This Northern Cheyenne Doula Was About To Start Getting Paid — Then Medicaid Cuts Hit

LAME DEER, Mont. — Misty Pipe had about an hour before her shift began at the post office.

She used that time to check in on a new mom who lives a few miles outside this town at the heart of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. A mom of seven, Pipe is a doula on the reservation who supports new and expectant parents.

She does that work free, around her day job. That’s because in this town of about 2,000 people, the closest hospital that delivers babies is 100 miles away.

“Women need this help,” Pipe said. Doulas ready parents for childbirth, support their deliveries, and can be a steady presence in a baby’s first months.

Studies link their work with lower rates of costly birth and postpartum complications — especially in hard-to-reach places like Lame Deer. But that help can be scarce.

As Pipe put it: “Doula doesn’t pay the bills around here.” Things were supposed to change this year.