By Hayley Benson
President Biden and Vice President Harris released a blueprint on June 24th, 2022 for addressing the maternal mortality rate.
In the Refinery29 episode of The Terrifying Threat to Pregnant Black Women & Their Babies, medical professionals stated that women of color are three to four times more likely to experience a pregnancy-related death than other women with delivery complications, and their babies are twice as likely to die during infancy than others. While statistics will say it comes from multiple factors such as lack of access to health coverage, income, genetics, etc., I believe the original factor comes from unconscious racial bias.
As a young black woman, I cannot describe the feeling of being a maternal health advocate.
Maybe it’s because of how much my mother has done for me and how she expresses how much my sibling and I changed her life.
Maybe it’s because I am a part of the Kentucky Derby Festival Royal Court, where the state’s most civic-minded and academically achieving collegiate women are celebrated, and where I spoke to my final judges about the maternal mortality rate in America.
Or maybe it’s because, in the labor and care unit, I care for new mothers in their most vulnerable state and show them how to perform a “sitz” bath. No better feeling comes in life than a new mother putting her trust into me, when I show her how a warm water bath can help with any tears or discomfort in the vaginal area.
All these pivotal moments left me with one goal: becoming an advocate for women as an aspiring physician.
Some tips for expecting mothers
- Create a pregnancy plan; do whatever makes you feel safe and supported which should also include going to all your prenatal visits.
- Think about your labor process! Taking a birth class to learn about labor and delivery basics can help and if a cesarean birth will be advised, how will it be performed by the healthcare provider?
- Having a healthy baby come out officially in the new world will be a blessing but after birth complication risks are still a thing! Think about how can you best prepare for your postpartum experience — are you worried about post-partum depression?
- Download a pregnancy app (specifically for black women). For example, Irth is the only “Yelp-like” review and rating app for Black and Brown women and birthing people to leave reviews for maternity physicians and birthing hospitals in the US.
Trust goes a long way, and the more comfort you feel in the physician the more confident you can feel in continuing your pregnancy.
So, in my journey to becoming a physician, I am very excited to be entering this journey always keeping an open mind about how to become a better advocate for my future patients.
