Thank you so much for being here Senator.

Thanks for uh coming.

Now last year you released a report that really um spelled out the state of doula care in New York.

Coming out of that there was a lot of revelations and some policy recommendations so I wanted to get your perspective on why doula care and maternal health has continued to be one of your top priorities as a lawmaker.

Absolutely.

Well, um, it was something that I obviously was interested in as a legislator in general, just being a woman in New York.

But I have to say, uh, the big moment for me came in 2022 when I became a mother and went through the birthing process.

And I really credit my doula for really helping me have a healthy outcome and a positive outcome for me and my daughter.

And so, you know, having that informational, physical, emotional support that the doula provided allowed me to actually, you know, enjoy that process.

And even following the birth, a lot of folks don't realize that doulas provide a lot of support postpartum as well.

Um, and all of that was just so tremendously helpful.

And so, so even after having that experience, it became very clear to me that it was going to be my mission to make sure that every New Yorker who has a baby has at least the option to have a doula.

So that has really been a driving motivation to get this work done.

But then the other piece of it is simply being a Black woman in New York State, right?

So, uh, really, the United States is actually the most dangerous place for someone to give birth in the developed world.

But on top of that, Black women, especially here in New York, are five times more likely to die in childbirth or related to pregnancy.

So when you look at statistics like that, it's really, really scary.

And what we know is that doula care, again, these are non-clinical professionals that offer, you know, emotional, informational, physical support, are actually able to help intercept um some of the negative outcomes that happen specifically for women of color.

And so when you look at that and you see this could be a really uh, huge help to fighting a maternal mortality crisis, it's a no-brainer that it's something that I want to continue to support here in New York.

The governor has been a tremendous partner on this, uh, as we saw in her State of the State even this year in 2024.

She is prioritizing maternal health, maternal mental health.

So the bill that was passed um last year was our Community Doula Directory, and the whole point of that is that we were aware that starting January 1st of this year, there was going to be Medicaid reimbursement rollout for doula care.

So that means that any person who's uh, covered with Medicaid who gives birth in New York state can now be reimbursed should they choose to hire a doula.

And just to put a finer point on that, nearly 50% of births in New York state are covered under Medicaid.

So when we think about changing the trajectory of New York state, we are literally affecting potentially nearly half of the births in New York state, which is so huge.

And so after having that Medicaid rollout now, we think about, okay, how do we make it accessible?

How do we make sure people know about it, right?

And so that's why the Community Doula Directory was so important because, uh, really, New York needs to take the responsibility for having accurate information so that anyone who's searching for a doula on Medicaid can easily go on the DOH website and know that they can find vetted doulas in their area.

And so that's what that bill was about.

Because at the end of the day, if you have, you know, you can have all the doulas in the world accepting Medicaid and being, you know, enrolled, but if mothers and birthing people can't find that information, what good is it?

That's where we need the information to get.

And so the Community Doula Directory is a huge step in that, and so I was very, very proud to be able to stand with the governor um, in November and have her sign that bill.

Expectant mothers um, enrolled in Medicaid will be reimbursed if they choose to utilize a doula.

But what about mothers that aren't enrolled in Medicaid?

Is there any thinking that you know you'll expand to have statewide um, mandates for private insurance companies to cover that cost as well?

Yeah, I mean, for me, yes, my goal is, yes, my goal is again, everybody in New York who wants a doula should be able to have one.

Um, what I will say is that usually we start with the Medicaid reimbursement, right?

Because we know so many people are served through Medicaid.

But a lot of times what happens, and this happened in other states as well, private insurance companies see what is happening through Medicaid and will a lot of times follow suit.

Because it makes sense for them financially.

I mean, when you have um, better birth outcomes, right?

Which is what doulas lead to, which is, you know, proven fact.

You have lower rates of interventions.

And so you're talking about c-sections, right?

You're talking about inductions, you're talking about, you know, all these other medical interventions that usually when those things happen, it leads to more costs for the insurance companies.

So if you have doulas there um, decreasing those interventions, then it just makes sense financially for them.

And so, um, that's usually what we see.

And so while we haven't gone to that next step yet of mandating private insurance companies, my hope is that once we see how successful Medicaid reimbursement is, that will be the next step.

So, just shifting gears a little bit, um, as someone who has been very focused on, um, maternal health and birthing people's rights, um, can you talk about the intersectionality between maternal health and mental health?

Yeah, absolutely.

So, um, I think it's really important to know that maternal mental health conditions are actually the most common complication of childbirth, right?

So we talk a lot about, you know, the different complications that can arise when you're giving birth, but the most common one is actually maternal mental health conditions.

And so I think when you talk about doulas, doulas are often a first line of defense, right?

Because they're usually one of the first people, um, you know, when you're going through that process that a mom or a birthing person might uh, share with, you know, how they're feeling, right?

Like whether that's emotionally, physically.

And so, um, doulas are often able to recognize when someone might be uh, experiencing uh, you know, a maternal mental health condition, whether that's postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, which is the most common.

Um, and so I think that's why, um, when we talk about doulas, it's so much more than just the physical support during childbirth, which is what I think a lot of people usually think of, right?

Like having somebody there to hold your hand, having somebody there to support you in that physical way.

But it's also that emotional support.

And then I will also say, um, the other part of maternal mental health that I think is really important to focus on is the fact that when we talk about women of color and we talk about their experiences with birth, um, it's not always, you know, the typical, oh, I'm just worried about my baby being healthy or oh, I'm just worried about me being healthy.

Oftentimes, they're actually worried about the experiences that they're going to have with medical professionals.

Right?

So, um, the bias and discrimination that a lot of women of color face in, you know, medical settings.

And so that's a whole nother layer of maternal mental health that I think is really important that we talk about.

So, um, for me, maternal mental health is just so critical and doulas play such a huge role in uh, not only intercepting it, but also helping support moms and birthing people through it.

And then, um, just lastly, um, in terms of the policy implications of inaction, um, what happens if we don't address these gaps in maternal health care access?

What's at stake if we don't?

I mean, lives are at stake.

I mean, I think that's what it comes down to.

Um, you know, we are talking about a maternal mortality crisis that is happening in the United States.

And when you look at, you know, the outcomes of that and when you look at who is most affected by that, it's Black and Brown women.

Right?

And so, um, when we talk about not doing anything, we're literally talking about, you know, not intervening in a crisis.

And so, um, for me, that's just not an option.

And that's why I think it's so important that we're having these conversations, um, that we're getting legislation passed, that we're supporting moms and birthing people, um, and that we're also looking at those maternal mental health components as well.

Because all of those things are just so critical.

And when we talk about, you know, what's at stake if we don't do it, it's literally lives.

And so, um, I think that's why it's just so important that we continue to keep our foot on the gas and that we continue to push for change.

Because we can't afford to lose any more mothers or birthing people.

Absolutely.

Well, thank you so much for your advocacy and your leadership on this issue, um, it's clear that your personal experience has really, um, motivated you to make change for other mothers and birthing people in New York.

So, um, thank you for your time today and, um, for sharing your perspective with us.

Thank you so much for having me.

Alright.