Inside STAT: Covid-19 is taxing the support system of pregnant people recovering from substance use

PEER DOULA CARRIE DIEHL, WITH HER 8-MONTH-OLD DAUGHTER, LEAVES WORK AT BAYSTATE FRANKLIN MEDICAL CENTER. (ALICE PROUJANSKY FOR STAT)

A lot of a doula's work requires personal contact, from holding newborns to postpartum care for the new mother. For Carrie Diehl of Greenfield, Mass., who works as a peer mentor doula for mothers in recovery from substance use disorder, the Covid-19 pandemic has complicated all of her work. The stress and isolation brought on by Covid-19 mean that those with a history of substance use are at an increased risk of relapse. And unlike before the pandemic, Diehl — who is also a new mother and is 5 years sober from a substance use disorder — has now had to rely on more phone calls, more texts, and the occasional walk with a client. "I’m trying to find a way," Diehl tells STAT contributor Alice Proujansky, "Because it’s not like I can watch the baby over the phone." Read more here.