“Landmark” Maternal Health Legislation Clears Major Hurdle
ProPublica | Nina Martin | 12/12/2018
On Tuesday, December 11, Congress moved a big step closer toward addressing one of the most fundamental problems underlying the maternal mortality crisis in the United States: the shortage of reliable data about what kills American mothers. The House of Representatives unanimously approved H.R. 1318, the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act, to help states improve how they track and investigate deaths of expectant and new mothers.

Supporting the Physical and Mental Health of New and Expectant Black Mothers
The Family Institute at Northwestern University, [email protected] Blog | 11/08/2018
This article examines the highs and lows of pregnancy and how it adds stress to an expecting mother’s life—and for women of color, that stress can be heightened. The article also covers how counseling or psychiatric help can alleviate some of the stress and anxiety surrounding pregnancy, including how counselors can work with women of color to ensure that they receive the necessary mental health support during and after a pregnancy.

Pushing in Labor?
Birthworks International | Horatio Daub MD, MPH  and Cathy Daub PT, CCE and CD(BWI) | October 2018
This Birthworks blog post examines a study published in Journal of American Medical Association on October 9, 2018 that found that delaying pushing once full cervical dilatation is reached for 60 minutes vs. immediate pushing had no significant effect on the rate of spontaneous vaginal delivery. This contradicts the previously held beliefs that delayed pushing results in a better chance of having a spontaneous vaginal delivery and is safer for the mother and baby. Authors of the blog caution readers on the limitations of the study, and conclude with a recommendation to allow women to use movement and gravity to assist their births along with other non-pharmacologic measures in order to improve outcomes for women and babies and decrease cesarean rates the most effectively.

Maternal mortality: An American crisis
CBS News | Sari Aviv | 8/05/18
This CBS Sunday Morning segment illuminates the implications of labor and delivery in the U.S. and the increase in maternal morbidity and mortality as it relates to access, physician carelessness, increasing rates of C-sections, and racial disparities. Midwife Jennie Joseph explains her concerns about the number of women who are unable to receive proper prenatal care and Charles Johnson offers important advice for expecting mothers.

U.S. Senate Committee Proposes $50 Million to Prevent Mothers Dying in Childbirth
ProPublica | Nina Martin | 6/28/18
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee voted to request $50 million in new funding for programs that aim to reduce the high rate of women who die in pregnancy or childbirth. $38 million would go to the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau, increasing access to the Healthy Start program, and $12 million would go to the CDC to enhance data collection and research and support state boards that count and review maternal deaths.

Saying “No” to Induction
The Journal of Perinatal Education | Judith A. Lothian, PhD, RN, LCCE, FAACE | Spring 2006
While written over a decade ago, this Journal of Perinatal Education article is more important than ever given the rising rate of labor inductions and maternal morbidity. In this article, childbirth educator Judith Lothian encourages women to say “no” to induction, explaining that the last days and weeks of pregnancy are vitally important for both the mother and her baby, insuring the baby’s maturity and the mother’s readiness for labor. Thus, women should have confidence that when their body and their baby are ready, labor will begin spontaneously.

Why America’s Black Mothers and Babies Are in a Life-or-Death Crisis
The New York Times Magazine | Linda Villarosa | 4/11/18
This in-depth article sheds light on why black women in America experience significantly worse maternal health outcomes than white women. The reporter points to societal racism and racial bias in the health care system as key reasons to racial disparities in maternal and infant mortality rates.

Here’s One Issue Blue and Red States Agree On: Preventing Deaths of Expectant and New Mothers
ProPublica | Nina Martin and Robin Fields | 3/26/18
In the latest article of ProPublica’s award-winning ‘Lost Mothers’ series, reporters Nina Martin and Robin Fields highlight states’ efforts to establish maternal mortality review committees in response to increased awareness of the high rate of maternal deaths in our country. About 35 states have established review committees, which would help states to examine deaths and near-deaths among expectant and new mothers and determine strategies to improving maternal health.

Evidence grows that normal childbirth takes longer than we thought
Science News | Aimee Cunningham | 1/16/18
A new study challenges the notion that the cervix should dilate by one centimeter per hour, changing the way doctors perceive the length of time it takes to deliver a baby. The study found that as long as the vital signs of the mother and baby are fine and the baby’s head is descending, a dilation rate of less than 1 centimeter per hour is not a sufficient reason to intervene.

Black Women Disproportionately Suffer Complications of Pregnancy and Childbirth. Let’s Talk About It.
ProPublica | Adriana Gallardo | 12/8/17
In this article, reporter Adriana Gallardo highlights the stark racial disparities in pregnancy-related complications, stating that black mothers are three to four times more likely than white mothers to die of causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. In an effort to get to the root of this issue, the reporter identified six black women who suffered severe pregnancy complications, asked them to share their story with a loved one, and featured “snippets” of these conversations in this article.

A Matter Of Life & Death: Why Are Black Women In The U.S. More Likely To Die During Or After Childbirth?
Essence | Meaghan Winter | 9/26/17
This is the story of Fathiyyah “Tia” Doster and the pregnancy complications that she experienced.

NICE Guidelines on Inducing Labor
Although a very long article (32 pages) on induction, the NICE guidelines , from the UK are very through and state that “misoprostol should only be given in the case of fetal death”. The guidelines also stress the necessity of FULLY informed consent and take into account the wishes of the mom.

ACOG’s New Childbirth Recommendations Aim to Limit Interventions
Think About Now | Emily Wade | 5/3/17
In February 2017, ACOG released a committee opinion report titled “Approaches to Limit Intervention During Labor and Birth” which lists routine interventions that they think are not necessary or beneficial and should no longer be practiced.

ACOG: Hands-Off Approach for Low-Risk Pregnancies
MedPage Today | Molly Walker | 1/25/17
Obstetric care providers should attempt to limit labor and delivery interventions for “low-risk” term pregnancies, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

Why U.S. Women Still Die During Childbirth
Time | Alexandra Sifferlin | 9/27/16
Alexandra Sifferlin reports some of the reasons for the maternal mortality rate in the United States. Some factors she discuses are problems keeping track of records, obesity, inconsistency in record-keeping, racial disparities, more cesarean births, and women having children much later in life.

Maternal health: Disparities in care quality, access to services a major concern
Medical News Today | Honor Whiteman | 9/16/16
A new series of studies investigated the quality of health care for women and babies. Some factors include poor access to quality maternal health care and disparities across high-income countries. The article also provides some key strategies to help fix this problem.