The Birth Story Project

The Birth Story Project began as a collaborative effort between Sista Midwife and High Heal Productions. What began as an idea to create a safe space for black women and to bring together our stories has turned into a movement.

What is The Birth Story Project?

The Birth Story Project (BSP) was launched in June 2018 with a goal to document the lived experiences of Black mothers in Louisiana. Using a “sister circle” model, women gathered to share their birth stories.

The circles served as a safe space for them to comfortably share and discuss their experiences surrounding birth, pregnancy, breastfeeding and parenting. After hosting circles for over 2 years, we launched an anonymous online survey to create a larger impact.

The Sister Circle

Storytelling has long been a vital part of Black culture. Historically Black communities have used story telling, for documenting history, creating community and affirming our truths. In the spirit of this legacy, the Birth Story Project used monthly “sister circles” that were led and facilitated by Black women, to bring community together to share our stories.

Specifically The BSP sister circles were created to:

Document birth stories of black women
Identify key areas of birth trauma and maltreatment
Provide an outlet for healing for mothers/families who have experienced trauma
Provide an outlet for healing for birth workers who have experienced birth trauma
Identify where birthing women/families are feeling supported
Identify what’s working for birthing women in Louisiana
Record stories using video, audio, and print transcription
Inform future advocacy

Listening, Learning, and Healing

In 2020 due to the restrictions of Covid 19 we discontinued our monthly circles. In 2021 in partnership with the Amandla Group the BSP was revitalized in a short term project where we hosted two virtual listening sessions and one in person session. These sessions were specifically aimed at documenting the experiences and perspectives of childbearing women in the greater New Orleans area.

The results of these three sessions were compiled in an official report published in 2022. A smaller report was shared with session participants and separately, a one page summary of that report was created and shared with local birth workers and physicians during a 2023 Sista Midwife sponsored Healthy Birth Louisiana event. Both the official report and the summary can be downloaded using the hyperlinks.

The Online Survey

After hosting Birth Story sharing circles for over a year and a half, in 2019 Sista Midwife® created and published the Birth Story Project online survey. The online survey was a web based, anonymous survey created to capture the birth experiences of anyone who had given birth in Louisiana. It was designed to gather in depth information about birth setting, providers, birth choices, interventions and more. The original online survey was open December 2019 - November 2020. We re-launched the online survey with a new, revised, shorter survey that was open December 2021- December 2023.

Results of the online survey were shared with our funders. The report will be available soon!

Although our surveys have closed and our monthly circles have come to an end, the impact of this project continues to live on. This project planted seeds that continue to grow reminding us that storytelling is a form of action.

The data, and insights have informed policies, guided advocacy efforts, and elevated the voices of families across our state. The voices and stories continue to echo in our ears shaping conversations, influencing systems, inspiring new community initiatives and reminding us that every birth story matters. We are proud to know that what began as a space for storytelling grew into a catalyst for change. We hope these conversations continue inspiring new generations to listen, learn, and lead.