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Writer's pictureNarissa Harris

Black Maternal Health Week!!!

Updated: Jul 2



Hey Girl!

 

How you doing today? If you’re not doing good, remember this season is temporary. It may feel very permanent, but I promise it’s not. And if you are doing good, Girl you better relish in that feeling! You may be tired of me saying the same thing, but listen we have to remind ourselves of this because motherhood be hard sometimes. So we have to encourage in the low moments, and play up in the high moments. Now that I’ve given a brief pep talk, let’s get into this topic.

 

I know you thought I forgot about you this month huh? The first Friday rolled around and there was no newsletter. But I did that intentionally because I wanted to release this newsletter on this specific day. . . The beginning of Black Maternal Health Week. If you didn’t know, Black Maternal Health week is from April 11th to April 17th each year. It’s a time where we bring awareness to the issues Black women face in maternal health. So today I want to share a few facts about Black Maternal Health, and then I want to give a few tips on how to survive this thing called motherhood while being a Black mom. Don’t worry, if you don’t identify as Black or a mom, this will still be helpful information to you. I’m sure you know a Black mother in some capacity, be it a friend, partner, family member, co-worker, or even a neighbor. So in take this information and be part of spreading awareness this week and beyond.

 

Before we begin, I just want to give a disclaimer that some of the things I share may be triggering to either your own experience or the experience you may have witnessed with a Black mother you know. Take a deep breath as you read through those things, close out the page and step away if you need to, but whatever you do take care of yourself and then come back to the reading if you are able to.

 

Let’s talk about general statistics for a minute. Women in general have a 10-15 percent chance of experiencing a pregnancy loss, but sadly this number doubles for Black women and jumps to 20-30 percent. To put that in context for you, if you are in the room with 10 Black women, 2-3 of them have most likely experienced a pregnancy loss. That’s nearly half the room. This statistic came to life when I presented on this topic at the National Convention of Black Psychologist last year. I didn’t ask women to volunteer, I simply weaved my story of pregnancy loss into my presentation. Sadly, Black woman after Black woman raised her hand to vulnerably share that she had experienced a pregnancy loss as well. These raised hands equaled half the Black women who were present in the room.

 

What is worse, is that as Black women move along in our pregnancies, our risks unfortunately increase. We are 3 times more likely to have a stillbirth, and we are 3-4 times more likely to die in childbirth or from pregnancy related complications. This is a disparity and heartbreaking to say the least, and I haven’t even shared with you the statistics on what happens to our babies during this process. I am making a conscious and intentional decision to withhold the information on our babies because I am aware of the heaviness of this topic.

 

However, I am sharing these statistics with of this to today to show the importance of bringing attention to this issue not only during the month of April, but throughout the entire year! We MUST to keep Black mothers uplifted and encouraged, because the process of us getting pregnant is risky. The process of labor and delivery is scary. But the uplifting we receive from our community can be healing. So here are some tips that I want to give you that can aid in the healing of a Black mother. If you are a Black mom, these tips can help you. If you are not a Black mom, these are tips can encourage a Black mom in your life to do:


  • Don’t continue to read up on these statistics.

    • I know that sounds a bit hypocritical because I just shared these statistics with you, but there is a difference between being informed and being consumed. Inform yourself so that you know how to advocate for yourself, but do not consume yourself with this knowledge.

  • Pray, meditate, and/or get grounded and centered.

    • For many of us, we seek something (or someone) higher than ourselves for strength. I encourage you to do that often and consistently as you are on this journey (or entering this journey) of motherhood.

  • Don’t isolate!

    • Find your community Sis! Talk to someone you trust, get around other moms and people who give off good vibes. It helps.


Until the next time I decide to show up in your inbox, remember Girl you got this! Now go do something that will help you Bloom Into Your Best Self. . .

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