Allyson Felix is speaking out about the changes that are needed in the medical community to ensure pregnant women of color receive proper care and advice.
The 38-year-old Olympic gold medalist previously opened up about receiving a preeclampsia diagnosis in 2018 before she gave birth to her daughter, Camryn. She became an advocate for Black moms after her traumatic birth experience, she told TODAY in 2020, and has continued to address the Black maternal mortality crisis following the death of her relay teammate Tori Bowie in May.
During a sit-down with Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press” Dec. 3, Felix discussed the ways the medical community has failed women of color, particularly Black women who are “three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
When she was pregnant, Felix said she was not aware of the higher rates of childbirth complications that affect women of color.
“I felt like I should’ve known that I was at risk,” she said. “I felt like I should’ve been told the signs to look for. Instead, I wasn’t. I didn’t know what preeclampsia was. I didn’t understand that the swelling in my feet is just not simply a sign of pregnancy, but could be preeclampsia. And so I felt like I had great medical care, but that’s not always enough.”
According to Cleveland Clinic, preeclampsia is a serious blood pressure condition that can develop during pregnancy.
She told Welker that she wishes her doctor would’ve shared more signs and symptoms to be aware of and advised her to monitor her blood pressure. The retired athlete said she had never heard of preeclampsia until her diagnosis.
Felix recalled her frightening delivery in 2018, describing her preeclampsia as “severe.”
“They were in constant worry of me having a stroke, of my vision being lost,” she revealed. “I went from being admitted to the hospital and being told that our goal was to stay there for another two weeks, to try to stay pregnant. And I delivered later that night.”
She continued, “And so it was a very quick progression. But I know that if I did not deliver, myself or my baby or both of us wouldn’t have made it.”
Some of her teammates also battled childbirth complications. Bowie, who anchored the U.S. women’s 4x100 meter relay team with Felix, Tianna Bartoletta and English Gardner, was found dead inside a Florida home on May 2 at the age of 32. The three-time Olympic medalist was about eight months pregnant at the time of her death.
An autopsy report from Florida’s Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Bowie was “undergoing labor (crowning)” at the time of her death and listed respiratory distress and eclampsia as other possible complications, according to NBC News.
Felix said her friend’s death was “absolutely devastating” and brought conversations about the ongoing Black maternal mortality crisis “back to the forefront.”
“This is the reality of Black women giving birth in America,” Felix said. “And there are so many situations that are like this. And so I hate that it takes such a devastating loss to bring it back to the forefront. But it also is just such a motivation that we have to do better.”
The decorated Olympian also had a message for the medical community: there needs to be more implicit bias training.
“(There are) countless stories of women not being heard when they are in the delivery room (and) at doctors appointments. I don’t think you should have to be prepared to advocate for yourself,” she pointed out.
She said it can be “intimidating” for women to speak up to doctors who think they know best. Felix said policy change is important, too.
“I think we just have to remember these stories, these people, and not be detached from that as well,” she added.