god ever. been on the job all sorts of songs like that don't go away you've got to stay with us for all time is bob. cat suffering dog. starts for hillary so. w. . your mommy this one to. me. she wishes she was here. photos are all that's a lady has left of her mother she alone irving died 3 weeks after her daughter was born i think there was a lady as being raised by her grandmother wanda so late doesn't know her father and can't remember her mother she's growing up in the shadow of grief stoughton

voidable if she had been if they had. put her in the spittle for observation if nothing else but the blood pressure itself should have told that. death is no exception. the united states has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world. where. after giving birth john irving was in pain and her blood pressure repeatedly spiked she went to the doctor several times at the last visit a nurse practitioner sent her home with a prescription she was tired and she had been fighting these doctors for 2 weeks trying to get someone to listen to her. and. she just you know gave up and. came home took the pill and

work there and i think it's 45 minutes she collapsed. soon afterwards salon irving fell into a coma. 25 days after giving birth to the child she had longed for sean died. daughter will soon be 3 years old and nanny helps more irving take care of her lively granddaughter but wonder has to deal with so lays many questions on her own . that. she knows that her mommy's in heaven i don't think she quite understands what that means but she knows she can't see her mommy she keeps asking me where is mommy why can't i see her and i have to explain once again to her i love mommy i miss my mommy no baby but we can't see mommy now even though mommy

loves you very much and she wishes she was here. so last mother might still be here playing with her daughter had her daughter's taken her concerns more seriously she line was highly educated had a ph d. and worked for the public health service wanda is convinced that racism shares the blame for her daughter's death. because i think the doctors were white and a white woman would have reminded them of their own mother or sister or daughter and i think they would have reacted a lot differently. she had a military. the honor guard. she alone was an epidemiologist a lieutenant commander in the us public health service commission corps was that.

died in atlanta georgia here in the southern states maternal mortality rates are especially high an estimated $700.00 women die per year in the u.s. during pregnancy childbirth or the postpartum period higher rates than in any other developed country. many women live far from a hospital or cannot afford a hospital birth many decide to give birth at home calling on the help of freelance midwives such as korean edwards. kareena is visiting clients in a poor suburb of atlanta many low income african-american women have no health insurance the midwife knows which communities face the highest pregnancy complication risk. just by someone zip code you can actually tell how likely they

are to die 79 counties in georgia are with an o.b. g.y.n. or any provider that can. help with birthing babies. who really is birth preparation classes include conversations about how to cope with pain and fear karela does not hide the bad news black women in the united states are up to 4 times more likely than white women to die during pregnancy childbirth or shortly afterward this to to stick does little to ease the women's mistrust of doctors and hospitals. because they don't really have a supporter of story or decisions that you have and i don't feel like they really care i feel like it's all about a chick they rush to win and they rush up to them they gotta get it they might have a bunch lined up and that's just clocking hours so i think somebody who actually likes to say and someone who actually cares about how is their mother actually

addressing the real concerns in the concerns of going to when you don't. have to count when you do kareena shows this couple how to help their baby turn into the best position for birth a mexican midwife taught her the technique there are hardly any midwives of color latina black asian or native american in the us 99 percent of all midwives in the country are white. corrina goes to visit a family whose home birth she assisted a few months ago. an issue gadson is 21 for her a home birth was a way to avoid the risk of racial bias and condescending attitudes in the hospital . so i don't know if you can feel this but it's really good for you to learn how to feel your ovaries. postpartum care is an important part of the work. kareena has brought along her own teacher ohm's salama

of doula at $76.00 she's believed to be america's oldest practicing midwife. baby aliyah watches attentively from her grandmother's lap both she and her young mother seem to be in good health after the home birth keep breathing but kareena and want to make sure that all is well. in the us the most maternal deaths take place after the birth of the baby it's kind of cover us. she's born but nobody really pays a lot of attention to the mother and that's where we lose a lot of mothers in the postpartum period. aaliyah's father dave and was present at the birth and the entire family lent their support. 12 year old layla captured the event on her cell phone camera. it's a moving video diary of the water birth in the family's home.

every day that i got to enjoy it this happened. it's an emotional reunion for everyone here. before the birth the young couple went through a difficult search for a gynecologist who would be attentive to their needs. they weren't sure if they would find a black midwife in time for the birth. we see. black women were just left behind the maid with free movement when it came to even credentialing for home births and credentialing less than one percent of black women and women of color are practicing as midwives everywhere.

