Discover

Understanding the Challenge

Doulas are a hidden solution to a chronic problem, but what keeps this solution hidden? In short, three words: jargon, visibility, and access. How might we enable those in need to overcome these barriers?

With the infant mortality rate rising among Black mothers and the need for mother-centered birthing practices growing, my team set out to build an online presence to enable our client to demystify doulas and convey the support they provide.

Black Maternal Mortality Crisis

Black women in the United States

are three times more likely to die from complications⁠

related to pregnancy and childbirth than white women.

The pandemic worsened the existing gap in maternal mortality rates for Black women

The pandemic worsened the existing gap in maternal mortality rates for Black women (
`https://usafacts.org/articles/the-us-maternal-mortality-rate-peaked-during-the-pandemic-and-was-highest-for-black-women/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ND-HealthSafety&gclid=CjwKCAiA_vKeBhAdEiwAFb_nrWPa9SYIVLk7QPuBx6i5AneA-SlhT2LoevIFbwxT5_StZ4FfGDtGLRoC_ZwQAvD_BwE`⁠
)

Black women in the United States

are three times more likely to die from complications⁠

related to pregnancy and childbirth than white women. (

https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternal-mortality/disparities-pregnancy-related-deaths/infographic.html⁠

)

need for mother-centered birthing practices

Demand for Doulas

Local programs and initiavites (

https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2021/03/29/program-seeks-to-increase-number-of-black-doulas-in-nc/⁠

) (

https://www.bcbs.com/the-health-of-america/healthequity/data-show-community-based-doulas-improve-outcomes-black-mothers⁠

)

⁠

https://healthlaw.org/women-are-dying-in-childbirth-doulas-are-part-of-the-solution/⁠

⁠

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(22)00261-9/fulltext⁠

⁠

Postpartum

⁠

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-03-17/postpartum-depression-rates-have-tripled-for-new-moms-during-pandemic⁠

⁠

https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/jwh.2021.0428⁠

⁠

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/pregnant-postpartum-covid19-post-traumatic-stress/⁠

⁠

https://bmcresnotes.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13104-022-05991-8⁠

⁠

Understanding Our Stakeholders

I kicked off the project by conducting two rounds of stake holder interviews. The goal? effectively identify stakeholder needs and concerns. Our stakeholder wished to:

Target those in the Boston Area who are considering or expecting to give birth and looking for information about and/or to get connected to a local Doula.

Explore site functionalities and features to decrease friction in their client booking process.

Utilize stock imagery and media to capture modern motherhood and show diversity.

Showcase their service offerings while providing easily digestible information and cultivating a welcoming, encouraging, and supportive online experience.

Methods: Affinity Diagram, Surveying, Interviewing

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