Hi, I’m Jessica Freedman- a Tampa native, mother of two, and loyal supporter of informed and educated pregnancy.

As a birth doula and childbirth educator in the Tampa Bay area, I’ve supported dozens of families through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. I’ve witnessed firsthand both the beauty of this work and the barriers that still exist within our system.

These challenges are not just local. They reflect a broader national truth:

👉 Families want more support.
👉 Outcomes improve with more support.
👉 And yet… access and integration remain inconsistent.

Let’s talk about what’s really happening.

First, Why Doulas Matter (The Data Is Clear)

Before naming the hurdles, we need to ground in this truth:

Doulas are not a luxury WE are evidence-based support.

📊 Research shows:

• Continuous support from a doula is associated with:

  • 25% lower risk of cesarean birth

  • 8% increase in spontaneous vaginal birth

  • 10% decrease in use of pain medication

  • 31% decrease in dissatisfaction with the birth experience
    (Cochrane Review, one of the most respected global evidence sources)

• The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that
  👉 continuous labor support is one of the most effective tools to improve birth outcomes

• A study supported by the National Institutes of Health found that
  👉 women with doula support had significantly lower rates of preterm birth and low birth weight babies

🧠 And emotionally?

• Surveys show that over 60% of women report feeling unheard or not fully supported during birth

• Many express a desire for:

  • An advocate

  • A calming presence

  • Someone who understands both the system and their voice

👉 This is where doulas step in. We are NOT wishing to replace medical care, but to anchor the experience

🚧 The Current Hurdles in the Birth Space

1. Visiting Hour Restrictions: When Support Has a Time Limit

Doulas are often still labeled as “visitors,” which means we may be asked to leave after certain hours, even during active labor.

📊 Why this matters:

• Continuous support is directly linked to better outcomes (as shown above)

• Interrupting that support disrupts:

  • Emotional safety

  • Pain coping

  • Decision-making confidence

👉 Birth doesn’t follow a clock and neither should support.

💡 The solution:

• Advocate for doulas as essential members of the care team

• Build positive relationships with hospitals

• Encourage families to include doula access in their birth preferences

2. Not Allowed in the Operating Room: Isolation During Cesarean Birth

Cesarean birth accounts for about 1 in 3 births in the U.S. according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And yet, many doulas are still not allowed in the OR.

📊 Why this matters:

• Cesarean birth can feel:

  • Clinical

  • Fast-paced

  • Emotionally overwhelming

• Studies show that continuous emotional support during cesarean improves maternal satisfaction and reduces anxiety

  What we’re doing in Tampa

Through local collaboration, we’ve worked with a Tampa Bay hospital to:

• Introduce doula-informed OR education

• Shift perception of doulas from “extra person” to “trained support”

• Begin integrating doulas into surgical birth spaces

This is how change happens, relationship by relationship.

💡 The solution:

• Advocate for inclusion in cesarean births

• Normalize doula presence in ALL birth settings

• Prepare families to have these conversations ahead of time

3. Doulas Overstepping Their Role: A Necessary Conversation

This is an important and honest reflection within our own field.

Doulas are non-medical professionals. Our role is:

• Emotional support

• Physical comfort

• Informational guidance

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, we do not:

• Perform clinical tasks

• Diagnose

• Replace medical providers

📊 Why this matters:

Hospitals that report the best collaboration with doulas consistently cite:
👉 clear role boundaries and mutual respect

💡 The solution:

• Ongoing education in scope of practice

• Transparent communication with families

• Strong collaboration with medical teams

Because the goal is not to compete with the system, it’s to humanize it

🤍 The Bigger Truth

Women are not asking for less care, they are asking for more support within their care

They want:

• To feel heard

• To feel safe

• To feel guided

And the research is clear:

👉 When a woman is continuously supported, outcomes improve, physically and emotionally.

👉 When a woman is continuously supported, postpartum mood disorders decrease and her recovery improves- both physically and emotionally

Where We Go From Here

As doulas, we stand at a powerful intersection:

• Between clinical care and human experience

• Between policy and presence

• Between fear and trust

We move this work forward by:

• Advocating with integrity

• Staying rooted in our scope

• Building bridges with the medical system

Because every mother deserves to feel: held, supported, and seen, no matter how her baby is born.