New Jersey continues to face a maternal health crisis, with rising rates of preventable deaths and reports of mistreatment during birth—especially among Black birthing parents. Many arrive at hospitals anxious and unsure, often delaying care due to fear and mistrust. Community doulas help shift this reality by providing consistent, culturally grounded support. Their presence improves outcomes and helps restore trust, but they are working within a system still in urgent need of reform.
Centering Consent and Empowering Parents
Doulas play a vital role in protecting consent during labor. They help parents understand their options, ask questions, and feel confident in making informed decisions. Their steady presence reduces stress, improves communication with medical staff, and helps ensure that birthing people remain active participants in their care. This work supports better outcomes and more respectful, affirming birth experiences.
Changing a Culture, Together
The culture of maternal care still allows bias, pressure, and even coercion to shape birthing experiences. Doulas often witness parents being dismissed or pressured into procedures they did not consent to. While doulas work to interrupt these harms, they cannot change the system alone. Real progress requires healthcare providers to partner with doulas, respect their role, and commit to the deep, collective work of dismantling racism and rebuilding trust in maternal care.