How Two Women Are Joining Forces To Address The Black Maternal Health Crisis

Maternal mortality in the United States is at an all-time high, with Black people being disproportionately affected, regardless of age or education level. Black mothers/birthing people are between 3 to 4xs* more likely to die due to childbirth or childbirth-related causes than their white counterparts– with 60% of these deaths classified as preventable.

In honor of Black Maternal Health Week, Carol’s Daughter, a brand built on the love between a mother and daughter, is teaming up with the Mama Glow Foundation to create Love Delivered.

Love Delivered is focused on raising awareness of the Black Maternal Health Crisis in the United States and the importance of advocates and doulas at the times when Black birthing people and babies are most vulnerable—-before, during, and after birth.

Their goal is to work over the next three years to positively impact the lives of Black birthing people and babies by raising awareness about Black Maternal Health amongst 100 Million people and directly engaging 10,000 people to be advocates.

Creating And Educating Advocates

“I was blessed to have a doula who recognized my needs and spoke for me in so many ways. The experience showed me the importance of advocacy because so many times Black women are not heard during such a crucial moment in their lives,” explained the founder of Carol’s Daughter, Lisa Price.

“With Love Delivered, and through the partnership with the Mama Glow Foundation, we have an opportunity to start to turn the tide on this crisis. Latham Thomas, the founder of Mama Glow, is someone I’ve known and admired for years, and I love that we can come together as Black women and take a stand for other Black women, ensuring their voices are heard, their needs are addressed, and their lives are saved.”

The doula’s role and how they can advocate for patient delivery are wholly aligned in one of these two groups.

“Our global maternal health company is transforming the landscape of reproductive health through game-changing professional doula training programs and bespoke doula services for people across the country,” shared Ms. Thomas. “With doulas located across the USA and six continents, Mama Glow educates the next generation of birth workers who serve on the front lines to birthing people and their families. Our global doula training program, which we started in June of 2018, has touched the lives of over 1,000 doulas, and we are committed to inspiring more advocates to take action in support of Black Maternal Health. This partnership with Carol’s Daughter is so aligned; it amplifies the work we are already doing. It allows us to work together to directly impact the lives of more Black birthing people through the program and cultivate more Black Maternal Health advocates.”

According to the CDC, per 100,000 live births, there were 14.1 deaths among Asian women, 30.4 deaths among Indigenous women, and 42.4 deaths among black women, compared to 13.0 deaths among white women.

When asked if Love Delivered will extend tools for women of color to advocate for themselves should they not have a doula available, Ms. Price answered, “Our robust programming and tools include online resources and maternity experts. These will be available for expectant and new families and community-building events and forums for expectant and new families and their allies. Also, by amplifying the stories of those who have had challenging experiences, we will educate and prevent these near-misses from happening to others.”

They also hope to educate businesses, doctors, and the healthcare industry on advocating for black maternal health. “A key component of our work at Mama Glow includes education and advocacy, and I’ve been lecturing, teaching doctors and health care providers, insurance providers, medical students about the importance of transforming the landscape of maternal health,” said Thomas. “We also have an annual conference, The Continuum Conference, that centers the experience of fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum, which is a space where practitioners, industry leaders, and birth workers collide. I hope to bring Lisa Price into these conversations to continue to make an impact and enroll more advocates!”

Addressing Stress and Beyond

A study published recently by JAMA Pediatrics found marked differences in the growing fetal brains among pregnant women who were psychologically distressed. “We will address stress for both pregnant women and new mothers by having community-building events and forums where allies share joyful, inspiring, and birthing stories.” Ms. Price said. “We will also provide them with access to maternity experts who can help ease their worries during this unprecedented time. Overall, the goal is for our resources to create a safe and positive space for Black women.”

Particularly during this pandemic, Ms. Thomas acknowledges that the movement for black lives needs to start even before birth. “Forces are working against us even before we are born. We need to empower birthing people along the childbearing continuum with resources, guidance, and advocacy tools to support their birth village and the larger community,” stated Thomas. “Birth is meant to be a joyful and transcendent experience. We have the opportunity to work together to restore safety, dignity and strive towards equity in birth.”

Love Delivered aims to empower, support, and show love to Black birthing people and babies when they need it most through robust outreach programming including:

• Access to online resources and maternity experts for expectant and new families
• Access to doula support and information on doula services in their area
• Resources and tools for partners and supporters to create positive birthing experiences for Black birthing people 
• Community-building events and forums for expectant and new families and their allies for sharing joyful, inspiring, birthing experiences
• Amplifying the stories of those who have had challenging experiences to educate and prevent these near-misses from happening to others
• Love Delivered self-care deliveries
• Scholarship opportunities and information for upcoming Mama Glow Professional Doula Training programs

If you would like to get involved, you can visit Love Delivered site to become an advocate and learn more.