BOSTON – A new program in Boston is trying to improve the labor and delivery experience for expectant Black mothers and mothers of color, who often find their voices aren’t always heard by hospital staff.

Harder for Black moms to advocate

At 35, Latoya Baskin was thrilled to be pregnant with her first child, Jason, but she had concerns about giving birth.

“I’ve definitely heard and seen stories about how it’s just harder or just more you have to advocate for yourself a little more as an African-American,” said Baskin.

“We know that there are inequities or differences in the way that Black individuals or individuals of many different backgrounds either experience their labor and delivery care or their ultimate outcomes,” said Dr. Allison Bryant, the Associate Chief Health Equity Officer for Mass General Brigham.

Professional support person

Bryant said having a doula or a professional support person can help decrease c-section rates, improve the patient experience and promote breastfeeding but they can be expensive. So Mass General Brigham started a program called Birth Partners, which pairs a doula with an expectant parent of color free of charge. The Birth Partners program now serves about 130 expectant moms a year.

Baskin was matched Ieshia Lee, who has been a doula in the Boston area for 30 years.

“When I advocate, I’m advocating to the patient, not to the nurses,” said Lee. “So I’m guiding her, telling her, if she’s not liking what’s going on, how do you feel about that? I don’t like this, I don’t like this. Once she tells me what she don’t like, I then guide her how to tell them what she doesn’t like about it. So her voice is being heard.”

Lee met with Bryant before, during and after delivery and quickly became a member of her birthing team.

“Another person in my village to help me along the way, said Baskin.

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has worked at WBZ-TV for more than 20 years.