For some women in Virginia accessing a doula can mean the different between life and death. From left to right: Fantasy Lozada-Smith, Kenda Sutton-El, and Vallin Bingley.
(Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne)
Doulas are not medical professionals. They’re more like birth coaches. In addition to helping women through labor, they also provide support long before, and even after, a baby is born.
For some Virginians, getting help from a doula may mean the difference between life and death.
As Mallory Noe-Payne reports, that’s why lawmakers are pushing for their services to be covered by Medicaid.
Virginia Public Radio 