A Doula and the Doctors Who Failed Her

Te-Ana Souffrant chose to become a full-spectrum doula after the births of her first and seconds sons, neither of which went according to plan and both of which left her scarred. She wanted to help fix flaws she saw in the medical system and help women like her, especially women of color, navigate childbirth safely. Then came the birth of her third son, which was the most traumatic of all.

Te-Ana believes the medical system had betrayed her.  “How do I find my place again in birth work when it’s something that I’m very passionate about,” Te-Ana said. “And I don’t know if I’m ever going to find it. Because the system broke me. It broke my heart.”

According to a landmark 2019 study published in the journal Reproductive Health, one in six women experiences mistreatment by health-care providers during birth. For birthing people of color, the rates of mistreatment are even higher.

A Doula and the Doctors Who Failed Her is a short documentary that follows one birth worker as she struggles to find her footing in a system she no longer believes in.