#prenatal-care

#prenatal-care

Bronx residents are more likely to experience systemic challenges that impact pregnancy, from living below the poverty line to limited access to healthy food and prenatal education. Yet the most preventable cause of maternal deaths is discrimination during hospital care. The maternal mortality rate is twice as high if the mother is Black, when compared to white moms. Over 71% of mothers who died during childbirth in the Bronx, were Black and Hispanic, according to the 2021 Health Department report.

First of all, congratulations! And don't worry. It's normal to want to see a doctor right away when you see those two side-by-side lines on a positive pregnancy test. But it's also pretty typical to have trouble getting an appointment to confirm you're pregnant. A physician friend of mine also recently went through this. Even with insider connections at her hospital, she couldn't see a doctor for another month.