“Your voice is powerful—especially when the system tries to silence it.🎙️✨ Learn how to advocate for your birth, protect your peace, and recognize the signs of racial bias before it shows up.”
Let’s talk about what’s really happening behind the curtain in maternal healthcare—because your safety, dignity, and birth experience matter.
Racial bias in healthcare is not new, but the consequences for birthing people—especially Black mothers—are far too common and far too devastating. Even with similar income, education, or access to care, Black women are more likely to be ignored, dismissed, or misdiagnosed in medical settings.
As a doula and advocate, I believe in naming these injustices, equipping you with tools, and helping you reclaim your power in a system that wasn’t built for us.
Here You’ll Learn:
1. 💔 What Racial Bias Looks Like in Birth Spaces
- Not being believed when you express pain
- Dismissal of questions or concerns
- Lack of informed consent before procedures
- Unequal treatment based on assumptions about your background, insurance, or family structure
“They didn’t believe me when I said I was in pain—until it was too late.” This isn’t just a story. It’s a systemic issue.
2. 🛑 How to Recognize Red Flags Early
- Providers who interrupt or talk over you
- Staff who avoid answering direct questions
- Inconsistent care or vague treatment plans
- Being pressured into decisions you don’t understand
Knowing the signs allows you to respond—not just react.
3. 🛡️ Your Rights in the Delivery Room
You have the right to:
- Ask questions—and get clear answers
- Refuse procedures or ask for more information
- Request a new nurse or provider if you feel unsafe
- Have a support person or doula present at all times
Knowledge is your power. Confidence is your protection.
4. 🧘🏽♀️ How to Prepare Yourself & Your Support Team
- Birth Advocacy Scripts – Learn how to say: “I need a moment to think about this,” or “Can you explain why this is necessary?”
- Choose a culturally competent care team
- Hold a pre-birth meeting with your doula or birth partner to review your wishes, values, and rights
- Practice assertive communication in case your birth space turns challenging
5. 🤝 Why You Deserve Culturally Competent, Respectful Care
Your birth story should be one of strength—not survival. You deserve to be seen, heard, and honored throughout this sacred process.
💛 Final Thoughts:
No one should have to “prepare for racism” during childbirth—but we can prepare to rise above it with knowledge, community, and strategy. Combating racial bias begins with awareness, but real change happens when you’re equipped with tools to advocate for yourself and others.
✨ Want to Prepare with a Sisterhood That Sees You?
You don’t have to do this alone. Come be part of a powerful, healing space created just for you.
🤎 Join the Empowered Birth Tribe on Meetup — a free monthly support group for melanated mamas to connect, share, and rise together.
Let’s grow in community, advocate with confidence, and birth in power.
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