When doulas – who are becoming more common in the region – are present during pregnancy and childbirth, moms and babies experience reduced pain, shorter labors, and fewer complications.
The latest innovation in childbirth has nothing to do with technology or equipment.
Instead, women today are welcoming trained professionals, called doulas, into their homes and birthing suites. The results are impressive — reduced pain, shorter labors, fewer complications for mother and child, and more.
The tradition of women helping women through pregnancy, birth, and motherhood goes back centuries.
The word doula, and the doula’s role in birth, has been around since the 1960s, according to the Motherhood Center. The Motherhood Center is a Texas-based agency that provides educational resources and support for mothers and families.
More than 30 doulas serving Bay County are included on the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Doula Registry. The doulas work independently or within a doctor’s office. The MDHSS Doula Initiative and the Michigan Doula Advisory Council aim to reduce infant and maternal mortality through doulas.
One doula program is through the Great Lakes Bay Region Health Centers (GLBHC), a non-profit organization providing health care to people who are underserved, uninsured, or underinsured. The doulas work under the GLBHC’s Maternal Infant Health program.
Having a doula around means better outcomes for mother and baby. The MDHHS points out benefits to doula care, including:- Reduced stress, anxiety, and pain
- Increased confidence
- Shorter labors
- More vaginal births and fewer Cesarean births
- Babies are four times less likely to have a low birthweight
- Babies are two times less likely to experience a birth complication
- Increased breastfeeding.
After experiencing pregnancy loss herself, Anesha Stanley says she felt personally called to work as a doula. She formed Full Circle Doula Services in 2020, but has worked as a community doula for 12 years.
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Acceptance by doctors, midwives, and hospital staff are not the only benefits to doulas becoming more common and recognized. A few years ago, no insurance covered the services. Today, Medicaid covers it.Stanley, and other area doulas, say they support families during pregnancy, birth, and the baby’s early life. They also describe their careers as callings.
“I just walk alongside these families,” Stanley says. “God is calling me to a higher purpose.”
Omar Jones, who earlier this year was the first man to become a certified doula in this area, agrees that doulas serve a higher purpose.
“For me, it’s more than just work. It’s honestly a ministry of service,” Jones says. “That’s why it’s important to me. It’s a sacred calling.”
Laneise Haulcy-Collier, the Doula and Prenatal Services Manager at GLBHC, says doulas support families as they expand. That means she works with everyone who touches the mother’s life, whether those people are fathers, partners, family, or friends.
“The doula is the person who supports you,” Haulcy-Collier says. “There could be hundreds of people around you, but they may not be tending to your particular needs.”
Doulas support more than just the mother, Stanley agrees. Traditional medicine tends to focus on mom and baby. Doulas, though, can help men, especially Black and Brown men, see how they matter to the mother and baby, Jones says.
That support delivers results.
Stanley says when doulas are present, mothers report feeling more comfortable and in tune with their bodies during labor and delivery. Doulas can translate medical terminology into simpler language. They can help the mother’s partner understand what is happening when medical personnel can’t stop to answer questions.
“Doulas and the medical personnel work together, we accept one another,” she says. “We have a common goal of healthy moms and healthy babies.”
Local doulas are involved in regional and statewide programs, hoping to support other doulas and increase the number of families who use them. It’s especially important that Black women have doulas.
According to the Michigan Maternal Mortality Surveillance (MMMS) Program, Black women and babies in Michigan die at a higher rate than white women and babies.
In 2019, for every 100,000 live births to white women, about 67 women died. For Black women, about 151 women died per 100,000 live births.
According to the GLBHC, one in every 100 Black babies dies within the first year. One in every 500 Black mothers dies within 42 days of delivery.
That changes with doulas. Stanley advocates that well-fed and well-cared parents who feel supported emotionally and physically are key to infant health.
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More than 30 doulas serving Bay County are included on the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Doula Registry. The doulas work independently or within a doctor’s office. In order to learn how to deliver that support, certified doulas go through an eight-week training program to learn how to support families. The training program involves 40 hours a week of classroom time as well as homework and hands-on experiences, Stanley explains.
After the training program, the doula network allows doulas to reach out to each other as they face challenges or have questions.
“This initiative is critically important to the work we do to ensure healthy birth outcomes,” says Rich Van Tol, Director of the Great Start Collaborative. Great Start focuses on the needs of children and families between birth and kindergarten.
“It connects families to a doula, the Great Start system, and community resources to ensure improved population health," she says.
Stanley agrees.
“Birth is such a sacred space,” Stanley says. “I want them to go home feeling heard, supported, and seen.”
Doulas help women feel empowered to ask questions during their prenatal appointments, leading to a better experience.
“I feel confident about my next appointment,” she says the women tell her. “I can go in with wisdom and confidence. My birth does matter.”
While all doulas provide that confidence, Haulcy-Collier says she appreciates the advantages of working in a medical office.
“Here, we have a team and I like that team aspect,” she says. “I also enjoy working at GLBHC because we’re housed in the same department as the OB-GYN. We build relationships with the midwives, the OB-GYN. It’s amazing.”
Relationships with doctors, midwives, and hospital staff are not the only benefits to doulas becoming more common and recognized. A few years ago, no insurance covered the services. Today, Medicaid covers it.
“This is a game-changer for all women to be able to afford these services,” Haulcy-Collier adds.
Doulas offer support in several ways. Doulas visit moms and attend appointments. The GLBHC doulas also offer two programs to help support families with young children.
Meeting of the Dads is not just for fathers. It’s for anyone who supports a mother, whether that’s a father or a father figure. It gives partners a space to talk about their concerns.
Pearls of Wisdom attracts seasoned mothers. These people provide what the doulas need to support their patients. The Pearls of Wisdom members may knit booties or baby blankets, for example.
These programs have raised awareness about doulas and the role they play in families. Still, not enough people know about doulas, Haulcy-Collier says.
“Even though doula is a buzzword, people are still asking ‘What is that? You guys catch babies?’ “ Haulcy-Collier says, laughing as she explains she does not deliver babies. “It’s important that we continue to get the word out so people understand exactly what it is we do and who qualifies.”
Jones echoes Haulcy-Collier’s words, emphasizing the role that the entire family plays in a child’s health.
“I think if you have healthy dads and healthy moms, healthy children will follow as well. That’s what I hope to shape and be a part of,” Jones says. “It’s about a whole family – birthing persons as well as support persons. We want to make sure our children are healthy, happy, and able to live a life that blesses them.”
Kathy Roberts, a graduate of Central Michigan University, moved to Bay City in 1987 to start a career in the newspaper industry. She was a reporter and editor at the Bay City Times for 15 years before leaving to work at the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, Covenant HealthCare, and Ohno Design. In 2019, she returned to her storytelling roots as the Managing Editor of Route Bay City. When she’s not editing or writing stories, you can find her reading books, knitting, or visiting the bars of Bay County. You can reach Kathy at
editor@RouteBayCity.com
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