What My First Pregnancy Taught Me About Birth Justice
May 24, 2016After discovering I was pregnant for a second time, I had concerns that my previous cesarean section would keep me from having a vaginal birth. But what I learned after speaking with medical professionals and reading up on vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) is that it is possible, with the appropriate resources. I also came to realize that the medical community needs to do more to support women of color, particularly Black women, who must confront a number of hurdles in order to have a VBAC.
All across the country there has been an injection of #BlackLivesMatter in our decades-long Black liberation movement, and reproductive justice, including birth justice, is a critical part of those efforts. Birth justice includes making sure Black moms have full control of their own health and birth process through proper childbirth education and community resources.