Background/Purpose: Despite the best efforts of the health care community, many Black and African American women face systemic racism in the US and this leads to poor pregnancy outcomes compared to non-Black women. Innovative ways to provide social support may be the key for assisting these mothers to have a healthier pregnancy as well as care for her baby during its first year of life. Oftentimes providers only explore medical or nursing interventions to reduce the disparity. Community-based models are additional strategies to educate on ways to build their social support network, health information, improve access to resources, and ultimately reduce disparities. Social support programs led by community leaders provide individual care, support, and resources to assist pregnant women. Many women during pregnancy do not have someone to provide one-on-one mentoring during their pregnancy and the first year of their child’s life, guidance on local resources related to housing and food, and provide positive feedback on prenatal care, breastfeeding and parenting.
Methods: The Birthing Project USA/Arkansas Birthing Project was developed by Black women for Black women and has been providing support to women for over 30 years. This volunteer community-based model, provides support for Black women in an effort to improve their social support, increase their access to health services, and ideally improve their pregnancy, birth, and parenting experience. The Birthing Project pairs pregnant women with a mentor called a Sister Friend. The Sister Friend provides one-on-one support throughout the pregnancy and the year after birth. The Sister Friend volunteers her time to attend prenatal visits, attend the birth, and meet with the pregnant woman (Little Sister) on a monthly basis.
Results: To assess the effectiveness of the Birthing Project, three focus groups were conducted with Sister Friends and Little Sisters. The focus groups were transcribed and data from the focus groups were analyze using thematic analysis to identify major themes. Three themes emerged from Little Sisters - Relationships, Resources and Sister Friend's Time. Little Sisters valued the relationship that was developed with Sister Friends, appreciated the Sister Friend's time they gave to spend with them, and the ability of their Sister Friend to connect them with local resources. Three themes emerged from Sister Friends - Personal connection, Provide support, and Personal rewards. Sister Friends were motivated to volunteer based on a personal experience or a personal connection, and they wanted to provide support and encouragement to these pregnant women and their babies, and the Sister Friends discussed the personal rewards they received such as developing a relationship with the Little Sister and feeling appreciated.
Discussion/Conclusion: Connecting women early during their pregnancy to local community support programs assist women in having a healthy social support network. A community based model allows for women to develop relationships and community ties which last a lifetime therefore building a support system for not only the mother but her newborn. The Birthing Project model has been replicated throughout the United States and in other countries. The program can be customized to any community. Since the program consists of volunteers, the resources and monetary costs are small.
