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Trigger Warning: Medical Racism
*Deep Breath* What does medical racism look like for a pregnant Black woman in Ottawa? Well so far...
*Deep Breath* What does medical racism look like for a pregnant Black woman in Ottawa? Well so far...
It is the feeling of doom after notifying your family doctor of your pregnancy only to be told “so what you’re pregnant? what do you want us to do about it”
It is sharing your concerns about how safe your pregnancy is due to the PCOS & endometriosis they are supposed to be following. It is having those concerns ignored and being denied necessary screenings & evaluations.
It is to be told by that same family doctor that they’ll get back to you with a referral to an ob-gyn to follow your pregnancy. It is going two months of your pregnancy without care wondering if you and baby are okay because that referral never came.
It is to find a new doctor who for some reason keeps assuming that the father is not in the picture/keeps asking you if the father is abusive.
It is the confusion of having to have medical documents fixed on multiple occasions because it keeps being recorded by doctors that there is no father around when there is.
It is to remind doctors at every appointment that you do not have a substance abuse issue and you are not being abused because they “keep forgetting to add it to your file”
It is to change doctors multiple times throughout your pregnancy because it’s clear their racial bias is putting you and baby in harms way.
It is to be financially affected by the fear caused by their racial bias because now you have to make sure you have a doula who can advocate on your behalf just in case.
It is to have doctors make comments about how “you thought you were having contractions” when it was determined that you were actually having contractions (it wasn’t just in your head) and at risk for preterm labour.
Also for the folks asking, these experiences happened under the care of both midwives and ob-gyns. I do have a doula who is incredible and am not planning on giving birth in a hospital. I did everything I was “supposed” to do to avoid these experiences and they still happened.
It continues here, not sure why the thread got separated https://twitter.com/mayaspoken/status/1359332733743464450
I’ve muted this post now. I haven’t given birth yet and so I’m being careful not to waste energy on people trying to tell me my experience isn’t real. There is nothing anyone can tell me that will invalidate a lifetime of these experiences and the time it took to understand them.
Thank you to everyone for your kind words & encouragement. It really means a lot. We have a doula fund on our registry if anyone wants to help my partner and I out in that form. https://www.myregistry.com/baby-registry/maya-b-and-caleb-c-ottawa-on/2466617
We’re also still looking to get connected with Black doctors, midwives etc in the Ottawa area if anyone knows of any. This has been difficult for the both of us but we are so excited to meet our bundle of joy.
For the record my partner is the most present, the most loving and the most caring partner in the world. It’s heartbreaking that Covid restrictions have not allowed us to experience ultrasounds & appointments together but he is always parked outside eager to hear all about it. 
