00:00I know sometimes when we come into labor and delivery or when the pregnancy test, you know, turns the two lines, we may feel overwhelmed and that things are stacked against us.
00:10I want people to come into this experience with life and love and joy.
00:15We are here to keep you safe.
00:17These topics that we talk about postpartum hemorrhage during Black Maternal Health Week are to empower you with knowledge, not to instill fear.
00:30Hey, Essence fam, I'm Victoria Uwe Morogi, Senior Lifestyle Editor for Essence Magazine, and we're here to talk about Black Maternal Health.
00:36For all the mamas out there, one of the most important things during a pregnancy is being clear about things that feel off for you and knowing that you can go to your obstetrician, have your concerns taken seriously, and feel heard.
00:47But a lack of understanding from some providers during pregnancy, delivery, and even after is a huge problem for a lot of expectant moms.
00:55What things do we need to be on learn about when it comes to our bodies as expectant mothers, and how do we advocate for ourselves?
01:02So, to help you get some answers, I've brought in Dr. Camila Phillips.
01:05She's a New York-based, board-certified OBGYN who is the founder of Cala Women's Health and a mother of three.
01:12Give it up for Dr. Phillips.
01:13Hello there.
01:15Hi.
01:16Hi.
01:17Thank you for having me.
01:18Thank you for taking part in this.
01:20I wanted to ask you first and foremost, Dr. Phillips, as a physician and a Black mother, how important is Black Maternal Health Week and just this effort to really save lives to you?
01:32It is the foundation of everything we try and do here.
01:37I don't take for granted one second that, yes, although I'm a Black woman and I am a mother, I am very privileged because I'm also a physician.
01:49And with that privilege, not only for myself, but for people who look like me, comes actually the responsibility to make sure that we make the birthing space inclusive, safe for all of us.
02:02And so that's why every time I have the opportunity to discuss Black maternal health and especially this week, which really is every day, it really is a privilege because there are so many things that we can do to help keep women of color, specifically Black women, safe that we just need to keep talking about it, talking about it, talking about it, educating on all the socials, on all the news channels, everywhere.
02:27And we will achieve our goal of making the birthing experience equitable for everyone in this country.
02:33So important. And I also wanted to ask you, you know, people tend to think that if you get a Black OBGYN, that's all you need.
02:41We're going to easily relate, we're easily, you know, you have my experience, it's going to go so well.
02:46But what really does it take for the perfect fit between a patient and a doctor during this very important time in a woman's life?
02:53Yeah, I think it's really important that we remember this is a relationship.
03:00You know, this is a relationship and all relationships take time to engender trust and communication and honesty, transparency.
03:11So although you may have a Black position, it still means that you have to work on that relationship.
03:17I don't want to assume that just because we're both melanated that I've had your experience or vice versa.
03:23You know, as I just mentioned, I'm a physician and I'm very knowledgeable and privileged in this space.
03:29As a news reporter, you are not.
03:32And so I want to make sure that I'm not assuming your experience and that I'm still listening to your concerns
03:38and not taking anything for granted about what is top of mind for you just because we have the same skin color.
03:45So finding someone who you can have easy conversations with, don't hesitate to express your concerns
03:54and have a honest rapport with is really paramount in finding a health care provider, whether she be of color or not.
04:04Yeah.
04:04Or a man as well.
04:06Yeah.
04:08And also, lastly, what are ways that we can advocate for ourselves?
04:12I know so much, so often we want to like be able to listen to our doctors and feel confident in what they're saying
04:17because they are obviously, like you said, the expert, you have knowledge.
04:21And, you know, there's some things that we just don't know.
04:23But when should we be able to stand up and say, well, hey, this is something that I'm feeling
04:27and I don't want us to act like we need to bypass it.
04:31How can we best advocate for ourselves?
04:33Yeah.
04:33So I think it's important to, one, I always tell patients when I walk in the room, I'm like, what are we talking about today?
04:41I encourage patients to write notes about their experience in the time that I've seen them in between visits.
04:48So listen, health care we know is broken.
04:51And so we only have a limited time, right, to get through some of those things.
04:54So coming to a visit prepared, knowing what it is you want to discuss so you're sure that you hit the highlights is something that I really encourage.
05:04Taking the time and not being afraid to say, wait, wait, wait, I don't understand that.
05:08Can we back up?
05:09It's not anything to be embarrassed about.
05:12It's just we need clarification.
05:14And in any industry, for example, when I go into the banking space, I have questions.
