The CDC has found Black mothers die at a higher rate than white mothers when giving birth. Doula Imaan Ennis hopes her work will help change that statistic.
DENVER — Giving birth can put childbearing people in vulnerable, sometimes dangerous situations. For this reason, patient advocates, like doulas, have become support systems in the delivery room.
“As a doula, we provide physical, emotional and mental support to birthing individuals,” doula Imaan Ennis said.
In the case of Black mothers, people like Ennis are even more needed. The CDC has found Black mothers die at a higher rate than white mothers when giving birth.
“We are three to four times more likely to die than our white counterparts, so we’re doing our part to eliminate those types of things, like helping those families find their voice in the birth space,” she said.
Ennis said she was in the Air Force before transitioning into the medical field. She said her sister-in-law’s experience giving birth pushed her into the space.
“The course of her care could have been different if she would have known what her rights were, what her options were and she was able to say no when she needed to,” Ennis said.
She’s been a doula for two years. She said her role is to be a voice to Black mothers who feel unheard or who may not see someone who looks like them on their care team.
“They can have a person that they can relate to, that they feel safe with,” Ennis said.
Ennis said it’s important to bring these issues outside of birthing spaces, to uplift the need for advocacy and better treatment.
“We know these things are happening,” Ennis said. “We talk about it amongst ourselves, but there’s a power in documenting these kinds of things. While the accountability is not where it should be in the medical field, we have to start somewhere.”
Ennis channels her passion for proper care into her nonprofit, Matrescence. She said she hopes to create more spaces for Black women and doulas to be educated on their rights and what quality treatment looks like.
“We need special safe spaces for our people and our community to help us learn and grow and build that community our ancestors had and work together with each other,” Ennis said.
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