In 2020, We are constantly being reminded of America's Systematic racism, from financial standpoints to socioeconomic issues within the community, we are now faced with hospitals attempting to implement policies to diminish the support of doulas in their hospitals.
Doulas are privately hired to ensure transparency between medical professionals and patients to ensure and encourage informed consent. Doulas provide culturally appropriate emotional support to the laboring mother, helping her to cope with labor in their own way. Whether mothers feel more comfortable with the lights dimmed or turned on, whether they want to birth their baby in a specific position that works best for their bodies, Doulas are a life saver.
The greek word Doula means "women Servant", that is who we are and what we are about, serving another women from pregnancy to labor and even after laboring, we are there for mothers. We develop a relationship between mothers' and their families, so that they can ask any question without having to fear not being heard. Doulas never leave the side of the birthing body, unlike nurses and doctors who must be present for all of the labor and delivery rooms. We are able to immediately alert doctors and nurses in the event that something should go wrong. We are trained to coach our clients through pain relief, to ensure they do not birth alone, and to prevent birthing bodies from common consequences of obstetric negligence and abuse that occur in hospitals.Â
We want to be able to protect the integrity of a Doula while protecting our clients. We aren’t there to serve the hospital but the client only and that this is what we want to continue to do. When reading the vendor packet it states that we as Doulas will be mandated to explain our vaccine status. We want to reiterate that we are NOT a hospital employee, we are not selling anything to the hospital, and that WE are privately hired/contracted by our clients. Mothers, fathers, grand parents and siginifcant others will never have to provide their status, so WHY should we?! Denying birthing people access to their doula of choice infringes on their human rights.
Doulas have PROVEN to reduce outcomes for cesareans, medical intervention as well as ensure healthy, happy, living babies and bodies. The infant mortality rate according to Roy Cooper, the governor of North Carolina, decreased by 9% in 2016, thus decreasing the outcomes for black babies still to double the chance of dying than white babies. The policies implemented by Novant Health in North Carolina and possibly others include: - Doulas must sign on to hospitals as VENDORS - ANNUAL FEE of 385-485 for NON vendors - Drug Test - Background Test - Up to date on all vaccines - Full Certification For example, the processes for DONA certification, takes years to complete, and REQUIRE that we are in hospitals doing births IN ORDER to be certified. This will effectively remove uncertified doulas, which disproportionately removes doulas of color. This further requires a demand for increase in pricing for doulas, of whom ordinarily work on a sliding scale to be sure they are capable of offering care particularly to birthing bodies unable to pay upwards of 1100 dollars for support. The business of medicine is not the business of doulas. These policies are a stark reminder of how we came to the 1 in 3 black maternal morbidity rate as well as the 12.5 infant mortality rate for black children. Very simply, this implementation would reverse our efforts to empower and educate our birthing people and place them in a dangerous return to a darker time in medicine. As doulas who have practiced for many years and as a collective, we are concerned that the requirements to become an "approved vendor" may in fact limit our clients’ access to doulas. We are hired privately by our clients, invited to birth by our clients, and are actively regulated by our certifying agencies.
We are very excited to be considered part of making birthing with Novant a remarkable and safe experience, but truth be told, we have always been the midst of Novant combatting maternal death rates and infant mortality, as well as other hospitals in and around the United States. We feel that the other qualifying requirements impart discriminatory implications on doulas in the following areas: 1. Financial imposition posed by costs of Novant orientation, screenings and background checks 2. Privacy issues in regards to immunizations and background checks 3. Fees incurred to become "vendors" We are reiterating that we DO NOT provide any type of medical care to clients, we are not affiliated with Novant as employees or contractors, and work through private hire by our clients. Upon reading your Code of Ethics regarding vendors, we do not qualify as a vendor for Novant, and therefore should not have fees and regulations imposed as such. We have not, nor will we, actively solicit clients on your premises per regulations. This also eliminates us as "vendors". Policies needs to increase access, not reduce or limit to only a select group of doulas. Discrimination both in skin color and economic ability and contributing to the destruction of small businesses indirectly causes economic discrimination.
Mothers and Babies are experiencing trauma and some are dying while we wait to be allowed back into the hospital settings. We can safely do it by showing certification or a business card at the door, health screening for illness, wearing a mask and staying with the client. These vendor fees and requirements also can indirectly cause economic discrimination, in that the fees required to become a vendor will inevitably be reflected in our cost to clients,, thus making it unaffordable for clients previously supported by pro bono or low cost doulas. Also, by removing uncertified doulas you will disproportionately be removing doulas of color. Black and brown birthing people and their babies are significantly more at risk of death and morbidity during childbirth, but having the doula of their choice helps to mitigate this risk. We are aware that by your Vendor Code of Ethics, this would be in direct violation of your anti-discrimination policies. To avoid potential discriminatory issues with doulas in training, doulas that work pro bono, and doulas that may not have the financial ability to pay the "vendor fees", we suggest the following criteria to ensure proper vetting and assure that the role of a doula is not abused by the public: 1. Proof of certification or a doula training or an active doula business 2. Signed consent to follow Novant safety practices (including Covid protocols and Bloodborne Pathogen guidelines) 3. Identifying badge These guidelines can easily be implemented by security at check in points and/or pre-registered online. Attached you will find other hospitals' policies regarding doula regulations during covid. As you will find, none are considered "vendors" and there is no mention of fees for supporting clients. The guidelines set forth by other care facilities prevent the public from abusing the role of "doula" while enabling birthing people to access the doula of their choice.
~ Methodist Womens Hospital - " Effective 6/4/2020......
-Doulas will be allowed back in the hospital for labor support with the following guidelines:
-Doulas will go through the vistor screening process
-Doulas will not be allowed with any COVID =/PUI patient
-Doulas must be accompanied by the patient, remained masked throughout the stay and should not leave the room during the labor/ delivery period
-Written guidelines and expectations will be provided and reviewed with each Doula
-We will ask for the Doula's certification/ business card to avoid other support people "posing" as Doulas.
~ UNC Medical Center, UNC REX and Johnston Health ( including Hillsborough Hospital)- Effective 6/22/2020.....
-We will ease restrictions for hospital vistors
-One designated, screened vistors per patient during his/her stay will be permitted in the majority of inpatient areas.
-Visting hours will be 1-9 pm.
-Doulas will be allowed to accompany a laboring mother in addition to the designated partner.
-All vistors will be subjected to health screening at any time.
We hope that Novant will follow suit with other hospitals in allowing doulas to join their clients. Should you feel the terms require further discussion, we as a collective would be happy to meet with you. We have questions that NEED answers:
How does certification vs training impact the spread of covid? How does paying fees minimize the spread of covid or public abuse of the role? How does our vaccine status impact the spread of covid? How does hospital orientation reduce the spread of covid?
Are you using the COVID-19 as an excuse to undergo invasive procedures and immunization ?
Its important that Novant understands that Doulas want to continue to serve in our communities, and instead Novant should talk to Doulas first before making drastic decisions! We want to work within the hospitals settings, without being regulated. It is important that Clients are still able to express their concerns and Doulas be able to express those concerns to the medical professionals. We are here to work for clients and lastly we want to partner with any hospital who sees us as such!
So to Novant, I say Let Us In and allow us to support our clients!
Families remember #youdeservetheworld!!
If you believe in Doulas sign this petition!
Ariel Apparicio
Beauty of Motherhood Inc
Sarah Bailey
Fearless Doula Birth Services
Shawna Morant
Morant Doula & Wellness
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