Other African American Expecting Moms

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi there - I'm a 33 Black mom to be and worried about delivery. I know the basics but I keep reading about Black women not being listened to in the hospital and our pain not being taken seriously.

Has anyone been through this? What happened? How did you handle?

Scared in DC

I’ll try to be nice s I try to articulate my point. Try not to see the world in black and white. No such thing as not being listened to because you are black. There are all kinds of personalities at the hospital and in life regardless of race. I am black but a first generation black and I think AA do themselves a disadvantage by always looking at the world this way. I’m not saying there aren’t ignorant people out there but at the same time that’s just people regardless of race.

Someone needs to pull you up out of the sunken place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi there - I'm a 33 Black mom to be and worried about delivery. I know the basics but I keep reading about Black women not being listened to in the hospital and our pain not being taken seriously.

Has anyone been through this? What happened? How did you handle?

Scared in DC

I’ll try to be nice s I try to articulate my point. Try not to see the world in black and white. No such thing as not being listened to because you are black. There are all kinds of personalities at the hospital and in life regardless of race. I am black but a first generation black and I think AA do themselves a disadvantage by always looking at the world this way. I’m not saying there aren’t ignorant people out there but at the same time that’s just people regardless of race.

NP. You need to educate yourself. Not only is there ample data of differing pain management recommendations due to race (one example: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4843483/) but this fact is well known enough that it is taught in at least some medical schools. Please stop promoting ignorance and anti-blackness.

Wow anti blackness? How is she promoting that? She simply gave her view of the world. It doesn’t have to be yours but geeez you need to chill.

It’s a view of the world that doesn’t believe in statistics. All the data shows that there is a statistically significant difference in how black women are treated.

Suggesting that we should pretend it doesn’t happen is the same as saying you don’t believe in climate change, and we do a disservice by focusing too much on the research.. After all, It’s going to be 70 degrees tomorrow - that’s not hot! What are you worried about?

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Hi there - I'm a 33 Black mom to be and worried about delivery. I know the basics but I keep reading about Black women not being listened to in the hospital and our pain not being taken seriously.

Has anyone been through this? What happened? How did you handle?

Scared in DC[/quote]

I’ll try to be nice s I try to articulate my point. Try not to see the world in black and white. No such thing as not being listened to because you are black. There are all kinds of personalities at the hospital and in life regardless of race. I am black but a first generation black and I think AA do themselves a disadvantage by always looking at the world this way. I’m not saying there aren’t ignorant people out there but at the same time that’s just people regardless of race. [/quote]

PP: you really need to read up on this phenomenon. It is well-documented for several health conditions, but particularly childbirth. Which is why there is still a high mortality rate for middle class AA moms and babies.
—Different poster and AA mom.

[b]OP, bring an advocate other than DH. This person’s job is to question/verify and document.[/b] [/quote]
+1
I make this recommendation for all my pregnant friends, just because I think having a third party whose job it is to pay attention to the process and watch out for both mom and dad is extremely important. They need to understand your wishes and also understand the potential health challenges unique to AA women. While a doula would be nice, I also think a dedicated friend could serve this role also.[/quote]

I don’t think the health challenges are that unique, it’s the racism. Let’s just call it what it is.[/quote]

Yep. Research hints at this. But of course white folks dont want to hear it.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/magazine/magazine_article/america-is-failing-its-black-mothers/
[/quote]

I'm the PP and happen to be white and I don't buy for a second that other white women genuinely don't understand that it's racism. It doesn't take a genius. It especially drives me nuts wihen women deny this because we all collectively face sexism every day, so we all know what discrimination can feel like and how it can hold us back (but also how it can make us resilient and determined!). But I digress...

I'm also the PP who wrote the long post suggesting OP interview OBs. I'm delivering my second at GW soon and I have jotted down a few names of OBs I found intolerably arrogant, who treated me like some kind of widget in a factory they just needed to process, and/or who came across as merely incompentent. To be fair, the list is short, but my husband has that list now, so he knows he may have to be extra vigilant if one of those is on call when I go into labor. (I also have a list of 2-3 favorites who seem amazing.) Some doctors will give themselves away voluntarily, while with others, you may have to put some very direct questions right out there and see their reactions. This is no time to be overly ppolite.

You may not be able to guarantee who delivers your baby but you may increase your chances of having your OB present if you don't go with a big practice.

[Anonymous]

+1 on the comparison to climate change deniers!

[Anonymous]

Choose a black ObGyn. If you're lucky you'll get a black L&D nurse. I think hiring a doulas is a great idea, too. Don't ever be afraid to speak up for yourself and your baby.

