How to Know If Your Birth Provider Is Truly Safe for Black Families
A Practical Guide to Navigating Provider Bias & Finding Respectful Care
Black maternal health matters every month of the year, but during Black History Month, it feels especially important to talk about what families can do right now to protect themselves in the healthcare system.
In the United States, Black women are significantly more likely to experience pregnancy complications and maternal mortality. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to report stark disparities in outcomes for Black mothers compared to white mothers.
But here’s what’s important to understand:
Bias in healthcare is not always obvious. It’s often subtle; it shows up in tone, body language, dismissal, or delay. This guide is not based on fear; it’s about helping you recognize whether your provider is truly practicing respectful maternity care. Because you deserve to feel safe, heard, and partnered with during your pregnancy and birth.
1. Pay Attention to How They Respond to Your Questions
One of the easiest ways to assess a provider early on is to observe how they respond to the questions you ask.
A supportive provider will:
Welcome your questions
Explain risks and benefits clearly
Give you time to process
Encourage shared decision-making
A provider who may be operating from bias might:
Interrupt you
Rush your appointment
Downplay your concerns
Say “That’s normal” without further assessment
Seem irritated when you ask for clarification
You can gently test this by asking:
“What are your induction rates?”
“How do you support patients who decline interventions?”
“What does shared decision-making look like in your practice?”
Whether they become combative or collaborative will tell you a lot about the provider and the care you can expect.
2. Notice How They Respond When You Say You’re in Pain
Research has shown that Black patients are more likely to have their pain underestimated or undertreated.
If you say, “I’m in pain,” pay attention.
Do they:
Assess you thoroughly?
Offer options?
Believe you the first time?
Or do they:
Minimize it?
Delay intervention?
Suggest you’re overreacting?
You should never have to prove your discomfort. Being believed is not a luxury; it’s a standard of care.
3. Observe the Environment & Representation
Sometimes bias isn’t just in a person, it’s in the culture of an entire practice. Look around.
Are Black families represented in their marketing materials?
Do staff members reflect diverse backgrounds?
Are intake forms inclusive of different family structures?
Do you feel welcome in the space?
While representation alone doesn’t guarantee equity, it can signal whether a practice is intentionally thinking about inclusive care.
4. Pay Attention to How You Feel After Appointments
This one is important. After your visit, ask yourself:
Did I feel heard?
Did I feel rushed?
Did I feel respected?
Did I leave more informed or more confused?
Did I feel safe?
Many families ignore their intuition early on. They rationalize discomfort or tell themselves they’re being “too sensitive.” You’re not. If you consistently leave feeling small, dismissed, or hesitant to speak up next time, that matters. Safe providers don’t make you feel intimidated. They make you feel informed and empowered. Listen to your intuition.
5. Know the Green Flags
Let’s also name what respectful, bias-aware care actually looks like.
Green flags include:
They ask about your birth goals.
They ask about your fears.
They check in before touching you.
They explain procedures before doing them.
They respect when you ask for a pause.
They approach decision-making collaboratively.
That is when care is safe, when it’s a partnership with you at the helm.
6. If You’re Already Pregnant & Feeling Unsure
If you’re reading this and realizing something feels off, it’s not too late.
You can:
Transfer to a new provider
Request your medical records
Bring written questions to appointments
Add a doula for additional advocacy and support
Bring a trusted partner or support person to visits
Advocating for yourself is not being “difficult,” it’s being informed. And informed families have better outcomes.
Protecting Black Birth Is Present-Day Work
Black History Month is about honoring the past, but it’s also about protecting the present. Choosing a birth provider who listens, respects your autonomy, and practices evidence-based care is part of protecting Black maternal health today.
You deserve to be heard, to be believed, to know and understand your options, and to be an active participant in decisions about your body and your baby. Anything less is not the standard. It is not something you should accept.
Let’s Connect
If you’re reading this and wondering whether your current provider truly feels safe, you don’t have to sort through that alone.
Sometimes it helps to talk it out with someone who understands both the clinical side of birth and the subtle ways bias can show up in care. If you’d like support assessing your birth team, preparing questions for your next appointment, or making a plan that protects your autonomy, I’m here for that.
I also help families:
Find aligned doula support in their area
Plan for empowered, informed births
Build advocacy tools for hospital or home settings
Prepare for postpartum with clarity and confidence
Whether you’re local to New Jersey and looking for in-person support, or you’d prefer virtual guidance from wherever you are, we can create a plan that feels steady and protective.
You deserve a team that listens. You deserve care that feels safe. And you deserve to enter birth feeling informed, not unsure. If that’s what you’re looking for, reach out. Let’s talk through what support could look like for you.
