First Year Cleveland Pregnancy And Infant Loss (PAIL) Committee Launch OWN (Our Wellness Network)

by | Aug 12, 2023 | Press Release

Posted June 12, 2020 in Press Releases

OWN provides emotional and mental support to women and men who are experiencing pregnancy, infant loss, and early stages of parenting

CLEVELAND – As part of the ongoing efforts to raise awareness regarding infant mortality rates in Black communities, and racial disparities within maternal healthcare, the First Year Cleveland (FYC) Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Committee will launch the Our Wellness Network (OWN) during a press conference to be held June 18, 2020 at 10 am via a Zoom virtual event.

The press conference has concluded. If you weren’t able to participate, you may view it here.

Cuyahoga County Councilwoman Shontel Brown and City of Cleveland Councilman Blaine Griffin, who have been active with FYC PAIL’s planning and community outreach efforts, will speak at the event.

The press conference will highlight the gaps in service for the Black community, the importance of seeking mental health support, and discuss the value of having Our Wellness Network (OWN) comprised of Black therapists, parents, and lay leaders, available to help Black families who have experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth or an infant death situation.

OWN support services will also be available to those who may be experiencing stress or depression during pregnancy, birth, or parenting stages.

“Cuyahoga County’s infant mortality rates among the Black community are some of the highest in the United States,” said Tracy L. Carter, MHSA, co-chair of the First Year Cleveland Pregnancy and Infant Loss Committee. “Especially now, during the current climate of our world, the launch of OWN is timely and relevant for Black families who are experiencing pregnancy and infant loss, or who need emotional support during and after pregnancy. Through OWN, we hope to provide Black community members and others with the support they need to manage depression, anxiety and stress before, during and even after pregnancy in an effort to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.”

If you are interested in attending the Zoom Press Conference, please contact Katrice D. Cain, MA, Racial Disparities & Health Equity Program Director, First Year Cleveland, 216-368-5017 or kdc37@case.edu

For more information regarding Case Western Reserve University First Year Cleveland visit firstyearcleveland.org and for more information regarding FYC PAIL or OWN visit pailconnect.org.

You can help mitigate the effects of implicit bias on pregnancy and childbirth

You can help mitigate the effects of implicit bias on pregnancy and childbirth

by | Aug 4, 2023 | FYC News and Post

Cuyahoga County has one of the highest rates of prenatal care in the state — yet, this area also has one of the worst infant mortality rates, and racial disparities contribute to this alarming statistic. 

Many believe that racial disparities in infant mortality only affect women living in poverty, those with limited education and teenagers. However, these disparities are found through all socioeconomic statuses and age groups. In fact, in the past 10 years, only four percent of infants who died were born to teenage mothers.

The majority of premature deaths in Cuyahoga County are African American babies. Most of these infants’ mothers have significant interaction with medical providers, many via private insurance and self-pay rather than Medicaid. According to Dr. Arthur James of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, one must go as far back as 1975 to find a white infant mortality rate comparable to the 2015 African American rate.

For years, researchers and doctors have been debating the topic of racial disparities in health care. They still struggle to find why African American women in America, no matter their age or socioeconomic status, are more likely to suffer an infant loss.

Most recently, there is a common agreement that the everyday stressors of being an African American woman contribute heavily to these heartbreaking outcomes. This excess stress comes from unavoidable daily occurrences such as implicit bias and structural racism.

Structural racism is deeply embedded into American society and is a potent factor that leads to inequities in the health care system. It goes hand in hand with implicit bias. Implicit bias is an attitude or a stereotype that affects your understanding, actions and decisions unconsciously. Everyone has implicit bias, whether they know it or not.

Unfortunately, implicit bias can affect the way that providers care for their patients — and this factor can contribute to many statistics that illustrate the issue.

Racial disparities in health care affect African Americans of every socioeconomic level.

So, what can we all do to help mitigate the effects of implicit bias on pregnancy and childbirth?

Be aware of your own implicit bias. Implicit biases don’t necessarily always align with our own beliefs or values — they are learned and out of our control. However, these biases are completely susceptible to change.

Project Implicit is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to educate people on their own implicit bias. They’ve created different tests for subjects like racial bias, gender bias, disability bias and many more. Take a few minutes out of your day and take a test to determine your biases. https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/selectatest.html

Don’t stop there. After you take the test, find out what you can do to change those biases. Speak up. Share posts like this with family and friends. Connect with organizations like First Year Cleveland on social media, and discuss topics such as structural racism and implicit bias.

