s-oft-core:

daughterofdessalines:

Black couple say Texas authorities took away their baby just because they had a home birth 

"Instantly, I felt like they had stolen my baby," the mom said.

TODAY.com

A Black couple living in Dallas say their 2-week-old daughter was taken from them because they decided to have a home birth with a midwife.

Home-births and midwifery services are increasingly sought out by Black pregnant people and families over traditional hospital settings amid a mounting maternal mortality crisis exacerbated by systemic medical racism. Black pregnant people are three to four times more likely than white pregnant people to die from pregnancy-related causes, per the CDC.

When Black pregnant people and families can’t feel safe seeking pregnancy and birth-related services from the hospital, and can’t feel safe choosing home births and home care options that draw police attention.

i live in Dallas and the afiya center, a space that provides reproductive care for black women in the city, shared these ways to activate.