SistahCare Live: Maternal Mental Health Awareness
With Graeme Seabrook
May is Maternal Health Awareness Month, and what better way to discuss this topic than with a Maternal Mental Health Advocate? Her Substack newsletter, Whole Human Mama, “sits at the intersection of anti-capitalism, womanism, and self-care.” I decided to reach out to Graeme early this year to see if she could join us at SistahCare Alliance to educate us on what she does.
SistahCareAlliance is having a Live on May 10, 2025, 9 am PST
The live session will be open for those who are subscribed to SistahCare Alliance. If you’re not, please subscribe to us and consider purchasing a paid subscription.
I sat down and spoke with Graeme about her work helping over 3,000 mothers and coaching them to prioritize moms without feeling guilt or shame. I wanted to talk to her on the weekend of Mother's Day to encourage and uplift you all.
As an introduction, I only asked three questions. I want to leave room for you all to ask questions during the live. (It's edited to fit the flow of the article.)
How many years have you worked in this profession?
12
What are the top three things black women should know regarding their healthcare?
Your mental and physical health comes first, before your kids. For example, going to therapy will help you and your child. Your child going to treatment will help them, but it may become just maintenance for dealing with you. So if you have to choose, choose yourself. It's the less selfish choice.
Create a one-pager before you go to the doctor's office or a new therapist, specialist, etc. Put your name and DOB at the top, and include bullet points of your symptom history and the questions you need answered at the appointment. Submit that with the paperwork they ask you to complete (and also have a copy for yourself). It will help tremendously, I promise.
Your first doctor may not be the right one. This goes for doctors, therapists, coaches, and pastoral care providers. The person may have all the training and all the best intentions, but may still not be the right fit for you. Your needs may also change as your circumstances change, which is fine! Don't be afraid to 'break up with' your doctor.
Based on your experience, how should black women advocate for themselves?
Motherhood is not a road to be walked alone. Creating networks is one of our strengths as Black women, but many aren't great at leaning on those networks. The most impactful thing we can do is show up with vulnerability. Ask a friend to come to the doctor's office with you, ask your sister to drive you to therapy, tell your granny that you're struggling—let other Black women in. And if you can't do it in person, do it online.
In Case You Missed It
I’m encouraging you all to participate in this survey within this article. Knowing this information would help SistahCare Alliance provide better resources and newsletters that fit your needs as a black woman and a patient. None of your personal information will be sold or displayed. I need 100 of you to clarify what information you need.
SistahCare Alliance is going live on Substack with May 10, 2025
Downloading the Substack app ensures that you get an email from me when we go live. If you cannot attend, recaps of the live session will be available.
Join us at SistahCare Wellness Room Chat
Many of you wanted to create a private space for us to discuss various topics, so our chat is behind a paywall that allows you all to speak freely.
As SistahCare Alliance grows, I want to be transparent—I'm currently the sole person running this newsletter, along with another. I curate resources, find expert-backed information, and create a space dedicated to advocating for Black women's healthcare experiences.
This work is vital to me, but also time-consuming and labor-intensive. That's why I've introduced paid subscriber options—not as a barrier but as a way to sustain and expand this work. Compensation allows me to continue providing well-researched tools, exclusive resources, and community support that Black women deserve. If you find value in what SistahCare Alliance offers, I'd love for you to support this mission in whatever way feels right. If you can’t afford a paid subscription, you can tip me through Buy Me a Coffee.
Sincerely,
Teisha LeShea, The Founder
 | A guest post by
|