Other African American Expecting Moms

[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.

Great list that shows you can have some agency in the process.
However, the fact that this problem exists is shameful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

DP here. This is the key -- having a provider who truly listens to YOU and isn't only relying on tests to tell them something is wrong. In nearly all the cases that have been in the news the providers were ignoring or downplaying the new mom's or her family's complaints that something felt off. Some had negative test readings and they later died.

You shouldn't feel sick before or after you give birth. If you're in too much pain or having some weird sensation don't assume it's normal, even if the medical providers are telling you it's normal. If it's not normal for YOU then it's not normal, period. Demand BOTH a physical exam and testing.

Get a midwife or a doula, someone who can tell you what you can expect to be feeling. Midwives are trained to get to know you and your body, so they are able to tell what is in the range of normal for YOU. Doctors are not trained for that - they don't see individual differences.

Doulas can't provide medical advice, but if they're experienced and they've gotten to know you, they can help you figure out when something is a problem worth bringing up to your providers, and can help you voice your concerns.

[Anonymous]

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

OP, I'm Black, almost 30 with no kids yet, but I have similar concerns of what it means to be Black and expecting.
I plan to have a Black doctor and a Black doula to advocate on my behalf.

[Anonymous]

I would not recommend a midwife. Get an actual doctor.

[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.

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.

OP, bring an advocate other than DH. This person’s job is to question/verify and document.

+1. I doubt that the PP was black. I'm black and 1st-gen also, and I don't think the research discriminates between AAs vs. immigrants--some forms of subtle bias apply no matter what your country of origin really is.

Actually the research indicates first gen fare much better. One of the mysteries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Great list that shows you can have some agency in the process.
However, the fact that this problem exists is shameful.

Great list. I’m a Latina who experienced atypical preeclampsia. I’d recommend also learning about the signs of the atypical presentation since WOC are more
likely to experience it than white women. Also, be on the lookout for preeclampsia AFTER delivery, especially for WOC.

If you have any risk factors for preeclampsia (being a Black woman makes you more at risk), ask your OB about going on baby aspirin, which can reduce likelihood of preeclampsia. Even if you’re borderline in terms of risk factors, the possible benefits of it likely outweigh the risks since it’s so safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NYT recently did a series on black maternal mortality. I know someone in this story--she's a physician herself, and still felt brushed off by doctors when she was pregnant and ended up diagnosing her own life-threatening condition.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/19/magazine/black-mothers-respond-to-our-cover-story-on-maternal-mortality.html

I remember reading that story.

[Anonymous]

https://www.npr.org/2017/12/07/568948782/black-mothers-keep-dying-after-giving-birth-shalon-irvings-story-explains-why


heartbreaking

[Anonymous]

OP I work with black mothers and several of them have used Mamatoto Village and have been pretty happy with them.
https://www.mamatotovillage.org

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

OP, bring an advocate other than DH. This person’s job is to question/verify and document.

+1. I doubt that the PP was black. I'm black and 1st-gen also, and I don't think the research discriminates between AAs vs. immigrants--some forms of subtle bias apply no matter what your country of origin really is.

Actually the research indicates first gen fare much better. One of the mysteries.

No mystery at all.

It's about your attitude and behavior -- speaking on average of course, first gen work hard and solve problems, second gen whine about past injustices the entitled American way.

This is some straight up racist BS. Reported.

[Anonymous]

Thank you ladies for this resource! Does anyone have any on/gyns that they enjoyed or was attentive to their needs?

[Anonymous]

I’m a white woman but my OB is black. I can’t tell you how much I loved him. He did an emergency c section on me. He is so experienced (he finished his residency the year I was born!!!!1975). He has such a nice bedside manner. Dr. Norman Armstrong in McLean. Love him!

https://www.inova.org/doctors/norman-a-armstrong-md

I’m sure there are lots of great doctors out there though. Look at the hospital you want to deliver at and see which OBs deliver there.

[Anonymous]

Everyone should read these pieces of advice from mothers who almost died, but especially those facing bias in healthcare settings: https://www.npr.org/2017/08/03/541191480/if-you-hemorrhage-dont-clean-up-advice-from-mothers-who-almost-died

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you hire a doula? Someone experienced and who can help you advocate in the hospital.

I would add this layer of protection without hesitation. And, make sure she’s with you after you are transferred and settled in. She’ll coordinate pain meds with the nurses more effectively. Talk to the hospital social worker about your concerns we’ll before delivery.

If nothing else, you’ll go in more confident and with a feeling of safety.

My epidural failed and I had to pull the contact wires out of the wall in order to get assistance. The nurse didn’t believe me, then wouldn’t return to the room as the pain got worse and worse, after my c-section. The doctors had no idea how I’d managed four hours of post-part I’m pain, and drugged me up quickly. I never saw that nurse again, but met a whole lot of hospital administrators.

Do what you have to and don’t care what anyone else has to say. Trust yourself. Take care of yourself.

[Anonymous]

^^^^^^
Sorry. On phone.