Experiences of Black Women During Pregnancy: The Meaning of Perinatal Support

This study describes findings of a phenomenological study of Black women's experiences with a community-based perinatal support organization based in Cleveland, Ohio. Twenty-five women participated in interviews after their babies were born about how the organization in general, and perinatal s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of orthopsychiatry 2021, Vol.91 (5), p.589-597
Main Authors: Collins, Cyleste C., Brown, Portia L., Rice, Heather, Bronson, Cassaundra, Cherney, Emily, Farmer, Christin, DeRigne, LeaAnne
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Basic needs
Birth order
Black People
Community organizations
Emotional support
Expectant Mothers
Female
Health Disparities
Human
Infants
Intervention
Mothers
Perinatal care
Perinatal Period
Pregnancy
Social Isolation
Social Support
Stress
Uncertainty
Women
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Summary:This study describes findings of a phenomenological study of Black women's experiences with a community-based perinatal support organization based in Cleveland, Ohio. Twenty-five women participated in interviews after their babies were born about how the organization in general, and perinatal support professionals (PSPs) in particular supported them during their pregnancies and the meaning of that support. The overall meaning of perinatal support was described as easing participants' transitions into motherhood through reducing uncertainty, social isolation, and stress. The three main themes described the meaning of perinatal support and included (a) easing the transition to motherhood through emotional support, expressed via love and help managing relationships; (b) easing the transition to motherhood through instrumental support, expressed via helping with basic needs and obtaining material goods for the baby; and (c) easing the transition to motherhood through informational support, expressed via help navigating systems and information, and gaining knowledge and skills around mothering and self-care. Implications for practice, policy, and research are discussed. Public Policy Relevance Statement Black infant and maternal mortality rates, which research finds are related to the stress of racism, are at crisis levels. All women should have free access to community-based perinatal support, a cost-effective intervention that could work to reduce health disparities in part by reducing women's stress.
ISSN:0002-9432
1939-0025
DOI:10.1037/ort0000557