Why Supporting Black Midwives And Doulas Matters

The Hospital/Doula/Midwife Relationship

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The relationship between clinical settings and midwives and doulas is a messy and sometimes contentious one, shares Imani. Some hospitals are known to welcome these birthing care professionals with open arms, while others make it very difficult for them to gain access. The COVID-19 pandemic made matters worse, as many hospitals restricted how many people could be in the birthing room. Some of those restrictions haven’t fallen off.

Black doulas and midwives are fighting several battles. They’re fighting to reclaim the recognition they deserve for being the people who created this work. Imani herself comes from a long line of Black birth workers. These professionals are also battling with hospitals to let them do what the mothers hired them to do in a clinical setting, and with insurance companies to extend coverage to their services. Supporting Black doulas and midwives matters – it matters for the survival of Black mothers and Black babies, and for the survival of the birthing work profession for Black women.