Action Alert: End Racial Profiling of Native Women at Lovelace Hospital
We are outraged at yet another violation of our peoples’ (women’s) human rights at Lovelace Women’s Hospital in Albuquerque. Please take a moment to take action using the advocacy letter below.
Pregnant people may also use this “Sample Informed Consent Form“ (from Evidence Based Birth) to advocate for themselves against infant separation.
ACTIONS
2) Copy, paste, and email this letter to Lovelace Women’s Hospital
To: Correen Bales
Director of Human Services, Lovelace Women’s Hospital
email: correen.bales@lovelace.com
[subject] Re: Lovelace Hospital Covid-19 Policies on Separation of Newborns from Indigenous Families
Hello, my name is ________________. I am writing regarding a report released on June 13, 2020, by New Mexico In Depth, which states that Lovelace Women’s Hospital in Albuquerque has been racially profiling Native American/ Pueblo women and at times, separating them from their newborn babies, without free, prior and informed consent. According to conscientious clinicians working there, the hospital had a secretive policy to conduct special COVID-19 screenings for pregnant women, based on whether they appeared to be Native American–even if they had no symptoms or were otherwise at low risk for the disease.
The United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) upholds that, “States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the Indigenous Peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free, prior and informed consent before adopting and implementing legislative or administrative measures that may affect them.”
There is wealth of research that supports the importance of immediate attachment and bonding between newborns and their birthing parents, especially their mothers. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), parent/infant skin-to-skin contact has many benefits, including mother-infant bonding, stabilization of glucose levels, maintaining infant body temperature and increased likelihood of breastfeeding. World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 Clinical Management Guidelines state parents and newborns should be supported to remain together and practice skin-to-skin contact, especially immediately after birth during establishment of breastfeeding, whether they or their infants have suspected, probable, or confirmed COVID-19.
In addition, Lovelace Women’s Hospital is currently allowing just one visitor per birthing patient, creating a de-facto doula ban (H. Payne) in hospitals. For our Indigenous families and families of color in New Mexico, community-based doula care offers a culturally responsive, continuous and personalized style of non-medical support that cannot be found elsewhere. During this pandemic, amidst mounting stress and vulnerability, our families need doulas more, and not less. Evidence shows that the disproportionately high rates of trauma, sexual violence and maternal morbidity experienced in Indigenous communities impact maternal child health and birthing outcomes. Doulas offer culturally responsive care that is essential for our families. In addition, doulas are supportive to hospital and midwifery provider teams. The current “one visitor per patient” policy results in families losing access to evidence-based care which improves birth outcomes and contributes to birth equity.
As a concerned citizen and a resident of New Mexico I demand that the administration of the Lovelace Women’s Hospital:
- Immediately cease practices which racially profile Indigenous communities and separate newborns from their birthing parents. Parents must have shared decision making and informed consent.
- Uphold WHO guidance to ensure newborns are breastfed, regardless of COVID-19 status, as the virus does not get transmitted through breastfeeding. In fact, “in all socioeconomic settings, breastfeeding improves survival and provides lifelong health and development advantages to newborns and infants.” (https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/maternal-health/faqs-breastfeeding-and-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=d839e6c0_5)
- Release a formal apology on behalf of the hospital to all parents and communities affected by these violent and racist acts.
- Change the current “one visitor per patient” policy for laboring parents to allow a doula or other support person to provide support and advocacy to the birthing person.
Sincerely,
[your name]
TWU STATEMENT/BACKGROUND
The United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) upholds that, “States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the Indigenous Peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free, prior and informed consent before adopting and implementing legislative or administrative measures that may affect them.”
For Tewa Women United, this not only applies to States/ Nations, this also applies to the institutions, organizations and agencies operating within those States/ Nations serving Indigenous peoples.
A report published in New Mexico In Depth on June 13, 2020, uncovers that Lovelace Women’s Hospital in Albuquerque has been racially profiling Native American/ Pueblo women and, at times, separating them from their newborn babies without free, prior and informed consent. We are outraged at yet another violation of our peoples’ (women’s) human rights.
According to conscientious clinicians working there, the hospital had a secretive policy to conduct special coronavirus screenings for pregnant women, based on whether they appeared to be Native American–even if they had no symptoms or were otherwise at low risk for the disease.
As a Native/Pueblo/Tewa women-led and serving organization, we continue to come from our heart’s breath, working alongside Reproductive Justice organizations, across the country to counter genocidal and gynocidal policies and strategies that strip Indigenous, Black, Latina, Asian, LGBTQAI birthing peoples of their voice and body sovereignty.
Research is full of the benefits of immediate attachment and bonding between newborns and their birthing parents, especially their mothers. The work of reclaiming birth and birthing practices are part of the healing this country needs. This reclamation comes from living through colonial, white supremacist, scientist, capitalist patriarchy which has put our health and our ability to nurture our children into adulthood at devastating risk.
Standing rooted in our Tewa Women United values, we call upon our communities to stand together to braid our collective cultural strengths, power, and courage to call out such practices that destroy trust, erode our human rights and violate our Tribal and body sovereignty. We will not stop using every ounce of our heart’s breath to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those most vulnerable. We stand together as a group of women who will change the world, one breath, one birth, one life at a time.