you have been taking it.”
Drug allergies, any past hospitalizations or surgeries, existing health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, or mental health conditions are just a few of the things that will help doctors provide you with adequate care. An easy way to keep track of all this information is by creating a physical binder or virtual dropbox to keep all your medical records in.
“You also want to find out your gynecological family history,”LaTasha Perkins, a family medicine physician at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital says. “Talk to your mom about what her pregnancies were like. Is there anyone in your family who had ovarian cancer, fibroids, or multiple miscarriages?” These conditions may run in your family and can be key to helping doctors provide the best care.
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Research your care team
Research is an important part of Black women getting adequate care, because unfortunately Black women are often dismissed by doctors.
This was the case for Anjanet Thomas after giving birth to her third child. Thomas noticed she was unusually swollen, but was dismissed by her doctor. After her symptoms worsened, she went back to the hospital later that day. She was diagnosed with postpartum preeclampsia — a rare condition associated with high blood pressure.
After being released, Thomas began having trouble breathing so she returned to the hospital for the third time and was released by the same doctor despite her symptoms. The doctor told her that her lungs sounded fine, but a nurse later revealed that her lungs were full of fluid and her heart was not pumping correctly as a result of her postpartum preeclampsia treatment.
This wasn’t a new condition for Thomas. In fact, she had a history so she questioned why her doctor didn’t take her more seriously. She says she felt ignored by medical staff because of her race.
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“I feel like there’s a stereotype that we are able to endure stuff that white women are not able to endure,” Thomas, who still takes heart medicine from postpartum complications says. “They kept telling me I was being overdramatic, exaggerating what I was feeling.” She also felt dismissed by doctors during her first pregnancy.
“This is someone you are going to spend a lot of your pregnancy with, and you need to trust them,” says Crystal Hawkins, R.N., a labor and delivery nurse and birth-rights activist in Philadelphia. “Google them, look at past patient reviews, see if they are on social media, and ask your community groups about them.”
“This might mean getting word-of-mouth referrals from Black friends and professionals, and scheduling an initial appointment with
