A damning parliamentary report has found that there are still huge inequalities in mortality rates for Black mothers in the UK.
The report – Black People, Racism and Human Rights – found that the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is failing to protect Black people’s human rights, and a section on maternal mortality confirmed that Black mothers are five times more likely to die than white women during or after pregnancy and giving birth.
Seven in 100,000 white women die in childbirth, 13 in 100,000 Asian women, 23 in 100,000 mixed ethnicity women. 38 in 100,000 Black women die in childbirth, and this figure is increasing year on year.
Worryingly, the report also stated that despite the stark and horrifying reality of these figures, the NHS currently has no specific target to end this inequality.
‘The NHS acknowledge and regret this disparity but have no target to end it,’ reads the report’s conclusion.
When the authors of the report questioned the NHS Chief Midwifery Officer, Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, about the reasons for these figures, she did not give a clear answer:
‘I am still not confident that we know why there is an inequality in health outcomes between a black woman and a white woman,’ she said. ‘We have plausible explanations and the evidence on comorbidities is compelling, but there is something more.’
The lack of clarity about the causes of the higher rate of death for Black mothers, coupled with no clear plan to improve the situation, is understandably causing a lot of anxiety and distress for Black women.
Putting your body through the trauma of birth is a huge decision for everyone, but for Black women, starting a family can feel like a life-threatening decision.
Nik, a freelance writer, is 33 and says her biological clock is ‘blaring’. But she says the thought of getting pregnant and going through childbirth fills her with fear.
‘My biggest fear is that I will die in childbirth and there won’t be a explanation for it,’ Nik tells Metro.co.uk.
‘I have experienced doctors telling me that the pain I have felt in my body wasn’t real. I have been told that I was just stressed when in reality, there was something wrong. Now, I imagine if I was pregnant at the time. Would they listen to me?
‘Doctors often that think Black women are being dramatic when it comes to pain. The fear of being unheard in a time of danger – if something bad happens during labour – is heartbreaking.’
Nik says hearing about the life-threatening complications Beyoncé and Serena Williams faced during their births stuck in her mind.
‘They would both have been more numbers for the stats,’ she says. ‘They are wealthy and successful women who were still ignored.
‘Hearing that made me rethink my plan to have a child. I’m going to put it off until I feel safe. Which I’m not sure when that will be.’
Tara-Jayne is an author and a full-time mum from Kent. She says her experience of giving birth was so traumatic it has made her seriously consider whether she can put herself through it again.
Tara-Jayne felt neglected by midwives on an under-staffed ward. She was dealing with high levels of pain and concerning symptoms with nobody to reassure her or offer any help.
‘When the contractions started coming frequently I had never felt such pain,’ Tara tells Metro.co.uk.
‘I had requested a midwife to attend to me and was waiting for nearly two hours before anyone came, at that point I was in agony.
‘I was begging to be examined, as I felt as though my waters had broken and I was going into labour. When we asked one of the midwives for help she told me the person who was looking after me was busy and that I should wait – she didn’t offer to help.
‘I even begged for gas and air as they had given it to a white woman on the ward the previous night, but I was told me they wouldn’t give this to me as it is only for the labour ward. I was told I should go and have a bath.
‘At this point I was screaming with pain but I was being ignored by the nurses who were on reception.
‘The pain became unbearable and I was screaming louder and louder. Eventually someone came to me and I begged to be taken to the labour ward as I felt as though the baby was coming. I was examined and they agreed with me.’
By now, Tara-Jayne had been in pain for around seven hours. The labour itself was manageable. Tara-Jayne was given an epidural and says the delivery nurse was patient and listened to her needs. But she will never forget how she was treated on the ward.
‘I felt very ignored and was made to feel as though I didn’t matter,’ she explains. ‘I saw the way the white lady was treated on the ward prior to going into delivery and I definitely felt as though the treatment for me differed.’
Tara-Jayne says her experiences made her feel discriminated against and incredibly alone.
‘I’m honestly not surprised that deaths are higher for Black women than other races,’ she says. ‘We are ignored when we scream, as I think professionals feel we can handle the pain.
‘My experience has definitely put me off having children in the future in the hospital where I gave birth. The feeling I have felt with my son has not put me off having more children though, as the love is indescribable.’
But, in 2020, with all of the medical advancements that have been made in recent years, Tara-Jayne’s decision about having another child shouldn’t be so dangerous for her.
Sandra Igwe is the founder of The Motherhood Group, a mutual support group for Black women experiencing difficulties during and after pregnancy. She says the latest parliamentary report is not a surprise to her, but she is disappointed by the lack of action.
