Contributing Writer
(Veritenews.org) — As a lawyer, Lori Jupiter understands the power of advocacy and its impact on key moments in the lives of the communities she serves – moments like a court hearing. Or giving birth.
When she got pregnant with her third child, Jupiter, now a New Orleans judge, knew she wanted an advocate on her side, someone there just to see to her needs as she brought new life into the world. That’s when she first found out about doulas, people who provide physical and emotional assistance to women before, during and after childbirth. Jupiter would go on to use doulas when she gave birth to her three younger children. Then, in 2017, she decided to become a doula herself.
An attorney at the state 4th Circuit Court of Appeal by day and a doula by night, the working mother would balance a rising legal career with the “heart work” of birth work, teaching yoga and meditation classes, and raising five kids alongside her husband.
“There’s nothing like being up all night, helping birth the baby at 5:20 a.m. and then showing up at the court at 8:30 a.m. to work,” Jupiter said. “The adrenaline is rushing.”
While doulas are now a more commonly known form of maternal care than they were when Jupiter first used one more than 20 years ago, the need is great, especially in the Black community. In Louisiana, Black maternal mortality rates are four times that of white women, one of the worst in the country. Regionally and nationwide, racial disparities in maternal...
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