BCBSRI initiative provides free in-home doula visit to new mothers

A Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island doula program has completed complimentary in-home visits for more than 225 new mothers who gave birth at Women & Infants Hospital .
A Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island doula program has completed complimentary in-home visits for more than 225 new mothers who gave birth at Women & Infants Hospital .

PROVIDENCE – A new doula program has completed complimentary in-home visits for more than 225 new mothers. The program, which launched exclusively for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island members in July, in partnership with Care New England, provides mothers who give birth at Women & Infants Hospital a three-hour home visit from a trained doula as an additional level of support following childbirth. This is Rhode Island’s first program of its kind.

Doulas are birthing specialists used throughout pregnancy to support expectant mothers physically and emotionally, both during pregnancy and after childbirth. While doulas are often chosen before labor, research shows their services are also highly beneficial for mothers in the weeks following childbirth. Postpartum doulas provide education and support around feeding and caring for a baby, and help parents integrate the new child into an existing family routine.

A BCBSRI representative at the hospital provides information to prospective new mothers about the program, and referrals are also made through obstetrics practices involved in a bundled payment agreement with CNE, said a BCBSRI representative. Additionally, BCBSRI members can contact HealthTouch, part of CNE’s Visiting Nurse Association, to schedule an appointment; HealthTouch provides doula services.

This in-home service is a part of BCBSRI’s focus on new mothers’ transition from hospital to home, launched with the first phase of its Maternity Care Initiative in October 2014. The Maternity Care Initiative is a partnership with health care providers giving mothers a more seamless, coordinated experience with improved quality care and outcomes. The goal of the initiative is to deliver the best total experience for mothers giving birth – from the first prenatal physician visit through delivery at the hospital to a safe and comfortable transition home following the baby’s birth.

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Although there are currently no plans to expand this in-home doula service, the program will be evaluated in June, BCBSRI reported. The Maternity Care Initiative grew out of a long-term strategic partnership between BCBSRI and CNE that launched in 2012. The next phase will focus on evidence-based best practices for managing prenatal care and enhancing patients’ experiences.

“With the implementation of phase II of our Maternity Care Initiative, we move one step closer toward an improved delivery of care in the form of multidisciplinary population health across the continuum of care,” said
CNE President and CEO Dennis Keefe. “Women & Infants and
CNE will continue to focus on quality outside of our facilities to continue to ensure the best possible care for our mothers and babies.”

As a part of this program, mothers will have access to postpartum doula services for the following at-home needs:
• Breastfeeding and bottle-feeding guidance and support
• Physical and emotional post-partum care
• Bathing and general baby care
• Siblings’ adjustments to a new baby
• Specialized support for twins and multiples
• First-time parent support
• General emotional support/encouragement

“Over the last few years, nearly 8,500 [BCBSRI] members gave birth at
Women & Infants Hospital,” said Mark Waggoner, BCBSRI senior vice president, care integration and management. “The recent trend toward more continuous support for expectant and new mothers through services like doulas has tremendous health benefits for the entire family.”

There is evidence that doula visits help new mothers as they adjust to life after a baby’s arrival. Some of these benefits include:
• Support for difficult emotions: The U.S. National Library of Medicine indicates that 50 percent of new mothers experience depression or a mood shift from three to 14 days post-delivery. Doulas can help assess mothers’ emotional responses and allow them to discuss questions or concerns sparked by environmental stressors.
• Increased levels of success with breastfeeding, by 68 percent after
6 weeks postpartum. Breastfeeding research shows numerous health benefits for infants, including protection from stomach viruses, lower respiratory illnesses, ear infections and meningitis.

In addition to the in-home visit offered to new mothers, BCBSRI now has a maternity ambassador on-site at Women & Infants Hospital to help schedule these appointments and answer any questions about postpartum doula practices.

“Doulas are best known for providing support during childbirth, but the transition to motherhood doesn’t end after labor. We can help empower moms and their growing families as they continue to adjust at home,” said
Lauren Cherry, BCBSRI’s maternity ambassador. “It’s exciting to be part of this new program that will introduce more people to the benefits of doula services, and support these families in a deeper way as they welcome home their new babies.”

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