#BlackMamasMatter - Celebrating Black Maternal Health Week 2023

Happy Black Maternal Health Week!

Never in a million years, did I think that we would still have to think about what it means to be black in America - yet alone a black woman. It’s scary. I’m glad I’ve made the decision that my childbearing days are over but my heart goes out to the women that have yet to explore the journey of motherhood.

Black women are like everyone else, we want to enjoy all the joys that come with pregnancy but when the fear of making it out is daunting. Will my doctor believe me when I say that something is wrong? Most pregnancy related deaths are preventable, so why does this keep happening? 

As I take a look back on my birthing experiences, I was only uncertain with my last child. Pregnancy was nothing new to me. I knew how my body responded and I was pretty in tune with myself. While in the third trimester with my son, I started experiencing extreme bouts of pain and discomfort. It was quickly waved off as the “end of pregnancy.” I spoke with my doctor about needing to go out for maternity leave early because my body couldn’t handle what was to come. I was told that as a woman we fought for equal rights as women so I needed to continue to work until the baby came; if I wanted to go out of work it would be up to me to use personal leave. Needless to say, I was shocked. Considering my history with complex pregnancies, I just knew this wasn’t going to be a big deal. As the weeks went on my blood pressure continued to skyrocket, but no one seemed concerned until I was 37 weeks when it was well into the stroke level. 

I was rushed into an emergency c-section, 2 weeks early after my doctor reviewed my chart and realized that my blood pressure had consistently been evaluated over the last few weeks. I was diagnosed with “late term preeclampsia.” During my stay at the hospital I felt extremely anxious, I wanted to be home. I didn’t feel comfortable. I experienced several strange encounters with staff and doctors that I felt I would be better off at home. After being home for less than 48 hours, I experienced the worst pain of my life. I was worried that my incision had become infected. My stomach, vagina, and inner thighs had become swollen, hot, and red. I went to the emergency room to sit for 3 hours only for them to tell me that they couldn’t help me and I needed to see the surgeon that performed the c-section. I felt defeated. Hopeless. Like how could you turn me around when I’m telling you I’m in excruciating pain and you can visibly see it. Thankfully, it was only a staph infection but it could have been so much worse. I made it through this experience alive while many have not.

If you’ve been watching the news lately, then you’ve heard that latest report from the CDC that the maternal mortality rate is at an all time high, especially for black women. In 2020, the maternal mortality rate for Black women was 3 times the rate for White women in the United States. Multiple factors contribute to these disparities, such as lower quality healthcare, structural racism, and implicit bias from healthcare providers, and underlying chronic conditions. (Source: CDC) 

I never wanted to think that the color of my skin could have been a reason for me being treated the way I was. The more stories I hear, the more I realize that it was a real possibility. The Black Mamas Alliance is doing the work to amplify these stories and create change. The #BMHW23 theme is “Our Bodies Belong to Us: Restoring Black Autonomy and Joy,” which speaks to our strength, power and resilience, and our unassailable right to live freely, safely, and joyfully. The events and programming being planned throughout #BMHW23 will fully embody this theme and offer opportunities to engage in activities and conversations that honor the values and traditions of the reproductive and birth justice movements.

Join me in supporting the Black Mamas Matter Alliance by helping them reach their #BMHW23 fundraising goal of $50,000 at www.blackmamasmatter.org/donate Your investment helps BMMA to share the challenges impacting Black birthing people, celebrate innovation of Black-led models of holistic maternal and reproductive health care, as well as amplify the voices of Black Mamas to shift the narrative to center our joy, activism, and creativity.

While things won’t change overnight, the more that we discuss it I’m hopeful that we will see a difference. No mother should have to fear surviving pregnancy. My mother has always told me that the closest you’ll ever be to death is giving birth. That statement has never been more relevant than it is today.

#BlackMamas are magical, we need them around. I don’t know what I would do without my own mother and the other mothers in my life that have provided me guidance and support throughout this journey of motherhood. 

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