“When a child is born, a mother is born as well,” says Eyeson-Akiwowo, 44, quoting a familiar adage. “During pregnancy, which really is a year-long process, if not longer, a woman becomes a new person, and she has to adjust to who she is and who she has become throughout this life-altering process. Some never fully recalibrate,” continues the mother of eight-year-old daughter Omolara.
Just this week, a coalition of 21 state attorneys general nationwide penned a letter to Congress, urging the passage of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021, aimed at addressing the social impact of the Black maternal mortality crisis, ensuring that Black women have access to equitable care at all stages of pregnancy. The legislative package comprises 12 bills that propose to address the crisis through increased grant funding, enhanced data collection, and improving community programs.