Supporting Black Mothers
Karen Kasmauski | Virginia, United States
Photographer: Karen Kasmauski
Exhibit Title: Supporting Black Mothers
Location: Virginia, United States
I am exploring the resurgence of the ancient art of midwifery. My goal is to illuminate the role—at times misunderstood—that these healing women play in bringing new humans into our world. Using medical expertise and calm guidance they create safe and comforting spaces for women to give birth. By exploring the practices of midwives in different cultural and geographical contexts, I hope to connect past and present, shedding light on how integrating traditional and modern birth practices can enhance maternal health and empower women.
Today, despite increasing advocacy for women’s autonomy in childbirth, midwifery remains underutilized in the United States. In contrast, midwives are integral to childbirth in many industrialized nations. Countries with higher midwifery involvement have much lower maternal mortality rates compared to the United States. The maternal mortality rate for Black women is approximately three times higher than that for White women. In the rural United States women face increasing difficulty finding care from doctors. Nurse midwives could fill these maternal health deserts.
The pictures in this essay include coverage of three Black mothers during different stages of maternity and birth. I worked with the Birth Care Midwifery Group based in northern Virginia. This group provides pre and post-natal care as well as delivery. Along with health of the baby, the midwives focus on care for the mother, making sure that the birth experience is what each mother wants. They encourage Black women to go to midwives and avoid the unconscious bias that can occur in hospital birth situations. They do immediate checkups following birth and follow the mother and baby for a full year. The midwives I worked with are often single-person business, who juggle the time-consuming tasks of staying current on the many regulations and paperwork required of all health care providers, while still caring for women before, during and after birth.
Karen Kasmauski
kkasmauski7@gmail.com
www.kasmauski.com
https://kasmauski.wordpress.com
C: 703-244-4470
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