The Midwife: A Baby’s Hero
A special Women’s History Month post!
A couple of blog posts ago, I mentioned I took a midwifery course, and I learned so much! So, I wanted to share a couple of the short videos from the lesson.
Black midwives, or granny wives, were very much involved in childbirth and were cherished members of the community. Not only did they assist Black women in their communities, but they assisted white women as well as people located in rural areas.
Then, white male medical professionals decided to take over and discredit these women. And the reason for these awful men to tarnish these women? Money, of course! That was their way of getting pregnant women away from granny wives/midwives and to the hospitals that were dominated by white men only.
Queue the rise of maternal mortality and infant mortality! The US claims the top spot for this statistic, and Black women are the main ones suffering.
In the 1980's, the resurgence of midwives came in the form of white women. Uh! Also, strict laws, rules, schooling, and policies prevented Black women and other minority women from practicing or gaining the knowledge. In some cases, Black and Indigenous midwives were still practicing covertly to help members in their communities.
Today, of the 15,000 midwives in the United States, only 5% of them are women of color. That is a drastic drop from what it used to be. However, there are all kinds of certifications, schooling, and routes (hey doulas!) Black women can take to help pregnant Black women get the care they need.
One other thing...
Indigenous midwives were mentioned multiple times throughout the videos, so I want to share a very short clip for you to watch. Of course, this was the only dedicated video for Indigenous peoples. Major eyeroll! 🙄
I hope this information was useful and informative. If you liked what you've just watched and read, please share this! It would mean the world to me, and it may help someone out there who really needs it.
Until next time ... peace, love, and happiness!
Additional Information
Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2023, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/maternal-mortality/2023/maternal-mortality-rates-2023.htm
Infant Mortality, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/state-stats/deaths/infant-mortality.html
What Is a Midwife and What Do Midwives Do?, https://www.brownhealth.org/be-well/what-midwife-and-what-do-midwives-do
Basic info on midwifery
Midwifery Journal, https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/midwifery
