BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 Dani Wallace knows what it’s like to lose a child.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a son who\u2019s no longer here,\u201d Wallace said. \u201cI lost him after my (health) concerns were dismissed. And I couldn\u2019t just stand by knowing this wasn\u2019t only my story, it\u2019s the story of so many other women.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, Wallace is using her voice to highlight a growing issue impacting mothers across the country and right here at home.<\/p>\n
Women such as Alexis Redding, who is 36 weeks pregnant, say that support has made all the difference.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a first-time mom, there are a lot of things I feel like I can\u2019t do,\u201d Redding said. \u201cBut because of Dani, I feel like I can.\u201d<\/p>\n
The data underscores just how serious the issue is. Between 2020 and 2024, the United States averaged about 31 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. In Kern County, that number is closer to 18 lower than the national average, but still a concern for local advocates.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are a large county we need more OBs, permanent nurses,\u201d Wallace said. \u201cThat\u2019s why doulas are so important, because we bridge that gap.\u201d<\/p>\n
With a nursing shortage and only a handful of doulas in Kern County, Wallace is stepping in to help. <\/p>\n
She recently funded and led the county\u2019s first class of 20 doulas paying for the program out of her own pocket.<\/p>\n
\u201cCost is a barrier,\u201d she said. \u201cSo I provide all their textbooks and the information that they need.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of those trainees is Eliska Anderson, who is already gaining hands-on experience by supporting expecting mothers.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving a doula I wish I had one,\u201d Anderson said. \u201cThey could have broken down more of the medical terms.\u201d<\/p>\n
Through her training, Anderson is already making an impact on mothers like Alex Andriamartinez-Davis.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve learned breathing techniques, hydration is important during pregnancy,\u201d Andriamartinez-Davis said. \u201cI\u2019ve also learned it\u2019s okay to not be okay.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked if she would recommend a doula, her answer was clear.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if you have your mom, sisters, your husband or significant other, the support from an educated person in the Doula spectrum is unbeatable,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
While advocates say there is still work to be done to improve maternal care, resources are growing. Experts encourage expecting mothers to consult their medical providers to learn more about Doulas and available support in their area.<\/p>\n
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 Dani Wallace knows what it’s like to lose a child. \u201cI have a son…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":250666,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[151,155,153,152,162],"class_list":["post-250665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bakersfield","tag-bakersfield","tag-bakersfield-downtown","tag-bakersfield-headlines","tag-bakersfield-news","tag-kern-county-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250665","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=250665"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250665\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/250666"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=250665"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=250665"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=250665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}