Birthmark Doula Collective/New Orleans Breastfeeding Center
Presentation Abstract
Increasing Access to Quality Care for Postpartum People
More preventable deaths occur among postpartum people in the United States than any other developed nation in the world, with Black and brown postpartum people dying at disproportionate rates compared to their non-Hispanic White counterparts. One facet of reducing preventable maternal deaths in the postpartum period is to increase access to perinatal health resources and care, particularly to those most at risk and most marginalized from the conventional healthcare system. Community-based perinatal care, inclusive of home visitation programs, birth doulas, and other grassroots perinatal workers is one important mechanism of increasing access to care for postpartum families. Community-based perinatal care models not only increase access generally, but also tend to be more culturally appropriate, timely, convenient, and sustained types of care, as compared to hospital-based clinical care in the postpartum period. Black and brown families, those struggling with poverty, addiction, language barriers, and other barriers to care are especially impacted by these models of care, yet most postpartum morbidity and mortality prevention research centers hospital-based clinical interventions. This presentation will review existing studies of community based perinatal care, highlight key experiences and examples of these care models in southern Louisiana that demonstrate gaps in current research and funding, and suggest some future directions.
About Ms. Giwa
Latona Giwa is a Birth Doula, Registered Nurse, Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and birth justice advocate. In 2011, she co-founded Birthmark Doula Collective, Louisiana's largest, and the only worker-owned birthworker organization. In 2017, she co-founded the New Orleans Breastfeeding Center, Louisiana's first freestanding breastfeeding clinic. With these organizations, she collaboratively launched Cafe au Lait: Breastfeeding Support Circles for Families of Color and Infant Ready!, a perinatal emergency preparedness program. Ms. Giwa’s analysis builds on her personal experience as a Black mother, daughter, and survivor, and her professional experience serving pregnant, birthing, and parenting families in Louisiana hospitals, clinics, and homes. She has served on several Louisiana state and provider committees to improve perinatal health inequities, including the Louisiana Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review Board. Ms. Giwa teaches workshops on topics including birth justice, Black breastfeeding, the maternal health crisis, and trauma-informed parent support.
Ms. Giwa did not disclose any conflicts of interest for this workshop.