Summary:

The Chicago Doula Project began with collaboration between partners interested in finding ways to better support teen parents and their children. The purpose of the Chicago Doula Project was to integrate intensive prenatal, intrapartum and postpartum support into existing teen parent services through training and employing community women as doulas. The paper (PDF) illustrates how community based doula project works to empower adolescent mothers through providing education and assistance. It also includes very detailed information on the content and scope of the doula’s work during the pre-and post-natal phases.

Dr. Altfeld’s article provides background information as well as program outcomes. Doula Project mothers were significantly more likely than a comparable group of teen mothers to breastfeed and less likely to have a Cesarean section or epidural anesthesia. Younger mothers were also less likely to have a rapid subsequent birth.

Keywords:
Doulas, Doula, pregnancy, childbirth, emotional support, teen, teen mothers, adolescent mothers, adolescent pregnancy, FANA, community-based doula model