In the most recent edition of the monthly series "Deep Dive,” the conversation featured an important subject: maternal health education, with a special focus on advocacy for women, particularly women of color, within a healthcare system that often falls short. Host Amanda Hemm, the Director of Parent Experience at Parento, was joined by Cheyenne Varner, the founder of Educated Birth. Together, they discussed the complexities of reproductive healthcare inequities and the ways in which these challenges can be addressed through informed self-advocacy, access to equitable educational materials, and professional support.
Amanda and Cheyenne share a vision for redefining maternal health education by setting new standards for educational experiences that are comprehensive, personalized, and respectful of each parent's unique needs and situations. Amanda, who brings a wealth of experience as a postpartum doula and lactation educator, saw the gaps in available equitable educational materials for new parents. In her practice, she spent time as a new birth worker developing her own resources for her clients, often due to the lack of educational materials. .
Cheyenne, a birth worker since 2016, launched The Educated Birth to fill a significant void. After watching the documentary, The Business of Being Born, Cheyenne's journey into birth work was spurred by the startling disparities in maternal mortality rates, particularly among Black women in the United States. Black women are 3x more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women, and 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States are preventable. That’s why it’s so important for women, especially black women, to have support and advocate for themselves. This is what led her to develop a non-judgmental and informed approach to education and decision-making in the birth process with the Educated Birth.
The heart of Cheyenne's mission with Educated Birth lies in confronting the inequities present in reproductive healthcare. By creating and continuously refining a collection of educational materials that celebrate diversity and are designed with inclusivity in mind, the Educated Birth strives to empower both professionals and parents. From toolkits to childbirth education classes, these resources are crafted to be easy to understand and use, facilitating personalized support for every parent’s journey.
The Educated Birth has aimed to provide birth and postpartum professionals (and expecting parents) with comprehensive, accessible, and representative educational resources to. She believes that having inclusivity and representation within birth education materials can help women of color see themselves and advocate to get the care they need. This approach not only enhances professional confidence but also ensures parents receive quality information in a manner that is most relevant to them.
This Deep Dive conversation brought up several key points for both expecting parents and healthcare professionals to redefine maternal health education:
The discussion between Amanda and Cheyenne serves as a powerful reminder of the impact that informed, supportive, and inclusive educational resources can have on the maternal health experience. The United States is already failing women with a national grade of “D” for maternal mental health, making what The Educated Birth is doing to help lift up women even more powerful. By promoting an environment of empowerment and advocacy, we can begin to address the inequities in maternal healthcare and work towards a system that supports all parents and families, regardless of their background or circumstances.
