(File Photo of a couple and their baby)

(Reported by Danielle Smith of Keystone News Service)

(Harrisburg, PA) Nationwide, Black women face a maternal mortality rate three times higher than that of white women. To address this, Maternity Care Coalition is providing doulas to women in underserved rural areas in Pennsylvania. Jamiylah Miller says the Maternity Care Coalition’s Doula and Lactation program supports families from pregnancy to three months postpartum, helping during labor and delivery, pain management and adjusting to a newborn. However, some families who are not connected with a doula through community organizations like Maternity Care Coalition struggle with the cost of doula services. Miller says recent legislation now extends Medicaid coverage to help offset cost. Miller notes that their doula services are free to expecting families in the community. She advocates for more organizations to provide doula services to families facing financial barriers.