BALTIMORE — Black Maternal Health Week is observed every year from April 11-17.
Olivyah Bowens knows all too well the importance of having a village of support in motherhood and in pregnancy. That’s why she’s offering free birthing classes for women in Baltimore.
“Even if they have a partner, a lot of mothers are still mothering alone. That’s a big thing that I hear pretty often and that people not having birth experiences that are good,” said Olivyah Bowens, a doula and founder of Mamananda Birth Circle.
A new study by the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology finds that the overall maternal mortality rate is lower that what has been previously reported. However, the number of black mothers who die during childbirth is still disproportionately high. According to the CDC, black women are three times more likely to die from childbirth than white patients.
“That breaks down into something called implicit bias. As a black woman, if I walk into a hospital there’s no guarantee that I will be treated the same as someone who is not. That can show up looking like someone not responding to me in the middle of a crisis. We have stories where black women are in hospitals, checked in and they’re saying hey I have this reoccurring pain or something doesn’t feel right or I have this bleeding and it’s taking a really long time to get a response. This is how we lose a lot of black mothers,” said Bowens.
Bowens says the narrative is that black women have a higher pain tolerance and that their needs aren’t always addressed.
“Or that black women are more dramatic. Its subconscious it’s not always straightforward but that’s the narrative that can be held in these medical spaces that can lead to disastrous outcomes,” said Bowens.
Another barrier is socioeconomic status. As a doula, she has mostly worked with clients who can afford to hire her services. Bowens wants to make sure all women have access to the services they need for a safe and healthy delivery. The free classes will include birth education, prenatal yoga, sound therapy and will connect mothers directly with doulas.
“The services and support that women in underserved communities get a lot of times is very bare bones. It’s very, here’s what you need to survive, here’s your food stamps, housing voucher, daycare voucher and go on with your day,” said Bowens.
Her passion is fueled by her past experiences. During Bowen’s second pregnancy she asked for a GBS test while in labor. Group B Streptococcus is a type of bacteria often found in the urinary tract, digestive system, and reproductive tracts. Pregnant women are routinely tested for GBS late in the pregnancy. The chance of passing an infection to the baby is relatively low but it could cause serious complications. Bowens says she was told by her doctors that the rapid test would be a waste of money.
“I had to advocate for myself a lot to the point of saying, hey I’m going to leave the hospital and find care elsewhere in the middle of labor,” said Bowens.
Bowens hopes that the birthing classes will connect families to the resources and support they need.