How a Gay-Friendly Doula Co-op Thrives in North Houston houstoniamag.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from houstoniamag.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
arrow Shutterstock In New York City, Black women are eight to twelve times more likely to die from pregnancy than their white counterparts, and nearly three times as likely to develop a life-threatening complication during delivery. The racial disparity, which also exists on a national level, prompted Mayor Bill de Blasio s administration to announce a slate of reforms in 2018 that largely focused on increased hospital care at the city s public hospitals, better reporting, and public education. Now, mayoral candidate Eric Adams is proposing a city program that would offer doulas to all first-time mothers. Often described as birthing coaches, doulas help women throughout pregnancy, birth, and after they give birth. New York City has seen scattered programs over the years but no comprehensive large-scale effort to date. Last year, a maternal home visits program launched by First Lady Chirlane McCray was canceled due to a lack of funding.