64 | Black Maternal Health: Protecting Black Mothers with Adriana Jean Louis

Today, we’re talking to Adriana Jean Louis, doula and founder of Doula Philosophy.

In her final year of college, Adriana submitted a thesis on the Black Maternal Mortality Crisis in the Developed United States through the lens of public policy. In her professional life she runs a private practice, Doula Philosophy and also works jointly with non profit organizations that specifically cater to vulnerable women and families. 

When working with these organizations, Adriana works directly with adolescent mothers, mothers of Haitian descent, women of color and women with a history of trauma. In private practice Doula Philosophy offers birth, postpartum and home doula services to families in Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island. 

Her passion in Black maternal health and mortality, hospital intervention and the power of informed and autonomous decision making is the hallmark of her practice. Adriana has had the pleasure of being invited to speak at TeamBirth a hospital quality improvement conference, Harvard University, Boston College Law and UMass Dartmouth to name a few on the fundamental difference of doula care in birth outcomes and welcomes the opportunity to educate further whenever possible. 

In this episode, we talk about…

• What doulas do, and why expecting parents should consider working with a doula.
• The state of the Black Maternal Health Crisis in America.
• Ways Black folks who intend to have biological children can advocate for themselves.
• Why Black mothers are less likely to breastfeed, and how we can better support Black mothers who want to breastfeed.
• Resources for aspiring doulas.

RESOURCES:

• Visit the Doula Philosophy Website
• Follow Adriana on Instagram @adrianathedoula
• Follow Pump Mama Pump on Instagram @pump_mama_pump
• Visit the Evidence Based Birth Website

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Balanced Black Girl is edited by Bex Carlos.

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