Written By: Betsy Aniol, Crescent Moon Advanced Clinical Intern
February is Black History Month and we wanted to use this month’s blog space to uplift the voices of people of color that work in, with, and around our communities to provide crucial postpartum care to parents from marginalized communities. Featured in this month’s blog post is an interview with Phoenix Perlow-Anderson at Chicago Volunteer Doulas (CVD) about the work they do to help decrease the care gap. But before getting into the interview, some quick facts on the barriers and challenges faced by Black birthing parents is needed:
- Historical mistreatment and harm has led many Black people to distrust the medical system
- Black women experience maternal mortality rates at 3~4x higher than their white counterparts
- Black women are twice as likely to experience mental health issues surrounding childbirth, but are twice as likely to not receive treatment
- Systemic racial issues contribute to further difficulty in Black women finding time off to attend prepartum medical appointments
Interview with Chicago Volunteer Doulas
Who is eligible to receive care from CVD?
Chicago Volunteer Doulas provides free doula support to pregnant and postpartum people in the Chicagoland area who experience barriers to care created by racism, poverty, and gaps in the healthcare system. This includes low income families, uninsured or underinsured clients, young parents, and those who are routinely overlooked by traditional medical care. Our work centers Black birthing people and others most impacted by these inequities.
What does CVD want more people to know about the experience of birth as a Black parent?
Birth for Black parents happens within systems that too often dismiss our pain and undermine our autonomy. Black birthing people are more likely to have their concerns minimized or ignored, even when advocating for themselves. These experiences are not individual failures, they are the result of structural racism within healthcare. Chicago Volunteer Doulas wants more people to understand that Black parents deserve births rooted in safety, respect, and self determination.
How does the work of a postpartum doula differ from a traditional birthing doula?
Birthing doulas provide support during labor and delivery through emotional care, physical comfort, and advocacy. Postpartum doulas step in after birth, during a period when families are often left without support. Their work focuses on recovery, mental health, feeding support, newborn care education, and helping families rest and stabilize during the early weeks at home.
What measures do the doulas at CVD take to ensure the birthing parent is being advocated for?
Chicago Volunteer Doulas centers informed consent and refuses to normalize dismissive or harmful care. Doulas support clients in asking questions, naming concerns, and asserting their needs in medical settings that often silence them. Advocacy at CVD means standing alongside the birthing parent and reinforcing their right to be heard and respected.
What do you feel is the most fulfilling part of the work that CVD does?
The most fulfilling part of this work is witnessing parents reclaim power in systems that often take it away. Seeing someone feel supported, believed, and confident in their choices during pregnancy, birth, or postpartum is deeply meaningful. The work is about more than outcomes, it is about restoring agency and trust.
What are the hopes of CVD for the future of reproductive health?
Chicago Volunteer Doulas envisions a future where reproductive healthcare is community led, culturally responsive, and grounded in justice rather than profit. Our hope is for expanded access to doulas, improved maternal health outcomes, and healthcare systems that are accountable to the communities they serve.
How can interested families get in contact with CVD?
Families can reach out directly through the Chicago Volunteer Doulas website, (www.thecvd.org), to learn more about services and request support. Our social media platforms, (@chicagovolunteerdoulas), offer a clear view into our day to day work, community impact, and values, and are a helpful way to stay informed and see how CVD shows up for families across Chicago.
Thanks so much to Chicago Volunteer Doulas for the opportunity to share about their incredible work!
