TRENTON, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — Doulas in New Jersey now have full access to expectant mothers in hospitals and birthing centers under a bill signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy this week.
Doulas are hired by mothers to assist them throughout pregnancy, birth and postpartum. “It's been proven that when doulas are involved, we reduce birth complications, we lower rates of C- sections,” New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy told KYW Newsradio. “We just generally improve mother's health and provide overall essential support and delivery during the birthing process.”
The new measure, which passed unanimously through the state legislature, calls for hospitals and birthing centers to develop policies that allow doulas to accompany patients before, during, and after labor and childbirth — as well as designate a contact to maintain communications between their staff, doulas, and patients.
New Jersey has 260 community doulas. According to CDC data, the state fell from 27th to 47th in infant mortality since 2018, when the state implemented its plan to train and increase the numbers of community doulas.
Murphy says they were first designated in Trenton, Camden, and Newark, some of the hardest hit areas for health inequities and high infant mortality rates. She points to systemic racism as the root cause of those inequities.
“If you are a Black woman in New Jersey, you are seven times more likely than a white woman to die from maternity related complications,” said Murphy, “and if you're a Black baby, you're three times more likely than a white baby to die before your first birthday. So once you know those details, you can't forget that.”
New Jersey’s goal is to reduce maternal mortality rates by 50% over five years and ensure equity in health outcomes. Ronsha Dickerson, founder of Community Doulas of South Jersey, says now, with the new law, perhaps doulas won’t be met with push back from hospital administrators