How can we make birth safer for Black women?

Summary

"My voice didn't matter. I felt like I was being gas lit, and that I wasn't important."

Black women report being dismissed and neglected by healthcare professionals throughout pregnancy, childbirth and beyond - and are four times more likely to die in childbirth than women of other ethnicities. Prominent medical committee, NICE, has proposed that inducing pregnant Black women, bringing their birth forward early, could go some way to addressing the problem.

The host of this podcast from The Fourcast speaks to a doctor who says it’ll make birth safer for mums and babies, and campaigner Sandra Igwe who says that early induction is not the solution to a deep and complex issue, rooted in racism and inadequate healthcare for Black mothers-to-be. 

*Content warning: This episode includes discussion about maternal death and stillbirth.