Indianapolis Program Trains Black Fathers to Support Partners During Childbirth

A new Indianapolis program called Dads to Doulas is teaching Black fathers-to-be how to provide crucial support during pregnancy and childbirth. The initiative aims to help reduce the alarming maternal mortality rate among Black women, who are 3.5 times more likely to die during childbirth than white women.

In his Indianapolis living room, JaKobi Burton gently holds his newborn daughter, his affection clear in every tender touch.

However, this new father’s dedication began well before his baby’s arrival. Burton participated in every doctor’s visit and completed training through Dads to Doulas, an initiative from Dear Fathers that prepares Black expectant fathers to offer comprehensive support – physically, emotionally and spiritually – throughout pregnancy and beyond.

Both Burton and his wife, Crystal Wilmot-Burton, recognized their pregnancy carried significant dangers, not only due to their age – both in their 40s – but also their race. Government statistics reveal Black women face nearly 3.5 times higher risk of death during childbirth compared to white women.

Medical experts and community leaders believe that equipping Black expectant fathers with enhanced involvement skills – through federally supported initiatives and community organization resources – could help reduce these alarming statistics. Program coordinators report a notable change in how some Black men now openly share their pregnancy anxieties and concerns.

“I want you to know that I was involved and that I was looking out for you from the very beginning and I’m always going to be your biggest protector,” Burton tells his one-month-old daughter. “That’s what I did from the beginning of this experience, trying to learn as much as I could.”

Unequal healthcare access, medical disparities and discriminatory treatment contribute to varying death rates among women of different ethnicities, reports the National Center for Health Statistics. Recent viral phone recordings – including one from Indiana – document medical personnel dismissing Black women’s concerns during labor.

Black women’s maternal death rates far exceed those of other ethnic groups. In 2023, they experienced 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to CDC data. White women had 14.5 deaths, while Hispanic and Asian women faced 12.4 and 10.7 deaths respectively.

The National Healthy Start Association, established in 1998 to improve infant and maternal survival rates, employs “fatherhood practitioners” across its 116 locations. These specialists, working alongside case managers, provide men with resources including online seminars, text messaging support and culinary instruction.

Kenneth Scarborough, NHSA’s fatherhood and men’s health consultant for a decade, observes growing inclusion of male partners in efforts to protect pregnant women’s health.

“There’s more research that is being done to be able to change those narratives, without a shadow of a doubt,” Scarborough said. “The challenge with that is still getting these institutions to understand the value of making sure that Dad is there and he is at the table.”

Medical professionals continue to marginalize Black fathers, “on the fringes of the conversation” while society frequently portrays them as “scary and rough,” explained Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, founder and director of the Center of Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice at Tufts University.

She reports numerous stories of fathers being overlooked during medical consultations, despite father participation being “directly correlated with better outcomes.”

Black patients often receive advice to find physicians who share their background, which Wilmot-Burton pursued.

“I thought maybe she would be more caring, be more willing to listen to my issues, which she was,” she said.

However, Black physicians represent a small fraction of OB-GYNs nationally. Among approximately 43,700 practicing OB-GYNs, only 7.5% are Black women, based on 2023 American Medical Association and Association of American Medical Colleges statistics. Black men comprise an even smaller portion at 2.3%.

Deborah Frazier, National Healthy Start’s CEO, emphasizes that medical institutions must abandon negative attitudes toward father participation. Black and Hispanic fathers continue facing assumptions of abandonment.

“We have data and interviews with fathers, and those fathers have told us that they wanted to be there with their partners, and they wanted be present for their births,” Frazier said.

Charles Johnson IV established 4Kira4Moms in 2017 following his wife Kira’s death from bleeding during cesarean surgery at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai hospital. Johnson filed suit against the facility in 2022, claiming she died due to institutional racism.

Fathers must learn to balance firmness with diplomacy while maintaining a “force in the room,” according to the organization’s executive director Gabrielle Albert.

“What if you happen to be 6-foot-5 and 200-something pounds? If you speak up, what’s gonna happen?” Albert said. “Let’s role play conversations. How do you push back against the doctor?”

Last August – two months before Wilmot-Burton’s delivery – Burton joined eleven other expectant fathers practicing with infant dolls at a Dads to Doulas session. Instructor Kyra Betts Patton informed them that research indicates engaged fathers-to-be can reduce premature birth risks.

“The largest timeframe for maternal mortality, you’re looking at 43 to 100 days after you’ve had a baby. No one’s there but the partner,” Patton said.

Burton credits the training with giving him confidence to speak up during the pregnancy, bringing question lists from class to each medical visit.

“I pushed hard prior to the delivery to make sure that our birth plan was followed, even though it wasn’t completely. But she (Phoenix) still turned out great and was delivered successfully,” said Burton. He also completed courses with the Indiana Breastfeeding Coalition.

Wilmot-Burton praises her husband for attending these programs while managing work and graduate studies. His support proved essential, particularly during times of illness or anxiety.

“I would encourage other Black women to make sure their partners are on board to attend some classes or read books,” she said, “and definitely go to as many appointments as they can.”