Page Text: Life or Death: The Role of Doulas In Improving Black Maternal Health
Written by Jacquelyn Clemmons on April 29, 2020 — Fact checked by Jennifer Chesak
Black women are more at risk of complications during pregnancy and childbirth. A support person can help.
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I often feel overwhelmed by the facts surrounding black maternal health . Factors like racism, sexism, income inequality, and lack of access to resources unquestionably influence a mother’s birthing experience. This fact alone sends my blood pressure through the roof.
I’m consumed with figuring out ways to improve birth outcomes in my community. Speaking with maternal and perinatal health advocates about the best approach to solve these problems usually leads down an endless rabbit hole of where to begin.
The scope of the statistics is staggering. But nothing — and I do mean nothing — makes me want to advocate for change more than my own personal experiences.
The reality facing black moms
As a mother of three children, I’ve experienced three hospital births. Each pregnancy and subsequent delivery was as different as night and day, but one common theme was my lack of safety.
About 7 weeks into my first pregnancy, I went for a checkup at my local health center, concerned about an infection. Without an exam or any physical touch, the doctor wrote a prescription and sent me home.
A couple days later I was on the phone with my mother, a physician, who asked how my visit had gone. When I shared the name of the medication I was prescribed she quickly put me on hold to look it up. As she suspected, it never should have been prescribed.
If I had taken the medication, it would have caused a spontaneous abortion in my first trimester. There are no words to describe how thankful I was that I waited to get that order filled. Nor are there words to describe the terror that flooded my heart when thinking about what could have happened.
Before, I had a healthy respect for “the experts” and not much reason to feel otherwise. I don’t remember having an underlying distrust for hospitals or doctors prior to that experience. Sadly, the lack of care and disregard that I encountered showed up in my later pregnancies as well.
During my second pregnancy, when I showed up at the hospital concerned about abdominal pain, I was repeatedly sent home. The staff seemed to believe I was overreacting, so my OB called the hospital on my behalf to insist they admit me.
After being admitted, they found I was dehydrated and experiencing preterm labor. Without intervention, I would have given birth prematurely . That visit resulted in 3 months of bed rest.
Last, but certainly not least, my third birth experience was also handled badly. While I enjoyed a super healthy, high-energy pregnancy, labor and delivery was another story. I was shocked at my care.
Between the forceful cervix check and the anesthesiologist who told me he could give me an epidural with the lights out (and actually tried to), I feared for my safety again. In spite of the horrified looks on the faces of all in the room, I was ignored. I was reminded of how I was disregarded in the past.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), black women are dying at roughly