Doula program helps pregnant Pasco inmates

Deep within the Land O' Lakes Jail, past multiple layers of secure steel doors, Janice Banther pressed a Doppler instrument to Amanda Schlemmermeyer's belly so the pregnant inmate could hear her baby's heartbeat.

It was the second time in two weeks Banther had helped Schlemmermeyer, 18, listen to the life stirring within her.

"It's kind of amazing," Schlemmermeyer said. "I didn't think I'd be able to hear it."

Schlemmermeyer, arrested last month on charges of retail theft and fraudulent use of a credit card, was one of six pregnant inmates who gathered Friday afternoon to hear fetal heartbeats and learn more about childbirth from Banther, a volunteer who heads a doula program that has served the jail since 2001.

Over the years, through twice-a-month visits, Banther has provided information and comfort to numerous women who are pregnant and incarcerated.

"I've gotten calls saying, 'I'm so glad you did that; it changed my life,' " Banther said.

The term "doula" comes from a Greek word that refers to a woman who cares for another woman, though these days the meaning usually refers to a woman who assists a pregnant woman before, during and after the birth of her child.

The doula's role is to provide physical, emotional and informational support, and that includes accompanying an inmate to the hospital to give birth. The doulas also monitor inmates afterward for post-partum depression, which is especially a concern for women who must return to jail while someone else cares for the child, Banther said.

Doulas don't deliver the baby, though.

"We are not medical people," Banther said. "We cannot give them medical advice."

Banther is executive director of For the Love of Birth Inc., a nonprofit agency based in Tarpon Springs.

She said the doula program that sends volunteers to the Land O' Lakes Jail is the only jail program in Florida and she knows of only two others nationwide. One is in Seattle and the other is in Chicago.

The program also is voluntary for the inmates, so the number of pregnant women who attend a class doesn't always match the number of pregnant women in the jail. Right now the jail has 12 pregnant inmates, sheriff's office spokesman Kevin Doll said.

"Every time we come there are different people," Banther said.

Lisa Marcrie, 25, in jail since April on charges that include dealing in stolen property, said she wished the doulas came every week instead of twice a month.

"Jail is not easy," said Marcrie, who expects to be released in about two weeks. "It gives us something to look forward to. We get to hear the baby's heartbeat, which gives us some comfort."

Marcrie, already the mother of two, said her due date is Jan. 9.

She plans to name the baby Dara Antoinette.