A two-year project to prepare professional labor support providers (doulas) to serve language-specific cultural groups seeking prenatal care in a community health center will be described. The Puget Sound Neighborhood Health Center (PSNHC), a federally qualified health center and sponsor of the project, provides primary health care services to a diverse population comprised of 28 language groups. A midwife employed by PSNHC discovered through an evaluation of maternity support services that many of the immigrant women receiving prenatal care did not have contact with women in their extended families or other culturally-relevant groups and did not, therefore, have access to culturally appropriate or language specific teaching and support. The project was designed to identify women in the community who were interested in providing doula support, to provide training, and then to connect these doulas with women receiving care in the health center who needed support. The health center contracted with Seattle Midwifery School to train women identified by PSNHC staff in labor support. Over 20 women were enrolled in the four-day course between 1998 and 1999. These women represented the following language groups: Somali, Tigrinian, Amharic, Spanish, Cambodia, Lao, Thai, Mandarin Chinese, and Mien. We will report on a follow-up study to assess the current status of each doula’s practice, the number of women served, barriers to practice, and how effectively the model is working. See seattlemidwifery.org
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to: 1. Describe 5 obstetrical interventions common to U.S. hospital that conflict with the birthing norms or values of immigrant women. 2. Identify 3 barriers to training and practice that non-English speaking doulas face. 3. Discuss how doulas can be successfully integrated into clinical settings with a high percentage of non-English speaking women.
Keywords: Access and Services, Immigrant Women
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Puget Sound Neighborhood Health Centers and
Seattle Midwifery School
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.