05:19It is okay to admit that you have questions and you need to have this explained to you in one or two different ways until it sinks in.
05:28The third thing that I would encourage people to do is if your doctor, for example, hands you a nugget of information that you might not be able to entirely process at that time and you need some more time, just make sure that you're going to vetted sources.
05:42And I would say that TikTok and Instagram and social media are not those vetted sources, even though we're watching this right now.
05:50It is really important that you go to national societies and look at what the current recommendations are and then bring those to your doctor so you can have a really informed discussion.
06:01So a postpartum hemorrhage is any bleeding emergency that can occur after childbirth.
06:11This is actually a really important topic because a mother's total circulating blood volume passes through the uterus in eight to 11 minutes at term.
06:22So that means blood loss can escalate really quickly.
06:25And we know that the United States is facing a maternal health crisis, and with that, postpartum hemorrhage is a leading cause of this.
06:35And despite there being, but despite it being one of the more common birth complications, really little progress has been made in impacting and making sure women are safe from the impact of postpartum hemorrhage.
06:47And actually, there is a study that found that Black mothers are nearly two times more likely to experience hemorrhage.
06:55So this is important.
06:56There are some things that you can discuss with your doctor and potential interventions that you can discuss before you even get into labor and delivery.
07:06And one that I want to discuss is called Jada.
07:09So when postpartum hemorrhage or any abnormal postpartum uterine bleeding occurs, we have to act and we have to act fast to manage bleeding.
07:21Thankfully, we have an intervention that can help us do just that, and that is the Jada system.
07:28When someone is bleeding, I can use the Jada system, which works by using a low-level vacuum, which encourages the uterus to contract as it naturally should after birth.
07:42The time to control bleeding was just about three minutes, and in studies, about 94% of participants experience a successful treatment.
07:51The Jada system specifically is intended to provide control and treatment of abnormal postpartum uterine bleeding or hemorrhage when conservative management is warranted.
08:03And as it relates to safety, in clinical research, there were no adverse events deemed definitely related to the device or the procedure, and there was a low rate of possibly device-related adverse events.
08:16So it is important that people talk about what interventions are available to me in my delivery environment that can help reduce my risk of postpartum hemorrhage, and I would discuss Jada with your provider.
08:31It's really important that healthcare professionals have open communication with their patients about potential complications while we're in the office, before things hit the fan.
08:43It's important that together we formulate the right plan to optimize their pregnancy and birth experience, and should complications like a postpartum hemorrhage arise, we can ensure you that I and our staff are informed on how to recognize it, how to quickly respond with appropriate treatments, and how to keep you safe.
09:06So let's start some of this before we even get into the delivery room.
09:10I love that. Thank you so much, Dr. Phillips. And lastly, what would be a sign that you may be dealing with postpartum hemorrhage that you need to be on alert about?
09:19So I tell people, you know, bleeding can vary after delivery, but generally your nurse and your doctor are responsible for recognizing a postpartum hemorrhage.
09:28And it's one of those things that, like, when it happens, you know, and women, for example, might experience just a gush of blood.
09:37We know from just menstruating what is kind of too much.
09:41That sense should alert you. That spidey sense should alert you.
09:45Hey, let me call the nurse. Let me call the doctor. Let me call a family member so I can make sure I'm getting the necessary and quick help that I need.
09:54So it's really a rapid bleeding that people experience typically after delivery of the baby and placenta, but can occur upwards of 24 hours while you're in the hospital.
10:06Postpartum hemorrhaging is such an important topic that we need to pay attention to as we go into pregnancies and as we prepare for the postpartum period.
10:12So thank you so much for sharing that information, Dr. Phillips.
10:15Thank you. And before we go, can I just say this one thing?
10:21I know sometimes when we come into labor and delivery or when the pregnancy test, you know, turns the two lines, we may feel overwhelmed and that things are stacked against us.
10:31I want people to come into this experience with life and love and joy.
10:36We are here to keep you safe. These topics that we talk about postpartum hemorrhage during Black Maternal Health Week are to empower you with knowledge, not to instill fear.
10:48So use this to lead the conversation with your health care provider.
10:53Know what interventions are possible, such as the Jada device.
10:56Empower yourself, strengthen your diet and come into this experience strong and enjoy your birth.
11:03I wish everyone the best of luck.
11:06Definitely. And we thank you for listening and learning.
11:09And as she said, they're here to give you all the knowledge you need to have a healthy and happy pregnancy.
11:13Thanks for watching.
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