If you are a Virginia Medicaid member and are pregnant or have given birth within the last six months ….
You are eligible for community doula care to provide you physical, emotional, and informational support before, during and after you give birth.
Your doula must get a licensed practitioner’s recommendation to provide this care under the VA Medicaid program.
You can request a recommendation from a doctor, midwife or nurse and give it to your doula.
You can ask for a recommendation even if you don’t know who your doula will be yet.
What Doulas DO
Provide a continuous source of comfort & encouragement
Support patients during antepartum, labor, and postpartum
Facilitate communication between patients and providers
Reduce a birthing person’s and/or partner’s? anxiety
Improve parent-baby bonding post birth
Improve the odds of breastfeeding success
Reduce the risk of cesarean birth and amount of pain medication used in labor
What Doulas DON’T DO
Provide medical care or advice
Diagnose medical conditions
Perform tasks such as blood pressure monitoring, fetal heart rate checks, or vaginal exams
Make decisions for the patient
Pressure a patient’s decision