Racial disparities are all too relevant in the lives of pregnant women and their infants in our county — however, by taking steps and getting involved, we can make a difference.

Ramia G.

Ramia G.

by | Jul 26, 2023 | Community Stories

SAFE SLEEP ADVOCATE
After the devastating loss of her four-month-old son, Maison, in 2012, Ramia turned her sorrow into activism. As a member of the First Year Cleveland Safe Sleep program, Ramia has shared her story in an effort to spread the importance of the ABCDs of safe sleep, reminding parents and caregivers to put a baby to sleep Alone, on their Back, in a Crib and Do not smoke. In addition, she is the co-founder of Mending Mommy, a community-based support group for parents who have lost a child. Through monthly meetings and events, Mending Mommy provides a space for parents to heal in a supportive, open environment. Here, Ramia shares her story of finding strength after tragedy.

The evening my son passed away, I was at work. It was strange because my husband kept calling me back to back to back. When I finally picked up the phone, the only thing he could get out was, “Maison,” our son’s name.

I immediately knew something was really wrong. I collapsed on the floor of the bathroom at my job.

By the time I made it home, I was greeted by the coroner. They had already tried, unsuccessfully, to administer CPR.

Cause of death was determined to be sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), as there were no health concerns and there wasn’t anything in the crib — no bumpers, no pillows. We were devastated, to say the least.

There was a mixed reaction among friends and family. Some of my family members were supportive, but others were insensitive. They just didn’t know what to say. It’s almost preferable that they don’t say anything. But, that’s how you end up feeling isolated because you don’t want to risk it.

We don’t want to lose any babies to something that can be prevented, so it’s important to speak to parents about the ABCDs of safe sleep — to put a baby to sleep Alone, on their Back, in a Crib and Don’t smoke. It’s a no-brainer for me to help spread the word.

The hardest part of that is encouraging people to put their babies to sleep on their backs. In our culture, we’re told by our parents and our grandparents that stomach sleeping is fine. Nothing bad happened when they did it all those years ago. They do really want the best for you, but they’re not really open to hearing about the new research. They want you to get rest and to them, that’s how you do it: you put the baby to sleep on their stomach.

“So many people live in silent grief and pain, and I can give voice to them, so they can begin to heal.”

So, I push back and tell them this: That one time you decide not to follow the safe sleep guidelines could be the one time that puts your baby at risk.

Do the best thing that you know how to do.

Each day gets a little more manageable, but it still feels like the day I lost my son. You don’t want to ever live with having buried a child. It’s the worst feeling in the world. It’s not worth it.

Support groups are very important. Sometimes people don’t want to talk about their grief, but talking about it is one of the ways you begin to heal.

My friend Dawn and I kept saying, “We need to do something.” So we launched Mending Mommy in August 2018. It’s a local organization that provides support to mothers and fathers who have suffered the loss of a child, no matter how old the child was when they passed. We build each other up, and we’re there for each other. That fellowship is so important.

We meet once a month, kind of informal. It’s a safe place. We can feel like somebody gets us and that they can relate to that level of pain.

Sometimes, in our grief, we have the tendency to isolate ourselves. And that can be detrimental to healing — so Dawn and I have created a space where people can process what they’re feeling.

I’ve become the voice for parents who don’t share. So many people live in silent grief and pain, and I can give voice to them, so they can begin to heal. You don’t ever get over the loss. You anticipated growing with this child — through kindergarten, college and kids of their own.

And that future is gone — and it’s a hard thing to cope with.

So, now this is my purpose. And it also helps me because it helps me feel like my baby’s life wasn’t in vain. Because now I get to help people through sharing his story.

Tiffany L.

by | Jul 26, 2023 | Community Stories

In the CenteringPregnancy program, new moms meet in a group setting for good visits during their child’s first year of life. At the sessions, the infants receive their normal screenings, while the moms interact in a group discussion on what to expect during the first year of motherhood. Research has shown that the group model improves outcomes for both the mother and her baby. Tiffany L., a mother of three, has participated in the program with each of her children.

When my doctor recommended the CenteringPregnancy program to me, I didn’t have any hesitation. I was a little anxious to see how it was and what it was about, but I thought it would be good for me. I’m a people person and I like talking to other people. I like to learn new things.

