SISTAHS AGAINST FIBROIDS

Black women and infants are 3 to 4 times more likely to die during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. Those numbers vary in different areas of the country. I have seen anywhere from 12x's to 36x's and the reason vary as to why. Last year I attend an Infant Mortality Awareness Summit in Dallas, TX and to my surprise, the real reasons as to why there is a crisis was not even mentioned. I listened to the medical examiners speak mostly about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome being the number one cause. There was no mention of vaccinations or medical racism, which in my opinion would be the cause right along with stress. There was also a lot of discussion about preventing teenage pregnancies and other things that were not very solution-based. We as birth workers hear about this birth crisis like a broken record, but what are we doing about it. No one is coming to save us, so we must save ourselves. I am not going to overlook the large amount of women burying their babies and inf

In my early 20's, I was often called, "selfish" by my closet family members who were teenage mothers. I didn't become a mother and marry until my late 20's. I would jump up and go anywhere that I wanted to on a whim. I shopped when I wanted to, ate what I wanted, when I wanted. I didn't have to think about anyone else, but me. Once I became a mother and wife, that all changed. I put the desires and needs of others before my own. Bad mistake.  The saying is true, "You can not give from an empty cup". When you continue to withdraw from an empty bank account, the account becomes negative. Over giving causes dis-eases. During my postpartum phase, I confided in a friend who also had recently given birth, about how I felt guilty whenever I ate alone or was away from my family for hours. She said, "I don't, I love it." In judgement, I felt that she was wrong, but then when I looked at my wardrobe, eating habits and overall happine