Doulas & Midwives Can Help Latina Moms Reclaim Ancestral Birthing Practices

This article by Shayne Rodriguez Thompson in "HipLatina" discusses the benefits for Latine people of having a doula and/or midwife. It features Selena Maldonado, a Puerto Rican doula, and Lydia Harris, a Black and Mexican American doula.

Black and Latina women have even higher maternal mortality rates than the high rates other women in the U.S. experience. Social and economic barriers as well as racism and xenophobia in the medical system all contribute to these disparities. Additionally, a history of medical trauma and forced sterilization of Black and Latina women has led those communities to distrust the healthcare system.

Having a doula and/or midwife can aid women in navigating the medical system. Historically, midwives have played an important role in assisting women not only with births but also with abortions. Midwives and doulas commit more time and attention to the birthing parent. They provide support from birth through postpartum.

Latine midwives and doulas can also aid the birthing parent in maintaining cultural practices and traditions around birth. There are many benefits to using midwives and doulas. Selena and Lydia want people to know that they have choices when it comes to giving birth.

Even in the best of circumstances pregnancy and childbirth can seem like daunting milestones for many women. For Latinas and women of color, it’s oftentimes even more complicated. Some believe that by reclaiming some of our ancestral birth practices — often in decidedly modern ways — Latinas and women of color in general, may be able to vastly alter the average childbirth experience, making it once again, something that feels more organic and empowering.

SOURCE: HipLatina • AUTHOR: Shayne Rodriguez Thompson • LAST UPDATED: June 3, 2022