As a young black woman, I’ve aspired to do many things - move away for college, pursue my dream job, marry an incredible man, and start a family. I was all but afraid to go after my American dream until I achieved every goal except being a parent. By the time I reached my thirties, I had already experienced several years of being badgered by family and close friends. My focus had become my career, so when I became pregnant for the first time, I had not remotely thought about the condition of my body. Unfortunately, in April of 2019, I miscarried my first child. Even in my grief, I was blessed to conceive again and birthed my daughter on Valentine’s Day 2020. I didn’t return to concerns about my maternal health until I lost two more pregnancies in 2023. I needed my anger and confusion to fuel more than anxiety, so I requested further testing and dug for research that unfortunately didn’t yield many answers.
As I take a moment on Maternal Health Awareness Day to think about the women and families impacted, I choose to share my story in hopes of encouraging early screenings and transparent conversation. I choose to break the stigma and shame associated with losing children because we are not broken. And most importantly, I choose to be kind to myself, knowing that awareness is my power.
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