{"id":111799,"date":"2020-09-14T08:37:36","date_gmt":"2020-09-14T12:37:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.oviahealth.com\/guide\/111799\/how-culturally-relevant-care-can-help-you-thrive-during-pregnancy-and-beyond\/"},"modified":"2025-02-03T11:23:46","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T16:23:46","slug":"how-culturally-relevant-care-can-help-you-thrive-during-pregnancy-and-beyond","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.oviahealth.com\/guide\/111799\/how-culturally-relevant-care-can-help-you-thrive-during-pregnancy-and-beyond\/","title":{"rendered":"How culturally relevant care can help you thrive during pregnancy, and beyond"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every pregnancy is different \u2014 individuals experience a wide range of symptoms and have unique priorities for their labor, delivery, and prenatal and postpartum care.  That\u2019s why care that centers you and recognizes where you\u2019re coming from is so important, both during pregnancy and even after you little one is born. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personalized care centers you<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Personalized care is care that centers the patient\u2019s wants and needs, whether you are working with an OB\/GYN, midwife, mental health professional, doula, lactation consultant, or peer breastfeeding mentor. Your care provider should view you as a unique individual, listen to your wishes and concerns, ensure that you understand all of your care options, and empower you to feel in control of your body. And while an ideal birth experience isn\u2019t always possible for safety reasons, a good provider will always communicate why things are happening and do their best to meet as many of your wishes as possible while keeping you safe. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Culturally relevant care recognizes where you\u2019re coming from<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It can be incredibly meaningful to seek out care that really recognizes where you\u2019re coming from too. Culturally relevant care can also play a huge role in ensuring that your experience of pregnancy and postpartum is what you want it to be and that you\u2019re given the opportunity to feel recognized and satisfied with your care. The culture that we come from defines so many aspects of our lives, including our understanding and experience of pregnancy, birth, and parenthood. So finding support within your own cultural community can be empowering. This might mean working with a care provider who understands your religion, or grew up in your community, or who shares your background. Care based in this sort of shared cultural understanding allows you to thrive, because at its core it means that your care provider truly understands where you\u2019re coming from. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can be of particular importance for Black women and birthing folks, as birth inequities in the U.S. mean that Black women and families experience disproportionately worse maternal and infant health outcomes for a number of reasons \u2014 including limited access to care, dismissal of pain and other health concerns, and higher rates of underlying health conditions \u2014 racism and unconscious bias are huge factors in each of these areas. Working with a care provider who really sees you, understands you, and recognizes these challenges can be invaluable. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In practice, this could mean that if you\u2019re Black, you choose to work with a Black care team during pregnancy \u2014 an OB\/GYN or midwife, or a doula. If you plan to breastfeed, it might mean that you seek out breastfeeding support within the Black community, like taking classes with a Black breastfeeding support group in your community before birth, attending breastfeeding support sessions with such a group postpartum, working with a Black lactation consultant, or meeting with a Black peer breastfeeding counselor. Many groups run by Black birth professionals are available to provide just this sort of support \u2014 from midwifery groups, to doula groups, to breastfeeding groups. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You deserve it <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

While you deserve to feel comfortable and safe with your provider (and these are non negotiables), you won\u2019t necessarily find that everyone supporting you throughout pregnancy and postpartum must be a perfect fit to have healthy outcomes and good experiences. Certainly, sometimes options are limited in terms of the sort of healthcare providers we can see or the additional support people we have access to. If, for example, you\u2019re not entirely happy with your OB\/GYN, but are limited in your provider options, then maybe you seek out a doula who can help support you throughout your pregnancy and postpartum journey and help you advocate for the best care for you. Small choices like this can make a big difference. You deserve to have care that fully supports you throughout birth and beyond.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
Read more<\/span><\/h5>\n\n\n\n