Dr. Nicole Carey, a mother of five and an advocate for maternal health, highlights Indiana's alarmingly high maternal mortality rate and the disproportionate impact it has on Black women. She emphasizes the importance of doula support, citing personal experience and research findings that demonstrate its positive influence on birth outcomes.
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana still has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country, according to state data and research by IU. 'Being pregnant in Indiana is not the safest feeling, but also, being a black woman, our outcomes are even worse, disproportionately worse,' said Dr. Nicole Carey. Dr. Carey is a mother of five. She said because Indiana is one of the top three states with the highest maternal mortality rates, she decided to explore having a doula for her last two pregnancies.
'I wanted a little bit of extra support. And when I tell you, my doula was an advocate, that is an understatement,' she said. She said a doula is an advocate for the mother and can specialize in birth or postpartum support. Her doula helped her and her husband with yoga and ways to make her pregnancy easier. 'A doula is many things. A doula can be a support during pregnancy, during the postpartum period, and during the end of life. That was something I learned when I took this role, that it's not just during the prenatal period, but really someone to support physically, emotionally, and as an advocate,' said Dr. Carey. IDOH data shows, 80 pregnant women and postpartum died in Indiana in 2021, with black women more at risk. Contributing factors to high maternal mortality rates include access to services with some counties lacking a hospital, quality of care, and 'maternity care deserts' — a shortage of OB/GYNs. 'It's insanity to do the same thing over and over again, and this statistic around maternal mortality has been an issue in our community for decades, so we have to change the way that we see how we take care of each other, and we have to change the way that we approach wellness,' said Dr. Carey. Dr. Carey decided to create the nonprofit 'Just Community' to help others going through pregnancy or postpartum, using her doula as inspiration. 'The research also tells us that having a doula lowers cesarean rates. It changes the outcomes that we're seeing,' said Dr. Care
SOCIETY WOMEN's ISSUES RACIAL DISPARITIES Maternal Mortality Doula Indiana Black Women Health Disparities
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Addressing America's High Maternal Mortality RatesChildbirth can be one of the most profound experiences of someone’s life, yet it’s also sometimes dangerous, especially in America. The U.S. maternal mortality rate is more than twice as high as those in Canada, France, and Korea, and at least four times the rates of the United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan. Complex factors driving this disparity include racial inequities that put Black patients at the greatest risk of death. A key solution is to increase access to quality maternity care before, during, and after birth.
Read more »
Texas’ maternal mortality committee faces backlash for not reviewing deaths from first two years post-DobbsCommittee members said it was necessary to skip the two years after Texas passed its restrictive abortion laws to offer more timely recommendations.
Read more »
Texas’ maternal mortality committee skips post-Dobbs deathsCommittee members said it was necessary to skip the two years after Texas passed its restrictive abortion laws to offer more timely recommendations.
Read more »
Texas’ maternal mortality committee faces backlash for not reviewing deaths from first two years post-DobbsCommittee members said it was necessary to skip the two years after Texas passed its restrictive abortion laws to offer more timely recommendations.
Read more »
House Committee Demands Briefing on Texas Maternal Mortality Review DecisionA group of U.S. Representatives from the House Oversight Committee are demanding a briefing from the Texas Department of State Health Services regarding the controversial decision to skip reviewing maternal deaths from 2022 and 2023.
Read more »
Texas Maternal Mortality Committee Won’t Investigate Deaths in 2022–23Advocates warn that overlooking such data could complicate research into the impact of Texas' abortion ban.
Read more »