The care economy is aging

At 3 a.m., in the midst of labor, a doula we’ll call Renee stepped into the hallway to steady herself. She had been supporting a laboring client for nearly 12 hours. The room was warm, the lights low, the energy focused. But outside, her body told a different story. A sudden wave of heat rose through her chest, her heart began to race, her shirt damp and sticky with sweat. She hadn’t slept well in weeks. The brain fog had been hijacking her daily functions. Still, she took a breath, wiped her...