New York City is to offer free access to doulas for families in the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods.
Mayor Eric Adams announced the expansion of the program, known as the Citywide Doula Initiative, on Wednesday. The project aims to provide access to doulas for 500 families by the end of June, according to Adams‘ statement.
A doula is a “professional labor assistant who provides physical and emotional support” during pregnancy and childbirth, according to the Mayo Clinic. Doulas are not required to have any professional health care experience. Nurse midwives, by contrast, are “advanced-practice providers” and are able to provide medical care, like by prescribing medications.
Families benefiting from the program will receive three prenatal home visits from a trained doula, support during labor and delivery, and four postpartum visits. The city will also expand the doula workforce by training 50 doulas by the end of June and certifying 70 others, according to the statement.
