Black Maternal Health Week 2021: Get Informed and Get Involved!

This week is Black Maternal Health Week!

BMHW was started by The Black Mamas Matter Alliance with the following goals {taken from their website here}: 

• Deepen the national conversation about Black maternal health in the US

• Amplify community-driven policy, research, and care solutions

• Center the voices of Black Mamas, women, families, and stakeholders

• Provide a national platform for Black-led entities and efforts on maternal health, birth and reproductive justice

• Enhance community organizing on Black maternal health

The week ends with the kick off of the fourth annual Black Maternal Health Conference which I am so excited to be able to virtually attend. 

Why do we need a week?

I’m glad you asked. 

We all know disparities are everywhere. 

What do we call a disparity in economic resources?  Wealth gap

What about in education? Achievement gap

What do we call a disparity in imprisonment? School to prison pipeline

Source: Racial Equity Institute

It is our nation’s crippling inequities among those of difference racial or ethnic groups, a result of structural and societal racism, that not only effect the outcomes across multiple societal domains, but rob birthing people and their families who look like me of the birthing experience we all deserve. 

See, even in a country that spends an astronomical amount of health care, approximately 700 birthing people die from pregnancy related causes every year and the Black community continues to bare the burden of those losses. 

American Indian/Alaska Native and Black women are 2 to 3 times as likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women. But this isn’t a new issue and it has not gotten better with time. 

The CDC has some great information on the most recent pregnancy related mortality rates (PRMR) {here}. 

Source: CDC

Even in states with the lowest PRMR, the PRMR for Black patients was about 3 times as high as the PRMR for White patients.

Source: CDC

And the PRMR doesn’t improve for Black patients with education like is does for White patients. In fact the PRMR for Black patients with a college degree is FIVE TIMES that of their White counterparts. And while White patients see the PRMR drop by almost 2/3rds when they go from less than a high school education to having a college degree or higher. 

For Black patients, the rate barely moves. In fact, a Black patient with a college degree or higher has a higher PRMR than a White patient who did not finish high school. 

Source: CDC

In research we like to make sure we “control for confounding variables”. It is a way simulate “all things being equal”. You know, to make sure differences outside of the the association (like education or income) isn’t causing the outcome we see. So that means, "all things being equal" studies continue to prove that being pregnant while Black is a fight for your life. 

Although maternal mortality is one of the most jarring disparities, it is not the only one. 

• Infant mortality, preterm birth rates, breastfeeding, pain management, infertility, and contraceptive access all have their own inequities.  The Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine has a great infographic on racism’s impact on pregnancy outcomes linked with sources {here} and also Black Mamas Matter has an awesome toolkit. 

I encourage you to use this week to help raise awareness on the issues and check out the events and listen in on the powerful discussions happening all over the web for #BMHW. 

Not sure where to start?! There is so much great content this week so it is the perfect time to jump in: 

Black Mamas Matter Alliance Toolkit: https://blackmamasmatter.org/bmhw/toolkit/ 

National Birth Equity Collaborative: https://birthequity.org/bmhw2021/

Ancient Song Doula Services: https://www.instagram.com/ancientsong/

Also, follow along on instagram where many of us are using the #BMHW2021 hashtag keep the conversation going. 

Be well!

#BMHW21 #BlackMamasMatter #BlackMaternalHealthWeek #BirthJustice #MaternalEquity #BlackMaternalHealth

Literati Kids Subscription Box **REVIEW**

 #LiteratiPartner #ad

literati.com/JasmineJohnson

I try to stay away from subscription boxes. Mainly because I am always decluttering and I have yet to find a subscription box that actually includes all-item winners. Instead, they end up stacked in our closet. This was before I was introduced to Literati and their kids’ book subscription boxes. 

Literati has been named “best kid’s book subscription” by Oprah Magazine, USA Today, and Time. There are even awesome little bonuses in the boxes like - personalized book-cessories (like cute labels), art posters, and stickers! Isabelle is growing into an avid reader {literally going through 1-2 books a week} and this surprise package was so exciting for us both! 

To keep kids engaged, there are new themes every month. And what I love most is that the books feature heroes of all colors, ages, shapes, and sizes because more than ever, our kids need to see characters that look like them AND the diversity around them. 

Here is a peek at our first box (theme: imagination): 

A Boy Called Bat

Stick Dog

Big Questions from Little People

Legend of the Star Runner

National Parks of the US Activity Book 

Isabelle was an immediate fan of the book label and bookmark. Get 25% off your own subscription here: literati.com/JasmineJohnson. 

Each box includes 5 age-appropriate books, for kids 0-17 years, every month (or quarterly) for $9.95. Once your little reader decides which ones they like, you keep the ones that were a hit and send back the ones that weren’t! Super easy!

