Kansas City partners with local doulas in new effort to reduce pregnancy-related deaths

Every year, an average of 70 mothers die from pregnancy-related deaths in Missouri, primarily from Black and brown communities. Seeking to prevent and reduce maternal mortality, city leaders announced a new program on Wednesday called the ‘Doula Initiative’ to help prevent maternal deaths in Kansas City.

About 20 people, comprised of city officials and doulas from Uzazi Village, sat in the foyer of the Kansas City Health Department, with pink, blue and white balloons, in celebration of the ‘Doula Initiative.’

Kansas City officials and Uzazi Village created the initiative to address disparities in maternal health outcomes by making doula services accessible to all residents, including those in marginalized groups. The initiative will allow Kansas City residents to receive free doula services provided by Uzazi Village from pregnancy to birth.

Uzazi Village, located at 4232 Troost Avenue, works to improve perinatal health in Kansas City and around the country. The organization provides resources for women, including doulas, who are trained professionals offering emotional, physical, and informational support to pregnant women.

During the event, Kansas City Councilwoman Melissa Robinson spoke about the work her office has done to bring the initiative to fruition.

“We put together a resolution that my office led to say that we need a citywide doula program,” Robinson said. “We need to make sure that we’re not only making sure families have direct access to these supports, but also building this workforce.”

In order to fight maternal mortality in the city, officials found it important to collaborate with Uzazi Village.

“The city cannot do this alone,” Robinson said. “We need people that are on the frontlines that are working with families day in and day out.”

Following Robinson, the Kansas City Health Department’s Director, Dr. Marvia Jones, referenced statistics showing the crisis in maternal mortality. In 2020, 85 women in Missouri died from a pregnancy-related death, which was the highest recorded, according to the Missouri Department of Health.

Jones also informed the public that most maternal deaths are preventable, according to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“80 percent of those deaths are preventable,” Jones said. “It is important that we work locally to address the issues…and make sure that people aren’t dying from preventable illnesses from something like childbirth.”

For Black women, who are nearly three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause compared to white women, having advocacy in the delivery room is vital.

Hakima Payne, founder and CEO of Uzazi Village, remembers working as a labor and delivery nurse and seeing disparities in the medical field firsthand. She recalled Black women’s pain and concerns oftentimes being disregarded and downplayed during labor.

“I think Black women tend to be discounted,” Payne said. “I think they tend to be thought ‘Oh, she’s complaining too much, she’s being dramatic or extreme.’”

To avoid this, doulas bridge the gap between mothers and doctors in the delivery room.

“The doulas are there to advocate on their behalf and can really change outcomes,” Payne said.

As officials spoke, Delia Pearl, 34, a doula at Uzazi Village, sat on the front row, wearing a purple shirt with the words Uzazi Village in bold white letters.

Pearl is a mother of six children who endured high-risk pregnancies herself, something Black women are statistically more likely to experience. Her life-threatening birth experiences were the catalyst in her desire to help other women.

She told The Star that during medical visits her doctor noticed how inquisitive she was and suggested she become a doula.

“My last doctor became a friend to me,” Pearl said. “In me telling her about wanting to know more about my birth and wanting to be in birth work, she said, I think you’ll be great as a doula.”

Pearl’s doctor introduced her to Payne, who enrolled her in a doula program at Uzazi Village.

“In my doula course, I learned so much about my body that I felt like I should’ve learned as a teenager,” Pearl said. Pearls believes her purpose as a doula is to break the cycle and educate women on their bodies. “For me, I just wanted to change that.”

For three years, Pearl has provided doula care to mothers in Kansas City. As the event came to a close, she sat among her Uzazi Villiage colleagues, clapping with glee in celebration of this new program, which aims to save lives by making doula services accessible to all.

This story was originally published December 14, 2023 at 2:19 PM.