Black Maternal Health week

It is Black Maternal Health Week, April 11-17, started by black mamas matter and was officially recognized by the White House on April 13th, 2021.

It was created to amplify the voices of Black mamas and center the values and traditions of the reproductive and birth justice movements. Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women. Multiple factors contribute to these disparities, such as variation in quality healthcare, underlying chronic conditions, structural racism, and implicit bias.

We can amply the voices of black mamas by using technology and arts through podcasting to elevate their voices.

As I prepare for my own birth, I’ve been listening to many birth stories. Here are a few podcast that you can listen to that center around Black Infant and Maternal Health outcomes:

https://www.natalstories.com- A podcast about having babies while black in the United States.

https://www.birthstoriesincolor.com/ - Multiracial individuals share their unexpected and expected stories. Some stories include talks about postpartum, parenting challenges, advocacy and more.

https://sistersinloss.com/- spotlights faith filled black women who share their grief and loss stories and testimonies. This podcast touches on infertility, miscarriages and infant loss.

@homecomingpodcast - addresses myths: 1) Hospitals are the safest place to give birth and 2) Black families don’t birth at home.

The month of April is recognized in the United States as National Minority Health Month – a month-long initiative to advance health equity across the country on behalf of all racial and ethnic minorities

Visit https://blackmamasmatter.org/bmhw/ to learn more about this initiative and find out ways to support.