The Fourth Trimester is Just as Important For You as The First Three – Take Care of Yourself
The fourth Trimester is a time of continued change and taking care of your mental and physical health is so important.
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For Black Women, Wearing Our Babies is Nothing New. So is Babywearing Right for You?
As Black women, we have been wearing our babies for centuries. In fact, the first American version of a babywearing device was invented by a woman who had just returned from a trip to West Africa. She was traveling with the Peace Corps and had observed women in Togo carrying their babies on their bodies.…
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Preterm Labor: What You Need To Know
What is preterm labor? Pregnancy can feel like a series of weird/annoying/icky physical sensations from headaches to swollen feet. As the weeks go by, you might be introduced to Braxton-Hicks contractions, lower back pain, those round ligaments you never knew you had, and more. The joy of growing your little one isn’t always well, joyful.…
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Benefits of a Doula for Black Women; And Some Things to Consider When You’re Interviewing One.
There was one moment during the delivery of my first child that I will never forget – my son’s heart rate dropped and suddenly, three nurses and a doctor rushed into my room. I was scared, my husband and my mom didn’t know what to do and it felt like time froze. Thankfully, I had…
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The importance of cultural competency in our care
On September 1, 2017, superstar tennis athlete Serena Williams gave birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. According to a 2018 Vogue interview detailing her journey to motherhood, Williams had a relatively easy pregnancy. However, Olympia was born by emergency C-section due to her heart rate dropping to a dangerously low level during contractions.…
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Uterine Fibroids: What are they? And how might they impact your birth experience?
Uterine fibroids are a condition that many Black women face in their lifetime. Many of our grandmothers, mothers, sisters, and cousins have been diagnosed with uterine fibroids, and there is a statistically higher chance that we might also. What Are Uterine Fibroids? Uterine fibroids are a form of noncancerous growth on the uterus that often…
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The Importance of Asking For What You Need From Your Partner
My husband and I prepared for our first child very differently. Of course, I was having the child and he wasn’t, so there were practical differences in how we both got ready for the baby to arrive. But we differed in many ways other than physical changes too. Culturally, our community is vast, unique, and…
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Loving Yourself Through Pregnancy Stages
My 5-year-old daughter loves to tell people that girls are superheroes “because we can make people in our bellies.” She is right. We are pretty magical. Our bodies know how to do amazing things when it comes to reproduction and pregnancy. And once we give birth, those superpowers become even more clear. But that magic…
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Celebrate the Changes You’re Experiencing; They’re Part of Your Pregnancy Journey
When I found out one of my closest friends was also pregnant at the same time, my imagination went wild with images of prenatal yoga followed by (decaf) iced coffee dates and side-by-side stroller speed walks. Together, we would take on nursing, sleep training, and homemade baby food and complain about lack of sleep and…
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Giving Birth with Confidence: Advice from Black mothers on the importance of self-advocacy during pregnancy.
The U.S. has a problem with pregnancy-related death, especially for women of color. Given the number of advancements made across nearly every aspect of health care in the last quarter-century, women in the U.S. are still more likely to suffer a pregnancy-related death today than they were 20 years ago. A report from the CDC…
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