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Today is the 1st day of #BlackMaternalHealthWeek! We <3 all the Black moms out there, so we're going to shed light on some healthcare issues Black women may experience during childbirth, along with ways to take action to ensure they're given the respect + humanity they deserve. 
Black maternal mortality & morbidity rates are some of the most urgent health issues in our country, regardless of income level or social status. Black women in every socioeconomic status are impacted by maternal mortality & morbidity. #BlackMaternalHealthWeek
For instance, superstar @serenawilliams — best athlete in the world, sister, daughter, and mom — nearly died during the birth of her daughter #Olympia. When she told doctors something was wrong, they didn’t believe her. mother.ly/news/serena-wi… #BlackMaternalHealthWeek
.@Beyonce also had a difficult birth experience. After suffering from preeclampsia — a condition causing high blood pressure & can damage the liver, kidney & other vital organs — she had to deliver her twins by emergency C-section. washingtonpost.com/news/morning-m… #BlackMaternalHealthWeek
And in a preventable tragedy, Black mom Kira Johnson hemorrhaged to death following a C-Section at @CedarsSinai after staff disregarded her pain, and delayed medical intervention for more than ten hours. theroot.com/kira-johnson-s… #BlackMaternalHealthWeek
This kind of behavior is not unusual. It's rooted in implicit bias & racist stereotypes doctors believe about Black women, including that Black patients feel less pain, have less sensitive nerve endings, & have thicker skin than their white counterparts. #BlackMaternalHealthWeek
But this kind of racism and implicit bias in health care doesn’t just affect Black moms. Oftentimes, Black people receive subpar health care, in large part because they don’t know what it feels like to receive excellent and attentive medical treatment. #BlackMaternalHealthWeek
Implicit biases in health care are hurting our people, Black moms & beyond. We'll continue to see our people experience unnecessary suffering, or even death as a result of pervasive implicit biases. But we can take action! -> act.colorofchange.org/sign/ca-dignit… #BlackMaternalHealthWeek
