Creatives Jenni & Bryson had built a life together, centering their work in music and writing before their baby girl joined the family. Their pregnancy journey started with extreme nausea for Jenni. She sought medical support for her discomfort and found relief in prescription nausea medication. Jenni was interested in midwifery care but was “risked out” due to blood pressure issues. However, she was able to find medical providers that met her needs.

Listening to and watching birth stories helped Jenni prepare for pregnancy and birth. It came to a point where she had to start filtering her choices as it became information overload that triggered anxiety. Bryson and Jenni attended a virtual birthing class together and hired a doula toward the end of the pregnancy for additional support with advocacy and physical support.

 Deep-seated fear surrounding dying during childbirth under the care of hospital providers had settled into Jenni’s psyche. Routine prenatal appointments left her second-guessing the information she received from her providers. Jenni reached out to other Black medical and birth professionals for reassurance and additional information. The challenges of being a pregnant Black woman felt mentally heavy, constantly trying to read between the lines and discern information for accuracy. She found herself being very direct when with her care providers as she needed an induction. Jenni was concerned about a pulmonary embolism as she saw it in the media as a common cause of death or challenges during childbirth. She discussed a plan of care if she developed clots before consenting to her subsequent surgical birth.

Jenni and Bryson chose a surgical birth after a prolonged, four-day induction. The surgery was a shift from her vision but ended up being the most positive and relieving part of her labor and birth story.  Jenni felt good after her birth in terms of pain management. Once her body calmed down when they were at home, she could feel the sleep deprivation in conjunction with breastfeeding challenges. Their daughter had screaming fits that led them to call the nurse for support; that night, their nurse explored the idea of one night of baby formula. Jenni gave herself permission to rest by using supplemental formula for the night. Bryson ventured out in the middle of the night to purchase a can. However, when he returned to the house, all was well, and their baby girl had nursed. The reassurance of having a backup plan to feed their baby gave them some relief and peace. Their breastfeeding journey has been enjoyable for Jenni and their baby girl.

Accessing local programs for moms and families was a significant key to planning for birth and managing postpartum life. Jenni recommends exploring what is available in your area, especially if designed for Black families. Centering the whole family's needs beyond the pregnancy added value to their parenting journey. 

Resources:

Healthy Birth Initiative | opening up access to health care and providing ongoing support to pregnant Black and African American women and their families before and after birth

Black Parent Initiative | culture-specific, community-centered organization, creating innovative, culturally-relevant and sustainable interventions and opportunities for families