What You Need to Know When You Give Birth in a Country With Rising Maternal Mortality Rates – By Adriana Gallardo (ProPublica) / May 9, 2022
Facing a post-Roe landscape, we’re republishing advice collected from women who survived severe complications of pregnancy or childbirth.
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The original version of this story, which was co-published with NPR, is available here. The version below contains updated links and statistics and has been condensed for clarity.
In 2017, ProPublica and NPR launched a project shedding light on maternal deaths and near-deaths in the U.S. We explored better ways to track and understand preventable deaths, and the intergenerational trauma caused by childbirth complications and chronic racial disparities in who suffers from them. We heard from more than 5,000 people who endured, or watched a loved one endure, life-threatening pregnancy and childbirth complications, often resulting in long-lasting physical and emotional effects.
These people who sent us their stories frequently told us they knew little to nothing beforehand about the potentially fatal complications that they or their loved ones faced. They wanted to help others. So we decided to publish some of their wisdom.
They told us what they wish they had known ahead of their severe complications: How do I get medical professionals to listen? When are changes in my body normal, and when are they a warning? How do I navigate the postpartum period? In the years since, other readers have told us this advice was critical.
