S2 Episode 4. A personal story of Placenta Praevia and an exploration of racial disparities in maternal health care

In Episode 4 we welcome Dr Carmen Brown, who shares her personal story of pregnancy complications. As an Obstetrician herself, Carmen has seen it all before. But when complications arose in her own pregnancy, and Carmen found herself on a tiny airplane being repatriated in an emergency air transfer to a larger hospital, and facing the preterm birth of her son, Carmen discovered how different the experience can be when you are suddenly on the other side of the doctor-patient divide. Carmen takes us through her experience of placenta praevia, bleeding in pregnancy, and the trials of an extended hospital stay in pregnancy.

After sharing her personal story, Dr Carmen explores an issue in pregnancy care that is close to her heart. Dr Carmen is an expert in all things women's health, and she has a particular interest in one incredibly important and often overlooked aspect of maternity care; the shocking health disparities that exist along racial lines. Dr Carmen outlines the extent to which structural and systemic racism contributes to devastating health inequities experienced by women of colour all around the world. Carmen describes how unconscious bias permeates our health spaces and the impact this can have on women's wellbeing, their experience and their survival. Dr Carmen identifies ways these health inequities can be recognised, women can be empowered to identify and challenge them, and health outcomes can be improved via advocacy and structural change.