The Ahmad Yusef Awareness and Prevention Project

04/14/2022

thank you for sharing!
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In 1987 the maternal mortality rate was 7.2 per 100,000 live births.⁠
😦By 2018 it has climbed to 17.4/ 100,000.⁠
‼️For Black mamas, that number is 40.8/ 100,000⁠
💥Hey USA, we're in trouble!⁠
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The CDC defines a pregnancy-related death as the death of a woman during pregnancy or within one year from the end of pregnancy due to a pregnancy complication; a chain of events initiated by pregnancy; or the aggravation of an unrelated condition by the physiologic effects of pregnancy.⁠
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This means that there is an issue in prenatal care, labor & delivery, & postpartum.⁠
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This is Black Maternal Health Week & if you flip through the images you can see why we need to raise awareness about these health disparities. But we need more than awareness—we need action & change!⁠

03/01/2022

Thank you for sharing!!! 🤎

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Under treatment in Black patients is a real issue, and it dates back to the 1800’s when surgeon J. Marion Sims, often referred to as the “modern father of gynecology,” performed experiments on Black women’s genitalia without anesthesia; believing they had a higher tolerance for pain.

Can ya believe this idea still exists in the medical community? 🙄🤬

In a 2016 study on racial bias in pain assessment, 12 percent of medical students surveyed thought that Black people have less sensitive nerve endings, and 58 percent believed Black people have thicker skin than white people 🤦🏾‍♀️

Last year I vowed would be the start of me doing more purposeful work while lending my voice, and amplifying the work of other amazing advocates that are also empowering, uplifting and inspiring Black & Brown communities.

Patient advocacy has always been something I’ve been passionate about. After my own traumatic experience bringing our daughter into the world, and countless hospitalizations due to my battle with Crohn’s (once hospitalized for a month & another 2ft of intestines removed) a chronic autoimmune disease, I’ve found writing to be cathartic.

If you’re staring down a planned labor and delivery or faced with an emergency situation, I hope this piece I wrote for leaves you feeling empowered to speak up and get the care you and your loved one’s deserve! Link in bio

02/01/2022

AYR Project Celebrates Black History Month all year round. ✊🏾

Let's highlight our leaders and colleagues past and present by continuing to pay homage and adding to their work day to day to change and uplift lives in our community.

We are Black History. Make what you do for our world count. 🤎

12/29/2021

Life after loss is scary. Especially the kind of loss I, and some black women have experienced. In your mind you think, what did i do wrong? Or will this happen again? Through my grief and healing, I have fought battles you can't even imagine. I loss my son at 9 months, and the how continues to stem from the ever revolving systemic racism in hospitals towards black women, and lack of resources and education...but in the 2 years without Ahmad, I learned so much to help myself and the women in my community.

Around this time last year, my organization had its first annual giveaway "Mobile Baby Shower" for expecting Black women in South LA. Our gift bags, that doubled as diaper bags, were filled with items for mom and baby, information on other pregnancy related topics, and we provided resources in all areas concerning Black Maternal health.

This year's in person event is postponed until 2022, but the work isn't done. We still have items to give away, information to share and a community to assist. To watch the full video of our giveaway, please visit our website ayrproject.org.

Blessings, and see you all next year!

ahmad yusef awareness and prevention project  First annual giveaway event!While we are diligently moving towards changing the mortality rates for Black women and babies in our communities, this season, The Ahmad Yusef Awareness and Prevention Project held its first Annual giveaway event, ‘It Take...

10/10/2021

Last years remembrance message brought bereaved parents together all around the world. It is important that we remember,  through our loss we are not alone, and although this is something we bring Awareness to every October, we are remembering our angels babies throughout the year. They live within us, never forgotten.

Let a bereaved parent know you are thinking of them this week and year round. 🙏🏽🤎🕊

08/02/2021

Also called a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, a perinatologist is an obstetrician with special training in high-risk pregnancy care. In my experience finding African American health care providers, the challenge always falls in the high risk department. If you are pregnant and considered high risk, they have to refer you to a Perinatologist for extra care. There are a lack of Black doctors in this area. Hoping we will see an increase of Black Perinatologist in the near future. 🙏🏽

06/19/2021

Celebrate Freedom ✊🏾

05/25/2021

On average, every time a woman has a cycle of IVF, she has about a 1 in 5 chance of becoming pregnant and having a baby. That chance is higher for women younger than 35 years old, and lower for older women, decreasing with age. By age 44, the chance of success is less than 1 in 10.

