The Midwife’s Bag, or, the Objects of Black Infant Mortality Prevention

Midwives and Universal Health Care: A Call to Action

“…The Promotion of the Welfare and Hygiene of Maternity and Infancy Act, better known as the Sheppard‐Towner Act of 1921, 4 moved birth work from community‐based midwives into the realm of public health in an effort to improve infant mortality. However, racist motivations also played a part, and the Act led to the suppression of the Southern Black midwifery tradition, forcing into retirement many experienced midwives and permitting if not encouraging discriminatory levels of care 2,5 . The beginnings of the modern US nurse‐midwifery education and practice that followed as midwifery regrouped were centered in communities where women had few other sources for care.…”

The intersection of traumatic childbirth and obstetric racism: A qualitative study

“…23 Black women risk being stereotyped as demanding and unreasonable, 24 aggressive, 25 tough "superbodies," 18,26 or irresponsible and negligent. 27 Latina women may be viewed as "reproductive threats" to society, viewed as having high fertility and overusing medical and social services. 28 Asian American women report being sexualized as "exotic" and submissive/passive 29 or as excessively weak and having a "low pain threshold" in obstetric settings.…”

“…Black and Latina American women face longstanding gendered and racist stereotypes such as associations with promiscuity, sexual availability, and having many children at a young age 23 . Black women risk being stereotyped as demanding and unreasonable, 24 aggressive, 25 tough “superbodies,” 18,26 or irresponsible and negligent 27 . Latina women may be viewed as “reproductive threats” to society, viewed as having high fertility and overusing medical and social services 28 .…”