Serena Williams, the tennis superstar, had an intense experience when she gave birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia, in September 2017. Her pregnancy seemed smooth at first, but things got scarily complicated when it was time to deliver. Serena had a history of blood clots, so when she started feeling short of breath after her emergency C-section, she immediately suspected something was off.
Despite her concerns, initially the hospital staff weren’t taking her symptoms as seriously as they should have. Serena, knowing her body better than anyone, insisted on a CT scan and blood thinners. Turns out, she was right: she had developed several small blood clots in her lungs, known as a pulmonary embolism. This condition is pretty serious and can be life-threatening if not treated quickly.
But the complications didn’t stop there. The saga continued with a hematoma (basically a swelling of clotted blood) in her abdomen, which led to more surgeries just days after her C-section. The recovery was brutal. She had to spend weeks in bed and it was a tough journey back to her usual self, both physically and mentally.
And just when the physical scars started to heal, Serena opened up about another battle she was fighting—postpartum depression. While she didn’t use the term “postpartum depression” explicitly in every discussion, she spoke candidly about the challenges she faced during the postpartum period, including feelings of sadness, pressure, and the difficulties of balancing motherhood with her career. Her honesty brought attention to the mental health issues many new mothers face, including those who, like her, experience severe medical complications during childbirth.
Serena’s ordeal shines a huge spotlight on the broader issue of Black maternal health. In the US, Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. This disparity exists regardless of income or education level. Serena’s story is a high-profile example of the kind of risks Black women face during pregnancy and childbirth, even when they’re famous and wealthy. It’s a loud wake-up call about racial bias in healthcare and the critical need for more attentive and personalized medical care.
Serena’s experience and her willingness to speak out about it have fueled important conversations about how race and healthcare intersect, highlighting the urgent need to address the Black maternal health crisis. It’s a reminder that change is needed at all levels to ensure all moms get the care they deserve.
