Diary of a Superstrong Black Woman: Centering the Voices of the Black Birthing Experience

• In Event: 20820 - Section on Medical Sociology Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 3. Reproductive Health

Abstract

In the US, maternal mortality rates are 3-4 times higher for Black pregnant persons compared to their White counterparts. Despite increasing calls to address these disparities and the fact that majority of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable, the crisis persists. Black birthing individuals frequently encounter obstetric racism, a form of gender-based medical racism that results in disrespectful and discriminatory healthcare experiences throughout the pregnancy continuum, but most frequently during labor and birth. Most research on the experiences of Black pregnant individuals primarily concentrate on maternal mortality rather than on their lived experiences. Furthermore, the application of Black feminist theory as a framework for interpreting these experiences has been notably absent from current literature.



Using a Black feminist theory framework, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 36 Black mothers, during their third trimester and postpartum period, to examine their birth and postpartum care experiences at a large academic medical center in Chicago. We also investigate how structural barriers and systemic racism influence healthcare experiences, decision-making, and birthing experiences of Black pregnant individuals. Narratives describe shared experiences related to engagements with medical staff, fears of being judged, and patient autonomy. We contextualize our findings using a “Superstrong Black woman (SSBW)” schema, exploring the SSBW behaviors and characteristics participants display, as well as the consequences of these behaviors. This analysis allows us to understand how participants navigated expectations of strengths, emotional suppression, caregiving, and independence during their perinatal experiences. Our findings reinforce and extend our understanding of how historical trauma, systemic racism, and socialized gender expectations shape Black maternal healthcare experiences. We argue that the centering of Black pregnant persons narratives departs from traditional approaches and contributes to the growing awareness and attention focused on disparate maternal outcomes driven by racism.

Authors

• Asantewaa Darkwa, University of Illinois-Chicago

• Brittani Rouse-Fowles, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Pia Pauline Lenon, University of Illinois Chicago