Now, the repetitive nature of hair braiding can offer some reassurance while navigating motherhood as a Black woman.Īnd for good reason. This routine always provided a sense of calm. Today, for moms like me, cornrows and box braids can be nostalgic of the many hours spent sitting on the floor between my mother’s legs with a spray bottle, that notorious Pink lotion and a wide-tooth comb, all used to create a braided masterpiece. And during slavery, historians believe that braids were used to relay messages to aid in escape. In some tribes, braiding is believed to transmit energy to the woman through her hair as she journeys into marriage and motherhood, Dr. Hair care has long been a birthing ritual that has found its way back to various tribes throughout African history, says Afiya Mbilishaka, Ph.D, a clinical therapist and founder of PhyscoHairapy. Their legacy of seeing help neither received nor accepted is a tough one to break, so they ask to get their hair braided. The practice of using braids as a means of self-care is nothing new. But their shared, learned experience stems from watching their mothers, aunts and grandmothers do everything themselves, she says. These sometimes bleak realities of Black motherhood can manifest themselves as physical and mental health challenges, says Karen Sheffield-Abdullah, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing.īlack women do need help. The stigma of the "strong Black woman" Trusted Source University of California - Berkeley Does Being a 'Superwoman' Protect African American Women's Health? See All Sources having to suppress emotions and hide vulnerabilities may also have an impact. Millions of Americans Live in 'Maternity Care Deserts' With Little to No Access to Prenatal Care A number of factors may play a role, including lack of health insurance, racism and implicit bias in the medical community, as well as less support so Black mothers can take time for themselves away from their babies. Research shows that Black women are more at risk for developing postpartum depression and related conditions, yet less likely to receive treatment. What role do braids play in self-care for Black parents? And the reassurance that, much like my hair, I could hold it together for my babies. My box braids provided something I was afraid to say I needed: confidence to weather all the unknowns of the postpartum period amid my growing fear that I couldn’t do it all. Though I was fortunate enough to have a mother who spent the first few nights at home with my husband and me when our baby was born, we lacked paid parental leave, a doula and a means for covering the balance of my child’s complicated delivery. While nesting refers to the natural instinct to get the home ready for a baby's arrival, hair braiding was my way of preparing myself for the reality that my husband and I would likely be entering parenthood with little societal support. It was soon clear why braids were just as much a part of nesting in the Black birthing experience as cleaning and organizing. Yet, while I knew I was supposed to get my hair braided at the 36-week mark of pregnancy, as an inexperienced mother, I didn’t quite grasp how instrumental it was to have those braids in my arsenal for postpartum support.
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