"Most people feel at home and safe. Because it feels like we are a family." : Cultural Doulas and their Experience in Supporting Migrants in the Swedish Maternal Healthcare System

Abstract: The study highlights the significant role that cultural doulas play in supporting and guiding migrant women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period in Sweden. The Swedish healthcare system is understaffed, overburdened, and medically dominated, making it difficult for nurses and midwives to provide continuous and culturally-sensible care to their clients. Cultural doulas can significantly support their clients and the maternal healthcare system. However, improvements must be made in the working conditions of cultural doulas to create a sustainable project that can serve many migrant families in the future. The study emphasizes the need to recognize the significant contribution of cultural doulas to improving equitable maternal healthcare in ethnically diverse Sweden.