As queer doulas gain popularity, Pennsylvania couple credits theirs for making difference in daughter's birth
Queer doulas are gaining recognition for providing inclusive care to LGBTQ+ individuals and couples during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. For one Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, couple, their doula made a huge difference in the birth of their daughter.
"Family is everything to us," Mary said.
Mary and Marissa welcomed their youngest daughter with the help of doula Elizabeth Weinstein.
"I identify as queer," Weinstein said, "and so I really love being able to support other queer families in the community."
Doula Elizabeth Weinstein with the youngest child of Montgomery County couple Mary and Marissa
CBS Philadelphia
The Montgomery County couple said it was important to have a doula with an LGBTQ+ perspective and sensitivity.
"When you're in those high moments of already stress and anxiety, it's to be able to be surrounded by people who you know, understand, don't question it, without a doubt supportive, is crucial," Mary said.
Mary carried their last two babies. Marissa had their first daughter.
"I think it's such an intimate experience that I needed to know that we were with somebody who wasn't going to call me dad," Marissa said.
Marissa (left) and Elizabeth Weinstein (right)
CBS Philadelphia
It was also an emotional journey for Tristian Reese, a transgender man who gave birth eight years ago. He now provides fertility support for trans people and highlights the advantages of working with a doula.
A doula is a non-medical professional who gives physical, emotional and informational support to parents during and shortly after childbirth.
"There are lots of studies that show that the amount of stress you experience during labor and delivery impacts how long the labor process goes for," Reese said. "It can even impact your postpartum experiences."
With a growing number of people who identify as LGBTQ+ having babies, doulas who specialize in LGBTQ+ pregnancies, like Ari Eisen and Weinstein, are becoming more popular.
"I am a queer, full-spectrum doula," Eisen said. "That identity is important because it makes it known to queer families, or gay families, or trans families, that they will have somebody in the room who understands, knows and respects them."
Mary and Marissa say the delivery of their 4-week-old was a great experience, mainly because of Weinstein, with whom they felt an immediate bond.
Montgomery County couple Mary and Marissa during the births of their children
CBS Philadelphia
"The second that we met Elizabeth, we were like, 'Yep, yep, this is the baby's middle name because it was just so serendipitous to me,'" Mary said.
Making Weinstein more than just their doula, but also part of the family.
"A big, gay, happy family," Marissa said.
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These statements are identified by the use of the words 'could,' 'believe,' 'anticipate,' 'intend,' 'estimate,' 'expect,' 'may,' 'continue,' 'predict,' 'potential,' 'project' and similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements and include statements regarding integrating the latest advances in genomics and personalized medicine into RetinalGenix's product pipeline, the expected contribution of Dr. Langaee, the Company's DNA GPS Pharmacogenetics initiatives optimizing personalized treatment pathways for retinal and systemic diseases through cutting-edge genetic biomarkers, and high-resolution retinal imaging, delivering personalized, data-driven solutions for retinal and systemic health, bringing the promise of pharmacogenomics to patients and providers worldwide, innovating at the intersection of retinal imaging, genetic analysis, and artificial intelligence, Dr. Langaee's guidance being instrumental in shaping the future of precision ophthalmology and beyond, advanced retinal imaging revealing early signs of many chronic, pervasive diseases, including but not limited to diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and chronic kidney disease, RetinalGenix flagging early warning signs of these chronic conditions by integrating Pharmacogenetics, high-resolution retinal imaging, remote monitoring, and AI-powered analysis, prompting timely medical evaluation and intervention, supporting better overall health management, reducing the long-term costs associated with chronic disease complications, changes in retinal health being identified promptly with remote monitoring, enabling healthcare providers to intervene before irreversible vision loss occurs, the system personalizing risk assessments and treatment plans based on an individual's genetic profile when integrated with RetinalGenix DNA GPS PharmacogeneticsTM platform, detecting problems earlier, tailoring interventions to each patient's unique risk factors and likely response to treatment, potentially maximizing the effectiveness of preventive strategies, revolutionizing early disease detection and improving patient outcomes across multiple disease areas by integrating genetic screening, advanced imaging, and therapeutic development, preventing blindness by detecting initial physiological changes that could indicate future ocular and systemic diseases affecting neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, vascular, and metabolic systems, as well as diabetic conditions, developing therapeutic drugs for dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD) and Alzheimer's disease/dementia. These forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict, that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations and assumptions from those set forth or implied by any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, the Company's ability to successfully complete research and further development and commercialization of Company imaging system or drug candidates, the timing, cost and uncertainty of obtaining regulatory approvals for the Company's imaging system or drug candidates, the Company's ability to protect its intellectual property, and the risk factors described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year the risk factors described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and the Company's subsequent filings with the SEC, including subsequent periodic reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K. The information in this release is provided only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. For further information, please contact:RetinalGenix Technologies and Investor Relationsir@ (800) 331-5446Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
