Honoring Black Birth Workers and Improving Maternal Health
written by ashley dennis, health & wellness coordinator
As an organization that has served pregnant and parenting mothers for nearly 30 years, Elizabeth House is dedicated to maternal health and wellness. This Black History Month we would like to honor the history of Black birth workers and allow their legacy to inspire us to continue to lead the way in serving our community and beyond.
Early African American midwives, also known as “granny-midwives” were integral members of their community and provided the foundation for birth related care in the United States. Historical figures like Bridget ‘Biddy’ Mason, Mary Francis Hill Coley (featured in “All My Babies”), and Margaret Charles Smith are just some of the names of these unsung heroes who provided a patient-centered approach that sought to address the full experience of the pregnant person. Despite its systematic erasure in the 19th and early 20th century, Black midwifery has made a strong resurgence in recent decades which has played a vital role in addressing the Black maternal health crisis we are currently facing in the United States.
Mary Francis Hill Coley attending to a baby
While the United States leads the way in having the highest prenatal care cost in the world and is the most expensive nation to give birth in, the high cost does not necessarily equate to high quality care. With a maternal mortality rate higher than any other high income nation, the United States is facing a public health crisis. Black people bear the brunt of this burden. According to a 2020 report by the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), Black women are nearly three times more likely to die during or shortly after childbirth compared to their White counterparts. This 60 year trend in Black maternal health outcomes spans age, income, education level, health care availability, and wellness behaviors. The CDC cites multiple factors that contribute to this health disparity, such as, variation in quality healthcare, underlying chronic conditions, structural racism, and implicit bias amidst health care professionals. Further research done by the Center for American Progress indicates that these health outcomes are not inherently natural or biologically inevitable; instead, it can be more correlated with “weathering,” toxic stress, and inadequate and insensitive health care that is uniquely experienced by the Black community as an extension of America’s racialized history.
While the state of maternal health in America is disheartening, we must face this reality and allow it to transform and renew the way we approach maternal health and wellness in order to create a better future for all mothers and their families. Inspired by the work of granny midwives and many other notable figures in the maternal health space, we here at Elizabeth House are dedicated to supporting and addressing the full experience of the people we serve. Our wrap-around services are an example of how we’ve led the way in rejecting a segmented model of care to one that is more integrated and holistic. From therapy to infant care classes, one-on-one in house prenatal/postpartum counseling to legal, career, and educational support, our programs and services recognize each mother that walks through our doors as a full person and seeks to support their physical, social, emotional, financial and spiritual wellbeing. By understanding all aspects that determine health, both individual and structural, Elizabeth House seeks to continue to champion excellent maternal care for all.
