Did you see the commercial for Beware of the Midwife on Lifetime? I literally frowned and said to myself “what the hell is wrong with Lifetime. Please don’t watch this movie. From the trailer and synopsis of the film, this culturally insensitive movie is about a black couple who is hesitant about having their child at the hospital, so they opt to hire a midwife and do a home birth. The midwife is a black woman who steals their baby as her own grandchild. Like I said, I refuse to watch the film, so I am going off my own inferences.
Why I am not watching it: Why You Need a Midwife.
According to the CDC black women are 3-4 times more likely than white mothers when it comes to child birth. In 2020, six black women were victims. Black midwives were vital to black maternal health, before, during and after slavery. Then they were called ‘grannie midwives’; they were trusted, skilled and most importantly achieved the goal of having mom and baby go home in tote. Why would Lifetime debut this movie during black maternal health week ?
- Women who have a midwife have better birth experiences: vaginal delivery and less interventions are used.
- Research shows that if more women used nurse midwives it could decrease maternal mortality by 41 percent.
- Midwives provide more emotional and mental support. During my labor, the midwife and resident midwife were there. They gave me the best massage on earth. They sat on the floor with me and empowered me. Although my husband and mother were there, the resident nurse midwife never left my side.
- More representation is needed in the medical feel to help reverse racism in medicine and improve the healthcare system.
Make Yourself Aware of the Midwife.
At such a crucial time where too many black women are falling victim to maternal mortality and filled with so much fear concerning medicine, the vaccine and trusting providers that do not look like them and where we need more representation in healthcare. The last thing needed is a creepy black woman on a television as a midwife and the title being ‘Beware of the midwife’. It is astonishing that Lifetime, the directors and the black leading actors would even green light this film. Black women and their experiences so much trauma, regarding maternal health. The five black mothers who passed away in 2020, were all deeply loved and excited, but that was taken away from them due to implicit bias and racism in the medical field. Why not make a movie where a black family had a wonderful birth experience, because of a nurse midwife? Or a movie about the history of the granny midwives.
Please mama’s do not beware the midwife, but be aware of the midwife. If it was not for my midwife I would not have had such great prenatal care, preparation for birth and successful at breastfeeding.
Please sign the petition below to remove the movie
Remove the movie “Beware of the Midwife” from Lifetime
Need a midwife ?
If you are in New Haven County and in need of a midwife. Please send me an email hello@asialore.com or DM me on instagram at @asia.lorea
