Shifting Perspectives of Home Birth
One of the reasons Miquilaue decided to write and publish “Mama Says Homebirth” is to help normalize home births within the African-American community. “Previously most African-Americans living in the south gave birth at home, as it was their only option,” Miquilaue explains. “There was a granny midwife or grand midwife in the community serving everyone in the community.”
Miquilaue says that popular views of different birthing options have changed over time. “My grandma talks to me about the reasons she chose to give birth in a hospital,” she says. “At the time, in the early 60’s when my uncle was born, it was a status thing. So if you were up and coming then you’d give birth in a hospital and giving birth at home was seen as moving backwards,” she says. “If you were African-American and were still having home births, some people assumed it was because you were poor and couldn’t afford to go to the hospital.”