Drawing from her own experience as a pregnant woman of color, Kami Wigginton retweeted the mission of Ovia Health, a Boston-based company that supports families during pregnancy, postpartum and throughout the parenting process.As Ovia’s Director of Payer Sales, Wigginton wants to change the conditions that make for a troubling fact: more Black woman dies in childbirth and associated complications than white or Hispanic women. The birth equity gap for black women is widening.
Most of the company’s care teams identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC). Through an email exchange facilitated by a representative, Wigginton addresses racial inequity in maternity care, how Ovia addressed it, and how her own care might have been different had she been a white woman .
MedCity News: Can you talk specifically about the impact of the pandemic on the physical and mental health challenges of BIPOC mothers?
Wigginton: During the pandemic, many women’s support systems have been uprooted. It has become a growing crisis in itself as general stress, anxiety and depression have increased. Ovia’s research shows that this leads to the following results:
- 72% said they received less support after giving birth (e.g. help from family or friends, night shift nurse, etc.)
- One in four women who put off returning to work or quitting is because of postpartum depression or anxiety
- The most significant increases in anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation were among women aged 35-39, the BIPOC community (especially black mothers), and women who were new mothers. 10% increase in major depressive symptoms and 26% increase in reports of suicidal ideation in BIPOC mothers
MedCity News: How is Ovia Improving Maternal Care for Black Mothers?
Wigginton: Ovia Health partners with NBEC, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, March of Dimes and Family Equity on educational programs. First and foremost, running through all three experiences is mental health support. Our support for fertility tracking can help with birth control or family planning. Additionally, the Pregnancy app has a full module for Black Maternal Health that addresses common chronic conditions, health risks, best practices, and support for different parenting pathways. Finally, the parenting app continues to help close care gaps, support breastfeeding, and provide mental health screenings for six months postpartum.
MedCity News: Broadly speaking, what can be done to improve maternal care for black women?
Wigginton: Black women often feel ignored, misunderstood and dismissed by their providers. Ovia’s Birth Equity program emphasizes increasing self-advocacy during provider visits by giving our members control over their data. The program also includes resources such as the Provider Discussion Guide, as well as active outreach by our Health Coaches, a team of ethnically diverse clinicians who provide members with a pair at every step of the reproductive health journey One’s support and education.
MedCity News: What role did racism play in your maternal care and childbirth experience?
Wigginton: In the hospital, I (and many other women) experienced microaggressions specific to prenatal experiences: subtle things like appropriately addressing your husband, partner, or supporter.I remember being invited to apply WIC Several times, despite having employer-issued insurance and income levels above six figures. WIC refers to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, a government program that provides supplemental nutritional support to low-income women and infants].
When I was induced in the hospital, I could see the nurses during the shift verbally explaining to the oncoming nursing team that I was knowledgeable and that they could not dismiss my inquiries casually. I had a nurse tell me that she would “redefine pain” for me in the next 24 hours. Who said that about being a first-time mom? There’s nothing I can point to, I can definitively say it’s racism, but you can’t help but question the impact of race on therapy.
MedCity News: How has your pregnancy and obstetric care affected your work?
Wigginton: I was actually fired a few days after I told my supervisor that I was pregnant for the first time. My trust in my boss, in job security, and in the company as a whole was irreparably broken, despite the swift reversal of the dismissal decision by company leadership.
I think that’s what makes me really assess the company culture more when interviewing and seeing if they have a work/life balance. [At Ovia] The space I’m in can be both a mom and a valued member of a team.
Photo: Prostock Studio, Getty Images
