“They’re gonna be there to advocate for me so I’m not by myself”: A qualitative analysis of Black women’s motivations for seeking and experiences with community doula care

Authors: Stephanie Arteaga, Erin Hubbard, Jennet Arcara, Alli Cuentos, Marna Armstead, Andrea Jackson, Anu Manchikanti Gomez, Cassondra Marshall

The purpose of this study was to explore Black doula clients’ experiences with and motivations for seeking community doula care. A mixed-methods process evaluation was conducted on an organization providing free community doula services in San Francisco, California. Qualitative interviews with doula clients who identified as Black or Pacific Islander were conducted between August 2019 and March 2020. These interviews explored clients’ knowledge of, experiences with, and motivations for seeking doula care, and their perceptions of the services they received. Results uncovered that clients’ motivations included general lack of support and knowledge of mistreatment experienced by Black women in hospital settings. Doulas were found to provide support in the form of information about the perinatal period and clients’ rights, advocacy in hospital settings, and connection to resources beyond pregnancy and birth. These findings emphasize the need for efforts to expand access to valuable support services from community doulas via policy and hospital practices targeting vulnerable populations.