BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Advocate groups and survivors shared their concerns about Black maternal health care in Louisiana at the Capitol as lawmakers hear proposed bills.
On Wednesday, April 17, State Sen. Regina Barrow, who authored two Senate bills that have passed out of committee, talked about the challenges Black women face during childbirth and pregnancy.
“Birthing outcomes, especially for women of color, are very low. Unfortunately, we rank as an F,” Barrow said.
Senate Bill 142 would require doula services to be covered by Medicaid. Senate Bill 143 would require healthcare providers who provide prenatal and postpartum care to screen for hypertension and preeclampsia.
“Sometimes when women show up and they talk about or complain that they are having an issue or they’re having pain here, it’s dismissed by some physicians,” Barrow said.
According to the CDC, hundreds of people in the U.S. die during pregnancy every year or in the year after, and thousands more have unexpected outcomes of labor and delivery with short or long-term consequences to health.
One woman, Chantell Zenon, described what she called a traumatizing birthing experience. She said she was put on magnesium and told that she had preeclampsia, meaning that the delivery process had to start right away.
Zenon said she hemorrhaged and “lost a lot of blood,” and her hips were dislocated during the baby’s delivery.
She said she’s in support of bills to help expecting Black mothers. Recalling her experience, she told lawmakers, “I could’ve lost my life as well as my child’s life.”
Zenon said the fight isn’t over and the Senate bills proposed are a step in the right direction.
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