Too many Black mothers are walking into pregnancy without the information they need. Too many are walking out of childbirth feeling unsupported or unsure of what just happened. A new national report helps explain why.
The State of Maternal Health 2025 report, released by The Harris Poll, draws from the experiences of more than 2,300 women across the United States.
The findings highlight how often Black women enter pregnancy without the information they need and leave childbirth without the support they expected.
Whether during prenatal visits or in the weeks after delivery, the gaps in care continue to put lives at risk.
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Discrimination Shapes Access to Care
Black women were three times more likely than white women to report discrimination, bias, or profiling as a barrier to receiving care during pregnancy or childbirth.
Forty percent said they faced challenges accessing care at all, including difficulty taking time off work or finding childcare to attend appointments.
These barriers reflect a system that places the burden on patients to navigate obstacles that shouldn’t exist in the first place.
Limited Prenatal Guidance
The report found that Black women are less likely than white women to receive adequate prenatal care. Many also reported not being informed about key aspects of labor and delivery. Among those who have been pregnant:
- 87 percent did not know cervical checks during labor are optional.
- 80 percent were unaware that provider-directed pushing can negatively affect both mother and baby.
- 66 percent did not know lying flat during labor can reduce blood flow to the baby.
- 56 percent were unaware of the risks associated with elective inductions.
- 54 percent did not know upright birthing positions can benefit outcomes.
These gaps in education can directly affect how safe and prepared someone feels during childbirth.
Self-Advocacy Is Still Expected
Survey respondents were asked whether they felt they had to fight for care. Black women were more likely to agree.
Self-advocacy is often expected but not always met with clear information or responsive care.
For many Black mothers, it means carrying the weight of being both the patient and an advocate.
That kind of pressure can lead to a slow-burning exhaustion, one that leaves mothers feeling unsure and isolated.
Postpartum Support Falls Short
Among Black women who have been pregnant, 59 percent experienced postpartum mental health issues. Nearly half of those women said they received little or no support. More than half strongly agreed that the standard six-week checkup is not enough. And nearly one third said they felt forgotten once the baby was born.
Childbirth is still treated as a finish line, when it should be the start of support.
While delivery receives clinical attention, the weeks and months that follow are often overlooked. Emotional wellbeing, physical healing, and mental health support are treated as optional, leaving many Black mothers to navigate postpartum challenges without consistent care or follow-up.
Centering Recovery
When asked what should change first if Black women were centered in the design of maternal care, respondents pointed to patient education and postpartum support. That includes clear information about birthing positions, pain management options, and mental health resources. It also requires providers to stop assuming that patients already know what to expect.
Christina Lojek, Research Manager at The Harris Poll, reflected on the emotional toll behind the numbers. “I think women feel like they are alone and drowning, but don’t know how or want to scream for help because it feels like they are expected to just go without and get it done.”
She went on to describe how that pressure is shaped by cultural expectations. Pregnancy and childbirth are often treated as something women should push through, even without support, because generations before them did. That belief feeds into the bounce-back mentality, where recovery is rushed, care is minimal, and mothers are expected to move on without acknowledgment of what they’ve endured.
This study moves past statistics and into lived experience. It reflects what Black mothers have been naming for years and gives advocates something concrete to work with. It’s a step toward accountability, and a reminder that better care begins with paying attention to what’s been ignored.
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