Tanaiya Goodall sat in a spare classroom with a midwife, a nurse and a therapist. For the next hour, the group asked the 21-year-old about the baby blues, what she’s been eating and her birthing plan.
Goodall, who is from the northeast side, is in her third trimester. She and her fiancé also have a 1-year-old at home.
“It would have been nice to have something like this the first time around, but I was not big into looking for resources,” Goodall said during the Oct. 6 session at the Boner Fitness and Learning Center.
Joi Crenshaw, a certified professional midwife, said she’s heard this sentiment many times before. That’s why she started hosting the free prenatal care group in September to support Black mothers in Indiana, who face disproportionately high maternal and infant mortality rates.
“People are not getting care early enough to catch stuff before it gets too down the line,” Crenshaw said. “Or the care is not culturally sensitive.”
Each session is funded through a grant from Health First Indiana, a state program that gave local health departments millions of dollars to improve outcomes. Marion County, for example, prioritized using the funding for maternal health initiatives, including Crenshaw’s program.
But moms here won’t continue to have access to the prenatal group. Republican lawmakers recently cut public health funding in Indianapolis by 70%.
Now, Crenshaw’s Health First Indiana grant will dry up after June 2026, leaving her and other community organizations scrambling to keep their work going.
“This is not a priority to our current government,” Crenshaw told Mirror Indy. “It makes me sad, because people do not have to be dying and the solutions are simple.”
‘It’s about having a provider that looks like you’
New data shows Indiana infant mortality rates dropping in 2024.
But there’s concerns those numbers won’t hold with the state cuts — especially as work to help Black mothers loses funding. Research shows that demographic faces barriers to accessing prenatal care, which helps prevent premature births and infant mortality.
“Black women already don’t have access to education that can minimize those numbers,” said Traven Manuel, a 26-year-old mother from the west side. “The budget cuts will make it virtually impossible.”
Manuel is studying to become a midwife. She gave birth several weeks ago and is now attending the prenatal group to learn from Crenshaw.
At each meeting, participants can get a urine analysis, check their blood pressure and listen to their baby’s heartbeat. They also have a chance to ask questions and find community resources.
“If I had access to this before I had my baby, it could have instructed me on things to look out for,” Manuel said. “It’s about having a provider that looks like you or has experiences like you.”
Goodall, the first participant in October, agreed. She said she needed the group’s support because her OB-GYN has a tight schedule during appointments.
“If you’re not high risk, they don’t look into a lot of things,” Goodall told Mirror Indy. “Or they don’t answer questions to the extent you’re looking for.”
After listening to a local therapist present on postpartum anxiety and depression, Goodall moved to an exam table behind a curtain. Eventually, the midwife pulled out an ultrasound tool.
“Deep breaths,” Crenshaw told her. “Think about what brings you joy.”
Soon, the room was filled with the sound of a baby’s heartbeat.
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Mirror Indy reporter Mary Claire Molloy covers health. Reach her at 317-721-7648 or email maryclaire.molloy@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X @mcmolloy7.
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