Resources

People do not live their lives in siloes, and the harms wrought by Dobbs are not limited to people’s reproductive lives. The consequences of this decision – of denying the right to abortion – ripple out into individuals’ and families’ health overall, their economic security and their ability to participate fully and equally in our society.

Executive Summary | Improving Our Maternity Care Now Through Doula Support outlines the evidence that supports the unique value of doula support across different communities, the safety and effectiveness of doula support in improving maternal and infant outcomes, the interest of birthing women and people in use of doula support, and the current availability of, and access to, doula services in the United States.

CASE STUDY | Tewa Women United (TWU) is a multicultural and multiracial, Indigenous/Tewa-women-created and -led organization located in the ancestral Tewa homelands of northern New Mexico. TWU embodies courageous spaces that center Indigenous women and girls to connect with ancestral knowingness, healing strengths, and lifeways for the well-being of all.

PDF | This report outlines the evidence that supports the unique value of doula support across different communities, the safety and effectiveness of doula support in improving maternal and infant outcomes, the interest of birthing women and people in use of doula support, and the current availability of, and access to, doula services in the United States. We also provide recommendations for key decisionmakers in public and private sectors to help support and increase access to doula services.

CASE STUDY | Open Arms Perinatal Services illustrates how community doulas who provide extended support from pregnancy through the postpartum and early childhood periods can dramatically improve the health of childbearing women and people and their babies. Open Arms hires doulas directly from the communities it serves.

Improving Our Maternity Care Now Through Doula Support - Recommendations | There is a strong evidence base to support including doula services in the standard package of essential maternity care services available to all pregnant, birthing, and parenting women and people. Culturally congruent doulas appear to offer exceptional benefits to women of color and other groups facing structural, institutional, and interpersonal discrimination.

ISSUE BRIEF | Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization is a decision that is about access to essential healthcare, but also much more than that. It is, at its core, a decision — deeply rooted in sexism and racism — about the role women and people who can become pregnant play in our society. It is a decision about their futures and possibilities, their opportunities and dreams.(PDF)

FACT SHEET | The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) will ensure that employers provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant employees and that the workplace is an environment where needed accommodations are routinely expected and provided. (PDF)

American Rescue Plan Act ACA Premium Tax Credits (PTCs) are set to expire this year. At a time of rising costs for families, in particular for families of color and families with low incomes, a jump in the cost of health premiums could force millions to become uninsured. Congress must act to extend these affordability measures for the following six reasons.

In April 2022, Delaware became the 12th state, including D.C., to pass a paid family and medical leave program.

CHART | A detailed summary of existing family leave laws in California, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Washington, New York, D.C., Massachusetts, Connecticut, Oregon and Colorado

When the pandemic hit and schools and child care centers closed, nursing and adult care facilities became unsafe, and people began falling ill, each family was left to figure things out on its own. For the most part, the increased burden of care fell on women...

FACT SHEET | Overall, women in the United States are paid 82 cents for every dollar paid to men. When women lose income, their economic security and that of their families is diminished. (May 2022)

FACT SHEET | An analysis of the Gender Wage Gap by Congressional District (May 2022)

FACT SHEET | Women of color in the United States experience the nation's persistent and pervasive gender wage gap most severely. U.S. Census Bureau data reveal the size of that gap by race. (May 2022)

FACT SHEET | A look at the wage gap for Asian American and Pacific Islander women by ethnic subgroup, and what that gap means for them and their families. (May 2022)

The Roots Community Birth Center demonstrates the exceptional value of community-based and -led forms of the birth center model for communities disadvantaged by structural racism, intergenerational underinvestment, and other forms of discrimination.

For many pregnant people, community birth options offer better care, more positive experiences, improved health outcomes, and potential cost benefits. Given this track record and the increasing use of, and unmet need for, this model of care, decision-makers should act to make it widely available to lower-risk pregnant people who desire it. Above all, it is urgent to scale up access to this high-value model of care as an essential way to advance birth justice and mitigate the nation’s maternal health crisis.