The Seventh Mom Project, Inc.
  • Home
    • Calendar
  • Support
    • SISTER Mom
    • Local Resource Guide
  • Educate
    • Community Awareness Events
    • For Professionals
  • Connect
  • Blog

40 years of Black History Month and Black Babies are Still Dying: Part 2

2/27/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Fun fact before we get rolling, every US president since 1976 has proclaimed February to be Black History Month. Pretty neat huh?

Here's another fact, more than 16 of every 1,000 babies born in central Hillsborough County die before their first birthday. One more fact, there are 87 Federal Healthy Start programs nationwide, in areas deemed extreme high risk for maternal/infant mortality and Tampa Bay has TWO!

How does all of this connect to maternal mental health and the health of black women? I asked my colleague Gaetane Jospeh-Rhodd to help me connect the dots and better understand the maternal mental health crisis in the black community.

Gaetane is very open about her struggle with maternal mental health, and has recently published her own account on her blog at http://www.seedsofmommysoul.net.

"My struggle with maternal mental health was very difficult because my family would repeatedly express how I must keep it together for them. I had to always be strong, so discussing mental health was not welcomed. Feeling overwhelmed? Go on a weekend getaway. Feeling like life is getting too hard? Go take a nap. The constant redirection of my cries made it difficult to seek help. Once I knew that my overall life would change for the worse, I knew that I had to get help in order to continue to live. To feel like life is worth living."

The concept of deny, delay and distract is nothing new for mothers experiencing health concerns. I asked Gaetane about the existence of a stigma surrounding mental health. Her response seems relatable to many.

"In my Black community mental health is not discussed much. When we discuss mental health there is always the conatation that so and so went "crazy" and had to go away. In the Black community we do not seek mental health care because only non functioning adults need that help. If you're able to still go to work, take care of your family, etc. then why can't constant prayer fix this? As a black woman you are strong. You are able to carry the weight of everyone's burdens on your shoulders while being as graceful as possible. This is what I also call the Strong Black Woman Syndrome. You can overcome all of this because your mother, aunts, and grandmothers raised a strong Black woman. By seeking mental health, there must be something wrong with you and family can't help. This stigma needs to be addressed and dissected."

Addressed and dissected. Yes. It needs to be broken down, crumbled like the Berlin wall. Recent studies have shown that while Black and Hispanic mothers are at higher risk for postpartum distress, only a small percentage seek treatment. Gaetane shared some of the barriers women of color face in reaching out and some of the origin.

"To truly get a better understanding of the depths of these barriers would have to date back to slavery. The aspect of women having to be separated from their families, rape, and dehumanization. Historically, we have to continue to keep pushing through when we have to continue being that glue for our loved ones. Being able to face constant social-economical battles is persistent so who has time to reach out because life is so hard? We have our families to care for and down that ladder our well being sits and patiently waits for acknowledgment."

Our well being sits and waits. But I'm not a very patient person and quite frankly I'm tired of moms being forced to push through and struggle alone. When I asked Gaetane what we could do to reduce the stigma. Again, she nailed it.

"Maternal mental health advocates should be ready to understand that culture, sexual abuse, disparities, racisim, sexism, and economics play major roles in maternal health. By having other women of color as advocates could be a great start for other advocates to get a better understanding of the depths of the stigmas of mental health in the Black community."

I cannot thank Gaetane enough for being patient enough to help me understand more so that I can pass this on to you reading this.

So if you're reading this, now is the time for you to get into action. We need you. Your mothers, sisters, daughters, and wives need you! If you want to save babies, start by saving their mothers. All the mothers.

Holding the umbrella,

Rebecca


*we acknowledge that this is the truths of one Black mother and not representative for all Black mothers. Though we have a hunch many experiences may be similar.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Each walk is different, but we walk together, and that makes all the
    difference.

    Stories are shared by moms willingly to help others know
    YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

    Archives

    January 2020
    June 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    September 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015

    Categories

    All
    Anxiety
    Awareness
    Birth And Baby Event
    Black Dispartiy
    Board Opening
    Body Image
    Body Love
    Breastfeeding
    Call To Action
    Cesarean Awareness
    Children
    Christian Mothers
    Complementary Treatments
    Dads
    Depression
    Doula
    Eat
    Exercise
    Expectations
    Faith
    Fathers
    Father's Day
    Fears
    Fed Is Best
    Flamingo Flocking
    Fog
    Fun
    Fundraiser
    Gender
    Girls Rock
    Give Day
    Guilt
    Heros
    Hold The Umbrella
    Hurricane
    Identity
    Identity Crisis
    Infant Mortality
    International Father's Mental Health Day
    Jesus
    Legislative Jargon
    Long Term Risks
    Maternal Mental Health
    Medicine
    Mental Health
    Mentorship
    Mom Hacks
    Moms Rock
    Motherhood
    Motherhood Fantasy
    National Breastfeeding Month
    Natural Antidepressants
    Natural Birth
    Natural Remedies
    New Baby
    Perinatal Anxiety
    Placentas
    Planning
    Pole
    Pole Dancing
    Post Baby Body
    Postpartum Depression
    Postpartum Distress
    Practical Help
    Preparedness
    Preparing For Baby
    Public Event
    Raincoat Run
    SB 138
    Self
    Showers Of Support
    Sisterhood
    Sistermom
    Sleep
    Stand By You
    Standing With Women
    Stigma
    Storms Of Motherhood
    Suicide
    Summer
    Summer Fun
    Support
    Survival
    Survivor
    Therapist
    Travel
    Umbrella Holders
    Volunteer
    Weathering Storms
    Weight
    Wellness
    Woman Acheivement
    Women's Health
    World Breastfeeding Week
    World Doula Week

    RSS Feed

You can reach us at:

mailing address: 9015 Aspen Hollow Place, Riverview, FL 33578
A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. You can contact  1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) to obtain these records. 
  • Home
    • Calendar
  • Support
    • SISTER Mom
    • Local Resource Guide
  • Educate
    • Community Awareness Events
    • For Professionals
  • Connect
  • Blog