Maternal Mental Health Task Force

Helen Diallo, a Monterey resident, intimately understands the mix of emotions that come with pregnancy and childbirth, having experienced both joy and heartache. As an African American woman, Diallo empathizes with the fears and anxieties that many expectant mothers of African ancestry face. Drawing from her own experiences, she has been supporting pregnant and postpartum women through a WhatsApp group, connecting them with experts and each other. Now, Diallo is taking her passion a step further by pursuing certification as a doula through a program at the Parenting Connection of Monterey County (PCMC). Studies have shown that trained doulas can significantly improve birth outcomes and reduce anxiety for pregnant women, leading to fewer C-sections. The road to recruiting doulas for Medi-Ca...