Pregnancy poses challenges for people in recovery from substance use disorder. Covid-19 is taxing their support system
GREENFIELD, Mass. — Doula Carrie Diehl lives in a house set between a gentle stream and a busy road with her husband, their 8-month-old daughter, two teenage stepdaughters, a leggy Labrador, and a short, elderly dog. She loves fixing cars and caring for plants, and she is 5 years sober from a substance use disorder.
Diehl’s work as a doula includes what you might expect: talking pregnant people through aches and pains, providing labor support, helping parents learn how to breastfeed. But as a peer mentor doula for mothers in recovery, she also supports clients when they relapse, models sobriety coping skills, and celebrates recovery anniversaries.
