BMC Photo Call: Help us honor and document the legacy of Black midwives! Share your archival, clinical, or community photos for our "Our Images, Our History" project. Submit yours here: forms.gle/BGwzMvbRKDGb...

As of May 1st, Licensed Certified Professional Midwives (LCPMs) are approved to enroll and bill for midwifery services through Medicaid. You can read the details here: hfs.illinois.gov/medicalprovi...

According to recent date, the majority of out-of-hospital births in Illinois occurred at home, almost 3x more than in a birth center & other settings. #blackmidwiferycollective #midwiferyeducation #birthjustice

Our LCPM program at Kennedy King College has received accreditations from: ✅ IL Community College Board ✅ Higher Learning Commission This milestone expands midwifery education rooted in Black excellence & birth justice. 🤰🏾👣 First cohort begins September 2026 — we can't wait to welcome you!

We are launching the IL community-based birth justice strategic plan this Friday! Join us on zoom and be part of this insightful panel! Register here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Black Midwifery Collective@blackmidwifery.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Birth justice is built by community 🌱 Co-hosted by Health & Medicine Policy Research Group and the Black Midwifery Collective, this four-part webinar series launches the Illinois Community-Based Birth Justice Strategic Plan. Swipe to learn more about why you should attend.

Missed Session 1? Watch the recording of our first Birth Justice Workforce session here: birthjusticeillinois.org/events/ Then join us for Session 2 on February 13 (tomorrow) as we dig deeper into the barriers, needs, and opportunities facing the birth justice workforce in Illinois.

First session today! Join us ✅

Black Midwifery Collective@blackmidwifery.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Birth justice is built by community 🌱 Co-hosted by Health & Medicine Policy Research Group and the Black Midwifery Collective, this four-part webinar series launches the Illinois Community-Based Birth Justice Strategic Plan. Swipe to learn more about why you should attend.

Our Founder and Executive Director Star will join the panel at the 2026 AAAC Symposium, We Got Us: Our Health, Our Rights, Our Future, February 21st. The symposium explores how health and wellbeing are shaped by justice, policy, and community power. Join Star and register using link below:

Birth justice is built by community 🌱 Co-hosted by Health & Medicine Policy Research Group and the Black Midwifery Collective, this four-part webinar series launches the Illinois Community-Based Birth Justice Strategic Plan. Swipe to learn more about why you should attend.

In Illinois, Black women are 3x more likely to die from pregnancy-related conditions than white women. @blackmidwifery.bsky.social is reducing this disparity with their new Midwife degree program: audacy.com/wbbm780/news/local/chicago-midwife-fights-racial-disparities-in-maternal-health

Black Midwifery Collective and Health & Medicine Policy Research Group invite you to join us for a four-part webinar series launching the Illinois Community-Based Birth Justice Strategic Plan. 🗓 Feb 6, 13, 20, & 27 ⏰ 10:00–11:30 a.m. | Zoom 🎥 Sessions recorded Register below:

Black Midwifery Collective mourns the passing of Dr. Janell Green Smith. A midwife, scholar, and a compassionate advocate. May Dr. Smith rest in peace and power. We vow to honor her legacy in the continued fight for birthing justice.

🚨Recall Alert🚨 ByHeart infant formula has issued a nationwide recall due to an outbreak of infant botulism. If you have any ByHeart formula, stop use & discard it. Watch for weakness & feeding issues in your baby, & see a doctor if needed. For help, call ByHeart at (833) 429-4327. Please repost!

Chicago: Looking for food, a hot meal, or support? Mutual aid keeps us strong. Click this link to find pantries, kitchens, and groups helping neighbors daily. Community is everything! static1.squarespace.com/static/5ed85...

The time is NOW for #BirthJustice in IL! After years of advocacy, certified professional midwives are finally recognized by the state. Midwives can step out of the shadows to provide safe, trusted, community-based care. This is a win for freedom, safety, and dignity in birth. Let’s keep going!

