When Jamarah Amani was in labor at a Georgia hospital, she fought with medical staff over her delivery preferences — a harrowing experience during which she recalled a nurse saying her birthing choices would “kill the baby.” After delivering her second child and after enduring that conflict with the medical team, the mother of four […]
maternal mortality
Posted inReproductive Health
Why Georgia’s Maternal Mortality Rates for Black Women Are Alarming Health Advocates
Chanel Stryker-Boykin knows about the challenges facing Black pregnant women in Georgia. The doula working in metro Atlanta says a new report from the Georgia Department of Public Health that 56% of pregnancy-related deaths in the state from 2018 to 2020 were Black women should alarm local leaders and health care providers. “I’m hoping that […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
Why Black Doulas Say They Can’t Fix Georgia’s Maternal Mortality Crisis Alone
Nearly 18 years ago, Elysia Douglas’ friend was headed to Crawford Long Hospital (now Emory Midtown) for the birth of her son and asked if she would come along. The friend’s boyfriend wouldn’t be able to show up for the first part of the birth, and she initially just wanted Douglas to sit next to […]
