Motherhood can be deadly for Black women in Pa., what are leaders doing to protect them?
One year ago, I stood in the state Capitol with a group of powerful and inspiring Black women to celebrate Black Maternal Health Week. We stood up and demanded that Black women be safe, seen, heard, supported and empowered throughout the pregnancy and birth process.
What no one there knew at the time was that I was four months pregnant and just beginning my own journey of becoming a mom.
At every appointment and checkup, as we met with each medical professional at my OB-GYN practice, I continually spoke up. I remember one of my first appointments very clearly. I told them that number one, I am fully aware and educated on maternal mortality rates. Secondly, I noted that I do not have a higher pain threshold than any other women and that if I am in pain or feel like there is an issue, I fully expected to be taken seriously. Finally, I explained that if I were unable to advocate for myself, my husband would do so, and I fully expected him to be treated with dignity and respect as a father who is doing everything he can to make sure his wife and daughter make it home safely. We also had a doula, who provided wisdom and support at every stage. I was doing everything in my power to protect myself, our daughter and my husband.
On Sept. 3, Harper came into the world and blessed her mom with a total of six hours in labor. She turned our lives upside down, filling us and our entire family with unimaginable joy.
I had the privilege of having a healthy pregnancy and a positive, empowering birthing experience, but I know that is not the case for many Black mothers.
According to the state Department of Health's 2021 Maternal Mortality Report, Black women were twice more likely to die while pregnant, during birth or postpartum, compared to white women in Pennsylvania. In Allegheny County, where our family lives, the statistics are even worse.
Black women know these statistics, and we know that our reproductive freedom is under attack. A new poll from In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda found that 40% of Black women of reproductive age say they feel less safe and think about the risk of death if they become pregnant, since conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Having access to abortion care, reproductive technologies like in vitro fertilization (IVF), paid parental leave, high-quality child care, equal pay, clean air and water — these issues are all interrelated for Black women. We deserve the freedom to make our own personal decisions about our health care, to create the families we want, when we want to have them, and we must be able to raise our children in safe and healthy communities.
Here in Pennsylvania, the Shapiro-Davis Administration is making it a priority to address racial disparities in maternal health outcomes. In the last state budget, the administration secured additional funding to study and implement recommendations on preventing maternal mortality. The state Department of Human Services awarded $8.3 million in grants to advance accessible and inclusive women's health care, especially for those who are pregnant and parenting.
In addition, Pennsylvania offers expanded access to Medicaid health coverage for new moms up to one year postpartum. This expansion was made possible by President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan and made permanent in 2023. Medicaid covers about 35% of births in the commonwealth and more than six in 10 of births to Black Pennsylvanians. Expanding postpartum health coverage through Medicaid is vitally important for dealing with the Black maternal mortality crisis.
The new Shapiro-Davis budget doubles down on work to address and prevent maternal mortality. The budget includes an additional $2.6 million to continue capacity-building to enhance prenatal care, promote maternal health education, address racial disparities and strengthen support systems, ensuing every Pennsylvanian receives the comprehensive care necessary for a safe and health pregnancy and childbirth.
Black Maternal Health Week, April 11 through April 17, is just seven days, but we need to keep this issue top of mind 365 days a year. Join us on Tuesday, April 16, in Harrisburg, and if you can't make it, research some organizations in your community that are supporting reproductive rights. Reach out to them and ask how you can be an ally to their work.
More: Having a baby transforms us; it should not also endanger us
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I am determined to have my daughter grow up healthy, happy, and secure in who is she as a young Black girl and if someday she makes the decision to become a parent, I want her to have a positive birthing experience. The work the Shapiro-Davis Administration is doing right now will make that experience possible for more Black mothers and families across Pennsylvania.
Blayre Holmes Davis, wife of Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, is the Second Lady of Pennsylvania.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Shapiro-Davis admin seeks to address Black maternity mortality crisis
