Dr Melody McCloud wants to see black women at their best. This OBGYN is a wellness expert. She is mindful of the obstacles holding black women back and aware of simple steps one can apply to be one’s best self. Dr. McCloud published the book Black Women’s Wellness: Your “I’ve Got This!” Guide to Health, Sex & Phenomenal Living. In the book, she shares methods on how Black women can improve their health, strengthen their relationships, and more. Dr. McCloud knows how wise and influential Black women are. With her book, she wants to equip women with the tools to reach a new level of wellness and turn the page on health outcomes for Black women.
“I wrote this book so we can turn the page to a new chapter on Black Women’s health. Yes, we know about our rates and poor outcomes in the past, but we have a responsibility to be proactive regarding our health. The book provides data, anecdotes, and stories that can uplift us to live healthier in our society,” said Dr. Melody, author of Black Women’s Wellness.
Black Women’s Wellness was released on January 24. The book is a comprehensive guide to Black women’s well-being. Dr.McCloud covers Black women’s emotional, medical, and physical aspects. She addresses ob-gyn matters, microaggressions, relationships, sex, and other items that can be more complicated for Black women than other groups. Dr. McCloud wrote this book because not many physicians have authored books about Black women. From what she has seen, most books about women’s health do not fully cater to Black women. She wanted to create a single vast resource for Black women to understand their bodies so they don’t have to search far for that information.
“My book covers everything from head to toe. I’ve noticed lately that a one-topic book is being pushed. One is about menopause, one is about breast cancer, and at this time, people can’t afford 50 different books about 50 different topics. In Black Women’s Wellness, It’s all in there,” said Dr. McCloud.
What makes Dr. McCloud’s material on wellness different from others is how it addresses many challenges black women face. In the book, she provides readers with a family medical history checklist to fill out. The book also contains a chart the doctor created called Societal Stress and Black Women’s Health: The Rejection Connection. This piece explains the many ways Black women are rejected and what psychological stress does to their physical health. Ultimately, she provides a health questionnaire for women to assess how their body parts look and feel.
The OBGYN’s experience with family medicine has allowed her to care for celebrities and civil rights icons. She delivered CBS News anchor Bill Whittaker’s son, was the Doula for E-News Anchor Francesca Amiker, and delivered the grandchildren for Civil Rights matriarch Juanita Abernathy. The type of care Dr. McCloud has given allowed her to be requested by many based on word of mouth.
Black Women’s Wellness has been received well. During its release, it ranked number one on Amazon for women’s sexual health and health policy. Pauletta Washington, Denzel Washington’s wife, also endorsed it.
“I’m truly grateful to her for her endorsement. She was very anxious and willing to lend her name and endorsement to my book because she believes in proper health messaging to us as a community,” said Dr. McCloud.
Dr. McCloud wants Black Women’s Wellness to be the map Black women use to navigate today’s healthcare maze. The OBGYN knows medical messaging can be limiting and confusing. Still, she wants her book to be a single source of clear information on Black women’s health.
“Black Women’s Wellness is a comprehensive resource for women to live their best lives with fullness and health. It is a solid reference for women to be their best advocates and empower patients when they visit the doctor. It is what you need now since the government officials are limiting healthcare messaging,” said Dr. McCloud.