Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

Black Mothers Matter: Non profit supporting black women during pregnancy

82 replies

ByGrabtharsHammerWhatASavings · 16/03/2021 08:05

Hey, I've just seen this in another group and thought it would be good to share it here. It's called Black Mothers Matter and their main project atm seems to be providing free gift hampers to help black women during their pregnancies. They're looking for donations if anyone's looking for a cause to support.

www.blackmothersmatter.org

OP posts:
littleburn · 16/03/2021 13:51

Thanks for sharing. Have donated.

plumpuddisnice · 16/03/2021 13:43

Thank you for this. I've seen it on BOE on FB also.

This is something that personally resonates with me. I suffered 2 horrific labours and births, one of which resulted in a birth injury to DC2.

Part way through Labour with DC2 I learnt black women, asian women and white women have different shaped pelvis's which impacts birth (obviously). I believe this is what caused face presentation birth and DC2 facial injury.

There really needs to be more research into this as I'd bet my bottom dollar this contributes to these appalling stats.

persistentwoman · 16/03/2021 13:34

@Beowulfa

The BAME maternity stats are a national scandal. I genuinely don't understand why this isn't getting more attention. Does Marcus Rashford need to tweet about it?
Agreed. Yet the NHS spends countless ££££ renaming women's maternity and eradicating women's language while this scandal continues. What are they thinking?
SunsetBeetch · 16/03/2021 13:33

That's a great initiative. Thanks for letting us know OP.

FlibbertyGiblets · 16/03/2021 13:15

Thank you for sharing this website,
ByGrabtharsHammerWhatASavings.

The annual MBRRACE uk report is a shocker each time a new one is published. I know one was published after a long delay, I think in my more cynical moments it was to try and make us all go away and not ask awkward questions iyswim.
Black mothers matter.

EmbarrassingAdmissions · 16/03/2021 12:27

[quote WarriorN]Thank you for this. Another worthy cause.

This was the discussion about it on WH a couple of years ago

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0006sg5[/quote]
Thank you! - That allowed me to retrieve this thread:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3642813-Womans-Hour-Black-women-are-5x-more-likely-to-die-in-childbirth-than-white-women

334bu · 16/03/2021 12:17

Something very broken in our maternity care in this country.

WarriorN · 16/03/2021 12:15

Thank you for this. Another worthy cause.

This was the discussion about it on WH a couple of years ago

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0006sg5

Beowulfa · 16/03/2021 12:15

The BAME maternity stats are a national scandal. I genuinely don't understand why this isn't getting more attention. Does Marcus Rashford need to tweet about it?

CardinalLolzy · 16/03/2021 12:10

Great cause and great thread. I'll add it to my donation list.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 16/03/2021 11:16

[quote OneEpisode]A Community Interest Company number 12715071.
find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/12715071[/quote]
Thanks for that!

I'll take it into our CnC later this week and see what we can do to promote and support this!

EmbarrassingAdmissions · 16/03/2021 11:03

I know we had some discussions on FWR (can't find them) and I remember this guest post from last year:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/guest_posts/4025006-Guest-post-Black-women-are-five-times-more-likely-to-die-in-the-perinatal-period

Original poster
ByGrabtharsHammerWhatASavings · 16/03/2021 10:19

Thanks molten and mildred!

OP posts:
MoltenLasagne · 16/03/2021 10:18

And yes, to PPs comment, whilst I'm happy to support this initiative, it feels like a surface solution that needs to accompany greater change. A maternal mortality rate that is 4 times higher for black women is systemic - we need to be pushing for government and the NHS to look at the underlying causes of this and address them.

If it's underfunding in areas with higher BAME populations, fix it. If it's racial bias against black women in staff, stamp it out. If it's that black women are less likely to raise concerns, put in a new way of listening or support groups that gives them confidence to do so, rather than expecting them to fit your model.

MildredPuppy · 16/03/2021 10:15

www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/jan/15/black-women-in-the-uk-four-times-more-likely-to-die-in-pregnancy-or-childbirth

This article links to some of the more systematic changes that are needed. It would be great to start following this up with your MPs as recommrndations have bedn made but not all implemented.

I know Jeremy Hunt is chair of the health and social care committee - they scrutinise things. He might be worth contacting to put pressure on the government to tackle some thing like having an actual target set.

MoltenLasagne · 16/03/2021 10:08

Thanks for sharing, I will donate on payday.

I also followed their links to related organisations and fivexmore have got a briefing pack to help structure letters for writing to MPs.
www.fivexmore.com/

Original poster
ByGrabtharsHammerWhatASavings · 16/03/2021 10:07

soontobe60 I don't think the founders are under the impression that this project is going to bring about radical change. On the projects page they say "we know this isn't going to solve the issues but we hope it will help some".

As for whether it's what black women want, this project is founded and run by 3 black women (one of whom is a medical doctor) who all experienced complications during and post pregnancy. I heard about it on the Facebook group 'black owned economy' and the original post has had hundreds of likes and positive comments from black women. I won't pretend to be anything approaching an expert in this subject so I'm mostly just trying to amplify those women's voices by reposting it here.

OP posts:
Soontobe60 · 16/03/2021 09:57

@LizzieSiddal

The experiences of Black Women compared to white is just awful. Thank you for sharing this, I will donate.

Also, would this be a good place to share this link?

www.gov.uk/government/news/government-launches-call-for-evidence-to-improve-health-and-wellbeing-of-women-in-england

It's the government consultation on Women's health experiences. It asks for examples of when not listened to etc. I don't understand why MNHQ aren't highlighting this more, it's an opportunity missed imo.

I’m sure I completed this via a MN link a couple of weeks ago!
Soontobe60 · 16/03/2021 09:56

From what I’ve learned of the experiences of Black women in pregnancy the issue needs more than this, it’s not the women that need educating as much as the system that needs sorting out from the ground up.
This sounds like a nice idea, is it what Black women want?

LizzieSiddal · 16/03/2021 09:52

Thanks for all the links, I am cynical on the impact of Government consultations especially on whether they act on submissions from BAME perspectives but I am willing to invest my time

So dreadful that you have been made to feel like that.

Pottedcat · 16/03/2021 09:42

Bumping this. Thanks for bringing this up, I feel this is one of the big frontiers, am a migrant to UK and was shocked to find out outcomes and experiences for BAME women. I cannot fathom how women suffer and die when there is plenty of infrastructure. Will sacrifice and donate
Thanks for all the links, I am cynical on the impact of Government consultations especially on whether they act on submissions from BAME perspectives but I am willing to invest my time. So will do the survey.
Does anyone know of any BAME groups writing submissions?

PurpleHoodie · 16/03/2021 09:29

Excellent post Lizzie.

And spot on.

334bu · 16/03/2021 09:28

Very important initiative. Have posted link to this thread onto Daily Acts of feminism thread

Helleofabore · 16/03/2021 09:27

Wonderful group. Thanks.