"No one told me I could change my clothes. No one told me I could bathe. I needed a caregiver. I needed an advocate. I needed someone to take care of me."
As a younger mother—and especially as a Black mother—21-year-old Anya was very much at risk for having her voice silenced during her birth experience. Moms under 30 are more likely to report being mistreated or have their concerns ignored by medical providers while in labor, which can lead to deadly consequences. Black mothers are three to four times more likely to die during or after pregnancy or birth compared to white mothers. That's why Anya choose to have a midwife supported birth in a birth center.
This time, it was just my husband and me. The room was quiet. No chaos of visitors. The conversations were just between us. Just the two of us for the first time in six and a half years.
For black mothers, the need for support during birth is even greater. Black women are 2.5 times more likely to die in childbirth than white women—at least in part because of institutional racism.
