• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • Resource Centers
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Covid Resource Center
  • Find A Doctor
  • BDO TV
Home / Wellness / Healthy Pregnancy / The Dark Side of Pregnancy For Black Women

The Dark Side of Pregnancy For Black Women

Pregnancy is a beautiful time in a woman’s life. Being able to create life and give birth to a healthy child is truly a blessing, as some women and couples are not able to naturally conceive. Often times, when a celebrity or acquaintance reveals to the world that they are pregnant people, will say things like, “Everybody is pregnant!”, “It’s baby season”, or “there’s something in the water!”

Although these comments can be funny, and not at all meant maliciously, I think this sentiment downplays the miracle that conception and childbirth really are. Each healthy child born should be regarded as a miracle, if not only for the fact that it is a new life but for the ever-present danger women, especially black women, face during pregnancy and childbirth.

After having my first child, and now in the third trimester of my second pregnancy, the dark side of the pregnancy experience is a reality to me that I never expected. No one talks about the rounds of testing pregnant women go through for genetic and physical defects their unborn child may face. In the midst of planning baby showers and stocking up on diapers we are bombarded with words like down syndrome, trisomy 13, spina bifida & other unforeseen conditions we are to be tested for. This is nerve wrecking enough but it gets much worse, especially for black women.

It’s true for all women that pregnancy poses tremendous health risks for mother and child, but for some more than others. Like the statistics of SIDS, the rates for maternal mortality rates and overall pregnancy complications is higher in the black community than any other racial group in the US. According to the CDC, black women are more than twice as likely to die in childbirth or of pregnancy complications than any other racial group. But unlike cases of SIDS, education is not the primary culprit for these disparaging numbers. Simply put, it’s racism.

You May Also Like
15 Natural Remedies for Aches and Pains

Obviously, a healthy pregnancy starts with a healthy body and

Continue Reading

The Latest In Healthy Pregnancy

breast milk

6 Natural Ways To Increase Your Breast Milk Production

The time has come to feed your little one and you want to start off on the right foot! They say “breast is best”, but this natural nectar may not come as easy to some. The good news is that read more about 6 Natural Ways To Increase Your Breast Milk Production
maternal health

Childbearing While Black: Changing the Narrative for Black Maternal Health

Hey, Lovelies, I'm so glad you landed here! I hope it's warm and sunny wherever you are! As we prepare to have a #HotGirlSummer, let's run it back to some big celebrations we've had. February was Black History month, followed read more about Childbearing While Black: Changing the Narrative for Black Maternal Health
maternal mortality

7 Things Pregnant Black Women Can Do to Be Heard by Doctors

Serena Williams has been pretty open about the life-threatening medical complications she faced after giving birth to her daughter Olympia in 2017. She had four back-to-back surgeries in the span of a week and suffered several blood clots that would read more about 7 Things Pregnant Black Women Can Do to Be Heard by Doctors

Breastfeeding: Racial Disparities & Health Benefits For Mom & Baby

African-American mothers breastfeed at lower rates than other groups of women for a myriad of reasons, and August, being Breastfeeding Awareness Month, is a good time to call attention to the health benefits for both mom and baby. Maria Wright, read more about Breastfeeding: Racial Disparities & Health Benefits For Mom & Baby
conception

Tips For Boosting Diet Quality During Conception (For Men and Women)

Drinking, no raw seafood and no soft cheeses are some of the big no-nos when you are expecting, but how good are women at eating healthy foods before they become pregnant? More than 7500 women were asked to fill out read more about Tips For Boosting Diet Quality During Conception (For Men and Women)
postpartum hair loss

The Truth About Postpartum Hair Loss

As women, we’re often told that our hair is our crowning glory, so it’s only natural for us to freak out after noticing greater than usual amounts of hair on our pillows and in our sinks. If you recently had read more about The Truth About Postpartum Hair Loss

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

  • Marjorie Harvey: Fit, Fine & 57!Marjorie Harvey: Fit, Fine & 57!
  • Snoop Dogg & Wife: 26 Years And Still Going StrongSnoop Dogg & Wife: 26 Years And Still Going Strong
  • Halle Berry: Over 50 ‘Just Keeps Getting Better With Time’Halle Berry: Over 50 'Just Keeps Getting Better With Time'
  • Queen Latifah Sheds Light on BMI Chart Flaws: “I’m Just Thick”Queen Latifah Sheds Light on BMI Chart Flaws: "I'm Just Thick"
  • LL Cool J & Wife Simone Smith Celebrate 25 Years Married: “We Celebrate Life”LL Cool J & Wife Simone Smith Celebrate 25 Years Married: "We Celebrate Life"

Podcast

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Learn More About

  • Hepatitis C
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle Cell
  • Mental Health
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2022, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.