Research and resources for perinatal professionals.
April 08, 2024 | by: Lamaze International Staff
Recognize Black Maternal Health Week with these Lamaze resources.
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April 11, 2023 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Black Maternal Health Week is April 11th through 17th, 2023. This is the 6th annual observance and the event is created and led by Black led maternal health organizations and Black perinatal professionals. The focus of this week is to lift up Black birthing parents and center resources that create positive and healthy pregnancy, birth, and early parenting experiences for Black parents and babies. The purpose of Black Maternal Health Week, led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, is to “collectively work toward a future where ALL Black Mamas have the rights, respect, and resources to thrive throughout their lives-including in their reproductive years. This year's theme is 'Our Bodies Belong to Us: Restoring Black Autonomy and Joy.'"
April 14, 2022 | by: Tanya Cawthorne, LCCE, FACCE
National Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW) is from April 11-17 and I would like to dedicate this month’s Inside Lamaze newsletter to sharing information about this important event and how we as Lamaze members can become more involved. The topic of how we collectively work to promote equitable maternal health and outcomes and make it accessible to underserved communities is one of high importance to Lamaze.
April 11, 2022 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Black Maternal Health Week is observed annually every April 11 through 17th since 2018. This week of awareness and activism was founded by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA) to bring attention to the increased maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality rates that impact Black birthing people and their babies at significantly higher rates than non-Black families.
The theme of this year’s Black Maternal Health Week is “Building for Liberation: Centering Black Mamas, Black Families and Black Systems of Care.” Black families deserve to have access to Black care teams, and that includes childbirth educators. We know that outcomes are better when a Black parent can receive perinatal care from a Black midwife or doctor. As a childbirth educator, there are several things that you can do to center Black birthing families and help Black. You can use this checklist to see where you can implement or change how you practice. This is an opportunity to increase your efforts if you already have some of the suggestions below in place.
April 17, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW21) ends today, but perinatal professionals need to acknowledge that this focus is not something that should be elevated one week a year. The atrocious maternal morbidity and mortality rate faced by childbearing Black people demands attention and action every single day. There is simply no time to rest, as people are dying while trying to grow their families.
Here are some amazing Black perinatal organizations that are uniquely qualified to serve Black families. This list is just a small compilation of resources, and identifies those organizations with a national presence. You should identify similar groups that are local to your community, so you can include that information as well and make it easier for Black families to identify the right resources for them.
April 13, 2021 | by: Molly Giammarco, MPP
As Lamaze joins stakeholders, advocates, and policymakers in celebrating Black Maternal Health Week (April 11-17, 2021), Lamaze educators, advocates, and parents can reflect on the progress made on raising awareness of maternal health disparities—and the actions taken to address them. With the Congressional Black Maternal Health Caucus’ (BMHC) and other policymakers’ leadership, vision, and collaboration, federal efforts to reduce maternal health disparities and shortfalls are no longer just talking points. They are now Congressional actions.
April 17, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
April 11th-17th is Black Maternal Health Week. Due to both historical and ongoing racism, inequities and oppression, outcomes for Black parents and babies is significantly worse than for their non-Black peers. Black parents and their families should be centered and supported as they grow their families. They should be lifted up and receive respectful, culturally appropriate and evidence-based care. Perinatal professionals can be a resource for Black families, helping them to feel informed, supporting their decisions and offering information that can be used during their pregnancy, birth and early parenting time.
April 10, 2018 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Black Maternal Health Week is a week that centers awareness on Black families and the inequitable outcomes that they bear during pregnancy, birth and postpartum.
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