Birthing While Black: A Hospital Guide (Borne)

A practical, thoughtfully-designed print resource to help Black mothers and families navigate hospital birth with confidence and agency.

Created by Borne, in partnership with the BLACK Wellness & Prosperity Center in California, this zine helps you prepare for hospital birth with clarity.

Hospital systems move quickly. They have protocols, routines and language that can feel unfamiliar in the moment. This zine helps you understand what’s happening — and how to engage confidently in decisions impacting you and your baby.

Inside, you’ll find:

• How to plan for a birth experience that centers you, your family and your values
• A clear overview of how hospital labor unfolds, from triage through postpartum
• Explanations of common interventions and how to evaluate your options
• The difference between hospital policy and medical necessity
• Grounded language for communicating with providers
• Guidance on building a birth team aligned with your values
  
• What to expect if plans change, including cesarean birth

This print zine is rooted in research, lived experience and a family-centered approach to maternal care. It acknowledges the realities many Black families navigate while focusing on preparation, informed decision-making and dignity in the process.

Whether hospital birth is your choice or your circumstance, this resource equips you to move through it with agency and support. Because your birth is yours.