In Hartford, Connecticut, the Hispanic Health Council is training Spanish-speaking women to become doulas, filling a critical health gap for Latina mothers throughout pregnancy, birth and postpartum, Connecticut Public reports. 

Up to 40% of Latina and Hispanic women giving birth in the U.S. will experience a maternal mental health disorder, according to the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, and political factors like fear of immigration policy and the legal system can keep them from seeking the care they need. In addition, a KFF survey found that about one in 10 Latino adults in the U.S. who received healthcare in the past three years “reported being treated unfairly or with disrespect by a healthcare provider because of their racial or ethnic background.” 

Language often adds another barrier. Spanish-speaking moms report less timely prenatal care, and in one Midwest health system, they were screened for prenatal depression less often. “Sometimes when other people act as our translators, they translate what they believe we are saying,” said doula trainee Diana Luna. “But it’s not really what we feel.”

The program has served nearly 90 families. Twelve of the state’s 89 licensed doulas trained with the council, which now has a waitlist. Doulas can also refer clients to the council’s bilingual mental health clinic. 

Doulas are also receiving good feedback from their clients. Wuinifer Matos, who developed severe postpartum anxiety after giving birth in May, said that her doula, Annette Cruz, talked about it with her without judgment and encouraged her to talk with her doctor. “She listened to me, validated my emotions, and reminded me that I was not alone,” Matos said.

The name “MindSite News” is used with the express permission of Mindsight Institute, an educational organization offering online learning and in-person workshops in the field of mental health and wellbeing. MindSite News and Mindsight Institute are separate, unaffiliated entities that are aligned in making science accessible and promoting mental health globally.

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Training Spanish-Speaking Doulas on How to Boost Maternal Mental Health

by Courtney Wise, MindSite News
October 28, 2026

<h1>Training Spanish-Speaking Doulas on How to Boost Maternal Mental Health</h1> <p class="byline">by Courtney Wise, MindSite News <br />October 28, 2026</p> </p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://dl3wjxrn8qv3a.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/01085938/Screenshot-2026-11-01-at-11.59.21-AM-1024x630.png" alt="A woman is in labor, sitting on a couch at home. Three other women are beside her, helping her." class="wp-image-18728" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Source: Pexels</figcaption></figure> <p>In Hartford, Connecticut, the Hispanic Health Council is training Spanish-speaking women to become doulas, filling a critical health gap for Latina mothers throughout pregnancy, birth and postpartum, <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/news/2026-09-23/a-growing-tool-to-help-ct-latinas-with-postpartum-mental-health-spanish-speaking-doulas">Connecticut Public reports</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Up to 40% of Latina and Hispanic women giving birth in the U.S. will experience a maternal mental health disorder, according to the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, and political factors like fear of immigration policy and the legal system can keep them from seeking the care they need. In addition, a KFF survey found that about <a href="https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/key-data-on-health-and-health-care-by-race-and-ethnicity/?entry=social-and-economic-factors-experiences-with-racism-discrimination-and-unfair-treatment">one in 10 Latino adults</a> in the U.S. who received healthcare in the past three years “reported being treated unfairly or with disrespect by a healthcare provider because of their racial or ethnic background.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Language often adds another barrier. Spanish-speaking moms report less timely prenatal care, and in one Midwest health system, they were screened for prenatal depression less often. “Sometimes when other people act as our translators, they translate what they believe we are saying,” said doula trainee Diana Luna. “But it’s not really what we feel.”</p> <p>The program has served nearly 90 families. Twelve of the state’s 89 licensed doulas trained with the council, which now has a waitlist. Doulas can also refer clients to the council’s bilingual mental health clinic.&nbsp;</p> <p>Doulas are also receiving good feedback from their clients. Wuinifer Matos, who developed severe postpartum anxiety after giving birth in May, said that her doula, Annette Cruz, talked about it with her without judgment and encouraged her to talk with her doctor. “She listened to me, validated my emotions, and reminded me that I was not alone,” Matos said.</p> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mindsitenews.org/2026/10/28/spanish-speaking-doulas-help-navigate-maternal-health/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://mindsitenews.org&quot;&gt;MindSite News&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.</p> &lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://mindsitenews.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=18732&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;

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