Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.
This week is Black Maternal Health Week to bring attention and action to improving Black maternal health.
"We're dying. We're not asking questions. We're not advocating for ourselves," Natasha McGee said.
McGee gave birth to her baby girl, Nava, in February.
But, as a 40-year-old black woman, she had some concerns.
"Just going into a regular appointment, sometimes you feel your concerns, specifically with being African American, may not be heard," she said.
Along with it being a geriatric pregnancy, Mcgee also has a history of hypertension. Hypertension is a term for high blood pressure.
"I've had hypertension since I had my first son," she said.
Mcgee's pre-existing conditions and disparities among Black maternal health are why she sought out a Black doctor.
"Every appointment I was in, I did not feel like I was rushed. I felt like I was listened to. I felt she genuinely cared about me and my health and the health of my baby," McGee said.
Dr. Meredith McMullen is an OBGYN at Kaiser Permanente San Diego.
Dr. McMullen said the high mortality rate among Black women is due to a number of things.
"Some of that is pre-existing medical conditions. Some of that is implicit bias that exists within our medical system," Dr. McMullen said.
She said black women are more at risk of having pre-existing conditions like hypertension, which could lead to preeclampsia.
Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific complication caused by high blood pressure and high levels of protein.
"The preeclampsia can turn into, if left untreated, severe blood pressure that can then result in seizures," Dr. McMullen said.
Dr. McMullen said the key to improving Black maternal health includes having a diverse labor and delivery team and, most importantly, educating expecting mothers.
"Coming into the pregnancy aware of your pre-existing conditions and knowing that you really need to be on top of your own care," she said.
Dr. McMullen also listed socio-economic disparities among people of color as a contributing factor.
"Where there's less access to healthcare. Being able to receive earlier, timely prenatal visits throughout the pregnancy is critical," she said.
