Granny-Midwives: Healing Birth Workers
As Black women, we are well aware that we are more likely to die during or within a year of childbirth compared to women of other races. That’s two to three times more likely than white women, and once you hit the 30-and-up club, the pregnancy-related mortality rate (PRMR) increases to four to five times as high. On top of that, our babies are more than twice as likely to die as white infants. *weary face emoji*
They (*side-eye* y’all know who) attempted to attribute it to poor lifestyle habits and poverty, but research has repeatedly shown that simply isn’t true. Much like the abundance of systemic issues we endure in the United States, racism and white supremacy are the cause. *pretends to be shocked* The ‘Queen Mother of a Midwife Movement,’ Shafia Monroe, identifies the common thread in Black maternal mortality as:
Ignoring Black women’s plea for medical attention.
The unconscious bias against Black women.
Dismissing the health care needs of pregnant and postpartum Black women.
Not believing Black women when they say, “something is wrong.”
Allowing Black postpartum mothers to die.
Prior to births taking place in hospitals (where the majority of the doctors and nurses didn’t look like, believe, or care about us), Black women were at the forefront of helping women safely usher new life into the world. Known as granny and granny-midwife, you already know how they did it: using traditional African-based rituals and practices along with healing knowledge passed down from generation to generation. *pretends to be shocked once again*
In fact, it wasn’t until childbirth was medicalized and attended by doctors that maternal and infant mortality rates began to rise. Of course they (yet another *side-eye*) played the blame game, pointing the finger at Black, indigenous, and immigrant midwives. Going so far as trying to completely get them out the paint by claiming they were “incompetent, unsanitary, and dangerous.” Whole-time, government-funded research proved birth outcomes were better when attended by midwives compared to doctors. (SMH now ain’t that some shit?!) While the campaign to eliminate midwives failed, increased regulations courtesy of state health departments did contribute to the dwindling number of traditional practitioners resulting in us facing discrimination and death as we bring souls to Earthside.
Yearning to educate yourself more on our rich history of traditional midwifery and how to become involved in birth justice? Check out these resources and share them with the Black folk in your life (cuz we all we got):
*Images from All My Babies…a Midwife’s Own Story