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Maternal Health in Africa: What the African Union’s Latest Report Reveals
I have traveled to Africa many times, and whenever I go, I want to learn about the newest maternal health interventions that help African mothers survive pregnancy and postpartum. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the continent with the highest rate of maternal mortality due in part to remote areas that do not have enough skilled birth attendants…
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Enhancing Maternal and Child Health Through Effective Storytelling
I have had the privilege of visiting maternal and child health programs in the US, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. In all of my reporting, I always led with an in-depth interview or photos to convey stories about maternal and child health outcomes in low-income settings. I have always believed that stories are pivotal…
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What Is Postpartum Psychosis?
This story was originally reported by Brooke Migdon of The 19th. Meet Brooke and read more of their reporting on gender, politics and policy. The murder trial of Lindsay Clancy is nearing its end, with closing arguments and jury deliberations expected next week after nearly a month of witness testimony. (Update: closing arguments were Thursday,…
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What Community Doula Access Actually Looks Like, From a Working Doula
Shelbi Kohler is a certified birth doula, mother of seven, and the founder of True Joy Birthing, a resource for expecting families covering doula services, birth support, and maternal health across the United States.
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Doulas play essential roles in reproductive health care – and more states are beginning to recognize it
A growing share of Americans, especially in rural areas, are losing access to reproductive health care. At the same time, American women are dying during or after pregnancy at higher rates than in any other high-income country.
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The Urgent Need for More Midwives Worldwide: Why Midwives Matter for Maternal Health
Did you know that a woman dies every two minutes from complications during childbirth? Ninety-nine percent of these deaths are wholly preventable and happen all over the world, even in the United States. That is why the International Confederation of Midwives has launched a global initiative called One Million More Midwives, calling on governments and…
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Prepare for Childbirth: Jen Hamilton’s Birth Vibes Review
If you are pregnant, thinking about getting pregnant, or have recently given birth, you have probably heard of Jen Hamilton, the popular Labor and Delivery nurse who talks to millions every time she posts. With the encouragement of her online audience and publishers who wanted her to write a book, her first book, Birth Vibes:…
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Florida Pregnant Women Are Having Court Hearings Forcing C-Sections from Hospital Beds
I recently read one of the most horrifying articles I have read in a very long time. ProPublica wrote an investigative report, Florida Courts Ordered Them To Have C-Sections, about women who wanted to have vaginal births but were met with resistance from the hospital and the courts.
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Doula Services and Maternal Health: How Apps Are Making Doula Care More Accessible
If you are pregnant and want to hire a doula, this health care option might be cost-prohibitive for some. Typically, expectant mothers can either get free doula services if living in a low-income community where doulas are paid through donations and grants.
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CDC Releases Maternal Mortality Rates for 2024
The new maternal mortality rates from 2024 were released this week from the National Center for Health Statistics. Most of the data remain the same as in 2023, with a modest decrease in maternal deaths from 669 to 649.
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Celebrate Women’s Day: Get Your Free E-Book
We are giving away our e-book, Simple Steps to Become a Maternal Health Advocate, for free to members of our community only.
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Women’s Health Statistics: Key Facts About Women’s Health in the U.S.
Did you know there are 169 million women in the United States? Studies show that one-third of women postpone necessary medical care due primarily to a lack of access and rising health care costs.
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Texas Cities Have Some of the Highest Preterm Birth Rates in the US, Highlighting Maternal Health Crisis Nationwide
The March of Dimes report scored the U.S. overall a D+ grade on preterm birth rate at 10.4%, but states differ dramatically in their scores. New Hampshire, for example, scored an A- with 7.9% of infants born prematurely, while Mississippi, where 15% of infants are born prematurely, scored an F.
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Book Review: No Woman Left Behind
No Woman Left Behind: A Journey of Hope to Heal Every Woman Injured in Childbirth by Kate Grant My rating: 5 of 5 stars No Woman Left Behind: A Journey of Hope to Heal Every Woman Injured in Childbirth is a powerful and deeply moving memoir by Kate Grant, founding CEO of the Fistula Foundation.…
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Why Women and Girls Are Still the Most Vulnerable in Global Health Crises
Amid the global health funding crisis, I often think about the trickle-down effect of the closure of USAID. No matter if some believe the agency was a burden on American taxpayers or not, there is no doubt that the work it accomplished over the decades created measurable change for women and girls, from improved maternal…
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The Most Dangerous Place to Give Birth in the World and Four Ways You Can Help
Despite decades of progress in global health, pregnancy and childbirth remain life-threatening events for millions of women, especially in the world’s most fragile settings.
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5 Organizations Whose Work I’ve Seen and Deserve Your Donations
During the holidays, one of the gifts my late mother gave to each of her children was a donation to a worthy cause made in our individual names. Every year, I looked forward to learning which organization she had chosen. It was one of the most creative and meaningful gifts she ever gave us. If…
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How the Funding Crisis Affects Maternal and Child Health
The Partnership for Maternal Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) recently conducted a snap survey of 20 of its partners to measure the deleterious effects of the funding crisis on global health programs. As expected, the decrease in funding has caused the immediate closure of health programs in lower-and-middle income countries. There is also a severe…
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Speaking to SayItForward.org about the Birth of Social Good Moms and What’s Next
I was honored to speak with Sharon D’agostino. She is the founder of Say It Forward and co-host of The Power of Stories Podcast along with Yodit Kifle Smith. We discussed how Social Good Moms started and what’s next for the site and community. I also discussed the importance of women using their voice for…
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The Devil Is Busy (HBO Max) Review
HBO Max’s short documentary The Devil Is Busy, produced by Soledad O’Brien (SO’B) Productions and co-directed by Christalyn Hampton and Geeta Gandbhir, is a searing portrait of what it means to provide and seek reproductive health care in the post-Roe era. At its center is Tracii, a staff member at Atlanta’s Feminist Women’s Health Center—now…