and corinna are part of a group of activists in atlanta who are determined to bring an end to the latent racism that continues to haunt the country's health care system. as license plate midwife is a proud statement of her profession. the women see themselves as civil rights activists and kareena is an important voice in their circle. what can be done to combat the shockingly high maternal mortality rate and to bring justice to a racist health care system. the meeting today includes experienced midwife such as kareena and on salama human rights activists feminists and some lawmakers so last grandmother wanda is also here they're discussing what can be done to create change in the country's profit oriented hospitals and health care system so that black

women can receive professional and compassionate treatment. one is tired and doesn't say much today but along with kareena and the other women she's determined to do all she can to prevent more young mothers from suffering the same fate as her daughter. the host and the driving force at this meeting is monica simpson who has long been dedicated to reproductive justice for women of color. she knows that generations of racism and discrimination pose a health risk whenever you live in a country where you are constantly stereotyped or constantly profiled or constantly you know under attack myriad of ways that is inevitably going to have an impact on our body inevitably going to have an impact on our part outcomes in our ability to be able to live healthy lives and save me from additional hand if i think at the end of a long day brings out

a treasured object this patchwork quilt was made by the families of the pregnant women and new mothers whose lives have been lost a moving reminder of the purpose of their work. so this is from 2016 to 2018. but really traditionally made with free you. seen life and you see in my house so sorry i'm getting emotional it's been. but i very personal level not just a number because i'm interacting with the family and having conversations. it is the very fabric of an american disgrace. around 1000 kilometers northeast like the town of on an copper ginia. it has one bar a movie theater and

a small modern hospital. the riverside shore memorial hospital also has a maternity unit. blair works as a nurse and midwife here. she's also familiar with the poverty unemployment and prejudice that affects the lives of so many people in the area. because. their one article starts out like morris agrees that women of color in the u.s. are disadvantaged during pregnancy. it's not fair it's just not and we have to do better and you know black moms matter there it's. it hurts my heart that black women are treated differently they've done studies that show black women after surgery you know is offered less pain medicine than a person of another ethnicity that's it's. very disturbing.

morrison has helped countless women give birth from migrant workers to women whose families have lived here for generations this is the only hospital for miles around what a loop they made dina is expecting her 4th child her due date is 2 weeks away but a blood test has shown signs of a possible liver disorder. marissa knows this can be dangerous to the baby as a precaution the doctor has recommended that the birth be induced all signs look good for a healthy birth. kind of a dream patient she is she's not obese she's had babysat for her. and done really really well and i had any problems she's not had diabetes not hypertension no nothing so. you know for her i feel like she gets she's a pretty good candidate to be in to some how successful national over.

the contractions are coming hard and fast and what a look a has decided against pain relief her husband julio is by her side it's his 1st child. on the monitor the obstetrician sees that the baby's heartbeat is showing signs of distress. why don't they get oxygen to help her gather strength for the final push. 2 the big moment arrives guadalupe has given birth to a healthy baby boy welcome to the world lucas mateo.

the people. the region are fortunate to have a hospital like riverside sure the morial by. a lot of places have decided you know what we don't like we need to close our doors to o.b. and we've seen what that does and communities out in the midwest in the south where more women are driving 4 hours to get to a hospital that has an o.b. service. many hospitals have closed in georgia to atlanta still has enough hospitals but increasing numbers of pregnant black women are opting for home births with a midwife in part because it's more affordable. a check of the baby's heart rate midwife saran henderson is pleased. to work for. tiffany egan knows that she's in good hands she doesn't want her 2nd child to be born in a hospital. i've always heard horror stories about other women

even when they have their babies problems they have all they want to ask for and just having c. sections and i just think. made me nervous so i mean i want to take a more natural approach and just be. more comfortable to be able to be at home and . feel more relaxed and that's how our experience was we are really relaxed at home and we just feel really good georgia doesn't make it easy for independent midwives state practice and licensure laws are restrictive and liability premiums are very high midwives who are not nurses affiliated with the hospital operate in a legal gray zone but are in high demand i think people are choosing wives also because they know that midwives invest more time and interest in the family and they do go back and check to post-partum visits you know every day or every other

