Having a baby should be one of the most joyful times in a person’s life.
But records show that Black women, and women of color, are much more likely to die due to childbirth-related complications than white women, or to suffer from medical complications.
In an effort to combat maternal morbidity, the Massachusetts legislature recently passed a bill creating a maternal health commission, which received Gov. Charlie Baker’s approval in mid-January. The new commission is tasked with finding ways to eliminate or reduce racial disparities when it comes to maternal health.
“Even with the best institutions in the world right here in the Commonwealth, maternal mortality is still a public health crisis that impacts all women, but particularly Black women who die at twice the rate of white women in Massachusetts,” state Sen. Liz Miranda, who represents parts of Dorchester and Roxbury, said in a press release from Senate President Karen Spilka when the bill cleared the legislature.
These Lawmakers Are Putting Black Maternal Health First and Making A Difference
These Black women are stepping into their power and doing their part to help enact government changes that will save more Black moms’ lives.
It’s Black Maternal Health Week and the perfect time to shine the spotlight on some of the many Black women in politics who are working hard to make a difference that will last.
Yes, the statistics surrounding Black women and maternal health are grim Black women are three to four times more likely to experience a pregnancy-related death or preventable maternal death than white women but continuing to combat and call out systemic racial inequities and implicit bias in the medical community can and will have a long-term effect on increasing more Black women’s health outcomes.
CDC: Black women 5 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues April 14, 2021 at 6:15 PM EDT - Updated April 14 at 6:15 PM
Itâs Black Maternal Health Week, a time to talk about the disparities Black women face while pregnant.
Three years ago, Selina Ealey experienced one of the happiest days of her life.
âIt was definitely something I would never forget,â she said.
Baby KeâNiya was born in October of 2017â 15 weeks early.
âI had to have an emergency C-section to save our lives,â Ealey recalled.
She says late into her pregnancy she was diagnosed with a severe form of Preeclampsia called HELLP.
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. In a new push, doctors, activists, and a doula join one lawmaker s efforts to get the Maternal CARE Act passed to improve the health of Black expectant mothers in the Commonwealth. The Kentucky chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union s (ACLU) new video uses celebrity examples to shine a light on the issue.
What You Need To Know
It s Black Maternal Health Week
Expectant mothers, doulas, doctors, and activists are drawing attention to inequities in healthcare for Black women
In a new ACLU Kentucky video, people push for new laws to pass
The Maternal CARE Act would have required Medicaid reimbursement for doulas, but it did not pass the 2021 legislative session
It’s Black Maternal Health Week, which is an especially important time of the year to help inform people about the disparities Black mothers face when it comes to maternal care and the healthcare system at large. If we’re being honest though, this information is not something that should solely be a focus during times like this. It also shouldn’t be something that we as Black women wait to learn about until we’re preparing to bring a child into the world. It’s necessary to educate yourself early about options out there, and the true asset seeking out a midwife to deliver or having a doula at your side can be in the birthing process. All of it can aid you in learning how to advocate for yourself when dealing with obstetricians who may be pushy or not listen to your needs, which is, unfortunately, not a rare occurrence for expectant Black women. To help us all stay a bit more informed all year round, and feel safer when our time to deliver comes, we put together a list of exp