Black Power in Birth: Three Black-led initiatives making a difference
Here we are in March, and I’m at least going to make a nod towards the wonder of Black power in birth and parenting. I hope we can all celebrate this year-round.
Black mamas and birthing people experience institutionalized racism in their daily lives, and this ranges from economic barriers due to stolen chances at generational wealth, to facing little “t” traumas (microaggressions), to large “T” Traumas (mistreatment). They are also burdened with historical traumas from mistreatment of past generations. These continuous incidences of implicit bias and institutionalized racism harm Black women and families. They can hurt organ systems (nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular and more), psychology, and spirit. Black women and their babies are more at risk for health problems, complications, and maternal and infant death.
Black women have always been instrumental in supporting healthy birth. Check out the National Museum of African American History & Culture’s web page on The Historical Significance of Doulas and Midwives, for example. More access to Black doulas, midwives, OBs and other health and social support specialists is key for promoting health of our birthing mamas (and I’m talking for everyone, but especially Black and brown birthing women).
Here are three Black-led organizations working to honor Black power in birth.
1.
Irth: “When you drop the “B” from Birth, you get Irth,” says their website. The Irth application provides a platform where Black and brown birthing people can leave reviews about their care. You can also search reviews if you’re looking for a hospital or birth center that will respect and honor your needs and provide a great patient experience. The app also has links to helpful information through the Irth Resource Library (IRL). For example, you can read articles with tips for parenting and birth, like one where a dad offers wisdom to be the “dadvocate" for your family needs.
The creator of the Irth app, Kimberly Seals Allen, reveals in her bio that
I had my first child days after completing my master’s degree at Columbia University. I was unwed and on student insurance. At the hospital, which was supposedly one of the best in New York City based on all the mainstream ranking services, I was completely disrespected, my wishes were ignored and I left feeling traumatized and violated. I was treated like an unwed black woman with basic insurance and I always wondered why a hospital that had treated others so well, treated me so poorly.
The more people leave reviews, the more families will be able to make informed decisions about their care, and the more birthing and pediatric facilities will need to answer to the public about how they’re providing healthcare that honors all – including people of color. You can find a link to download the app or view resources at https://irthapp.com/.
2.
birthFUND: The birthFUND calls out a stat we see all too often: that Black women are dying during or after childbirth at a rate of 3-4x white women in the US – and that nearly half of new moms call their birth traumatic. They seek to fund access to midwifery care to improve outcomes. Midwifery care is associated with, among many other benefits, lower obstetrical interventions, increased chance of vaginal birth, lower rates of postpartum hemorrhage, and increased birthweight in infants. Basically midwifery care is associated with healthier birth experiences, but not everyone can afford midwifery care. This is where birthFUND comes in.
Founder Elaine Welteroth writes: “After a series of eye-opening encounters with the maternal health system and a life-changing home birth experience with the midwives at Kindred Space LA, I committed myself to raising awareness about the urgent need to create more access to midwifery care by sharing my story and relentlessly advocating for policy change.” Among other founding family funders, which include Serena Williams and Kelly Rowland, Welteroth is working to form a coalition that lifts up community birthing support. To get involved in the movement, visit https://www.thebirthfund.com/get-involved.
3.
Commonsense Childbirth: Commonsense Childbirth aims to “eradicate racial disparities in perinatal health by restoring deeply rooted networks of care and support.” Founded by midwife Jennie Joseph and the creator of the JJ Way, the organization has branches that provide healthcare, a midwifery school, doula and childbirth educator trainings, and the National Perinatal Task Force.
The Easy Access Clinic and The Birth Place are located in Florida and provide models of providing safe, quality and client-centered care. The National Perinatal Task Force aims to bring people together to address poor health outcomes for women and babies in the US. They are focused on identifying and building “Perinatal Safe Spots” in “Materno-Toxic Areas.” You can also search for designated Perinatal Safe Spots by state on their website.
The Commonsense Childbirth School of Midwifery aims to train midwives who are rooted in the JJ Way and who practice racially sensitive and culturally congruent care. Jennie tells us on the website: “We seek to reach as many individuals as we can because there is no time to lose. We are in the business of saving lives. In order to achieve our vision, we seek to open a pathway for midwives of color to again become autonomous community providers, to address and redress the historical, structural, and institutional inequities that continue to decimate Black and indigenous people, and to restore trusted birth workers to the heart of their communities once again.”
Photo credit: Image by wirestock on Freepik
The more people leave reviews, the more families will be able to make informed decisions about their care, and the more birthing and pediatric facilities will need to answer to the public about how they’re providing healthcare that honors all – including people of color. You can find a link to download the app or view resources at https://irthapp.com/.
2.
birthFUND: The birthFUND calls out a stat we see all too often: that Black women are dying during or after childbirth at a rate of 3-4x white women in the US – and that nearly half of new moms call their birth traumatic. They seek to fund access to midwifery care to improve outcomes. Midwifery care is associated with, among many other benefits, lower obstetrical interventions, increased chance of vaginal birth, lower rates of postpartum hemorrhage, and increased birthweight in infants. Basically midwifery care is associated with healthier birth experiences, but not everyone can afford midwifery care. This is where birthFUND comes in.
Founder Elaine Welteroth writes: “After a series of eye-opening encounters with the maternal health system and a life-changing home birth experience with the midwives at Kindred Space LA, I committed myself to raising awareness about the urgent need to create more access to midwifery care by sharing my story and relentlessly advocating for policy change.” Among other founding family funders, which include Serena Williams and Kelly Rowland, Welteroth is working to form a coalition that lifts up community birthing support. To get involved in the movement, visit https://www.thebirthfund.com/get-involved.
3.
Commonsense Childbirth: Commonsense Childbirth aims to “eradicate racial disparities in perinatal health by restoring deeply rooted networks of care and support.” Founded by midwife Jennie Joseph and the creator of the JJ Way, the organization has branches that provide healthcare, a midwifery school, doula and childbirth educator trainings, and the National Perinatal Task Force.
The Easy Access Clinic and The Birth Place are located in Florida and provide models of providing safe, quality and client-centered care. The National Perinatal Task Force aims to bring people together to address poor health outcomes for women and babies in the US. They are focused on identifying and building “Perinatal Safe Spots” in “Materno-Toxic Areas.” You can also search for designated Perinatal Safe Spots by state on their website.
The Commonsense Childbirth School of Midwifery aims to train midwives who are rooted in the JJ Way and who practice racially sensitive and culturally congruent care. Jennie tells us on the website: “We seek to reach as many individuals as we can because there is no time to lose. We are in the business of saving lives. In order to achieve our vision, we seek to open a pathway for midwives of color to again become autonomous community providers, to address and redress the historical, structural, and institutional inequities that continue to decimate Black and indigenous people, and to restore trusted birth workers to the heart of their communities once again.”
Photo credit: Image by wirestock on Freepik
Style note: I am capitalizing Black in this piece as a style choice unless the website I referenced used a different convention, in which case I used the direct language or the text from the website. Visit this link from the Center for the Study of Social Policy for more info on why.
