Over the years, America has seen a plethora of advancements when it comes to maternal health care, but whose backs have those achievements fallen on? The National Library of Medicine has detailed some of the earliest gynecological findings came from experimenting on enslaved Black women. Fast forward to 2022, and Black birthers are among the greatest at risk for complications.
A collective of Black and Brown doulas in Kent County are working to close the healthcare gap by providing labor-support training to residents of color.
A doula provides physical and emotional support for families before, during and shortly after child birth. Day One Doula Collective, housed in the Baxter Community Center, works to train and certify Black and Brown doulas, to go back into their communities and serve.
“The Day One Doula Collective is the only collective in Kent County that is made up of Black and Brown workers. We see the data, we know that we could do so much better,” program manager, Kiara Baskin said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes a multitude of factors, such as a variation in quality healthcare, underlying chronic conditions, structural racism and implicit bias, has led to Black women being three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women. Adding to that, there’s a lack of Black representation in the labor-support industry.
Baskin said the Day One Doula Collective’s work isn’t only helping families feel empowered and thrive during their delivery journey; it’s reclaiming the narrative of a historically Black profession.
“It’s talking about what has always been because Black women in particular have always taken care of others. We’ve always been in community supporting individuals through labor, birth and pregnancy,” Baskin said. “So, for us it’s really important to rewrite that narrative and empower Black and Brown folks to say, ‘This has always been a part of our culture. This is nothing new.’”
She adds, this support is vital for communities who have been historically oppressed by healthcare systems, adding it’s a big step in bringing a voice to Black mothers and families during their delivery journey.
