Next steps Healthcare professionals acknowledging these statistics and stereotypes is a first step in eliminating disparities for Black moms. First and foremost, examining why these biases exist, and the history of those biases, is critical, as is listening to Black moms who have experienced disparities firsthand. Policy and legislation change in Oklahoma could make a widespread impact, like California’s Senate Bill 464, requiring hospitals to train maternity care staff about implicit bias. In Oklahoma, legislation was filed in January 2020 requiring complete, detailed documentation of maternal mortality. Senate Bill 1238 would require that if a woman dies in the hospital, the chief medical examiner would have to report the death to the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) after delivery or within 42 days after delivery from any cause related to the pregnancy. The medical examiner would also be required to indicate if the death was related to maternal mortality on the death certificate. The bill also directs the OSDH to maintain and report data on maternal mortality, including the number of deaths reported by county and race, which author Sen. George Young says is a first step in addressing and reversing maternal mortality.
during and shortly after childbirth to help her achieve the healthiest, most satisfying experience possible. A postpartum doula provides evidence-based information on infant feeding, emotional and physical recovery from birth, mother–baby bonding, infant soothing and basic newborn care. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, studies have found labor support from someone like a doula can help improve labor and delivery. A doula can also provide education and support with breastfeeding. In addition to high mortality rates, Black women have the lowest initiation and duration rates of breastfeeding, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Those statistics can again be attributed to racial biases. Research from the CDC shows hospitals that serve Black populations are less likely to assist Black women with initiating breastfeeding after birth or to offer lactation support. Black women also are more likely to go back to work earlier than 12 weeks and have to navigate dealing with an employer who is not accommodating to mom’s pumping schedule or expressing milk needs. Local mom, doula and breastfeeding specialist Bethany Erby says women, but more specifically Black women, are often not able to find the support needed to reach their breastfeeding goals. Breastfeeding benefits go beyond nutrition, including lowering the chance of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) for babies and the amount of postpartum bleeding, reducing the risk of hemorrhaging in mom. And the risk of hemorrhaging is more common than many might think. Local new mom Norchelle Hamilton completely understands how Black women die at a disturbing and disproportionate rate after her own experience. After Hamilton had given birth to her son, healthcare professionals casually told her she had lost more blood after the delivery than during. Nurses were not eager to offer help or assist her when she wanted to take a shower. After Hamilton’s discharge from the hospital, she was not sent home with any special instructions on how to care for the continuous bleeding or informed on what to expect. She wasn’t given any proper sanitary napkins, underwear or gowns to deal with the excess bleeding. Luckily for Hamilton, she had her own personal healthcare professional contacts she reached out to once she was home to inquire about how to tend to excess bleeding.
According to a study by Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health, expanding Medicaid coverage has been significantly associated with lower maternal mortality in participating states compared to non- expansion states. Extending Medicaid coverage for at least one year in every state would also help with postpartum care. The epidemic of Black maternal mortality and healthcare disparities is one the community and nation must rally together to overcome because addressing them only improves care for all of us. Editor’s note: Jillian Bray is a news reporter for Better Black News, a media outlet highlighting positive African American news and bringing awareness about issues within the African American community. She is also an advocate for mothers and their well-being, prenatal and postpartum. Most importantly, Jillian is wife to Michael and mama to son Janori. Follow Jillian and her news team on all social media platforms @betterblacknews or visit BetterBlackNews.com. Find Better Black News’ healthcare directory listing local Black nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals at betterblacknews. com/directory.
50 METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / MAY-JUNE 2021
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