Being a first-time mother, giving birth to my daughter during the pandemic was not easy. I had my mother around to support me however, I also wanted to be able to access and engage with every service available to me. I found that the gap between my last midwife appointment to my 8-week check with the GP (usually 6-week check but delayed because of Covid) was too long. When I was finally able to have my appointment with the GP, he kept me waiting, I felt my appointment was rushed and the emphasis was placed on a tick box; which covered my daughter's development and whether I was suicidal, and how I was feeding her.
When I decided to speak on how I was feeling in much detail, he rushed me out and asked me to book another appointment. I was overly disappointed and dissatisfied; considering I was a new mother and had arrived on time for my appointment.
I felt like I was doing a great job but I also felt overwhelmed and wanted reassurance regarding some elements of my journey. This doctor was black. Similarly, my health visitor was absent and I was only in contact when ‘she was available,’ not when I contacted her or texted her for a callback.
My overall feeling is that Black women are simply not offered the same opportunities to engage with services and this was also evident from when I joined baby groups. When we are offered the same services, there is so much distrust- even to speak to a counselor due to fear of judgment and cultural biases. This needs to change.
We do want to engage but how can we engage with services that are not fully committed to engaging with us?