[Anonymous]

OP - I'll buck the trend here and say, go with a midwife. Midwifery is a tradition in this country that was perfected and kept alive by African-American women. In fact some of the most impressive statistics for maternal morbidity ever were from AA midwives - even with fewer resources they provided better care than white OBs from same time period. I've had 4 kids, and in my experience my midwives (at 4 different practices) were incredibly attentive and focused on my pain, experience and safety. Midwives actually listen and they are willing to spend time with you. This board tends to be anti-midwife, but I encourage you to consult with a midwife. I am UMC and a well-educated professional, and I feel strongly that midwives are a safer choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi there - I'm a 33 Black mom to be and worried about delivery. I know the basics but I keep reading about Black women not being listened to in the hospital and our pain not being taken seriously.

Has anyone been through this? What happened? How did you handle?

Scared in DC

I’ll try to be nice s I try to articulate my point. Try not to see the world in black and white. No such thing as not being listened to because you are black. There are all kinds of personalities at the hospital and in life regardless of race. I am black but a first generation black and I think AA do themselves a disadvantage by always looking at the world this way. I’m not saying there aren’t ignorant people out there but at the same time that’s just people regardless of race.

NP. You need to educate yourself. Not only is there ample data of differing pain management recommendations due to race (one example: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4843483/) but this fact is well known enough that it is taught in at least some medical schools. Please stop promoting ignorance and anti-blackness.

Wow anti blackness? How is she promoting that? She simply gave her view of the world. It doesn’t have to be yours but geeez you need to chill.

It’s one thing to give your opinion. It’s quite another to dismiss someone’s legitimate fear without at least doing some research on the topic before lecturing that person. This PP is spreading false information and downplaying a real concern of the OP and others. She doesn’t get a free pass.

[Anonymous]

According to the CDC, black mothers in the U.S. die at three to four times the rate of white mothers, one of the widest of all racial disparities in women's health. Put another way, a black woman is 243 percent more likely to die from pregnancy- or childbirth-related causes. In a national study of five medical complications that are common causes of maternal death and injury, black women were two to three times more likely to die than white women who had the same condition.

OP- become familiar with the five medical complications referenced above. Share the information with someone who will be with you when you deliver so you both know what to look for. Your concerns are real. The best way to deal with it is to understand what can happen and speak up if you have any questions or fears. You are paying the doctors, nurses, and hospital. Don't be afraid to speak up. Best wishes and congratulations!

[Anonymous]

This is definitely true but I also think patients who are younger or LOOK younger are not listened to or not given the proper care. This is why it’s so important to talk to your OB before hand about giving birth (and speak to a pediatrician) and create a birthing plan to give to the hospital so there is no room for error as far as your demands go. I’ve heard too many horror stories (especially of black woman dying on the operating table during a c section) and this is why as an AA woman, my OB and every other OB in this practice are AA woman- I’m on the MD side. If it’s the nurses given a hard time, I would definitely request to speak with a supervisor and she/he will no longer be able to care for me or my baby- you will not stress me out or cause harm to me (or my baby) during or after birth.

[Anonymous]

A few tips.
1. Remember that the stats nytimes etc are old. Looking from 2011-2014. Ask your doctor straight up, how many maternal deaths has the hospital had since 2014.
2009 and 2010 were left out and a large portion of black women died during this time because of h1n1. Get your flu shot.
2. Find out if both their L&D and pp units are meeting appropriate staffing guidelines. You should be 1:1-2 on LD and 1:3-4 on pp. If a nurse had too many patients they can not give you enough attention. Spread too thin.
3. Learn about preeclampsia and hemorrhage. Get a bp cuff and learn to use it. If you are diagnosed with preeclampsia, you should be monitored for 72 hours post delivery. Don’t fight get out sooner. Make a 1 week bp check if you have elevated bps.
4. Let them put and iv in...so if you start bleeding you can get fluid and blood.
5. Black women are notoriously anemic...ask your doc if you are and what you can do to build up your stores before delivery.
6. Breastfeed right after delivery to prevent pph.
7. Ask about what the hospital does to ensure you don’t hemorrhage...do they have a obh score, what level trauma center are they? Trauma 1 has the most amount of blood units on hold.
8. Do they have a hemorrhage cart, IR available, do they have an icu.
9. If you have preexisting conditions, diabetes/obesity etc ...get it under control as fast as possible
10. Doulas are great but they don’t give medical advice
11. Midwifery is great however they deal with very low risk patients
12. Ask if your doctor is in house 24 hours a day...avoid practices where the doc takes home call.
13. Get involved- dc govt is creating a peer review board to evaluate every case of maternal death in the district. Hospitals also have patient counsels if you think there is better way to be heard join the counsel.

Good luck.
Hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi there - I'm a 33 Black mom to be and worried about delivery. I know the basics but I keep reading about Black women not being listened to in the hospital and our pain not being taken seriously.

