Irin Carmon on How the United States Has Made Pregnancy Unbearable

"The 37-year-old Texas mother had asked her doctor, "Wouldn't you think it would be better for me to not have the baby?" after her early pregnancy symptoms included "unexplained seizures" and "soaring blood pressure," ProPublica reported. But no one would help her. She was suffering from preeclampsia-a condition involving high blood pressure and a hazardous buildup of protein in the uterus-and instead of heeding her concerns, her physicians let her die."

""She advocated for her own care, she showed up, she asked questions, she followed doctor's orders, she understood what she needed, and she asked for it." But, she added, "there is also a Catch- 22, particularly for Black women [like Walker], and there's research that shows this: In advocating for yourself, you might be retaliated against. So doing all the things that you are supposed to do will not save you.""

Tierra Walker, a 37-year-old Texas mother, experienced unexplained seizures and soaring blood pressure in early pregnancy and asked her doctor, "Wouldn't you think it would be better for me to not have the baby?" She suffered preeclampsia, involving high blood pressure and hazardous protein buildup in the uterus, and physicians did not intervene, leading to her death. Advocating for care, showing up, asking questions, following doctor's orders, and understanding one's needs did not prevent this fatal outcome. Research shows Black women who advocate risk retaliation, creating a Catch-22 where proper self-advocacy may not ensure safety. Christine Fields prepared and updated a birth plan, learned from a neighborhood maternal death, and shared the plan publicly.

Read at The Nation