Gabriella Sarpong, a 39-year-old public health professional from Ilford, shared a similar experience after a failed epidural during a 16-hour labor in 2023.
She was left in severe pain for 10 hours after being told she had to wait until morning for the issue to be resolved.
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"I was expressing that the epidural was not working but I wasn't being taken seriously," Sarpong said.
"I was in horrendous pain … I remember the [anaesthetist] coming in and saying: you're going to have to wait until the morning."
Sarpong, later diagnosed with PTSD, emphasized that Black women face significantly worse outcomes in maternity care.
"I felt ignored and it was honestly the worst thing I've ever experienced," she said.
Chinasa Ezugha, a 35-year-old arts professor from London, gave birth in 2025 and was actively denied an epidural despite requesting one.
Her midwife refused, claiming she was doing well without it, and remained detached during labor.
"I was in a lot of pain, but I felt prepared and had an understanding of what pain medication was available to me," Ezugha said.
"It was so condescending; I was in so much agony. I felt humiliated because I was screaming."
Ezugha has filed an official complaint with the hospital, stressing the need for Black mothers to be treated with dignity.
"As a black mum we're in a vulnerable position because we're dealing with all the stereotypes already," she said.
Fiona Gibb, director of midwifery at the Royal College of Midwives, called any ethnic disparity in pain relief access completely unacceptable.
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She emphasized that robust data collection broken down by ethnicity is vital to hold healthcare systems accountable and correct these inequalities.