Only 6–8% of pregnancies are high-risk, but the birth-industrial complex treats nearly everyone like they are. Community midwifery is safe, evidence-based care that should be the standard for the 90% of people who don’t need high-risk intervention. #Midwifery #BirthJustice

💀 On #DiaDeLosMuertos, we honor our ancestors, whose lives and legacies shape us even after they are gone. This season is about holding space for grief and joy, for cherished memories and community traditions. At BMC, we uplift the stories, strength, and love passed down through generations.

It’s spooky season! Remember that for centuries, midwives & women healers were accused of witchcraft for practicing body- & earth-based knowledge rooted in community care. We honor the midwives who resisted persecution to protect life, knowledge, & community.

Were midwives the OG witches? How the history of mystic medicine and reproductive health intertwine

Were midwives driven out of gynecology because of superstition or patriarchy? The answer will not surprise you

salon.com

October is National #HoodooHeritageMonth, and we honor the ancestral healers, midwives and conjurers who protected Black life through spirit, herbs and care. Their legacy lives on in our birthwork today.

🧵: ✨Illinois Community-Based Birth Justice Summit Recap ✨ What an incredible gathering we had!

Today is National Mammography Day, a reminder of the importance of early detection of breast cancer. 💗 Black women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age, & at later stages. Access to healthcare is a matter of justice. Schedule your mammogram today!

Today is #PregnancyAndInfantLossRemembranceDay. Black parents face higher risks for pregnancy and infant loss due to systemic racism, medical bias, and barriers to respectful, culturally-rooted care. We stand with every parent who mourns, and every birthworker fighting for safer births!

Too many infants and birthing people are dying. It's a tragedy caused by: ➡️ Too few midwives of color providing culturally-congruent care ➡️ Barriers to becoming a midwife ➡️ The belief that doulas in medicalized births are enough That’s why we’re working to get a #midwife in every neighborhood!

The world will face a shortage of 310,000 midwives by 2030, hitting marginalized communities the hardest. Midwives—especially Black and brown midwives—are essential for safe, equitable births. Join the fight for a midwife in every neighborhood now! #BirthJustice

Nursing

Facts and figures on nursing

who.int

It's finally here—Thursday is the Illinois Birth Justice State Strategic Plan Summit! The first of its kind, it's led by and for community-based perinatal care workers. We're coming together to build a statewide vision for birth and reproductive justice in Illinois! #BirthJustice

As we get ready for Monday's event with actress/activist Tatyana Ali, please check out our ED Star August Ali's post on Tatyana’s Baby Yams blog from earlier this year. Protecting Black maternal health means investing in a powerful Black midwifery workforce for the future! 🖤✨

Investing in the Black Midwifery Workforce for Long-Term Sustainability and Impact

Discover why investing in Black midwifery is key to birth equity, better outcomes, and sustainable community care led by and for people of color.

baby-yams.com

Honored to announce that the Black Birthing Futures Project, led by Dr. Kaytura Felix at Johns Hopkins, won the 2025 Nexus Award for “Beloved Birth 50 by 50”—advancing midwifery, birth centers, and policy for safe, community-led care by 2050. #BelovedBirth50x50 #BirthJustice

🕯️Today is #WorldSuicidePreventionDay. Suicide is a leading cause of death during the postpartum period, and Black women are 2x more likely to report suicidal ideation at this time than white women. Let’s work together to break the silence, share resources, and uplift our community!

👶🏾 Today is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Day. FASD can cause lifelong physical, behavioral, & learning challenges. But it's 100% preventable by avoiding alcohol during pregnancy. Every child deserves a healthy start! 👶🏿 #FASDAwarenessDay

Happy Grandparents’ Day! 🤎 Today, we honor the wisdom, resilience, and love of grandparents whose stories inspire and guide Black birth traditions. Thank you for uplifting generations and shaping a powerful legacy. #GrandparentsDay #BirthJustice