The right to bodily autonomy encompasses the right to give birth, ensuring safety and informed decision-making throughout the process.
“How can I bring myself to give birth in a hospital when I have experienced the loss of loved ones within those very walls?”
As someone who works as a doula and holds the position of executive director at the Topeka Doula Project, I have encountered this sentiment on numerous occasions. The lack of trust and miscommunication among patients, healthcare providers, and the healthcare system itself is concerning. It saddens me to think that we are losing sight of the fundamental human experience of giving birth.
In April, I will be joining YWCA Northeast Kansas to explore the concept of bodily autonomy as part of the Racial Justice Challenge. While the discussion around bodily autonomy often centers around the right to have an abortion, I encourage you to consider the broader perspective. Bodily autonomy encompasses the right to choose how and when we give birth, with a deep understanding and trust in our own bodies.
We don’t trust our own bodies
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Doulas receive training to support and empower pregnant and birthing individuals, enabling them to become advocates for themselves. A significant hurdle I often encounter when working with pregnant individuals is their struggle with trust and self-esteem. Many do not feel a sense of ownership over their bodies’ journey throughout pregnancy and childbirth.
Recently, I began working with a mother who had been consulting a specialist in maternal fetal medicine, a physician specialized in high-risk pregnancies. Curious about her situation, I asked her why she was seeing the specialist, but she couldn’t provide a clear answer. She didn’t know what factors made her pregnancy high risk. It seemed that she was simply following the doctor’s recommendation without fully understanding her own situation. To me, this indicated a lack of self-trust and a lack of understanding about her own pregnancy journey.
Teaching bodily autonomy to someone who lacks understanding of their own body can be a challenging task.
People are capable of learning
I have a vivid memory of a mother who was imprisoned at the Topeka Correctional Facility. She had been struggling with substance abuse during her pregnancy, but her determination to provide the best for her baby led her to seek help and stay clean. Her main goal was to be able to breastfeed her child. As her support system, I assisted her throughout her pregnancy and the birthing process. Additionally, I arranged for her expressed breastmilk to be sent to the caregivers taking care of her baby.
Black mamas deserve to live
The responsibility of addressing the risk factors that contribute to “poor health outcomes” does not solely rest on individuals. Rather, these risk factors are rooted in the community, and it is the collective responsibility of the entire community to address them. Structural racism plays a significant role in perpetuating the divide between pregnant individuals of color and the healthcare system that should provide them with support throughout their pregnancy journey.
Let’s take a step forward together
I hope my story will inspire you to delve deeper. We have a chance to embark on this journey together by participating in the YWCA Racial Justice Challenge, which commenced on April 1. The initial subject matter explored in the challenge centers around bodily autonomy, a topic that has gained significant media attention since the summer of 2022, when Kansans overwhelmingly voted in favor of preserving the right to abortion.
But there is still much to be learned in order to address the disparities in health outcomes for people of color. Let’s work together to develop a more thorough understanding of bodily autonomy and apply that knowledge right here in Kansas.
The YWCA Racial Justice Challenge is an initiative that aims to promote awareness and understanding of racial justice issues. It encourages individuals to engage in a month-long challenge where they explore various topics related to race and racism. By participating in the challenge, individuals have the opportunity to learn and grow, while also taking action to create a more equitable society. The challenge includes daily prompts and activities that cover a wide range of topics, such as privilege, systemic racism, and allyship. It is designed to spark conversations, encourage self-reflection, and inspire individuals to make meaningful change in their communities.
The program aims to provide a virtual learning experience that fosters the development of effective social justice habits, while also promoting community-building and conversation on various topics. These topics include bodily autonomy, financial empowerment, gun violence, and transportation. As a challenge partner, the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library will be hosting weekly lunch-hour chats and a community forum on Tuesday, April 30. If you’re interested, click here to register and find out more about the program.
Abriona Markham, the Executive Director of Topeka Doula Project, Inc., is a doula who is passionate about supporting women during pregnancy and childbirth. She believes that every woman deserves to have a voice and be included in public discussions about policies that affect their lives. Kansas Reflector, through its opinion section, aims to give a platform to individuals like Abriona, who are directly impacted by public policies and often left out of important conversations. To learn more about how you can contribute your own commentary to Kansas Reflector, click here.
Bodily autonomy in Kansas encompasses the fundamental right to experience childbirth.