MILWAUKEE — It's been almost a year since Monica Cook and Christina Veling have seen each other. The last time they were together, Cook's one-year-old, Naomi, was only three months old, and Monica and Christina had reached the end of their doula journey together.
"It was wonderful, it was better than I expected," said Cook.
When Cook was pregnant with Naomi, her brother convinced her to enroll in the Milwaukee Health Department's Birth Outcomes Made Better Doula Program. From there, she was paired with Veling who educated and supported Cook the entire time.
"There are so many things that people don't know about. They don't know what their rights are and the options that they have," said Veling. "We are another set of eyes for the family."
Veling was there for Cook before, during, and after she gave birth, advocating for the mom of three every step of the way.
"We experienced that with this pregnancy where they would not listen and it was nice to have Christina there because she could explain to me what was going on," said Cook.
One of the main goals of the doula program is to improve maternal and infant mortality rates. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the nation's maternal death rate rose significantly in 2021. Rates among Black women were more than twice as high compared to white women.
"It's because of the racism that's in these systems," said Veling. "Listening to Black women's stories, they say all the time that they didn't feel heard, that they expressed concern and it was not taken seriously."
That's why this world doula week, which begins on Wednesday, March 22, both Cook and Veling are sharing their stories to not only highlight the incredible life-saving work they do but to let other moms-to-be know - that there's help and support out there.
"Having a doula really makes a big impact, and I think everyone should get a doula honestly," said Veling.
If you're interested in enrolling in the city's BOMB Doula Program, click here.
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