The books are competitively priced (they try to keep them at or under what you would find on Amazon). You even get a prepaid return shipping label to keep returns simple. 

Check out Literati and get 25% off your book order at the following link: literati.com/JasmineJohnson

I am excited to share  our Literati Kids subscription experience over  the next few months! #LiteratiAmbassador

The books were a hit and spot on for her age!

Nancy's Feel Good Fables **REVIEW**

Today is National Reading Day! This is a big month for mother-daughter duo Nancy and Sara Ganz, because it is also the release of the first book in their new children’s book series Nancy's Feel Good Fables. 

Tina Searches for Her Dream is a story about resilience, empowerment and confidence. When Nancy’s children were young, she began writing stories to teach them essential life lessons.  Each book in the “Nancy’s Feel Good Fables” collection covers topics like self-love, perseverance, empathy, and confidence and their favorite 12 will be released over the next few years. 

The books are geared towards children age 3-7 years old, but the content I think is relevant to kids of all ages. The cool thing about these books is that you can choose your hero to look like you. Tina comes in 3 different skin tones so that each reader has the opportunity to see themselves in the main character. So awesome!

In talking to Nancy and Sara Ganz about the book, I could feel their passion for making sure all children feel represented. And the details show. In reading the book, I was struck in the care they took to make sure every ballerina in the story had nude shoes that were not “one shade for all”. Even that sends a message to ALL children. We all can be the hero no matter what we look like. We are all enough. 

This past year especially, we are all looking for ways to connect as a family and these books created an opportunity to have a great discussion with my kids about a lot of the emotions we are all feeling right now. Talking about feeling all of our emotions and processing them - even the not-so-fun ones - is a part of healthy growth and development. 

“What is your dream? It’s never too late to find it. Tina Searches for Her Dream takes children on a journey toward self-love, confidence and purpose.”

Tina learns that it is OK to not be the best at everything because everyone experiences disappointment, but if you keep moving forward and taking a chance trying new things, you will find something that you were made for. 

You know I love a good story about following your dreams - that is why I created my blog - and it is so SO  important that children hear messages like these early. 

To get the word out about their book release, Nancy and Sara would like to give a free book to one of my followers! Check out my Instagram post for details on how to enter!

Everyday Sabbatical **Collab**

During the holidays, I learned about a clothing brand called Everyday Sabbatical.

Everyday Sabbatical is a woman owned company {Yaaaaaas} the mission is simple and the website says it all: 

“Dress for the life you live. Today and every day...Where's the fashion for the kick-ass boss running from one meeting to the next? Where's the fashion for the working mom moving from office to grocery store to carpool to home and back to the office again? Where's the fashion for the global travelers? The community leaders? The avid gardeners? The lifelong learners? The it-takes-a-village-ers?  And what if they are the same woman?”

I mean....seriously. THIS. RIGHT. HERE. 

For me clothing has to be equal parts fashionable, comfortable, and able to transition from clinic visits, to presentations, to happy hours, to running errands with the kids. When I tried on Mini’s designs for the first time, I quickly realized that she met all the requirements and then some. 

I felt comfortable, sexy, and modern in my outfits. You know, I am in that in-between-age where I am not the Forever 21 demographic anymore, but I am also not ready to embrace my mom’s closet. Trust, I am striving for the Michelle Obama in burgundy at the 2021 inauguration swag, but don’t want to overly mature my fashion too soon. 

In keeping with the awesome mission, the website showcases the looks on women of all colors and body types. Swoon! When I talked to the founder, MIni, about this, she said that she wanted the models to look like her friends and her friends aren’t just one race, ethnicity, or body type. 

I’m a customer for life and so excited to share Everyday Sabbatical with ya’ll! I think Mini really nailed it!

I was able to try a few outfits including the “24/7 pants” and a matching “effortless long sleeve shirt” in this beautiful color called “Peacock”. The fabrics are so soft, light and breathable. I felt like I was secretly wearing PJs…but looked like I was ready to take on my day.

the “effortless sleeveless top” in gray…which went great with my jeans but I feel like I could have just as easily paired it with a skirt or dress pants. 

and the “everywhere dress” in black. I’m still a sucker for dresses with pockets so obviously this was also a win. 

I love ALL of the pieces, but my absolute surprise favorite was the peacock set. Never in 1 million years would I have picked this bright color on my own, but now I want more of it. I mean I feel like I am serving “Oh hello, Better Homes and Gardens, welcome to my home. I didn’t know you were coming but I have a charcuterie board prepared already” vibes...

Check out an interview I did with Mini on her blog {here}. Such a great time chatting with her not only about the clothes, but also what it means to wear many hats while surviving in a pandemic...I mean where do we even begin?!

Also, if you would love to win a FREE effortless top for yourself, check out the Everyday Sabbatical giveaway in honor of International Women's Day on March 8th!