Charlotte pilot program to hire doulas to address black maternal health crisis

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — “Hello, sweet boy,” said Alycia Fuller lovingly to her five-week-old son, JonJoel, while he rocked back and forth between meals. The 33-year-old mother welcomed him into the world on Dec. 30, 2023. He completes their family of six. “It’s a blessing to be charged with being a mother and have these little people you look after,” she said. Fuller and her husband own a catering business named after her late grandfather, but being a mom is her most rewarding job. Navigating motherhood and birth has looked a little different for each of her children, ages nine, five, two, and most recently, the birth of JonJoel. “Every child is different, and every birth is different and labor too,” Fuller said. “I labored with him for 31 hours.” Americans have some of the worst pregnancy outcomes in the world; Black women have it far worse When she hired a doula for her third child, her overall experience improved. A doula is a trained professional who guides and supports pregnant women before, during, and after childbirth. They don’t have medical training and won’t deliver your baby, but they work with a midwife or a clinical care provider....