Despite various investments and political action, maternal death rates have climbed in recent years, especially for Black women. California passed a law in 2021 to confront racial disparities in maternal and infant health, but advocates say there needs to be mechanisms for transparency and accountability and deeper investment.
In 2018, I gave birth to my second daughter. What was meant to be a beautiful, joyful experience quickly shifted to a dire situation that required an emergency cesarean section under general anesthesia. This meant I was unconscious during my birth, and my husband was not allowed in the operating room to witness the birth of our child.
Ten days after delivery, I began vomiting and ran a fever. I had developed an infection from the surgery, which required a second, three-day stay in the hospital, and time away from my breastfed newborn and then-4-year-old. Unfortunately, my traumatic experience and being dismissed during labor and delivery remains common in the U.S. –