When I think of my daughter Sade’s birth, I feel proud.

I didn’t check off everything on my wishlist, but I advocated for the birth I wanted – vaginal, no pain relief. I proved to myself that I could do hard things, even in a foreign country, speaking a language I had learned just a few years ago.

I was acutely aware of the MBRRACE-UK report that reveals that Black women are five times more likely to die in pregnancy, childbirth, or postpartum than their white counterparts. So after my initial joy and excitement at being pregnant, I quickly went into “armour up” mode. I needed to know as much as possible to advocate for myself, protect my birthing experience, and safeguard my baby’s life.