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You are here: Home / Podcast / What It’s Like To Be Pregnant When You Are Black And Plus Size
mother holding her baby

What It’s Like To Be Pregnant When You Are Black And Plus Size

August 10, 2020 //  by plusmommy//  Leave a Comment

When Tennielle shared a gorgeous maternity photo on Instagram, I stopped scrolling. As I read the text, it gave me chills! She shared what it’s like to be pregnant when you are Black and plus size.

“Nearing the end of my pregnancy, I had a very intimate and pointed conversation with my OB; I told her to fight for me. I read too many articles for my own good about the maternal death rate for Black women. Not only was I Black but I was a plus size pregnant woman.”

plus size pregnant woman standing against brink wall text on image What It's Like To Be Pregnant When You Are Black And Plus Size

Pregnancy When You Are Black And Plus Size – One Mom’s Story

Early on in Tennielle’s pregnancy, she started advocating for herself, unlike she ever had her entire life.

She was determined to have the best healthcare she could find and not be treated differently because of her size or skin color.

Before her first prenatal appointment, she went to her doctor’s office and vetted the staff to learn about her selected OB-GYN.

“I wanted to know how does she treat Black women? How does she treat fat women? How is she with the staff. Does the staff like her – do they feel comfortable working here? I have to advocate for myself, and there’s no one in this body that’s going to be able to do that, but me and so that’s exactly what I did at that time.”

Tennielle had a similar set of questions for her care provider.

“If you’re going to look inside my body and you’re comfortable enough to know what my vagina looks like, you need to be comfortable enough for me to ask you questions about Black women.”

Tennielle’s size-friendly care provider listened to her and made Tennielle feel like she had found the right OB-GYN for her prenatal care.

Related: Race, Adoption, And Body Love with Pia Schiavo-Campo

black plus size pregnant woman standing next to statue

Unfortunately, she didn’t receive the same compassionate care from a high-risk OB-GYN and an emergency doctor near the end of her pregnancy.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.

Listen as Tennielle shares her experience of what it’s like to be pregnant when you are Black and plus size, along with her compelling birth story.

This is an episode that care providers should listen to, and we can all learn a great deal from!

Recording & Show Notes: Plus Mommy Podcast Episode 111

Be sure to subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeart Radio. I’d be incredibly thankful if you took the time to leave a review. Follow Plus Mommy via your favorite social media outlet (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter). Thanks for being part of this community!

Resources Mentioned On The Show:

  • Connect with Tennielle and listen to her podcast, She Speaks Bougie, available on all podcast apps. Be sure to follow her on Instagram!
  • Black Mamas Matter Association
  • Being Serena Documentary 
  • A free resource on how to connect with a size-friendly care provider.
  • Supporting Black Plus Size Pregnant Women
  • What’s a B Belly?
  • Considering Working With A Midwife? Here’s What You Need To Know
Tennielle Clark She Speaks Bougie

Tennielle Clark is a certified Personal and Professional Development Coach. She is a loving wife and doting mommy. In this age where Black women are underrepresented in spaces and often misunderstood, Tennielle started a podcast that would be a safe space. She Speaks Bougie Podcast is a space to illuminate the uniqueness and the vibrancy of the Black woman experience. Yes, we are strong, enigmatic women! We are also sensitive, passionate and tribal. There needs to be a space to make it ok to talk about traveling, gardening, the handmaid’s tale, married at first sight and more!

Since launching in mid- June of this year,  her podcast has gone international! As a Culture, Wellness and Lifestyle Curator, she cultivates each episode to show the beauty of being “bougie” by having conversations with women who own their niche. Her motto is make sure that the term “bougie” is whittled down to nothing but a normalized way of describing the interests that women have.

