Guest Blog: Birth Sisters of Charlottesville
Doreen Bonnet, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Birth Sisters of Charlottesville (BSC), shares her journey with BSC, helping other women of color and the challenges faced. Birth Sisters of Charlottesville is a women of color doula collective supporting women of color through their birth journey and into motherhood. Their mission is to help "Build resiliency of Black, Indigenous, and Women of Color by drawing on life experiences, shared values, training, and sacred legacies to provide culturally rooted, trauma-intuitive perinatal services and advocacy." They serve women in the City of Charlottesville and the surrounding counties.
What shaped your journey with Birth Sisters of Charlottesville and helping other women of color?
I was drawn into birth work because of the disparities in birth outcomes for Black women. Once I realized what was involved in being a doula, becoming one felt like a natural fit. I wanted to have an impact in reversing this alarming trend. Myself and other co-founders of Birth Sisters of Charlottesville, Lisa Brown, Charlsie Stratton, and Zakiah Pierre, were committed to the mission of supporting women of color during their birth journey. BSC’s official mission is to dismantle root causes of systemic maternal health disparities for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) while denying race as a risk factor.
How do The Birth Sisters support women through their birth journey and into motherhood?
This question provides an opportunity to explain the distinction between a doula and a community-based doula. A doula is a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a mother before, during, and shortly after childbirth to help her achieve the healthiest, most satisfying experience possible.
A “community-based doula” often has shared lived experiences and is trained to provide extended, culturally congruent support to families throughout pregnancy, including antepartum, intrapartum, during labor and birth, and up to one year postpartum. Community-based doulas provide an expanded set of services and play a crucial role in improving outcomes and experiences for communities most affected by discrimination and disparities in health outcomes.
As community-based doulas in this community, our Birth Sisters have witnessed and encountered client experiences with homelessness and housing, domestic violence, family regulation (CPS/DSS), substance abuse, mental health, employment, and fear of death from birth-related complications. While our scope is a bit broader than a traditional doula, we often help our clients navigate available resources.
Our basic perinatal package includes a minimum of two prenatal visits at the client’s home or the BSC location, labor and delivery support at the client’s place of birth (hospital, home, or birth center), and a minimum of two postpartum visits in the hospital or at the client’s home. A client can choose extended postpartum support for up to a year after delivery.
The core benefit of our work is the birth outcomes of our clients. We’re thrilled to share that in 2023, we had:
0 infant loss
0 maternal loss
2 preterm deliveries
0 full-term infants born with low birth weight (that was not a twin)
0 miscarriages
How can we, as a community, better support women of color through their birth journey and into motherhood?
Listen. One of the most common things our clients tell us is that their concerns are not heard or taken seriously by medical professionals during doctor visits and/or labor and delivery. Borrowing from BSC’s vision, I would encourage acknowledging, hearing, affirming, honoring, respecting, caring for, and celebrating mothers of color. Pause and consider what this might look like, depending on your scope of service and/or area of influence as it relates to maternal health. This can go a long way in improving maternal outcomes.
What are words of support you can provide to women of color who are struggling?
I would encourage mothers of color who are struggling to seek support available to them. They don’t have to take this journey alone. Rely on trusted family members and friends. Also, consider having a doula who can educate and help navigate their maternal journey. Studies show improved birth outcomes when a doula is present.
Anything else you would like to say or share?
For more information on Birth Sisters of Charlottesville or to donate to continue our work, see our websites:
Doctor’s Note: Jefferson OB/GYN is a comprehensive team of board-certified physicians and nurse practitioners practicing obstetrics and gynecology in Charlottesville, VA, and only delivers at Martha Jefferson Hospital. We welcome doulas to provide support during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum.
Understanding, identifying, and raising awareness of the different causes of maternal deaths and the associated racial health inequities can help patients and clinicians alike know more about the risk factors and potential health care considerations during the perinatal and postpartum periods. We are working to:
remain vigilant in recognizing prejudices in health care
learn from racial justice activists and scholars
educate ob-gyns and medical students about racial bias and how to address it in women’s health care
support research that’s done by and for women of color
review the medical guidelines the doctors follow to ensure they provide equal access and comfort to all patients regardless of race
