier. It helps moms return to their pre-pregnancy weight a little faster because you burn so many calories, as well as with mom, it can prevent and reduce your chances of receiving ovarian cancer.”

McClain will serve on the board of the new community initiative. Outside of her work at Atrium Health, she is program director of the lactation program at Johnson C. Smith University and works with the nonprofit Queen City Cocoa B.E.A.N.S.

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