Doula: means a birth worker who provides child birth education, advocacy, and physical, emotional, and nonmedical support for pregnant and postpartum women before, during, and after childbirth and loss. See Tennessee Code 63-15-102
Postpartum: means the twelve-month period immediately following childbirth. See Tennessee Code 63-15-102
State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(1) Pregnant and postpartum women who receive doula care are found to have improved health outcomes for themselves and their infants, including higher breastfeeding initiation rates, fewer low birth weight babies, and lower rates of cesarean deliveries;(2) The benefits of doula care can have a financial impact in helping families and this state avoid the costs associated with low birth weight babies, cesarean births, and other pregnancy-related complications; and(3) A successful program of medicaid coverage for doula care must honor and support the autonomy of doulas, and be as inclusive as possible of the wide variety of birth support work that exists, including community-based and traditional birth support work.(b) It is the intent of the general assembly to identify and mobilize an educated and prepared doula workforce to serve pregnant women in this state by supporting the ongoing practices of doulas working with communities that experience the highest burden of birth disparities, but without the barriers to entry that licensure would entail.
