Maternal mortality refers to the death of a woman from complications of pregnancy or childbirth that occur during the pregnancy or within 6 weeks after the pregnancy ends. Maternal morbidity describes any short- or long-term health problems that result from being pregnant and giving birth. Approximately 700 women die in the U.S. each year because of pregnancy or delivery complications, but an estimated 60% of these are preventable. Maternal morbidity affects approximately 50,000 to 60,000 women each year, and the numbers are increasing The United States which is one of the most developed countries in the would have such high rates in maternity deaths and there are extreme racial and ethnic disparities in rates of pregnancy-related death. Women of color especially black women are four times more likely to die during or after childbirth than their white women. 

Women of color are often not taken seriously when they talk about being in pain or discomfort. In addition, birth options are not even offered so, and these women have no choice but hospital delivery which usually tends out to be a C-sections. I would say as a black woman I haven’t had a child yet but when I hear experiences of black women during pregnancy and after childbirth it is really scary. My coworker shared her experience having a baby where more than 15 resident doctors where in the delivery room. She stated that up till date she experiences PTSD on the situation and even when she complained about being in pain, they weren’t taken seriously and was told she didn’t need pain relief and black women can handle pain very well. I think black women should be given the options and talked about these situations, because pregnancy and childbirth can be a traumatic experience and it is important to make this experience less traumatic. 

After watching the documentary “Aftershock” there is a lot I learned and took into consideration. Black women in between 845 and 1849 were used as experiments. Sims the father of gynecology used enslaved black women to develop his techniques for surgical repair and these surgeries were done without the use of anesthesia. This is really sad to know how much pain these women were in. 

Mothers who use midwives and doulas are more likely to experience physical, emotional, and informational support during labor, birth, and in the immediate postpartum period. Women of color should be given more birth options as to whether they would like to have a hospital birth or have their child in a birth center. Personally I would like to experience giving birth at a center and having a midwife and doula throughout my pregnancy.