Guilford County launches new doula program to improve birth experiences

Guilford County recently announced the launch of a community-based doula program with the aim to assist 60 births in the first year.

The Every Baby Guilford program has a goal of reducing infant mortality disparities by 50% by 2026. Its new team of five doulas, with an additional three in supporting roles, aims to move it closer to this goal.

The initiative falls under Guilford County's Division of Public Health. Doula Coordinator Angelica Mickel says clients were asking for support in hospital settings because they didn't always feel safe.

"They were having complications that were not being explained to them," Mickel says. "Doulas don't mind going into any setting and advocating when something does not feel right, or if the client does not understand the medical terminology."

Overall, the new program aims to cultivate positive birth experiences.

According to the North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics, Black infants were nearly three times more likely to die than white infants in Guilford County between 2017 and 2021.