A holistic and wellness center in Yonkers downtown is assisting women of color in having healthier pregnancies. The second floor of 15 Main Street is home to Earth Groundz, a place centered on holistic healing and providing access to materials and knowledge to sustain reproductive life.
The center hosts baby showers and free courses on childbirth education and is run by the organization Birth from the Earth. Additionally, it contains a Chocolate Milk Cafe that offers breastfeeding assistance to women of color. Birth from the Earth’s president and creator, Nubia Earth Martin, stated that the hub’s primary goal was to elevate the voice of the black family and other people who had experienced prejudice.
Martin, a native of Yonkers, stated, “We want the neighborhood to know that we’re here as a foundation for them and that this is a collaborative endeavor.”
According to a Sister to Sister International maternal high blood pressure campaign, shocking evidence indicates that Black women are disproportionately at danger of dying in America when attempting to conceive. This is why there is a focus on good maternity outcomes for women of color.
According to data released earlier last year by the National Center for Health Statistics, black women are 2.5 times more likely than white women to die during delivery.
Despite composing 13% of all women in America from 2006 to 2017, 2,432 Black women died during that time contrasted to 2,756 white women. Sixty percent of American women are white.
According to Martin, the center will assist reduce some of these gaps by providing training for child educators, birth attendants, and other professionals.
“We think that providing people with accurate information allows them to make honest and educated decisions about where and how they get care, and that is at the heart of what we want to ensure families have,” said Martin.
Additionally, the area will provide services to assist women in deciding whether to give birth at home, at a birthing center, or in a hospital. She asserts that, “They won’t enter an environment where they believe they won’t be treated with respect or given a chance to speak.”
