Bayhealth Hosts Open House for Doulas and Birth Workers
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
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Women's & Children's
A new Delaware law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2024, which requires some insurance companies to pay for doula services for expectant mothers. On Wednesday, Jan. 24, Bayhealth hosted an open house to welcome doulas and birth workers and give tours of Maternity departments at both Kent and Sussex campuses.
Doulas are professional birth coaches who provide emotional, informational, physical, and mental support to women during the prenatal, birth, and postpartum periods of pregnancy. While they do not provide medical care, they are knowledgeable about childbirth and support the mother leading up to and during childbirth, including assisting with pain management during birth, helping understand medical lingo, creating a calming environment, and more.
“While we have been welcoming doulas for some time at the mother’s request to provide extra support to our maternity patients during childbirth, we expect the number of doula-supported births to grow as a result of this new law,” explains Kathryn Starr Lynch, BSN, RNC-OB, senior nurse manager of the Kent Campus Birth Center and Women and Children’s Services. “The open house was a way to welcome them warmly to our birthing units at both Kent and Sussex and to familiarize them with the department and our staff.”
Visit ACOG.org for more information about doulas and Bayhealth.org/Womens-and-Childrens to learn more about our birthing center.