Elaine Welteroth on the Black Maternal Mortality Crisis and Why She Chose a Home Birth

20.01.2023 - 18:25 / glamour.com

Glamour's , we investigated the inequities Black women face during pregnancy and . At the time, Black women in the United States were to die from pregnancy or postpartum issues than white women. Fast forward to 2022, and an by the Government Accountability Office reaffirmed this stark reality: Black women had the highest maternal mortality rates across racial and ethnic groups during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021.With no evidence of this crisis abating, the infant formula brand , the charity , and journalist Elaine Welteroth partnered to raise more awareness for Black maternal mortality and push for policy change in the U.S.

On January 18, Welteroth debuted a of her birth story and decision to deliver her son via midwifery and homebirth, an option that she says she felt would be a safer experience. “There's this idea that if you have a certain amount of education or a certain network or a certain status, maybe the stats don't apply to you. But you would be gravely mistaken," Welteroth said in a statement. Indeed, these horrifying realities are why nonprofits like (founded in 2017) exist, and why other women, from , center their advocacy around the dangers Black women face when seeking care in the U.S. "Today’s healthcare system simply does not advantage Black women.

I wanted my birth to feel safe and sacred. I could not find that in the hospital system as it currently exists,” says Welteroth. She's not alone, or wrong.