Erica Wright has had reproductive challenges since she was a teenager. “Abnormal type of bleeding, hemorrhaging, cysts and fibroids and things like that,” Wright said, describing what she’s experienced. “A lot of doctors are telling you things will level out as you get older.”As an adult, she suffered through two miscarriages. The first one was when she was 22 years old — the second at age 28. “I keep having these episodes that are potentially life-threatening, terrifying. I don’t know what’s happening,” Wright said. The 40-year-old said she spent more than a decade asking questions and feeling unheard, even by a specialist. “Even in that appointment, he wasn’t giving me eye contact. He was very dismissive, cutting me off in my sentences, very short,” Wright said. “I felt like he was rushing me through it. I had to push pretty hard to get an ultrasound done.”And what doctors found was shocking. “It’s like, surprise, you have a massive amount of cysts,” Wright said.Wright had to be expedited for surgery. She says the cysts were pre-cancerous, but benign. She had no idea how long they’d been forming. “I do wish that they would’ve taken me seriously all the other times,” Wright said. “And has this impacted my ability to have kids even more because we didn’t catch this back then.”The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women, and 80% of those deaths are preventable. Wright’s experience is one of many. Dr. Anna Palatnik, an OB/GYN and maternal-fetal medicine specialist at the Medical College of Wisconsin, said she has patients who have gone through something similar. She says the reason for the health disparities is complex. “Racial bias, inadequate access to health care, discrimination, someone not being heard, concerns not being addressed,” Palatnik said. Palatnik is working to train the next generation of clinicians to address maternal health issues. She’s also working on research projects focused on mental health services for pregnant patients and hoping to diversify the prenatal workforce. She says she’s seen things get better, but the health care industry still has ways to go. Wright’s experience is why she’s making it her mission to be a part of the change. Working at the Milwaukee Health Department since 2018, she’s now one of four deputies in the department. Wright oversees projects such as:Empowering Families of Milwaukee ProgramBirth Outcomes Made Better Doula ProgramWomen, Infants and Children Program Community Healthcare Access Program Newborn Hearing and Congenital Disorders Screening “As a Black woman from Milwaukee, as somebody that is pretty tenacious and unaccepting of the lack of quality and equitable care, this was definitely the place for me,” Wright said. Wright never had children, but now, one of her biggest roles is serving women like her in the hopes of a better outcome. “I want us to have the same quality access and delivery of services. I want it to be where they feel safe,” Wright said. Palatnik said high blood pressure can become very dangerous in pregnancy. She recommends people check their blood pressure at home. She also recommends regular exercise and maintaining a low-sodium diet.Experts also say to advocate for yourself or take someone with you to advocate on your behalf. Also, seek a second opinion and find a doctor who listens and addresses your needs.