This petition is to request the immediate change of policy in all hospitals in Ontario to allow Doulas to be a second support person for a birthing person during labor, birth, and the Post Partum period.

Doulas are an essential part of the birthing team, offering emotional and physical support to the birthing person and their partner in this sacred time of life. Especially now.

Doulas have been asked to get double vaccinated in order to be present, we have followed those rules, gone through screening, wearing masks, covering all of our du diligence.

We spend hours with the birthing person at home before we even arrive at the hospital so it really makes no sense that we can’t continue in to the hospital to support our clients.

We are knowledgeable, professional people who are enjoyed by the entire birthing team as a very valuable piece to the birthing process. Without doulas, your hospitals are failing birthing people and costing the hospital more money and stress on your employees.

We are more then just a “visitor”. We are a part of the team and people who are giving birth deserve to be supported, safe, heard and seen through emotional and physical support. This simply cannot be offered by your overworked, understaffed nurses and doctors.

We CAN DO BETTER ONTARIO! We are failing people. No one deserves to be alone at any time of that process. Change it now to allow 2 support persons to accompany a birthing person.

Access to continuous labor support from a doula is especially vital for birthing people of color. Black women experience higher rates of poor birth outcomes, including higher rates of Cesarean, preterm birth, low birth weight, and infant death (Thomas et al., 2017). Studies show that significant racial disparities (differences) in birth outcomes continue to exist even after accounting for factors like the pregnant person’s income, education, marital status, tobacco/ alcohol use, and insurance coverage.