Madeline LeBlanc, MHA, RN, IBCLC, IAT
Executive Director, Mary's Hands Network
InJoy Virtual Summit 2026
But a community volunteer model didn't exist.
I prayed at least
people would show up.
graduated.
Some of those nineteen are still serving today.
Louisiana's maternal health crisis by the numbers.
maternal deaths per 100,000 births
The highest maternal mortality rate in the entire United States.
93% of those deaths were potentially preventable.
Louisiana babies died before their first birthday
These are more than statistics.
These are losses to our neighbors. Our sisters. Our community.
Second to last in the country. Thank you, Mississippi. The March of Dimes has given us an F. Again.
Major abdominal surgery. More than double the WHO recommendation.
Baton Rouge · New Orleans · Lafayette
The cities where we live and work and raise our families. All three. F.
March of Dimes 2025 Report Card
It has been sitting right in front of us the whole time.
Alongside the medical team — never in place of it.
A trained, knowledgeable, compassionate human being who shows up and stays.
Mary's Hands Network Doula Training
Not a side hustle. A calling.
Simple concept. Intentional execution.
This is what it looks like when a community shows up.
Mary's Hands Network Doula Training · Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Standardized care = measurable outcomes. This is how we know our model is what works.
What happens when you give someone the tools to change their community.
“You can feel the moment it clicks.”
This is what the click looks like.
Mary's Hands Network Doula Training
21 to 73 years old.
Nurses. Teachers. IT professionals.
Stay-at-home moms. Grandmothers.
What they share is not a profession.
It is a passion.
Every doula directly sponsors someone else's care by giving their own time, presence, and expertise.
"It is such an honor to hold this space."
Mary's Hands Network Doula · Baton Rouge, Louisiana
108 IRB-tracked births. Three years. Louisiana.
| Metric | WHO | National | Louisiana | MHN | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-Section Rate | 10–15% | 32% | 36% | 14% | 62% fewer |
| Preterm Birth | 9.4% | 10.4% | 14% | 4% | 71% fewer |
| NICU Admission | — | 9% | 12% | ~4% | 67% fewer |
| Breastfeeding Initiation | — | 60% | ~55% | 75% | +25% |
108 IRB-tracked births · p<0.05 in expanded 156-birth dataset · Exceeds Healthy People 2030 targets
$0
in estimated Louisiana healthcare costs saved
Fewer cesareans. Fewer NICU admissions. Better outcomes at lower cost.
If scaled statewide: $336.6M in annual Louisiana savings potential
~59,000 LA births/year × MHN's demonstrated outcome differentials · Sources: HCUP/AHRQ + March of Dimes
The cycle. The community. The movement.
Cohort 1 · Still serving · 15+ families supported
She showed up to that first training not entirely sure what she was walking into.
She has never stopped walking.
There is no column in our spreadsheet for Gigi.
But she is everything this model is built on.
The community took hold of this and started pulling it forward on its own.
It cannot show what was avoided.
That is more than a program outcome. That is a community movement.
It was never about doulas.
Doulas are not the solution
to the maternal health crisis.
Empowered women are.
Empowered women promote birth excellence.
Empowered women bridge health equity.
Empowered women empower other women.
This model is not a Louisiana secret.
Bring the research to your leadership. The evidence is unignorable.
The people are there. The passion is there. The calling is there.
26 states + DC reimburse doulas through Medicaid. Fight for yours.
Refer a patient. Contract a doula. Stand in that room and feel the difference.
And if you feel that call — reach out. We want to talk to you.
Right now someone just found out they are pregnant.
Right now someone is in labor.
Right now someone is three days postpartum and wishing someone would just come sit with them.
Right now someone needs a doula and doesn't have one.
That is true in Louisiana. Ohio. Texas. Montana. Everywhere.
The most powerful thing we did
was empower our neighbors.
And that is something every one of us has the power to do.
Starting today.
Every birth deserves a doula.
I hope you'll be a part of it.
Madeline LeBlanc, MHA, RN, IBCLC, IAT
Executive Director and lead instructor, Mary's Hands Network
mleblanc@mhndoula.com · (225) 892-4906
www.maryshandsnetwork.org
IRB Protocol #2025-001 · ICEA-Approved Training · 501(c)(3) EIN 92-2430838