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LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - Bringing a child into the world safely is a top priority for expectant mothers, but through the process, there can be challenges. In 2023, the March Of Dimes gave Louisiana a preterm birth grade of F.

Now, lawmakers are hoping to try something different to change that.

Pregnancy and childbirth are not always an easy time for women. It can be a beautiful and rewarding experience, but it can also be stressful.

That’s where a doula can come in to help. Doulas can provide physical and emotional support throughout an expectant mother’s journey.

Nicole Livings is a doula advocating for expectant mothers in Lake Charles and surrounding areas.

“I know for myself, like when I was having a baby, when I was having my kids, my husband he didn’t know, like he literally didn’t know, but having a doula, someone that you’re their sole focus, you know and that extra support, you need it,” Livings said.

Senate Bill 142, authored by State Sen. Regina Ashford Barrow (D-Baton Rouge), would require Medicaid to cover doula services before, during, and after childbirth.

Barrow said the beginning of life for children is so important.

“When the mother is receiving the assistance, care, and information that she needs so that she could become a better mother, be able to provide better services for her children, then we have children who are definitely better products, who are more healthier and more productive citizens of society,” Sen. Barrow said.

Just last year, Louisiana passed a law that would require reimbursement of doula services up to $1,500 by private health insurance.

“We assume sometimes that our young folks know this information or young parents know this information but they need help and support,” Sen. Barrow said.

The proposed law would not only benefit those expectant mothers but also those who are advocating for them throughout the process.

“There’s been plenty of times where I either, did it for free, or I charged way less than I should have because I don’t ever want money to be a reason that a mom doesn’t hire me, because like I said, you absolutely need a doula. It’s not a luxury, its a necessity,” Livings said.

The bill is awaiting debate in the Senate Finance Committee.