The Black maternity experience report is launching in 2 weeks. We know what the statistics are for Black women in maternity but there are real people behind the stats. Last year we launched a survey to collect the experiences of Black women. We had over 1300 responses back THREAD
No decisions about us, without us.
It’s been one of our campaign asks from the get go and one of the reasons why we launched the Black maternity experience survey last year. 2
We kept hearing researchers, various organisations and even the government say that they “can’t find Black women”to take part in their surveys and research and we were tired. 3
Our specific campaign ask is “We want decision makers to meaningfully engage Black women in improving their experiences of maternal health services”. Because we didn’t feel like it was being done, we did it ourselves. 4
We got an all Black led expert panel together, created a survey and received over 1300 responses from Black women across the country. The data was also processed by Black researchers. 5
This kind of data on this scale has never been collected before. And now we are ready to show the world exactly what Black women are saying about their maternity experiences. 6
Join us on 24th in just 2 weeks, both in person and online where we will have special guest key note speakers and will go through the report in depth. You can get tickets on eventbrite here eventbrite.com/e/the-black-ma…
Tune in now and take the #fivexmoreselfie if you haven't already ⏬
@CatMcKinnell quotes our founder @MumsandTea:
"In 1991, when my mum gave birth to me, she was at greater risk of dying.
In 2020, that risk had increased and I was 5x more likely to die.
I'll be damned if my daughter is 25x more likely to die whenever she decides to give birth."
@HarrietHarman highlights the finding from a recent Select Committee report that 78% of Black women do not believe that their health is equally protected
by the NHS compared to white people #BlackMaternalHealthDebate
Black women are 4x more likely to die in pregnancy & childbirth.
Mixed heritage women are 3x more likely to die in pregnancy & childbirth.
Asian women are 2x more likely to die in pregnancy & childbirth.
UK maternity care is rife with unequal health outcomes.
We want decision makers to acknowledge the disparities between Black women and their white counterparts in their experiences of pregnancy and childbirth within the NHS and commit to closing these gaps #protectblackwomen
We wanted to round off the #fivexmoreaw20 awareness week with a series of asks and a list of what we want to see change. These statistics have been rising for decades and it’s completely unacceptable (THREAD)
What do we want: Close the gap. We want the NHS to commit to a target of bringing the numbers down with a CLEAR PLAN OF ACTION SPECIFIC FOR BLACK WOMEN
What do we want: For more health professionals to be aware of these statistics, disparities and injustices so they can give targeted care for Black women
We are super excited to launch the UKs first ever Black women’s maternal health awareness week tomorrow. But before we engage in anything please see the rules, expectations, boundaries and what to expect from #fivexmoreaw20 THREAD
BOUNDARIES. Please be respectful of people’s lived experiences. Any negative or ignorant comments will be removed and you will be blocked immediately #fivexmoreaw20
TRIGGER WARNINGS. There will be talk of birth trauma and difficult birthing experiences throughout the week. Trigger warnings will be issued before each sensitive post so you can choose if you want to engage or not. #fivexmoreaw20
Parliament are currently holding an inquiry into the safety of maternity services in England!
We want to ensure the voices are of Black women are heard and will be submitting some evidence. To help us, please can you answer the next few questions! And share them too!
1. I was/have been given enough advice and guidance about my choices on:
a) Vaginal birth
1. I was/have been given enough advice and guidance about my choices on:
b) Home birth