007 The Midwife Experience with Aiyana Davison

“Black people are three to 4 times more likely to die from childbirth, either in the immediate childbirth time or extended postpartum period time than white counterparts. It doesn't matter your financial position, education level, or where you live.” - Aiyana Davison, CNM April 11-17 is Black Maternal Health Week. In President Biden’s recent proclamation on this subject, he mentions, “Tackling this crisis begins with understanding how institutional racism drives these high maternal mortality rates.” During Slavery, midwives were to thank for guiding enslaved Black women through pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. A cultural practice brought with them from the continent of Africa, midwifery is one of the oldest professions to exist. Today, midwives are using their platforms to bring justice to the disparities that exist in the birthing experience for people of color. In this episode, Aiyana Davison educates us on the history of midwifery, the role of midwives as healthcare providers, the reasons these health disparities exist, and what we can do about it. Neighborhood Action Steps: Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode and SHARE! Share what you’ve learned from this episode on the socials! Send us an email and let us know what topics you’d like to hear on this podcast. Links: Website @TheVaginaChronicles @VillageHouseWellness Medical Apartheid by Harriet A. Washington Killing the Black Body by Dorothy Roberts Stolen Childhood: Slave Youth in Nineteenth-Century America by Wilma King