Empowering Black Women's Health: A Conversation with Dr. Monique Rainford

Holistic Wealth With Keisha Blair

Black women in many countries, including the United States, face higher rates of maternal mortality, preterm birth, low birth weight, and other pregnancy complications compared to their white counterparts. Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women. In an article in the New York Observer, entitled “What is Causing The High Maternal Death Rate Among Black Women in America?”, I highlighted that “in the U.S., Black expectant mothers are 243 percent more likely to die from childbirth-related causes than white women. Black women are also 49 percent more likely to deliver prematurely than white women, while black babies are twice as likely to die before reaching their first birthday”. These disparities are influenced by a complex interplay of socioeconomic factors, systemic racism, healthcare inequities, and implicit biases within the healthcare system.

Our guest on this episode of the Holistic Wealth podcast on empowering Black women’s health is Dr. Monique Rainford. Dr. Monique Rainford is a board-certified OBGYN and Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale Medicine. Dr. Rainford is the author of the new book Pregnant While Black: Advancing Justice for Maternal Health in America. Dr. Rainford received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her medical degree from Harvard Medical School. She is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In this episode of the Holistic Wealth podcast with Keisha Blair we take a deep dive into Black women’s health and in particular maternal mortality. Understanding and addressing these disparities is crucial to ensure that Black women receive the care and support they need for healthy pregnancies and positive birth outcomes. Reproductive health and maternal health are also critical to holistic wealth. Also check out our previous episode with guest Dr. Uche Blackstock on Advancing Health Equity. The issue of maternal mortality was also discussed in the new Holistic Wealth Expanded and Updated book.

Key Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Pregnant While Black: Advancing Justice for Maternal Health in America by Dr. Monique Rainford

Holistic Wealth Expanded and Updated: 36 Life Lessons To Help You Recover From Disruption Find Your Life Purpose and Achieve Financial freedom by Keisha Blair