Black women's experiences with professional accompaniment at prenatal appointments.

Unlabelled: U.S. public health statistics report dismal Black infant and maternal mortality rates.

Experiences of Black women during pregnancy: The meaning of perinatal support.

This study describes findings of a phenomenological study of Black women's experiences with a community-based perinatal support organization based in Cleveland, Ohio. Twenty-five women participated in interviews after their babies were born about how the organization in general, and perinatal support professionals (PSPs) in particular supported them during their pregnancies and the meaning of that support. The overall meaning of perinatal support was described as easing participants' transitions into motherhood through reducing uncertainty, social isolation, and stress.

"I felt like it would've been perfect, if they hadn't been rushing": Black women's childbirth experiences with medical providers when accompanied by perinatal support professionals.

Aims: This study examined the nature and characteristics of Black women's interactions with medical providers during childbirth when accompanied by a perinatal support professional (PSP; similar to a doula).

Design: The design was qualitative, and a phenomenological approach was employed to examine the meaning of women's experiences.

Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with 25 Black women enrolled in a perinatal support program in Cleveland, Ohio, in late 2017 and early 2018, exploring their interactions with medical providers, the meaning of their experiences, and the roles their PSPs played.