She’s changing the landscape of Black maternal health!
A Louisiana midwife is opening the first Black-owned birth center in the state, Black Enterprise reports.
Shatamia Webb is the Baby Catcher Birth Center owner, the first Black-owned, a freestanding birth center in Louisiana. Webb is a certified professional and licenses midwife who has been practicing for the last four years. She took to social media to share the news about her new facility in honor of International Day of the Midwife.
“Little ole me did a pretty big thing…I now OWN the 1st Black-Owned Freestanding Birth Center in the State! I couldn’t think of a better day to announce this…I’m excited, humble, and so very nervous as I bring this to the community,” Webb wrote.
The Lafayette native was inspired to start a facility by her own journey to motherhood. She was fearful of giving birth in a hospital and opted to bring both her children into the world at home. Now, Webb can bring that experience to other mothers in her hometown.
“The center has two suites for two families and is located near Lafayette General just in case there are any complications,” Webb explained.
A CDC report shows that Black women are three times more likely to experience complications during birth. Webb hopes to bring more individualized care to expectant mothers through her midwife services and provide an alternative to the traditional hospital birthing experience.
“I wanted to provide another option for women that didn’t want to go into the hospital, and that wanted something different. I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything different. I know women need this,” said Webb.
The Baby Catcher Birth Center is scheduled to open in Lafayette, Louisiana, at the end of July.
Congratulations, Shatamia!
Photo Courtesy of Shatamia Webb/The Baby Catcher Birth Center/Facebook