When Michelle Bradley Emebo became pregnant at age 30 with her daughter, Sarai, in 2014, she was already considered a high-risk pregnancy due to her medical history.
Emebo had fibroids, which are noncancerous uterine growths associated with pregnancy complications including miscarriage, premature labor and postpartum hemorrhage. Her OB-GYN scheduled checkups every two weeks.
“I was still very excited but cautiously aware of the risk,” she said of giving birth as a Black woman.
That health risk heightened with diagnosis of high blood pressure during a third trimester appointment. “I was caught off guard,” admitted Emebo, now 40, of Tinley Park. Her reading soared from normal to hypertension levels.
By Sarai’s May 2015 birth, Emebo weighed 232 pounds, had edema, or fluid, in her legs and a blood pressure level of 166/80.
“The doctors said as soon as I had the baby, my blood pressure would drop to normal — that did not happen,” she said. By 31, the doctor prescribed medication.
Black mothers like Emebo have long faced health disparities, regardless of education or socioeconomic status. Black women are more likely to experience severe pregnancy-related complications and die in childbirth compared to white women. To address these persistent disparities, Illinois recently launched an initiative to improve birth outcomes. Key to its effort are plans to collect comprehensive pregnancy data that can be leveraged to develop evidence-based programs and policies that reduce maternal and infant deaths. However, the Trump administration’s sweeping orders to wipe health data related to diversity, equity and inclusion from government websites, could “undermine” state efforts, according to a spokesperson with the Illinois Department of Public Health.
In the U.S., Black women are 58% more likely to have high blood pressure, or hypertension, compared to 43% of white women, American Heart Association statistics show. They also more often develop fibroids.
Untreated hypertension in pregnant mothers can develop into a severe, organ-damaging form called preeclampsia. Effects on babies include premature births, lower birth weights, and growth and developmental problems, said Dr. Robin L. Jones, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Rush University Medical Center.
“We know that Black women are three times more likely than white women to die of pregnancy-related complications,” said Dr. Rupa Sanghani, professor of medicine at Rush University Medical Center and director of the Rush Heart Center for Women. A recent Illinois Department of Public Health task force report showed similar findings. Yet, 91% of pregnancy-related deaths were potentially preventable.
In a statement, an IDPH spokesperson said, “Improving maternal and child health is a core priority for the Illinois Department of Public Health, and this was demonstrated by our recent announcement that the State of Illinois is prioritizing investments to improve birth outcomes through Governor Pritzker’s Birth Equity Initiative,” which provided $4.5 million to 12 organizations across the state to help eliminate disparities in maternal health.
IDPH doesn’t anticipate federal-level changes will impede the department’s ongoing work to address racial disparities in maternal health outcomes through Illinois’ two Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs). “This work will continue and relies on collecting data through vital statistics and direct clinical data. However, we are very concerned that the CDC has halted PRAMS (the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System), a national CDC data-collection project that is intended to reduce infant morbidity and mortality.”
IDPH continued, “Halting the collection of data from postpartum mothers will undermine our efforts and it will create data gaps that will prevent a full understanding of emerging maternal and infant health trends.”
Sanghani noted that Black women may experience more gaps in access to care, with research showing that doula programs providing emotional, physical massage and other support to mothers during their pregnancies and postpartum can be a bridge to healthier pregnancy outcomes.
From the healthcare system and providers, she added, there is “definitely structural racism and biases.” Sanghani emphasized providing care that is respectful of the individual patient’s values, beliefs and background, and listening to what Black women are saying about their bodies.
Added Jones, “Black women have spoken up and said, ‘I don’t feel heard.’ ”
It’s a message that resonated with Emebe, who works as an independent clinical researcher. After her internist prescribed a higher dosage, she switched doctors, got a nutritionist and joined a gym. She shed 8 pounds within a month by reducing sodium intake, drinking more water and cooking at home. By fall of 2018, Emebo no longer needed medication. It took two years to drop 75 pounds. Today, she weighs 157 with much lower blood pressure (125/80).
For Emebo, it took “small, consistent changes over time, adding up” to become healthier — and find support through resources like therapy to help navigate new life as a mom. She credits her postpartum therapist for providing emotional tools to navigate mom life and accept that it’s OK not to always be the “strong, superwoman.” She also joined a Chicago moms meetup group for regular outings to Lincoln Park for a mix of baby time and adult conversations. “Surround yourself with support networks, because after the baby comes, you will need those in place.”
Black Maternal Health Week events in Chicago
Across Chicago from April 11-17, local organizations are hosting events as part of Black Maternal Health Week.
Jameika Sampson, senior director of Community Health & Equity for Planned Parenthood of Illinois, emphasized the importance of such efforts in improving the health of Black mothers. “In the city of Chicago, a highly racially segregated city, where you live determines your health outcomes,” Sampson said. For example, on Chicago’s South Side, the complete closure of Mercy Hospital and Jackson Park’s maternity unit require mothers to now travel outside of their neighborhoods for care, especially obstetrics care.
Community Baby Shower: In partnership with the Chicago Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., Planned Parenthood of Illinois is hosting its second annual community baby shower. Donated items include diapers, baby clothes, bath accessories, nursing supplies, car seats and nursery bedding. The free event in the Roseland community includes vendors, a health symposium with community medical experts leading discussions on physical and mental health, and an advocacy panel featuring Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill. The focus is on Black women, but all are welcome. Every birthing person in attendance is gifted formula, onesies, diapers and other items..
When: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Where: Mildred I. Lavizzo Elementary School, 138 W. 109th St.
Registration: Available through Planned Parenthood of Illinois
Free doula services: Planned Parenthood of Illinois, together with Chicago Birthworks Collective on the South Side, on Saturday kicked off its initiative offering eligible Bridges to Prenatal Care program patients no-cost doula services, from prenatal visits to postpartum care support. Sampson said the program provides early intervention and prenatal services, and connects patients with an obstetrician, certified midwife or other doula provider for the duration of their pregnancy. The outreach centers Black families. More information about the qualifying program is available here.
Healing Legacies: Black Maternal Health & Wellness Fair: The Chicago Department of Public Health is hosting a free health and wellness fair. The event includes workshops, giveaways and engagement with doulas, healthcare professionals and more.
When: 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Sunday
Where: Wendell Smith Elementary School, 744 E. 103rd St., Chicago
Registration: Visit here to register.
Northwestern Black Maternal Health Open House: The Improving Black Maternal Health Open House includes tours of the labor and delivery floor, Q&As with OB-GYN physicians and networking opportunities.
When: 5-7 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Prentice Women’s Hospital, third floor atrium, 250 E. Superior St., Chicago
Registration: Information available through Northwestern Medicine.
