For this week's episode of EBN's podcast, Perk Up!, the national medical director for women and children's health at Carelon , as well as a doula with The Doula Network shared what pregnant people need from their healthcare experience.

Doulas help prepare birthing parents for birth, and support their postpartum care, too. In tandem with other healthcare professionals, they reduce risk for patients, especially those who are particularly high-risk, like women of color.

Hear more about these services and why employees can benefit: Giving birth, then back to work: Having the baby

IMPROVING HEALTH OUTCOMES: Approximately one in three mothers in the U.S. undergoes a C-section during childbirth. Research from virtual health clinic Maven Clinic found that virtual doula support can reduce C-sections by 20%. For Black mothers — an especially vulnerable population in the healthcare system — and members with a prior C-section who seek to deliver naturally, this number increases to 60%, comparable to in-person care during pregnancy.

"Pregnancy, labor and childbirth is a marathon, and it's much harder to run a marathon if you don't have people cheering you along the way," says Dr. Neel Shah , Maven's chief medical officer. "That coaching and support and encouragement makes a huge difference."

Here's how doulas can improve these outcomes for new moms: Virtual doula support can reduce need for C-sections by 60%

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS: At Stork Club Reproductive Care Benefits , which provides a suite of family and fertility benefits , the addition of a birth doula offering helps expand support for employees that goes beyond a stipend, and can make a huge impact on health outcomes.  

"It's not necessarily the numbers, but the member experience that is critical to building a great company culture where people feel supported," says Jeni Mayorskaya , founder and CEO of Stork Club Reproductive Care Benefits . "This type of thoughtful, comprehensive support of people's reproductive healthcare is becoming a must-have."

Here's how to add this benefit to your plans: Stork Club's new doula program helps employers support families