Reflections On Black Pregnancy: An Interview With Felicia Luceus

In the U.S., maternal mortality has been on the rise. However, within that growing number there are disparities. The stark and scary reality is that Black mothers and babies have the worst childbirth outcomes. Nationally, black moms are dying due to pregnancy related causes at 3 to 4 times the rate of white moms.

This week marks Black Maternal Health Week, which serves as an important reminder of the barriers and challenges that black mothers face every day during pregnancy and childbirth. As we look to ensure pregnancy is a safe and dignified journey for all, it’s vital to hear directly from the experiences of others to learn how to address and tackle these important issues surrounding maternal health.

We recently sat down with Felicia, a Black mom of three- soon to be four- who shared with us her pregnancy and labor experiences. Felicia's story highlights how Black maternal health is always on her mind, not just during this week. Despite her successful deliveries, her journey was not without obstacles.

Who is Felicia Luceus?

A member of the growing Juno community, Felicia is currently expecting her happy little surprise fourth baby boy. While expecting, her home is filled with three beautiful and rambunctious little ones, Noah, DJ, and Caleb. She’s a full-time working mom who also hosts the Pressing Place Podcast and coaches fellow moms who may be struggling out there.

Felicia explains, "If you're pregnant, if your mom of a single child or multiple children, if you're a mom of adult children- it’s important to remember that those children were given to you for a reason. You have exactly what it takes to raise those kids.” She further emphasized, “You know we help all over the world, and I love giving support to moms and young moms especially, but really your kids are part of you. So, when you do the introspective work on yourself, you discover what triggers you, know what you love, and know how to protect your own space and boundaries. But you need that support.”

Three children and three unique pregnancies

Every pregnancy and birthing experience is so unique and incredibly different. And that difference is still relevant to moms of multiple children like Felicia. As she explains, the process and story behind the pregnancies and labors for each of her three children have been entirely different journeys, sometimes disheartening but always educational.

Induced labor and post-partum

Felicia’s first pregnancy and the birthing experience were eye-opening. The experience illustrated how much she didn’t know and wasn’t told about the process and risks related to certain processes and drugs. Running two weeks behind schedule, Felicia’s son, Caleb, was induced. And while everything initially seemed to be running smoothly, once the epidural was introduced, things took a turn.

Felicia recalls, “The epidural slowed down my labor, so I found myself in labor for over 28 hours, and they were kind of just like we got to get this baby out. We ended up having a C-section with my oldest, and I felt under-educated. You know? I felt like I didn't really get the complete picture of all the processes, like using epidural and chemical-induced pregnancy and what those can do to each other and what can happen.”

The thing about pregnancy is that the dangers don’t necessarily magically disappear after labor. Soon after giving birth and getting back home, Felicia was hospitalized for high blood pressure during a routine checkup, but shortly after sent home with just a bottle of pills.

She explains, "I just didn't feel I had the support as a Black woman in the hospital system… I had a lot of postpartum issues. I was really just struggling with the fact that I had a C-section, and this wasn't what I had planned. And now, my body looks all different. And now I'm on this medication… I decided that my next labor was not going to be at a hospital. I was like, it's not. I just wanted to kind of get that control back in a sense.”

Taking back control with an at-home birth

Felicia sought to take back some of agency lost during her first pregnancy through an at-home birth plan. With the support of her amazing husband and phenomenal family, she devised a strategy for managing her second pregnancy and labor experience. With the assistance of a birth center, Felicia had the opportunity to learn more about her body, pregnancy, hypnobirthing, and available resources that would assist her at-home labor.

While the delivery of her second baby went as smoothly as can be, Felicia still faced some unforeseen challenges. On the day of delivery, arguably the most important day of a pregnancy journey, the Luceus family was let down by the level of care and support offered by their midwife, noting: “We called [the midwife] a couple of times, and I don't feel like she gave us the attention we needed. And that was really disheartening, but I was trying not to be upset during labor.”

Felicia explained that a huge part of Black culture is the family dynamic. Her family, cousins, and aunts were all there for her during her labor and the midwife may have been overwhelmed and, therefore, a bit distant. But for Felicia, it felt like “She wasn’t really there for me.”

Creating a birth team that’s right for you

When her daughter was 7 months old, Felicia discovered she was pregnant for a third time! And this pregnancy, like the others, was incredibly unique, however, with the added hecticness and chaos of a pandemic.

Covid was just beginning to break into the news cycle, there was a ton of fear and a lot of unknowns. Looking back, Felicia remembers that: “All we knew was that you're supposed to wear a mask, and pregnant women aren't supposed to be outside. And I'm trying not to freak out, blocking all these negative thoughts… You know, you're hearing about people passing away from covid, it being in your breast milk, it being in utero possibly.”

Almost immediately, Felicia and her husband knew this pregnancy and labor would be different. It became apparent early on that they would be giving birth in a hospital, and that meant doing the research and work to build and create a birth team that felt right. She worked to surround herself with experts that were not only smart, diligent, and capable but empathic and understanding. At one point in time, that meant firing a Black midwife who she thought could perhaps best understand her.

Felicia explains, “My third birth was a hospital birth. I didn't really want that, but it ended up being one of the most beautiful quickest births I've ever had. And a very cute little Caucasian woman birth. My baby. She was so sweet. She was the sweetest ever. And so, one of the things that I've learned over time is, you know, birthing while black is it's a very interesting journey. And sometimes you feel like just because [an expert] shares your skin tone, they're gonna be the person you need… But I would say it was very eye-opening to have my last birth and to see that a woman that didn't look anything like me, heard me, and understood me and she cared about me.”

Looking ahead with another on the way

Currently pregnant with baby #4, Felicia’s seeking to use her experiences to inform her current journey. Looking to build an effective birth team and surround herself with a system of support that perhaps reaches beyond the family circle, Felicia is seeking partners in pregnancy, not simply doctors or companies

Felicia joined the Juno community with the purpose of learning about her newest baby through the Birch™ test. And with our at-home early gender test she did discover that she’ll be having a boy! She also found something more with Juno through our foundation of support and education.

Felicia explains, “I think it's very admirable and very beautiful that you are taking the time to address something like Black Maternal Health Week, a lot of companies don't, or they don't go to this extent to hear from the community and to hear from the black mothers who have their feet on the ground… you guys are partnering with us in a way that matters, you know, hearing our stories and publicizing them, to a point where you now become an avenue for education, you become an avenue for awareness, and that's what we need.”

The conversation around Black maternal health and with Black moms must continue beyond this week, and it’s essential to work toward creating an equitable and inclusive healthcare system that prioritizes the health and well-being of Black mothers.

Stay tuned to learn more about Felicia’s partnership with Juno and how we’re working to amplify Black voices through advocacy and education.

Juno members like Felicia are what makes the Juno community so beautiful, vibrant, and strong! To hear more from the Juno community, subscribe to the Juno Newsletter, where you'll get pregnancy tips, hear advice from experts, and have access to exclusive offers on Juno prenatal screening tests!

Want to show Felicia some love? Don’t be shy! Connect with her and follow her pregnancy journey on Instagram: @felicialuceus

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