Black women are at highest risk for pregnancy deaths. How a new California law addresses the problem
For Black women in San Joaquin Valley, doulas are another form of protection in medical spaces
By VIVIENNE AGUILAR
vivienne@cvlocaljournalism.org
Khadija Fox screamed in pain when the doctor forcefully pulled her baby out in a Stockton hospital birthing room years ago.
The attending nurse yelled at her to stop screaming, so she did.
As a young Black woman in her early twenties with little knowledge of the birthing process, she remembered feeling as if she were being treated like a child.
“You almost forget you’re a grown woman. You’re at the mercy of everyone around you,” Fox recalled of that memory. “I thought this was normal.”
Fox says the birth of her child wouldn’t have been such a traumatic experience if she had been encouraged to listen to her body.
Fast forward about a decade. Today Fox, 37, is a certified doula – a woman whose services include personal, emotional and physical support throughout a client’s pregnancy.
Unfortunately, Fox says negative experiences with the medical system aren’t uncommon for Black women across the board.
Because of recent changes in state law, however, it’s now easier for pregnant Black women to get help they need from certified doulas like Fox.
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