In the U.S., maternal mortality and morbidity disproportionately affect Black women at a rate four to five times greater than white women. On top of higher fatality rates, Black women are also statistically more likely to experience pregnancy complications, including hypertension, placental disorders, gestational diabetes, blood disorders, and preeclampsia.
On today’s Broken Brain Podcast, I talk to my good friend, Latham Thomas about how a system that is designed to help people actually ends up causing them harm when it comes to adverse birth outcomes. We discuss how a doula supports women during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. We also talk about reaffirming our children’s capacity for freedom during this time of racial unrest.
For more on Latham Thomas, you can follow her on Instagram @glowmaven, on Facebook @lathamthomasglowmaven, on Twitter @glowmaven, and through her website here. You can find her book, Own Your Glow: A Soulful Guide to Luminous Living and Crowning the Queen, here. Learn more about her Doula Training Program here.
Also mentioned in this episode:
- Op-ed in Cosmopolitan, America Was Already Failing Black Mothers. COVID-19 is Making It More Dangerous Than Ever
- CDC report on racial and ethnic disparities in pregnancy-related deaths
- NPR article: Black Mothers Keep Dying After Giving Birth
For more on Dhru Purohit, be sure to follow him on Instagram @dhrupurohit, on Facebook @dhruxpurohit, on Twitter @dhrupurohit, and on YouTube @dhrupurohit. You can also text Dhru at (302) 200-5643 or click here https://my.community.com/dhrupurohit.
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