A Cross Analysis & Reflection of Unfortunate Black Birth Stories
- Danni Doula
- Jan 10
- 4 min read
The current reality for Black birthing individuals is frightening, to say the least. Statistics do very little justice in showing the harsh and unique circumstances Black birthing families experience. While some may see this as overemphasizing black and brown stories and neglecting other ethnic groups' experiences, I must highlight and uplift Black-exclusive experiences. As a Black doula who serves Black families, I know what I am talking about and will continue to advocate for populations that are silenced, mistreated, and underrepresented. It starts with home. It starts with us.
In July 2023, horrific news spread across the Americas. Young Black first-time parents lost their baby during labor in one of the most traumatizing ways, at the hands of professionals they were taught to trust. After hospital staff ultimately and unfortunately neglected their role of providing a safe and informed delivery, Ross, the mother of Treveon Isaiah, delivered her baby boy’s body vaginally and had to undergo a cesarean to remove the baby boy’s detached head. At a hospital south of Atlanta, Georgia, Treveon Isaiah Taylor Jr.’s life was tragically taken from him....
Later, the hospital staff posed the infant in a disingenuous way to mislead his parents and cover their error as much as possible. This was later ruled as a homicide, leaving the grieving parents with one of the most traumatizing memories imaginable, likely haunting them daily. As this tragic news spread through various media outlets, people worldwide began to analyze what went wrong and how such a horrific event could happen in a place where people are supposed to receive quality care.
So, what went wrong here? Medical professionals neglected their training to respond properly to a common emergent situation, lacked the empathy necessary to provide nurturing, informed care, and then attempted to conceal their mistakes. Was a doula present? No, but in most labor and delivery rooms, as mothers approach the time to push, these rooms can be filled with up to 12 medical professionals. Sometimes, the room is so crowded that support persons for the laboring individual may have to forfeit their space. The pressing questions are: why did no one say anything? Why did no one help? Did they not see the distress on the parents' faces? Why wasn’t hospital policy followed for a very common condition? There are several actions that could have and should have been taken to prevent such a horrific event.
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), over 85% of maternal health-related deaths could have been prevented with proper care and attention.
In recent news, after the overturn of Roe vs. Wade, Amari Marsh, a Black woman from South Carolina, unexpectedly went into preterm labor at home. She had no idea she was pregnant and was unknowingly approaching the final weeks of her second trimester when she began experiencing excruciating pain. After a hospital visit, she was released, only to later expel her baby in her bathroom toilet.
What was already a heartbreaking event turned even more devastating for Miss Marsh when she was held in jail for twenty days without bond, facing charges of murder and child abuse. From grieving and recovering mother to a suspect under investigation, Marsh was eventually released and placed under house arrest, enduring a traumatizing and burdensome court case. She was interrogated, questioned, and probed after the untimely loss of her baby, describing feelings of confusion and fear—emotions that should not, but often do, accompany pregnancy and loss.
The criminalization of pregnancy loss is especially ironic given the scarce resources available to support healthy Black births. What went wrong here? Two failing systems collided—the justice system and the healthcare system both failed to act humanely in circumstances where compassion was desperately needed.
These parents, Jessica Ross, Traveon Taylor Sr., and Amari Marsh, didn't just want justice—they wanted to give birth and receive support in peace. This is an expectation many Black and Brown expectant families hold, but unfortunately, it often goes unmet. Instead, these families frequently feel unheard, misjudged, stereotyped, and ignored.
While the two examples mentioned are from recent tragic losses, Black women and families across the U.S. have faced negative experiences during pregnancy and postpartum for centuries. Statistics show that these adverse outcomes have nothing to do with one's level of education or relationship status, but rather everything to do with one's race and the lack of integrity and care in medical settings.
When discussing Black families bringing new life into hospital settings, these are some of the challenges they face. The overarching question is, "Can she birth in peace?" The quick answer is: not without a doula or proper support, not preferably in a hospital, and certainly not in the current political climate.
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