Motherhood

Motherhood

Have you listened to our new parenting podcast, Black Ballad Presents: The Survival Guide?

From dating when you're a mum, managing kids with a career to the IVF process and how this can affect your relationship and what's it like being a foster carer – we discuss all of these topics and more.

Listen and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and please rate and review on Apple podcasts.

BB The Survival Guide

Get 50% off a year's Black Ballad membership with the code 'BBMUM2020'.

Become a member.

Black British mothers are five times more likely to die in childbirth than their white counterpoints.

This figure is shocking and important, but it is not the full picture.

Like the rest of our lives, motherhood for Black British women is nuanced and beautiful, challenging and complex, and the stories told about it should reflect that.

In early 2020, we launched a survey to collect data on motherhood from Black British women, as the specifics of our experiences are not just missing from the narratives, they are missing from the data, and over 2,000 women took part!

#BBMotherhood2020 is an editorial stream directly influenced by the findings from this survey, and the conversation is still ongoing.

Use #BBMotherhood2020 to join in the conversation on Twitter.

Featured content

Tabby Kibugi

How Black Single Mums Are Benefiting From ‘Mommunes’

Friday 8 March 2024 8:00 AM

Lisa Tadiwa

We Need to Talk About Postpartum Psychosis in Black Women

Thursday 7 March 2024 8:00 AM

Dorothy Koomson

Oversharing Parents Are Putting Their Children At Risk

Friday 26 January 2024 8:00 AM

Tabby Kibugi

Young, Black Women Feel Like They Can No Longer Afford Motherhood

Wednesday 17 January 2024 8:00 AM

Ifeoluwa Adedeji

How I’m Raising My Mixed Heritage Kids In Italy

Thursday 26 October 2023 8:00 AM

Jendella Benson

No, Seriously: We Need To Talk About Where Things Go Wrong For Men

Wednesday 11 October 2023 12:00 PM

Jaz Morrison

The Mamahood Space Is Combatting Mum Loneliness In Birmingham

Thursday 5 October 2023 8:00 AM

Lisa Tadiwa

Yes, You Can Love Your Kids But Still Not Enjoy Motherhood

Friday 29 September 2023 8:00 AM

Tabby Kibugi

Some Black Women Choose To Be Single Parents: They Tell Us Why

Tuesday 12 September 2023 8:00 AM

Marie Gentles

How We Can Create Emotionally Supportive Environments For Teenagers

Wednesday 6 September 2023 10:30 AM

Sochima Richard

“Does Motherhood Mean I Will Lose Friends?”

Friday 28 July 2023 8:00 AM

Atinuke Awe

What To Do If A Child You Know Might Be Autistic

Friday 23 June 2023 8:00 AM

Lynda Ndubuaku

You Should Already Be Talking To Your Kids About Sex

Friday 31 March 2023 8:00 AM

Jamila Pereira

The Pros & Cons Of Mothers Oversharing On Social Media

Monday 20 March 2023 8:00 AM

Jamila Pereira

Three Mothers On The Profound Grief Of Losing Their Children

Friday 17 March 2023 8:00 AM

Edisana Stephen

How Gentle Parenting Can Stop The Cycle Of Generational Trauma

Monday 6 February 2023 8:00 AM

Tobi Oredein

Founder's Letter: How My Daughter Helped Reconnect With My Hair

Sunday 4 December 2022 11:00 PM

Faith Zvorufura

I’m Unmarried And Having A Baby. What Is The Big Deal?

Friday 19 August 2022 8:00 AM

Sabrina Fearon-Melville

Estare Areola On Creativity, Young Motherhood, Sustainability & Doubt

Tuesday 26 July 2022 8:00 AM

Madeline Wilson-Ojo

Why I Quit My Job In The Middle Of A 'Cost Of Living' Crisis

Monday 27 June 2022 8:00 AM

Sylvia Chengo

How I Came To Accept Disabled Motherhood

Thursday 2 June 2022 8:00 AM

Black Ballad

The Survival Guide: The Realities Of The Adoption Process

Sunday 15 May 2022 8:00 AM

Black Ballad

The Survival Guide:...Teenagers?! (with Jamelia)

Sunday 17 April 2022 8:00 AM

Jaydee Seaforth

Why Do Black Women Choose To Have Children?

Thursday 24 February 2022 8:00 AM

Rebecca Slater

Are You Sure He’s Yours? Navigating Raising A White Passing Child

Thursday 10 February 2022 4:00 PM

Jamila Pereira

What Happens When You See Your Parents For Who They Really Are

Wednesday 26 January 2022 12:00 PM

Edisana Stephen

Black Parents Supporting Their Children In All-White Environments

Monday 24 January 2022 12:30 PM

Jamila Pereira

Rich Aunties: Moving Beyond Motherhood and Materialism

Friday 21 January 2022 8:00 AM

Natalie Eve Roper

The Nuances Of Talking To Our Children About Race

Thursday 20 January 2022 8:00 AM

Black Ballad

How To Ask For Help: A Guide For Mums & Their Loved Ones

Wednesday 19 January 2022 10:00 AM

Sandra Brown-Springer

Black Parents Are Sparing The Rod And Turning To "Gentle Parenting"

Monday 13 December 2021 11:00 AM

Black Ballad

Mums Get Honest About The Support They Need In Motherhood

Friday 3 December 2021 1:30 PM

Solape Alatise

Why Are West African Women Giving Their Children Hebrew Names?

