Celebrating 5 Years of Nebraska Black Maternal Health Month
Each October, we come together for Black Maternal Health Month to move beyond awareness, and create positive experiences and maternal health outcomes for Black mamas and birthing people. This year marks five years of creating spaces for families and community health workers to share what they need and what they know works, while inviting partners to listen and work alongside them.
For generations, our communities have surrounded pregnant and birthing people with support through labor, delivery and postpartum. Our theme, “Our Traditions, Our Futures.” honors that history. Granny Midwives carried this tradition forward, and it continues through the work of midwives, doulas and community health workers today.
This month, we’re making space to learn, ask questions and talk honestly about what Black mamas need to feel supported. Programming will include a history of midwifery exhibition and virtual and in-person gatherings focused on community care.
Our work goes beyond Omaha
In addition to our Black Maternal Health Month programming, we’re taking this work across the state through a new road show. Our first stop is the 2026 Western Nebraska Maternal and Family Health Summit on Thursday, Oct. 8, in Gering, Nebraska. We’re partnering with Maternal and Family Health Services of the Panhandle Public Health Department, Panhandle Partnership and WIC Community Action Partnership of Western Nebraska. Most importantly, rural mothers, birthing people and families will be at the center of the summit, sharing what they need and what maternal health support should look like in western Nebraska. They’ll be joined by people working to improve maternal health across the region.
We’re also serving as Team Nebraska for the Institute for Medicaid Innovation’s Doula Learning and Action Collaborative. Through this three-year national initiative, we’re bringing together community birth workers, state agencies, health systems and other partners to improve access to doula care for families enrolled in Medicaid, with a focus on rural Nebraska.
In October, we’ll launch a Rural Needs Assessment in the five rural Nebraska counties with the highest birth rates. We’ll hear from community members, licensed health care professionals and community birth workers about what support is available, where gaps remain and what birthing people and doulas need. What we learn will guide future efforts in rural communities.
The needs assessment is one of three goals we plan to achieve through the collaborative. Our other goals are to:
Grow Nebraska’s doula workforce by 90 doulas by the end of 2027, including 60 in urban communities and 30 in rural communities.
Create a train-the-trainer curriculum by the end of 2026 and train 10 people in 2027 to help expand maternal health care in rural Nebraska.
Black Maternal Health Month Events
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The Birth of Midwifery Care
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
6:00-7:00PM | Virtual
Join us during National Midwifery Week, for an engaging virtual conversation with Jamarah Amani, a nationally recognized midwife and the Executive Director of the Southern Birth Justice Network. Amani will share insights on the state of midwifery across the country and how expanding access to midwives can improve birth outcomes for Black families and communities.
Whether you're planning a family, supporting a loved one, working in birth work, or simply curious about midwifery, this session is an opportunity to learn, ask questions, and deepen your understanding of this essential model of care.
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Patients R Waiting w/ Dr. Sharee Livingston
Thursday, October 15, 2026
6:00-7:30PM | Village Empowerment Center, 5190 Sprague Plz, Omaha, NE 68104
Your healthcare. Your voice. Your birth.
Join us for a conversation with Dr. Sharee Livingston, Medical Director of Lebanon Valley Midwifery and Women’s Wellness, about navigating the perinatal healthcare system and advocating for yourself throughout pregnancy, birth and postpartum.
We’ll talk about what self-advocacy can look like in healthcare settings, how doulas and midwives can support your care, and what becomes possible when patients and providers work collaboratively. Attendees will leave with practical tools to ask questions, communicate their needs and make informed decisions about their care. Refreshments will be provided.
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Community Baby Shower
Saturday, October 24, 2026
12:00-3:00PM | Great Events Center, 7440 Crown Point Ave, Omaha, NE 68134
Join us for our Annual Community Baby Shower, a gathering created to support and celebrate local growing families. Families will have an opportunity to connect with community organizations and resources, learn more about support available to them and spend time with others navigating pregnancy and parenthood.
The afternoon will also include restorative self-care activities, educational resources, live music, refreshments and other activities for families to enjoy together.
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Let's Talk Doulas
Thursday, October 29, 2026
6:00-8:00PM | Heartland Workforce Solutions, 5752 Ames Ave, Omaha 68104
Curious about what doulas do and why they matter? Join us for an interactive evening exploring how full-spectrum doulas support individuals and families before, during and after birth. We’ll discuss how doulas advocate for families, strengthen birth experiences and contribute to healthier outcomes throughout the perinatal journey.
You’ll also meet local doulas, hear firsthand about their work and have space to ask questions. As Medicaid reimbursement makes doula services more accessible in Nebraska, this is a chance to learn how doula care could support you, your family or your community.
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Dad to Dudla: Partners, Advocacy & Family Wellness
Friday, October 30, 2026
11:30-2:00PM | Village Empowerment Center, 5190 Sprague Plz, Omaha, NE 68104
Partners deserve support, too! Join us for a community-centered conversation with Juan Irby, a birth and postpartum doula, new parent and childbirth educator, and founder of Dad to Dudla. Juan will share practical strategies to help partners support a birthing loved one, advocate throughout pregnancy, birth and postpartum, and prioritize their own well-being.
Through honest conversation and shared learning, we’ll explore what it means to care for the entire family while navigating birth and early parenthood. Partners will leave with useful tools, stronger connections and greater confidence in their role. Refreshments will be provided.