It's Up To Us All To Change The Maternal Mortality Rate Of Black Women

By Elizabeth Dawes Gay, MPH


We’re all familiar with the African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child.” As soon as it comes to Black maternal health In America, let’s adapt that to prepare design a new African American proverb, “It takes a village to save Black moms.” The maternal mortality rate in the US is rising and Black females bear the brunt of it, although that’s not where our story ends. We all have the power to make design a new narrative by supporting new and expecting moms.


In the U.S., Black females are three to four times more likely to perish from pregnancy-related causes than white females, even as soon as education and revenue are accounted for, and are also more likely to experience pregnancy complications. The issues affect people across socioeconomic status and all walks of life; two of the world’s biggest stars, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Serena Williams, both shared how they survived life-threatening complications and, in doing so, helped spark essential public conversations about what’s happening to Black moms in the US.


Beyoncé first talked about her experience giving birth to twins Rumi and Sir and postpartum self-care in her interview for the September 2018 allocate problem of Vogue. On April 17, 2019, the last day of Black Maternal Health Week, the singer released her documentary film Homecoming in which she further specifics her experience recovering from preeclampsia — a condition characterized by high blood pressure that can become life-threatening if left untreated — and an emergency c-section to protect the wellbeing of her twins.


Any time it comes to improving Black maternal health, people often point to the health care system for intervention, and rightly so — it’s a system where Black patients receive differential treatment. Right after giving birth to her daughter, Olympia, Serena had to demand treatment for a blood clot, literally fighting for her life. The tennis star’s story was so disturbing in part because those medical practitioners who were supposed to be caring for her didn’t listen to her pleas. Research by Dr. Monica McLemore and colleagues finds that ladies of color experienced racism, discrimination, disrespect, and stressful encounters throughout prenatal care.


These experiences aren’t rare, nevertheless they would be. Case in point, they harken back to the United States’ troubled history of ignoring Black women’s pain; modern medicine was founded via forced experimentation on Black and brown bodies and the medical system perpetuated segregation and discrimination. Even right now, our healthcare system still privileges rich and white individuals.


Black moms definitely need high-quality, holistic, and attentive care free from racial discrimination, and also access to community-based services that meet all their needs. And though health care providers are uniquely positioned to change the Black maternal health crisis by supplying better care and support, the rest of us also have a critical role to play. You don’t have to be a doctor, midwife, nurse, or doula to prepare a difference.


Evidence shows that moms and babies do better any time moms have social support. This might be even more critical for Black girls, who report procuring less support than common from their families and community while they become pregnant. Not having enough social support from your family members, network, and community can increase stress, a factor that is strongly linked to poor pregnancy outcomes for both moms and babies. For Black girls, societal stress from racism, microaggression, interactions with oppressive systems, and challenges navigating systems that touch our day-to-day lives are compounded with lack of support from family member and community. Thus, it could come as no surprise that Black moms are also more likely to experience depression while in pregnancy than white moms.


While in and immediately after pregnancy, Black moms need more support from their loved ones and social life, not far less. Several moms might find their village online through discussion boards, Facebook, or maybe Instagram, however there’s a debate about whether support through social media is enough. Supplying encouragement and suggestions online is cooperative to some moms at certain points in time, although the ideal thing @we could have the ability to do is take our love and support into the real world. Dr. Loretta Jones, who founded Healthy African American Families in Los Angeles, California, developed One Hundred Intentional Acts of Kindness Toward a Pregnant Woman, a resource that was informed by Black females who shared exactly what their village could do for them. Moms might need help around the residence or someone to watch the kids, a ride to an appointment, help finding housing, or someone to massage their feet. Or a mom might need you to be there any time while they give birth, especially if their partner or family member can’t.


In their Vogue interviews, both Beyoncé and Serena shared that they had a system to support them through pregnancy and postpartum challenges. All moms deserve the same. Any time we’re attentive to the pregnant people and new moms in our lives, we might learn that they might not be feeling well or be their common selves. That’s key because we might help recognize warning signs like chest pain, persistent headache, or depressive indications that require immediate medical attention. Three in five maternal deaths are preventable – your intervention could save a life.


The ways we can allocate support are countless and varied, nevertheless it begins with checking in on someone while they’re pregnant and immediately after they’ve given birth. We are the village the new and expecting moms in our lives so desperately need. You have the power to prepare change. Are you prepared to do what it takes?