New bill could cover doulas for pregnant service members and dependents
September 09, 2020
Doulas are trained professionals who provide support services to a woman during labor, delivery and in the postpartum period. They do not give actual medical care, but rather emotional and physical support. For example, a doula might help a laboring mother get into positions that help relieve pain or encourage her during particularly difficult moments throughout the birth. Some even extend their care beyond the delivery room and into the postpartum period, offering help with breastfeeding and physical recovery from delivery.
Military families often find the services of a doula especially beneficial. Whether the expectant mother is a serving in the military herself or is the spouse of someone who is serving, they are more likely than civilians to have to give birth without their spouse or partner present and face unique stressors. They are often living away from family and friends who might otherwise be able to help them in the delivery room. Also, many women struggle with feeling isolated during an extremely vulnerable time.
Doulas have gained popularity in recent years thanks to increasing awareness of the benefits of unmedicated birthing. The estimated cost of hiring a doula is between $800 and $2,500 and $1,200 on average. Senators Gillibrand and Blumenthal, and doula advocates alike, argue that using doulas helps prevent complications and would cut healthcare costs and improve outcomes for mothers and their babies. The amount of money saved on costs associated with the interventions and complications that more often accompany births not attended by a doula could easily offset doula fees.
Data shows that there were 29,337 pregnancies among active-duty service women in 2016, down from 32,006 in 2012. The proposed bill would also require the Department of Defense to track the number of births occurring at military and nonmilitary health facilities through Tricare.