CLEVELAND — Arionna Cox, 19, from Cleveland is counting down the days until her baby boy arrives.
She's navigating her motherhood journey with Amy Lowell, a certified nurse-midwife at MetroHealth.
Good Morning Cleveland anchor Tiffany Tarpley spoke to Cox and Lowell about the initiative.
"It's our job to reassure that they're in good hands and that they'll be listened to so that they can be ok," said Lowell.
Lowell is the director of MetroHealth's new midwifery program.
"The goal here is to deliver a healthy baby and keep moms safe," said Lowell.
Certified nurse-midwives like Lowell monitor the health of moms and babies during all stages of pregnancy.
They also educate and prepare women for birth and beyond.
"What I have seen is patients come out of their feeling empowered because they are getting more information to make the best decision for them," said Lowell.
Cox said there were concerns early on with her pregnancy.
"I had a higher protein in my urine, so my AFP (Alpha-Fetoprotein) levels were raised which made me test positive for open neural tube defect, which could be linked to a bunch of things like spinal bifida," said Cox. "But, we went to our ultrasound and he ended up being perfectly healthy."
Cox said her midwife Lowell was a safe space in the process.
"If I have any questions, I know I could ask her and I feel safe with her answer — trusting," said Cox.
MetroHealth's team of midwives started seeing patients in August for prenatal checkups and women's wellness exams at Metro's health centers in Brooklyn and Cleveland Heights.
"We are a very experienced team and we're excited, we believe in the mission that all families need access to good care and be mindful of their cultural beliefs and that we need to improve the outcomes in Cuyahoga County because we need to do better than what we've seen in the past," said Lowell.
Cuyahoga County's infant mortality rate remains the highest in Ohio, and the racial disparities are alarming.
According to researchers at Case Western Reserve University, Cuyahoga County's infant mortality rate is 13 deaths for every 1,000 births for Black infants versus four deaths for every 1,000 births for white infants. In Cleveland, the infant mortality rate for Black babies is more than double the rate for white babies.
All midwife patients deliver at MetroHealth's new birthing center in Cleveland. Cox is expected to deliver there in a few weeks.
Cox said the thing she's most looking forward to about motherhood is building a bond with her son and seeing him grow into his person.
For more information about MetroHealth's midwifery program, click here.
