NORTH TEXAS – A group of 120 trained doulas will soon be deployed into communities to help save the lives of mothers and babies in the Fort Worth area, where health disparities are most severe.
Adriana Sanchez is one of them.
“Women are incredibly powerful,” said Sanchez, a mother of three girls. She knows how wonderful pregnancy and childbirth can be, and how terrifying and traumatic it can be.
“With my third child, there were a lot of things that were done to me that didn’t necessarily need to happen (medical interventions),” she said. “That really shocked me, and I eventually started researching it a little more closely. And I wanted to help other people avoid going through what I went through.”
That’s why she is studying to become a community doula, supporting and advocating for women during pregnancy, childbirth, and beyond.
“I’m there to empower you, give you strength, educate you, help you get through this, almost guide you through childbirth,” Sanchez said.
She will graduate from United Way of Tarrant County’s training program this weekend. This is part of our efforts to improve the health of mothers and children.
Tarrant County’s maternal mortality rate is significantly higher than the national average, according to the Tarrant County United Way.
Studies have shown that the presence of a doula reduces preterm birth, frequency of C-sections, low birth weight, and helps the growth of both mother and baby.
“With healthy families, a healthy workforce, and a healthy business model, we have healthy young people entering preschool and kindergarten,” said United Way of Tarrant County Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Executive Officer. said Regina R. Williams. Impact Officer. “And I believe this is an opportunity for all of us to succeed because ultimately this is going to make Tarrant County better, Fort Worth better.”
There is no cost to anyone who wants to train to become a doula or use the services of a doula.
Currently, the doula program is targeting Fort Worth’s 76104 ZIP code, which has some of the highest health disparities and lowest life expectancy in the state. United Way hopes to expand throughout Tarrant County in the future.
“I recently had my first birth at JPS about three weeks ago,” Sanchez said. “It had a lifelong impact on me. It had a really big impact on them too, so just talking about it brings tears to my eyes. I got a long message from my mom, just saying I was there. It was just how wonderful it was to be there.”
Sanchez said she can’t wait to continue helping mothers overcome this transformative experience.
“If we can create a birthing experience that’s better than what’s happening right now, why not do it,” she said.
Funding for the Maternal and Child Health Initiative is provided by the American Rescue Plan Act. The grant ends on Dec. 31, but UWTC is looking for partners to invest in implementing this program countywide.
caroline vandergriff
