Black people may be less likely to attend childbirth class for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons can be that they may not feel connected to a group of white expectant parents and that the systems surrounding birth are steeped in racism (Abbyad and Robertson). You also have all of the reasons that anyone might skip childbirth class including convenience, money, and the belief that they are important. 

When you do have Black families in your classes - are they culturally appropriate? Tamara Hawkins, a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator and nurse practitioner in New York recommends that we look at our program from top to bottom, including the marketing materials and resources when it comes to having Black families in our childbirth classes.

One thing that might make a huge difference is to increase the number of childbirth educators who are Black. There are different ways to support Black childbirth educators-to-be.

We told you about the Doula Book Project last summer when they first started as a way for Black doulas to get books to work towards their certification. Since they started, they have expanded to now include midwives and childbirth educators.

It’s a simple solution to assist Black people who are certifying in one of those professions in gathering the books that they need for certification and knowledge. The individual, using their certifying body’s reading list, creates a public Amazon wishlist. You can browse the wishlists by profession, state, or certifying organization. Then you simply choose who you wish to gift with a book. You even get to pick the book off their list

Black birthing people are more likely to die in childbirth and postpartum than their white counterparts. Black babies are less likely to reach their first birthday. It’s a big problem with some simple ways for us to help combat it. Encourage Black Lamaze Childbirth Educator Candidates to submit their books lists to The Doula Book Project. Consider finding a childbirth educator, doula, or midwifery student in your area to support.

References

Abbyad, Christine, and Trina Reed Robertson. “African American Women's Preparation for Childbirth From the Perspective of African American Health-Care Providers.” The Journal of perinatal education vol. 20,1 (2011): 45-53. doi:10.1891/1058-1243.20.1.45

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