Confronting disparities in Black maternal health
- By Naette Yoko Lee (Kirilova), Ph.D.
- Updated
In 2019, I gave birth to my first child. As a first-time mother, I was anxious and afraid, but I was also excited and very well prepared. By the time I arrived at my hospital’s labor and delivery unit that morning, all illusions of a natural birth had vanished. As many women can attest, the pain of childbirth is as universal as it is staggering. So, I was surprised when, in between mind-bending contractions, an L&D nurse leaned over me and said, without any kindness in her voice, “If you don’t quiet down, we won’t give you an epidural.” I was stunned, but I was also in pain and afraid. As a graduate student researching the Rhetoric of Race, I knew the concepts, the arguments, and the statistics to explain what I was experiencing. I knew that I was less likely to be believed or treated well because of the color of my skin. But I also knew that I needed the hospital’s help, and that was not the moment to stand and fight. I did my best to be quiet.