Some women need up to 5 cycles of treatment to be successful, while others never fall pregnant.

During IVF, eggs are removed from the ovaries of a woman and fertilized in a laboratory with s***m provided by her partner or a donor.

One or two embryos — fertilized eggs — are implanted into the woman’s uterus (womb).

Here are the typical stages in an IVF cycle:

The woman’s natural menstrual cycle is switched off with daily injections or a nasal spray.The woman has injections of fertility hormones to stimulate her ovaries so she produces several eggs, instead of just one.When the eggs mature, they are collected using a fine needle, guided by ultrasound, under light sedation.The eggs are fertilized in the laboratory with s***m provided by the woman’s partner or a donor. Fertilized eggs (embryos) are grown in an incubator for a few days.1 or 2 healthy embryos are transferred into the woman’s uterus using a thin tube inserted into the va**na and cervix. If an embryo successfully implants, the woman becomes pregnant. She will need to wait two weeks for a pregnancy test. Any remaining healthy embryos can be frozen and stored for later use if needed.

Women who have IVF often have more than one cycle.

There are many variations to the IVF procedure. For example, s***m or eggs may be collected from a donor. In some cases, a surrogate may carry the pregnancy.

05/24/2021

Let's talk about weight. While knowing this could be a sensitive subject for some, keep in mind, knowing this information can save you, and your baby's life. When you are overweight during pregnancy the following complications can occur :

• Gestational diabetes is diabetes that is first diagnosed during pregnancy. This condition can increase the risk of having a cesarean delivery. Women who have had gestational diabetes also have a higher risk of having diabetes in the future, as do their children. Obese women are screened for gestational diabetes early in pregnancy and also may be screened later in pregnancy as well.

• Preeclampsia is a high blood pressure disorder that can occur during pregnancy or after pregnancy. It is a serious illness that affects a woman’s entire body. The kidneys and liver may fail. Preeclampsia can lead to seizures, a condition called eclampsia. In rare cases, stroke can occur. Severe cases need emergency treatment to avoid these complications. The baby may need to be delivered early. Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person stops breathing for short periods during sleep.

• Sleep apnea is associated with obesity. During pregnancy, sleep apnea not only can cause fatigue but also increases the risk of high blood pressure, preeclampsia, eclampsia, and heart and lung disorders.

Don't let doctors tell you it's OK to conceive if you know you're already out of range to pick up pregnancy weight.
Prioritize a balanced diet and exercise to stay within range of overall pregnancy weight gain. To check your BMI, you can visit this website :

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm

05/17/2021

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The CDC reports that the black pregnancy- related mortality rate in the US is 44.1 per 100,000 births.
This means black women are 3X more likely to die from pregnancy related issues that white women.

✨Black and Brown communities are more at risk for pregnancy related mortality and morbidity as result of a racist system.

✨Unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances can occur but many of these instances can be avoided.

✨Birth and community workers are showing up, doing the work and addressing these inequities.

Thank you for sharing! 🙏🏽🤎

05/12/2021

Women with preeclampsia, have an approximately 1.7-fold higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease later in life.

Pregnancy has been thought of as a stress test, in that women who develop a hypertensive disease during pregnancy are also at risk for later cardiovascular disease even though elevated blood pressure in pregnancy is typically transient and resolves postpartum.

Outside of pregnancy, non-Hispanic black women have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, while Asian and Hispanic women have a lower risk, compared to non-Hispanic whites.

Moreover, non-Hispanic black women have consistently been found to have an increased risk of hypertension during pregnancy. [Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4171100/]
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The issue here is getting ahead of the things that come with pregnancy. 
Weight gain and the importance of proper blood flow through the body; African American women must prioritize diet, exercise, and  mental health, especially with the social and medical history of this country labeling us as less than. Standing in the gap for ourselves has become the norm.

Furthermore, we must work on assisting women with access to healthier foods and options for physical health. Please visit our website for more information and how you can be proactive in your wellness.

05/10/2021

is a organization that has a database of local and national community based alternatives to calling the police or 911, broken down by city.

One post reads :

"As advocates work towards policy and funding solutions to defund the police, every individual can make a difference by changing how we interact with the police  and ensuring that law enforcement is NOT the first call when a better, non violent, non racist resource is available."

"We can abolish the police by not calling the police" 💥

Thank you to the community and . Follow them to see the alternative list for your city.