The maternal mental health of Black women

A professional Black woman in her early 30s arrives at a hospital with her husband to give birth to her first child. Although the woman has lupus and is considered a high-risk pregnancy, her doctor assured her that her pregnancy was normal and had been progressing well. They give her an epidural before she goes into active labor, and she expects to have a vaginal delivery with no complications and a healthy baby.

After about 12 hours into labor, the woman begins to feel weak, tired and dehydrated, and she starts to experience cramping in her uterus. She mentions this pain and discomfort to her doctor, but the doctor looks at a monitoring device and tells the woman she is simply experiencing contractions. Read more.