Rooted in Justice & Joy

We Deserve to Be Held: Black Maternal Health Week

Out here in the high desert, we know what it means to survive in environments that weren’t built with us in mind.

Dry air. Long distances. Systems that don’t always listen. The "Quiet 'isms"...

And still, we create life. We nurture it. We carry it forward.

Black Maternal Health Week is a reminder that survival is not the goal anymore.

We deserve ease.

We deserve support.

We deserve to be held, before, during, and long after birth.

Let’s talk about what that actually looks like for us.

🍼 Feeding Our Babies: It Shouldn’t Be a Fight

Human milk feeding is powerful, but let’s be real, it’s not always simple.

A lot of us are told “breast is best” without being given the support to make that possible. No real guidance. No patience. No cultural understanding of what we’re navigating.

And out here? Lactation support can feel hard to find, or not aligned with us.

Feeding your baby should feel supported, not judged.

Whether you’re chestfeeding, pumping, supplementing, or figuring it out day by day, you deserve:

Education that actually makes sense

Support that respects your choices

Care that sees you, not just the baby

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about being resourced.

🧠 Mental Health: “How Are You Doing?” Still Matters

Somewhere along the way, folks stopped asking mothers how they’re doing, and started only asking about the baby.

And that silence? It’s heavy.

Out here, where community can be spread out and support isn’t always close by, that isolation hits different.

Black birthing people are expected to be strong, but strength shouldn’t mean suffering quietly.

You deserve:

To say “this is hard” without being dismissed

To rest without guilt

To be supported emotionally, not just medically

Checking on your mental health is part of your care plan.

Not an afterthought.

🥗 Nourishment & Movement: Come Back to Your Body

Pregnancy and postpartum shift everything, your energy, your hormones, your sense of self.

This isn’t the time for pressure. It’s the time for reconnection.

Out here, that might look like:

Warm, nourishing meals that feel like home

Drinking your water (yes, even in this dry desert air)

Stepping outside, catching sun, taking a slow walk

Letting your body move gently, not forcefully

This isn’t about “bouncing back.”

This is about coming back to yourself.

🏡 Where You Give Birth Matters

Hospital. Birth center. Home.

There is no one “right” choice, only what’s right for you.

But let’s be honest... many of us have walked into medical spaces and felt unheard, rushed, or dismissed.

That’s not okay.

You deserve to:

Ask questions without feeling small

Make informed decisions about your body

Feel safe in the space where you give birth

Your birth experience matters just as much as the outcome.

🤎 Doulas: Not Extra. Essential.

Let me say this plain:

Doulas are not a luxury.

Especially for Black birthing people, we are a layer of protection, a steady presence, and a voice when things feel overwhelming.

✨We:

Advocate when you’re not being heard

Help you understand what’s happening in real time

Support you emotionally through every phase

Stay with you when systems shift and people rotate out.

In a place like Albuquerque, where resources can feel scattered, having someone consistent in your corner changes everything.

You don’t have to do this alone.

Not pregnancy.

Not birth.

Not postpartum.

✨ We Keep Each Other Safe

The truth is... systems haven’t always shown up for us the way they should.

So we build community.

We share knowledge.

We show up for each other.

That’s how we’ve always made it through.

Black Maternal Health Week is about more than statistics, it’s about remembering what’s possible when we are supported, respected, fully seen, and able to fully trust ourselves.

Out here in the desert… we’re still growing life.

And we deserve to do it surrounded by care.

Happy Black Maternal Health Week!

BDDNM 🌵 ✨