Latina doulas can help mothers in their communities incorporate culturally specific practices, overcome language barriers, overcome disparities in the healthcare system, and discuss challenges. Learn more in an interview with birth, postpartum and childcare doula Surey Rodriguez-Cortes.
Latina doulas can help mothers in their communities incorporate culturally specific practices, overcome language barriers, overcome disparities in the healthcare system, and discuss challenges.
Surey Rodriguez-Cortes, a certified birth, postpartum and infant care doula, is one of them.
“Every year I see more and more Latinas and people of color entering doula work,” she says.
And specialization is becoming increasingly vital as maternal resources for people of color find themselves in the midst of a political storm in the United States in a post-Roe v. era. Wade. Wade (historic 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that guaranteed the right to abortion across the country and was overturned in 2022).
In Alabama, for example, activists are currently fighting the closure of birth centers in predominantly black communities.
A doula’s goal is the same across racial and ethnic divides, Rodriguez-Cortes explains: to foster “an empowered and respectful birth and postpartum experience in which, regardless of how events may unfold, the people we support they feel truly seen and heard.”
But parents of color often face barriers to maternal care, both before and after their child is born.
This is an urgent problem in the United States, where maternal deaths are the highest in the industrialized world and maternal mortality rates for women of color exceed those of white mothers.
“For decades this field has been predominantly attended by white, middle-class women,” says Rodrigues-Cortes, who was born and raised in Puerto Rico and now lives in Massachusetts.
“While (these doulas) can certainly support people from other backgrounds and cultures, there are nuances of the lived experience as ‘other’ that they will never fully understand and may not even be aware of.”
Many women of color do not have adequate support during childbirth, especially in cultures that discourage conversations about pregnancy and birth difficulties—an idea known as “doing laundry at home.”
However, a growing group of Latina doulas has emerged to help break down these barriers and provide new parents with the specialized help they have long lacked. Rodrigues-Cortes explains how Latina doulas provide much-needed support to marginalized communities and why they have never been more important than they are now.
“Latina doulas bring a slightly different cultural awareness and personal experience to working with clients in the Latino community that a white, non-Latina doula cannot fully understand or replicate, given our different personal histories.
Below are the main excerpts from the interview:
BBC – How are Latina doulas different from others?
Surey Rodriguez-Cortes – It’s not that a non-Latina doula can’t support Latino people and families giving birth.
However, this support may not include cultural considerations such as including language or music during birth, understanding the Latin postpartum ritual of “quarantine,” and knowing firsthand the challenges of coming from an immigrant family. (This is missing) simply because it is not part of lived experiences. And that’s without getting into the possible language barriers that exist for many Latino customers, especially first-generation immigrants.
The system was not designed with us in mind. Because of the large-scale human trials of the birth control pill in Puerto Rico in the 1950s and the mass sterilization campaigns specifically targeting women of color in the 1960s and 1970s, there are understandable long-standing generational traumas and mistrust of the healthcare system.
So having someone with experience addressing these disparities and anticipating the challenges a pregnant woman faces can be crucial not only to our birth and postpartum experience, but also to our survival and thriving as new mothers and fathers.” .
BBC – How do Latin rituals and cultural practices fit into this work?
Rodriguez-Cortés – “One of the most common Latin cultural practices and concepts surrounding pregnancy is ‘quarantine’ during the early postpartum period. This is when a parent/baby must rest and bond in semi-isolation in their home for the first 40 days after the birth.
Having to leave the house (for pediatrician appointments) during a culturally expected rest period, when we are already physically and emotionally vulnerable, often makes the practice of quarantine unfeasible. Added to this is the lack of comprehensive parental leave policies in the United States. And in the case of immigrant families, there may be no family or cultural support and safety nets where they are located.
Having the support of a postpartum doula, especially from a professional with a similar background who understands the cultural nuances and expectations of this time, can help make the most of the leave time new parents receive (even if 40 days of isolation at home is not possible). In these first few weeks at home, a doula can help a Latina mother maximize time spent physically recovering and bonding with her baby by providing assistance with small tasks around the house, preparing culturally specific nutritious meals, and helping to find community resources and additional resources. she argues.”
BBC – Why do Latina mothers have difficulty accessing the right care?
Rodriguez-Cortés – “The biggest barrier to supporting Latino and other Black, Brown, and Indigenous parents is a lack of knowledge. While it is not uncommon in many of our cultures to have midwives and doula-like support from family and family members community… Many Latino families didn’t even know the word “doula” until they heard it during pregnancy, often completely by accident in a childbirth education class or in books.
(There are also) language barriers that make it more difficult for parents to make fully informed decisions about their child’s care. We may (may also) be reluctant to express questions or concerns to our doctors and medical staff. Sometimes I’ve seen a parent try to express such feelings only to be told by an older family member something like, “Listen to your doctor, they’re the professionals, just do what they say, they know best.”
And, of course, there are financial barriers to securing doula support. Traditionally, doulas were hired privately, directly by families. They were seen as a luxury, being hired primarily by white women with high purchasing power. While you don’t need to have a doula to have a baby and recover after giving birth, we know that studies show tangible benefits.
Additionally, given the maternal mortality crisis in the United States and disparities in care and outcomes for Black and Brown people, the impartial support, education, and continuity in care that a doula can add to the experience It can make a huge difference in whether parents feel cared for and listened to.”
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
