In an article published yesterday on Cosmopolitan.com, In the Midst of the Black Maternal Health Crisis, Could Midwives Be the Answer? written by Naureen Kahn, journalist and author Elaine Welteroth opens up about feeling dismissed by the hospital system and how a Black midwife guided her safely through the birth of her first child.
NACPM Board Member Keisha Goode, PhD, whose research focuses on Black midwives, was interviewed for the article. Goode comments that Black midwives have a role to play in not only keeping Black birthing people alive but giving them the kind of births they deserve.
“Midwives are a relationship-centered, holistic model of care, and that means that it encompasses all aspects of what it means to be healthy and a human being,” she says. “The possibilities of midwifery extend far, far beyond maternal mortality. People should have births that make them feel empowered and joyful,” insists Goode. “It isn’t just that having a Black midwife equals better outcomes for Black people. There is something about being cared for in a respectful, culturally competent environment that allows people to thrive and grow.”
Read the full article on Cosmopolitan.com