Obstetric Violence with Dr. Hillary Melchiors

Despite awareness and accountability of obstetric violence having grown over the last decades, mistreatment remains pervasive in maternity care. And being witnesses to obstetrical violence can certainly burn doulas out! Dr. Hillary Melchiors is paying attention, and has insights and solutions that will help doulas navigate OB violence and sustain themselves through their careers.  

Hillary is a DONA certified birth doula and a Lamaze certified childbirth educator who has lived in the tri-state area since 2012. She also has a PhD in Medical Anthropology and a Master’s degree in Public Health. She loves working with all types of families to help them have their best birth experience, no matter what their preferences are, and teaching families all of their options. Since founding the Doula Group of Evansville in 2014, Hillary has had a wide variety of professional experiences both as a doula and anthropologist, including being invited to speak about doulas and cultural barriers to breastfeeding at The Women’s Hospital in Evansville. In her free time, she enjoys being with her partner Andrew and her two daughters Annika and Mayzie. Find Hillary on her personal website https://hillarymelchiors.com/.

Follow Hillary

Doula Group of Evansville Agency Owner

The Birth Geeks Podcast Co-host

At the time of recording Dr. Hillary Melchiors is the President of DONA International.

Mentioned Resources

“Change the air filter in your body.” – Hillary

Hillary’s chapter ‘Doulas as Witnesses to Obstetric Violence’ in the longer work Obstetric Violence: Realities and Resistance from Around the World

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

Addressing Birth Trauma in Yourself and in Your Clients with Krysta Dancy

Study: “An extra layer of pressure to be my best self”: Healthcare provider perspectives on how doulas foster accountability and bridge gaps in pregnancy-related care: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667321523000434 

Study: Impact of Doulas on Healthy Birth Outcomes: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3647727/ 

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