Views & Brews: "Supporting Mamas and Babies"

Last Tuesday, I made an impromptu trip down to Cactus Cafe on UT’s campus after hearing that the topic du jour was the modern birth landscape, panelled by some of the most inspiring birth workers in town. This included Nichole Mills of Deep Root Doula, Trachell Trice of Mama Sana, Lanell Coultas of Conscious Birthing Austin, and Ashley Lopez of KUT. It was fortifying to see these experienced professionals discuss the bleak reality birthing people in the U.S. face today, and the heartful, intentional work they’re each doing to address issues such as the high rates maternal morbidity, the stark disparity in quality of care for people of color, legislative blindspots that lead to policies like dropping women off of medicaid two months after giving birth (contributing to the high but overlooked rate of mortality for women in their first year postpartum). While they approached each issue with different perspectives and experience, they agreed that many of the problems stemmed from American culture which, as Ashley Lopez described it, tends to encourage focus on ‘you and yours’ (the insular nuclear family), rather than thinking on a broader, community-minded scale.

I’ll post the link to the podcast once the episode goes live, but for now I’ll leave you with the thought that most stuck with me. While discussing thoughts on the concrete actions we can take now to improve outcomes for birthing people, Nichole Mills focused on our need to change the notion of doula services as a luxury, pointing to the expansive (and fully-covered) birth teams folks receive in other parts of the world. It’s understandable where this idea comes from, as insurance rarely, if ever, covers doula support in the United States, and must therefore be paid out of pocket. Still, it’s a shame that a service that studies have proven leads to better outcomes for birthing folks and their babies is broadly considered “luxurious.” I’m interested in ways to fix this, be it through legislation, a recognition from insurance companies, or nonprofit work. Meanwhile, these inspiring women are doing what they can to fill the gaps.