NYT Doula Article: Not the Prettiest Picture

Thanks to Jesse Henderson of Mother Tree Birth Services for alerting us to the negative article in today's NYT article on doulas and lactation consultants, And Doula Makes Four.  If you missed it, maybe it's because you weren't reading the Fashion & Style section!  Yes, mamas, that's where they put this one, like they were discussing where to get a stylin' maternity top - sheesh. 

I'd agree that the story is slanted, especially when compared to our experience with a doula back in 2003.  Not only was our hospital fine with her being there (Kaiser Sunnyside), it was the doula who prepared us in advance for a birth that might not meet our ideal.  A far cry from the my-way-or-the-highway doulas and lactation consultants described in this article.  A more balanced story would have better served families and professionals alike. 

Jesse's response??  Let's bombard the NYT with positive stories - right on, Jesse!  Here's what she wrote:

Dear New York Times Editor,

I was very disappointed to see your article in the Fashion & Style section today  "And the Doula Makes Four" negating the support that doulas and lactation consultants provide women in our country. Using a fringe-opinion you purposefully inflamed a pervasive attitude in our culture to ignore evidence-based practices. The evidence shows that when women and their babies receive continuous emotional support and comfort measures throughout their childbearing year consistently have better birth outcomes, lower interventions, lower long term complications, higher breastfeeding rates and stronger feelings of satisfaction and self confidence for the whole family. In our culture, the bulk of this kind of care has fallen to a small group of doulas and lactation consultants. In an environment where  women are seen in fleeting, segmented visits by their predominantly busy OB care providers there is no consistent support other than the care that these professionals provide.

Women in our culture are still lacking many many basic supports that women in other developed nations enjoy---and the outcomes prove it. According to the World Health Organization and the March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center. the United States ranks 26th the world for infant mortality rates. These nations have a strong tradition of midwifery care, low cesarean rates, continuous doula-style support for the entire family in birth and postpartum and strong follow-up for baby care and breastfeeding support. Our country's measly support provides none of these services routinely to the bulk of our new mothers.

Your article was completely off target--focusing on a small percentage of out-of-pocket, hand-selected care that women are choosing themselves instead of the enormous white elephant of the dollar-driven, technologically focused, increasingly failing medical system that drives women's prenatal care.

Providing women with more opportunities to take a stand for higher quality care instead of belittling the predominately helpful support, education and care the doula and lactation professions provide women should by your utmost priority. In an election year such as this, even the politicians would agree with you!

Got something to say on this one?  Thought so.  Start typin', mamas.  E-mail your letter-to-the-editor to letters@nytimes.com. 

Comments

[elizabeth]

I did see this article- it was unbelievable! Thanks for mentioning it.I would love to see any other letters that have been submitted from the Ums (or others) regarding this article.

[olivia]

I am surprised and disappointed that the NYT article was not more balanced.

[catmom]

I thought it was a pretty interesting article, bringing up something I hadn't considered - that relations aren't always smooth between medical folks and a doula. What I took away from it was that you should make sure you pick a hospital and an ob that are receptive to your doula and vice versa, if you want to avoid clashes at the delivery. Should women not be informed that these conflicts are possible? I doubt the hospital that banned doulas did it lightly.
One woman's "fringe opinion" is another woman's personal experience - the kinds of things I like reading on this site.

[catmom]

And ignores science? Unbalanced? Here's what you would call the nut graph of this article:

"In an era of nurse shortages and high Caesarean rates, doulas and lactation consultants can be godsends for many women. Indeed, multiple studies show that a doula’s presence during childbirth leads to shorter labor, less medical intervention and a happier experience.

Similarly, lactation consultants are often necessary for mothers having difficulty breast-feeding. Overwhelmed nurses don’t always have the time for one-on-one instruction, and because formula use peaked in the 1970s, a mom’s own mother may be ill-equipped to offer advice.

But the increased popularity of doulas and lactation consultants has also led to more conflict — not only with parents but doctors and nurses as well.

[KMat]

Hiring (or not hiring) a doula is obviously a very personal choice, one that each pregnant woman can only make for herself. My question is, though, if one feels it is necessary to hire a doula to advocate on her behalf to her OB, why did she pick that OB in the first place?

Perhaps my views are slanted, as I have used midwives for both of my childbirth experiences, and didn't even see the hospital doctor until I was in recovery.

This is just something I've always wondered about, as I have often been asked if I had used a doula, to which I would always respond "Why?"

[LTF]

KMat, I can only speak for myself on this one: we chose a doula wiht our first child but not our 2nd (same hospital, more confident). i wanted one because I wanted a natural birth but my health insurance covers a hospital birth. Thankfully they have a midwife-based practice at one site, but still you are only delivered by the same midwife as yoy saw all along if you're lucky, and frankly I was nervous about advocating for myself if the hospital staff pushed me ina direction i didn't want to go.

I also didn't know that a labor nurse stayed with you all the time, but nonetheless they come and go on shifts. It was nice to know that a certain, known person would be there at the birth with inexperienced, nervous us. If my health care had covered a more typical midwife approach, I likely would have gone with it, but they didn't, so I worked within the system my insurance covered, and thanks to a generous mother was able to hire a doula.

We were glad she was there, she came by our house afterwards to discuss the birtgh, review it, and talk about nursing, post-partum issues, etc... - not something the labor nurse or hospital midwives do. They do have you come back into the hospital for mother-baby check-ups at 2 days, 2 & 6 weeks. Hope that helps clarify why at leas one mama chose a doula!