‘I’m extremely disappointed and aggrieved that Black mothers are not a priority in this country,’ she tells us. ‘Targets should be put in place, deadlines, there needs to be a benchmark for the level of care black women receive during and after pregnancy.’
During her pregnancy and in labour, Sandra says she was labelled as an exaggerator, aggressive and as having an attitude by healthcare professionals. She says there is still so much work to be done – particularly in the light of the pandemic, which is only sharpening pre-existing inequalities.
‘Black mothers will be disproportionately affected by loneliness during this time,’ says Sandra.
‘This shines a spotlight on triggers of loneliness that have, to date, largely been overlooked, such as racism and discrimination. Not just loneliness, but adequate continuity of care, and not having concerns dismissed. Because now most appointments are virtual, this may increase the level of Black mothers slipping through the net.
‘The government’s Coronavirus Community Support Fund, helped us establish “Black Motherhood Virtual Sessions”, a safe space for to Black and ethnic minority mothers who are experiencing social isolation, providing advice to mothers with post-natal depression and counselling to those experiencing bereavement due to Covid-19.
‘We also offer free doula support through the doula access fund in collaboration with Doula UK and we’ve partnered with MumsAid to ensure that black mothers can have access to free counselling.’
How to improve racial inequality in pre/postnatal health
The mission to tackle the racial inequality in pre- and postnatal health is a fight that we all need to be part of in order to drive real change:
- The ‘continuity of carer model’ that is being put into place to provide Black mothers with the same midwife throughout the antenatal, labour and postnatal periods needs to be rolled out across the UK as a necessity, and immediately.
- We must not settle when the NHS says it does not have a plan to tackle the disproportionate mortality rates of Black mums. We all must apply pressure and demand they put a plan in place, and that they set targets and continue to report these figures to show change.
- We must listen and support Black women throughout their pregnancy; bridging any information gap and ensuring they have fair access to resources, tools and experts.
- We must listen to Black women in the labour room and make sure they are not only heard, but supported and that the necessary care is delivered.
- We must not accept that this is just an issue that stops in the labour room. Black mothers are 13% more likely to suffer from postnatal depression and so the healthcare system’s duty of care needs to continue – at a high quality – once the baby is born.
Michelle Kennedy, founder of motherhood app Peanut
Practical tips for anxious Black mothers
Michelle Kennedy is the founder of Peanut, an app that connects women through all stages of motherhood. She says the stark inequality in maternal mortality is ‘unacceptable’.
‘There are real women behind these statistics,’ says Michelle. ‘Real would-be mums and real children who will grow up never to know their mother.
Michelle says that no woman should have to embark on their motherhood journey feeling like they aren’t on a level playing field when it comes to care.
‘Every woman needs to be treated as a unique individual, believed when they say they are in pain or concerned about something, and there must be action to iron out racial biases that evidently exist in the healthcare system,’ she adds. ‘Inaction is driving inequality, and Black women need more support.’
Here are Michelle’s tips for coping with anxiety about pregnancy and childbirth for Black women:
No question is too small or too silly
If you’re ever uncertain or concerned about anything – ask someone. Lean on your midwife, doula, own mother or friends to get the advice and support you need for peace of mind.
It’s so important to open up about how you are feeling and not let emotions or worries build up. It took me a while to realise that by putting myself first I was putting my baby first too.
Find a doula
I got in touch with a doula at the start of my pregnancy and she supported me emotionally through it, making sure I had a positive experience.
She guided me through key milestones; from my first scan to labour, and shared balanced information that helped me make informed decisions about my maternity care.
Find other mothers to connect to
Pregnancy can be lonely, and the pandemic has exacerbated this for so many pregnant women.
It’s hard to meet other pregnant women with in-person NCT classes cancelled, but being able to speak to people who are going through the same experiences as you can make a real difference.
I have been able to meet women who share the same due date as me in a Bump Buddy group on the Peanut app. There’s always someone you can reach out to for advice if you are feeling anxious or just want to have a chat.
The State of Racism
This series is an in-depth look at racism in the UK in 2020 and beyond.
We aim to look at how, where and why individual and structural racism impacts people of colour from all walks of life.
It's vital that we improve the language we have to talk about racism and continue the difficult conversations about inequality - even if they make you uncomfortable.
We want to hear from you - if you have a personal story or experience of racism that you would like to share get in touch: metrolifestyleteam@metro.co.uk
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/11/13/black-mothers-are-five-times-more-likely-to-die-in-childbirth-13587172/
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