For me, the biggest factor was convenience. I like that you don’t have to schedule so many visits. You get everything done at one time.

“You know that it’s not just you who’s struggling with certain things. It’s a support system where you don’t have to go through it alone.”

I think it’s great for first-time moms. It’s very informative and you get to be around other women who understand what you’re going through. You know that it’s not just you who’s struggling with certain things. It’s a support system where you don’t have to go through it alone. Some women even exchanged numbers, so they can keep in touch after the sessions.

It’s different from what people expect because it is longer than regular doctor’s appointments, but once you go, you realize it’s easier because they help you keep track of everything. You go to one place for everything your child needs.

Centering was new for me each time because each baby is different. It’s not like once you have one baby, you’re an expert on all of them. So, it gave me a place to ask questions, see what’s normal and figure out how to handle whatever motherhood would throw at me.

Samantha P.

Samantha P.

by | Jul 26, 2023 | Community Stories

CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER
After the loss of her twins, Samantha P. used fitness as a way to move through her grief. As a personal trainer and owner of Renegade Soul, she extends the space for her clients to do the same. Every week on Instagram, she posts about Infant Mortality Tuesday. “Part of the problem is we don’t talk about it,” she writes. “Use me. I’ll find out the answer to any question you have.” Here, she shares her story.

I was shocked when I found out I was having twins. Two babies? It took me a minute to wrap my head around that, even though my husband and I had been trying to get pregnant. We were newly married and I had been taking prenatal vitamins in preparation. But, it seemed that just as I was starting to get excited about the twins, they were yanked away. Around the fifth month of pregnancy, I lost both babies. It was unreal. I don’t have any other way to describe it. I didn’t know anything like that could happen.

What I realized in my loss was that nothing they told me was true. They told me if I had an education (I had a bachelor’s degree), if I was married, if I had health care… if I had all these things in place, the numbers say I should have a healthy pregnancy. Now, I had a healthy pregnancy before, without any of that. When I had my first child, Ethan (now 17), I hadn’t yet graduated from college. I wasn’t married. I was on CareSource insurance. I didn’t have what they said I was supposed to have. And not only was Ethan full-term, he was overdue!

And this time I planned the pregnancy. It was a no-brainer. I was married now — my husband worked in the hospital system, so we had the best health care. And you’re telling me I still can’t have a healthy pregnancy? After we came home from the hospital, I wasn’t picking up the phone for many people. But, my sorority sister, Nicole, was different.

“We have this unique position to turn it all around and be the example for the generation that’s coming up.”

She had lost her son earlier that year and I knew she understood my pain. She wasn’t going to say anything stupid. She asked to come visit, along with her husband. They sat on the couch with us and they brought pictures of their son. We started talking about loss. She told me and my husband that we both had to go to counseling — together and individually — if we were going to make it through.

That conversation was very impactful and the only reason either one of us are here today. My doctor told me to wait 18 months after the loss of the twins to try to get pregnant again, but you can’t tell a grieving woman — who had one job in this entire world, which was to have some babies — not to have a baby after she failed miserably. Whether it’s true or not does not matter. He couldn’t have told me not to go and fight. To find out that I was pregnant with twins again the following year was really scary. It was shocking. I already saw what happens when I carry twins. It seemed like my body couldn’t really carry them to term.

I said, “Okay God, I don’t know what you’re doing here. You’re going to have to take the wheel.” Still to this day I don’t know how we made it. Our doctor took us in, cradled us and got us through the pregnancy. To this day I still email him.

I’m vocal about my loss because we’re not talking about this in the black community. We talk about baby showers, but we don’t talk about the hard stuff. It’s still kind of hidden because, when I bring up losing a baby, people look at me like I have seven heads. But you don’t want to find out the way I found out. So, let’s have a conversation.

Had there been no child loss, there would be no Renegade Soul. I love the personal training because it stems from the grief and it has helped me mentally be stronger in other areas. I love what I do and, through Renegade Soul, I’m also able to partner with First Year Cleveland. It’s grief recovery through fitness. It’s everything that I do and everything that I’m about. I do the Infant Mortality Tuesday posts on Instagram to share that type of information. Most of the people who encounter me know that it’s not just personal training. It’s generational health wealth.

We have this unique position to turn it all around and be the example for the generation that’s coming up. I’m only one woman, but I’ve got 16 clients. So that’s 16 families I can start with. You gotta start somewhere.