Has anyone been through this? What happened? How did you handle?

Scared in DC

I’ll try to be nice s I try to articulate my point. Try not to see the world in black and white. No such thing as not being listened to because you are black. There are all kinds of personalities at the hospital and in life regardless of race. I am black but a first generation black and I think AA do themselves a disadvantage by always looking at the world this way. I’m not saying there aren’t ignorant people out there but at the same time that’s just people regardless of race.

Cue the white male fragilty who think that every true statement about racism is a direct attack on everything they've ever done in life. Sit down, bro. It's a damn fact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Choose a black ObGyn. If you're lucky you'll get a black L&D nurse. I think hiring a doulas is a great idea, too. Don't ever be afraid to speak up for yourself and your baby.

This is a great idea, but I'm sure that subconscious bias still exists in AAs. Just as women still have plenty of ingrained misogyny. I might be direct if I felt that I wasn't being listened to. "I need you to listen to me. I am telling you [this] and I'm worried about [this]." I think with all the news coverage about this issue, it may trigger some recognition in care providers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m white and had the same problem.

I don't doubt you at all. Now imagine if you were also black.

Hahaha it doesn't matter if you're a quadrapeligic PP! Now imagine you were a black quadrapeligic hahaha! You can't win pp lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A few tips.
1. Remember that the stats nytimes etc are old. Looking from 2011-2014. Ask your doctor straight up, how many maternal deaths has the hospital had since 2014.
2009 and 2010 were left out and a large portion of black women died during this time because of h1n1. Get your flu shot.
2. Find out if both their L&D and pp units are meeting appropriate staffing guidelines. You should be 1:1-2 on LD and 1:3-4 on pp. If a nurse had too many patients they can not give you enough attention. Spread too thin.
3. Learn about preeclampsia and hemorrhage. Get a bp cuff and learn to use it. If you are diagnosed with preeclampsia, you should be monitored for 72 hours post delivery. Don’t fight get out sooner. Make a 1 week bp check if you have elevated bps.
4. Let them put and iv in...so if you start bleeding you can get fluid and blood.
5. Black women are notoriously anemic...ask your doc if you are and what you can do to build up your stores before delivery.
6. Breastfeed right after delivery to prevent pph.
7. Ask about what the hospital does to ensure you don’t hemorrhage...do they have a obh score, what level trauma center are they? Trauma 1 has the most amount of blood units on hold.
8. Do they have a hemorrhage cart, IR available, do they have an icu.
9. If you have preexisting conditions, diabetes/obesity etc ...get it under control as fast as possible
10. Doulas are great but they don’t give medical advice
11. Midwifery is great however they deal with very low risk patients
12. Ask if your doctor is in house 24 hours a day...avoid practices where the doc takes home call.
13. Get involved- dc govt is creating a peer review board to evaluate every case of maternal death in the district. Hospitals also have patient counsels if you think there is better way to be heard join the counsel.

Good luck.
Hope this helps.

I’m 34 AA and just delivered two months ago and was very very worried about all the news coverage on black maternal mortality rates. This is a really useful list. Especially the bit about really educating yourself about symptoms of serious complications so that you can identify serious issues before they become deadly.

I think the team of people you work with is also essential. I used the midwives at WHC and would highly, highly recommend their practice. I felt like I was working with people who were actively committed to providing high quality medical care and a positive birth experience to women/women of color/low-income women/people from typically marginalized groups. That was especially true of the L+D nurses at WHC (who I found can choose their patients, and likeminded L+D nurses chose to work with the midwives). I truly can’t say enough wonderful things about the L+D nurses we had. Unlike other midwife practices, they don’t only work with low-risk pregnancies, and WHC has the trauma facilities in place in case something comes up. Plus WHC is a teaching hospital which means they practice up to date, scientifically supported medicine. It’s my understanding that it’s impossible to prevent the very serious complications that lead to abysmal maternal morbidity rates for AA women, but the excellent prenatal care I got with the midwives made a huge difference in reassuring me that I was doing the things I could do for a positive outcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - I'll buck the trend here and say, go with a midwife. Midwifery is a tradition in this country that was perfected and kept alive by African-American women. In fact some of the most impressive statistics for maternal morbidity ever were from AA midwives - even with fewer resources they provided better care than white OBs from same time period. I've had 4 kids, and in my experience my midwives (at 4 different practices) were incredibly attentive and focused on my pain, experience and safety. Midwives actually listen and they are willing to spend time with you. This board tends to be anti-midwife, but I encourage you to consult with a midwife. I am UMC and a well-educated professional, and I feel strongly that midwives are a safer choice.

This was going to be my suggestion. I would recommend WHC midwives. They actually listen to their patients, spend a lot of time, answer questions, etc. Many of the L&D nurses are black at WHC.