SAN ANTONIO — A local non-profit wants to help expecting Black mothers.
The Health Collaborative is hosting the Baby Bumps and Brunch event, celebrating Black mothers, although all expecting moms are welcome to join.
The Health Collaborative will have resources they say can be lifesaving and life-changing.
Inside the health collaborative office is a closet full of supplies for moms and babies.
“Diapers, baby stuff, in general, is just expensive,” Sonesia Redmond, lead project coordinator with the Health Collaborative told KENS 5.
Redmond hears from struggling moms who tried voicing their health concerns to doctors.
“He basically dismissed her and so when she was in labor she ended up getting preeclampsia and she ended up having the baby a lot sooner than they were expecting to,” Redmond says.
Dangerous events could be avoided if healthcare clinicians listened to patients concerns.
“A lot of Black women either die from pregnancy or giving birth or they lose their child from pregnancy or giving birth,” Redmond said.
According to the CDC, Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women.
Redmond says to change that—it starts with a conversation.
“We want healthcare providers to listen to their clients but we also want clients to be confident enough to be able to talk to the doctors and not feeling discouraged,” Redmond said.
Supplies and information will be offered at the Baby Bumps and Brunch event celebrating Black moms happening Saturday, May 21.
Three to four baskets of items including diapers, laundry detergent and baby wipes will be given away to help an expecting mom have what they need.
“They’re already dealing with a million and one things as it is, so I think it kind of lets them relax a bit more and not have to overly stress,” Redmond said.
The event will be held here at the American Red Cross Center at 3642 E Houston Street.
To sign up, you can fill out this form.