02/28/2026
Trust is built through listening and if we want better outcomes, we have to listen to the people most impacted. 🤍 I attended the 2nd Annual Maternal Health Conference hosted in collaboration with Black Lives Matter New Hampshire, centered on improving outcomes and experiences for BIPOC families in perinatal care. The space, hosted at Saint Anselm College, brought together vendors, advocates, providers, and community members committed to equity in birth work.
Keynote speaker Krya L. Betts aka shared about her Dads to Doulas program, reminding us that culturally rooted, community-based support changes outcomes. She reframes Black fatherhood as a vital public-health intervention. April St. Hilaire DNP, RNC-OB, CNL of Exeter Hospital presented on the statewide rollout of the TeamBirth initiative, highlighting its focus on enhancing communication and shared decision-making between birthing families and clinical care teams across New Hampshire hospitals to reduce maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. .pqc
Dr. Nneka Gig-Patton’s ( .nnekagigi )Word to Womb framework powerfully connected cultural hairstyling, oral storytelling, and embodied literacy as sites of healing, resistance, and relational care for Black birthing people and families. Truly eye opening.
In breakout sessions like What Is So Special About Black Maternal Health? (Deb McCarter, PhD, RN, WHNP-BC) and The Power of Story (Christina Baron-Meija), I listened to BIPOC family birth stories and reflected on where we as providers MUST do better.
Improving outcomes isn’t only about protocols or statistics, it’s about building trust and respecting human dignity. Acknowledging privilege, power, and accountability. Grateful to learn, listen, and continue moving this work forward in advocacy for more equitable, inclusive perinatal care.❤️
