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Since late March — at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic — laboring mothers were only allowed to be accompanied by one other person in the hospital, often the patient’s spouse, partner or sibling.
A state directive allows doulas to now join them in the maternity ward.
“Recognizing the role of doulas as an essential part of an expectant mother’s care team, the (health) department is issuing an executive directive exempting doulas from limits on support persons throughout the woman's hospital stay,” said New Jersey Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli.
New Jersey enacted the limitation to keep with social distancing rules, and at a time when hospitals faced an influx of COVID-19 patients.
“Research demonstrates that support from a doula is associated with lower cesarian section rates, fewer obstetric interventions, fewer complications, and the improved health of mothers and babies after delivery,” Persichilli said. “Doulas support healthy pregnancies by providing culturally appropriate social and emotional support to pregnant women throughout their prenatal period, labor and delivery, as well as their postpartum period.”