Wednesday 22 September 2021 7:00 AM

Annalisa Toccara

Four Black Women Talk Honestly About The Joys & Challenges Of Adoption

Friday 10 September 2021 7:00 AM

Arese Sylvester

Addressing The Social Stigma Of Post Natal Depression In Nigeria

Tuesday 20 July 2021 7:00 AM

Tola Okogwu

Author Florence Ọlájídé On Culture Clashes & Growing Up

Thursday 15 July 2021 7:00 AM

Genéa Saunders

Why & How I Decided To Donate My Eggs As A Black British Woman

Monday 10 May 2021 12:30 PM

Sarah Olowofoyeku

Dating And Family Planning As A Sickle Cell Trait Carrier

Monday 12 April 2021 10:30 AM

Tobi Oredein

Founder's Letter: How Running Has Given Me A Sense of Purpose

Sunday 28 March 2021 10:00 PM

Tobi Oredein

Founder's Letter: There Are No Medals For Being Tired

Sunday 21 March 2021 11:00 PM

Kaeshelle Rianne

We Must Acknowledge All Mothers On Mother's Day

Sunday 14 March 2021 7:00 AM

Jendella Benson

We Need An Honest Conversation About Black Families & Boundaries

Tuesday 2 March 2021 7:00 AM

Ibianga Evans

Confronting My Childhood And Righting My Parents' Wrongs

Friday 26 February 2021 7:00 AM

Mel Green

How Mums-To-Be Can Protect Their Mental Health During Covid

Saturday 20 February 2021 7:00 AM

Tobi Oredein

Founder's Letter: Love Lessons I've Learned in Lockdown

Sunday 14 February 2021 9:45 PM

Jendella Benson

How To Make Better Black Men

Friday 12 February 2021 7:00 AM

Jill Lupupa

How Midwives Are Staying Safe & Dedicated During Covid-19

Saturday 6 February 2021 7:00 AM

Isaura Barbé-Brown

I Decided To Freeze My Eggs: Here's What Happened Step-By-Step

Wednesday 20 January 2021 7:00 AM

Lorna Phillip

The Affirming Birth Activism From West Midlands Doulas

Friday 27 November 2020 7:00 AM

Hannah Asikhia

How This New Mum Found A New Meaning To Self-Care During Lockdown

Tuesday 27 October 2020 7:00 AM

Jendella Benson

Ify Adenuga On Happiness, Nigerian Culture & Her Children's Success

Thursday 8 October 2020 12:30 PM

Renée Jacobs

Belonging in Bath: Our Two Years of Mixed Heritage Adoption

Thursday 8 October 2020 7:00 AM

Jasmine Richards

Examining My Priorities & Leaving the Cotswolds

Tuesday 6 October 2020 7:00 AM

Karen-Grace Siriboe

How Black Student Midwives Showed Up For Mothers During The Pandemic

Friday 28 August 2020 12:00 PM

N K Aroni

Making Sense Of My "Mother Wound"

Wednesday 26 August 2020 7:00 AM

Dionne Anderson

Navigating White Fragility In My Interracial Family

Thursday 20 August 2020 7:00 AM

Jendella Benson

Editor's Letter: Why Black Ballad Are Taking Over HuffPost UK

Monday 10 August 2020 7:00 AM

Miranda Armstrong

The Imaginary Problem Of Single Black Mothers And Their Sons

Tuesday 14 July 2020 7:00 AM

Rochelle Rodney

What I Learned Single-Parenting Through Lockdown

Tuesday 23 June 2020 7:00 AM

Pamela Djima

What It's Like Raising Third Culture Kids In China

Tuesday 9 June 2020 7:00 AM

Marjorie Morgan

Why Fertility Is Still A Taboo Topic In Many Black Communities

Tuesday 2 June 2020 7:00 AM

Camomile Shumba

Life After A Miscarriage And Two Ectopic Pregnancies

Tuesday 19 May 2020 7:00 AM

Tola Okogwu

My Child Is Not Overweight – She's Black!

Tuesday 12 May 2020 7:00 AM

Priscilla Appeaning

Why More Black Women Should Prepare Themselves To Become Step-Mums

Tuesday 28 April 2020 7:00 AM

Rochelle Rodney

The Reality Of Dating As A Single Mother

Monday 20 April 2020 8:00 AM

Susan Kamau

Why I Chose To Have A Baby With A Sperm Donor

Monday 20 April 2020 7:00 AM

Tobi Oredein

Editor's Letter: Why I Am Stepping Back From Black Ballad

Sunday 19 April 2020 9:15 PM

Pam Kosminsky

The Double Discrimination Facing Black Children With Autism

Friday 20 December 2019 7:00 AM

Elizabeth Ayoola

The Things They Don't Tell You About Childbirth

Monday 5 March 2018 7:30 AM