Thank You To Our Sponsor:

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For the first time in 48 days, I didn't go for a w For the first time in 48 days, I didn't go for a walk. ⁠⁠
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I walked the day I had food poisoning. ⁠⁠
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I walked when it was 15 degrees, even though I don't have cold-weather gear. ⁠⁠
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Today, it snowed over ice, and I was petrified of not lacing up my shoes. ⁠⁠
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Terrified that one day of rest means I'll stop forever. ⁠⁠
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As much as I want to believe I've broken up with diet culture, it's very much rooted within me. ⁠⁠
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This idea that people must do ALL or NOTHING when it comes to fitness and nutrition is toxic. ⁠⁠
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The fact that I'm a plus size woman moving my body puts even more pressure on my shoulders to keep forging ahead. ⁠⁠
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But today, I chose to rest.⁠⁠
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Because rest is a necessary part of my journey if I want to keep showing up to walk all the miles I have left ahead. ⁠⁠
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Today I hit 100 miles since I started my journey o Today I hit 100 miles since I started my journey on January 1st, 2021, to walk 800 miles.⁠⁠
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A few years ago, I went to the doctor, struggling to breathe after getting sick.⁠⁠
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The doctor told me that I'm so big that maybe I needed to be on oxygen. ⁠⁠
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She made me feel as if I didn't even deserve to breathe. ⁠⁠
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I've thought about that day a lot over the past 43 hours I've spent walking. ⁠⁠
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And how I allowed her words to swallow me whole for so long.⁠⁠
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I've thought about all the weight I've gained since that day and how I stopped believing I could find a compassionate healthcare provider. ⁠⁠
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And now it's time I let go of that shame and pain.⁠⁠
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I deserve to breathe. ⁠⁠
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I deserve to have access to dignified healthcare. ⁠⁠
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I deserve to love a body that can do marvelous things at any size! ⁠⁠
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Today I forgive myself for ever allowing that doctor to fill my head with shame.⁠⁠
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This journey is about so much more than the miles I'm walking, and I'm just getting started! ⁠⁠
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#ValentinesDayChallenge ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ How'd you gu #ValentinesDayChallenge ⁠⁠
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How'd you guys meet?: I moved to Denver and got a job at a bagel shop. Chris worked there and was the first guy who caught my eye. ⁠⁠
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First Date: Dinner and movie to see Dogma. It was a cold winter night in November of 1999. I was 19, and he was 21.⁠⁠
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Married?: 12+ years ⁠⁠
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Age difference: He's two years older. ⁠⁠
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Who was interested first: ME! I knew he was "the one," but he wasn't ready for this wild woman. ⁠⁠
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Who is taller: Him ⁠⁠
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Who said I love you first: I think I did, but he made a big romantic gesture when he fell in love with me.⁠⁠
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Most impatient: "I get impatient, but you are impatient," says Chris. ⁠⁠
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Most sensitive: Me. ⁠⁠
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Loudest: Both - he's a musician, and I love attention. ⁠⁠
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Most stubborn: Both - he's an only child, and I'm a princess. ⁠⁠
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Falls asleep first: Him on the drop of a dime. ⁠⁠
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Better morning person: Him! I'm a night owl. ⁠⁠
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Funniest: We're both pretty funny, but he wins. ⁠⁠
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Where do you eat out most as a couple?: Tacos! ⁠⁠
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Who is more social? Me! ⁠⁠
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Who is the neat freak? LOL. Next question. ⁠⁠
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Where was your first kiss?: At his apartment. ⁠⁠
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Who initiated your first kiss?: We don't remember - probably me. ⁠⁠
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Do you get flowers often?: Yes⁠⁠
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How long did it take to get serious?: FOREVER! It took me moving out of state in 2003. By November of 2004, I was back in Denver, and we were madly in love. ⁠⁠
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Plans date night?: We mix it up. ⁠⁠
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Who picks where you go to dinner?: Both⁠⁠
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Who is the first one to admit when they're wrong?: Him ⁠⁠
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Who wears the pants in the relationship?: Chris prefers to wear shorts, and I'm pretty bossy. HA! ⁠⁠
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Who has more tattoos?: Him⁠⁠
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Who sings better?: Him, but I slay at car karaoke. ⁠⁠
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Hogs the remote?: Me, he hardly wants it. ⁠⁠
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Spends the most?: I plead the fifth.⁠⁠
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Did you go to the same school?: Nope⁠⁠
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Where is the furthest you two have traveled together?: California ⁠⁠
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Who drives when you are together?: Me. I love to drive!
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