Motherhood and Birth Justice

In light of current events and the latest MMBRACE report, I feel privileged to share this piece written by Leata-Mae D’Avoine a little earlier than intended. Leata-Mae parent, full spectrum doula and holistic wellness facilitator. Find her on Instagram and over on her website.

Birth justice is when all birthing people have the right and access to the birth that they chose to have. Without their ethnicity, age, gender, sexuality, BMI, socioeconomic standing, immigration status or any other intersecting oppressions affecting their birthing experience in a negative way.

It’s about having the access to health professionals and birth workers as well as successful breastfeeding experiences with babies living and thriving long past their first birthdays.

This might sound like basic human rights, and it is, but these basic rights, which are rooted in compassion and empathy, are being denied to people across the globe every day, leading to traumatising experiences and soaring maternal and infant mortality rates.

That is why the practice of kindness and respect matters in birth work, and it starts with awareness.

It’s recognising that every birthing person, baby and family is different, so rather than being subjected to the ‘tick box’ culture, all care must be personalised.

It’s recognising that those who are pregnant and give birth may not identify as women or with the term ‘mother’.

It’s recognising that there are certain practices that have deep cultural meanings and deserve to be respected.

It’s recognising that everyone, no matter their access, has the right to accurate evidence-based information and maternity care, this includes those that are in jail, or homeless, or face other complex socioeconomic and environmental issues.

It’s recognising that there are people being forced to give birth in conditions they do not want or chose and are being treated with disregard and neglect.

It’s recognising that holistic midwifery care is vital to better outcomes.

It’s recognising that in the UK, black mothers are five times, and Asian mothers two times, more likely to die from complications than their white counterparts.

It’s recognising that there is systemic and institutional oppression, as well as racial bias being upheld in health care leading to these outcomes.

It’s recognising that there is a general lack of support and empathy being practiced throughout the care received from conception to postpartum, causing rising numbers of prenatal and postpartum depression.

The compassion and empathy that we show each other can build strength amongst us. It can be the starting point to individual empowerment which is needed from the prenatal to postpartum process to help achieve the best outcomes. The kindness that is needed during pregnancy and beyond can improve outcomes for families drastically because it humanises maternity care, and that ultimately is the goal.

It is imperative to understand that people have such different birthing experiences yet all need the same basic support. That support can come from birth workers like doulas and midwives, and the people in these roles need recognition and support themselves. Especially those who are BIPOC, on the front lines and the leaders of the birth and reproductive justice movements.

These movements encompass so much more than having a positive birthing experience. They are nuanced and multi-layered and it is more than just changing a few minds. It’s about challenging and changing policies and institutions as well as empowering community-based support. Although kindness is at the core of community and is crucial to birth work, being a doula is so much more than just a friendly face during pregnancy and a warm hand to hold during childbirth.

Being a doula is one of the best things I’ve ever done, it’s one of the greatest ways to show compassion and centre humanity, but it’s also doing this work knowing that not every doula has the same goal. There are doulas and birth workers who get to leave their activism at home or not even have it to begin with. There are birth workers who are upholding the views and behaviours that are harmful to birthing people, especially BIPOC women. This is partly why the petition for the government to assess ways to improve maternal care for Black British women ended with barely over 29,000 signatures - even though the reach for this plea was seen by millions. This low engagement explains why we are in a state of emergency. Choosing whether or not to be involved is a privilege that many of us just don’t have. Because to black women, this isn’t about whether the care being received is debatable or not, its literally about life or death. Racism, not race, is killing black birthing people and is exactly why birth justice exists. It’s why more than just kindness matters.

This piece was written as part of a collection of essays called One Kind Mother. You’ll be able to buy the ebook at the end of November, all proceeds will be going to charities.