Help Me Access Safe and Affirming Midwife Care
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Hello!
My name is Cherise Morris, and I'm currently pregnant with my second child. I am a writer and teaching artist and my profession does not provide me with the financial freedom to access private medical insurance. Like many, I rely on Medicaid for my health care and unfortunately, Medicaid does not cover the cost of home birth and midwife pre- and postnatal care. Despite the fact that pre- and postnatal care and home birthing costs only $3,500 in total and hospital delivery alone costs between $5000 and 11000 on average in the US. Nearly all private medical insurers cover home birth and licensed midwifery services, but Medicaid as a state service does not allow birthing people the option to choose these empowering alternative birthing options, although home birthing and midwifery have been practiced literally for millennia.
As a Black woman in the US, I am well aware of the disproportionate maternal mortality rates for Black women and the healthcare discrimination that Black mothers face on a regular basis. With my first pregnancy, I had discriminatory experiences with standard OBGYN care which ultimately led to my decision to work with a midwife andf have a home birth in 2021.
I am fortunate I live in an area where I can access safe and affirming midwife services from licensed Black midwives. This will be my second birth. My first home birth experience was absolutely magical. I was able to birth the way that felt best for my body without being rushed in a hospital setting and received excellent care without the racial bias I had experienced from OBGYNs in the hospital setting. I was able to direct my birth responding to the needs of my body.
I’m raising money to cover the costs of my home birth and midwife care. This includes all of my prenatal checkups, the birth itself and postnatal care through the first 6 weeks postpartum with a licensed and experienced Black midwife who has attended more than 400 successful home births.
If you are interested in finding out more about my work I have included links below:
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Cherise Morris
Organizer
Detroit, MI