day for certain period time so they can check on the mother and make sure that the mother is not you know running into any postpartum complications only births are also associated with risks tiffany and her partner emanuel are looking forward to a home water birth accompanied by a midwife. the georgia state capitol building is an atlanta landmark lawmakers here have also begun to grapple with the state's shockingly high maternal mortality rate. at this public hearing the topic on the agenda is why georgia continues to lag behind much of the country when it comes to maternal health reproductive justice activist monica simpson is here along with midwives salama and corona. a

presentation documents the mortality statistics for the years 2012 to 2014 the statistics confirm that black women are almost 4 times more likely to die due to pregnancy than whites non hispanic women the lawmakers expressed concern. but outside the hall the activists feel frustrated and powerless even to have the meeting started when that and chairman was like oh we need more white mean doctors no no we need more of our lives really female are going to arcturus. other women of color because i know from my pregnancy that i'm saying a point of having a woman who looked like me and understood my experiences from. people who are angry and concerned and very upset that we continue to see this conversation and staying at the surface and not really getting into the root causes of what's happening here again i think it's also that they're not listening to a black woman to have trusting us and our expertise and what we have been able to gather in our fields of expertise around these issues i think it's just blatant.

it's blatant disrespect and just not being heard or trusted. monica and her fellow activists say politicians aren't stepping up to have a health crisis one how one woman one pregnant person that loses their lives in childbirth is one too many we heard that over and over from the chairperson of that committee yesterday however unfortunately it didn't matter how much money they made and did not matter what their socio economic status was what their education level was that unfortunately in this state far too often the way that black women in particular are treated once they go in to places up here with absolutely fell apart . the debate continues late into the night.

not far away a baby is being born. but the birth doesn't go quite as planned. little elian was in a hurry. tiffany gives hopes for a calm supportive home water birth didn't the to realize. liam was born without a midwife she couldn't make it to the home in time. she's like so little. she she you know and she like i think it's his coming out you know secure source here yeah like least we talk about useful but i just this way just well ok maybe you have some time and then. she push you say. he comes out. and then i was right then i can believe i called on. those yeah yeah you know you

know you sound like oh well on the 4th yet you know because it was a lot faster i mentioned that it was you know it was yeah it was what i expected as far as like. the feeling you know. any discomfort or anything like that but it was good and i was really pleased because i think it was really fast also saying oh my god i was so relieved. have a mama deliver by herself it's not something that's intentional and you know we do like to be here at every birth but sometimes women do have what we do call a perceptual slavery where the baby just might be here before we get. to hers from. a midwife job is to attend to both mother and baby so run checks that leon is healthy and thriving but she'll also make sure that tiffany is

getting rest and recovery. make sure that her bleeding is subsiding too and that she's not cramping and that her uterus is getting smaller and making sure that seems happy to you know because postpartum depression can also be one of the key factors in channel mortality so check into the psyche and see how moms do it she enjoyed her gave. the home birth didn't go as planned but it had a happy empty today in. monaco and salon and cameron are meeting today to discuss their campaign. the reproductive rights activist and the midwives are still dismayed at how passive and plan less the lawmakers seemed at the recent haring when we went to just now when turning mortality review board meeting here it wasn't even once mentioned all that they

talked about was the statistics and how many women that they were able to eliminate . from. the cohort so there georgia looks better that's right that was really hard for me teaching at childbirth class and had a happy mom say i'm here because i want to die they put up this new sign that like just suck my breath away it's like you know except. you know newt you gave as early as 6 weeks and i was like what what wait a minute moms are going back to work at 6 weeks. and less than that but i'm just like and we were wondering what's happening. only the lama is old enough to remember when times were better when hospitals cared more about their patients than their profits. their health care system used to be a mound profit system and so there is no more yet over

here and hospitals. are now only for profit so we have hospitals closing in rural areas closing game poorer areas. it was white monica corrina and decide to take their battle against maternal mortality beyond atlanta and georgia to the national level. really like the most. in the meantime national lawmakers have also become aware of the dismaying statistics a congressional committee has invited so lays grandmother to speak along with the experts. one has brought her anger and grief with her to washington. she hopes to awaken the conscience of national lawmakers the. united

states is the most dangerous place in the developed world to deliver a baby. the mood in the hall is subdued as the chairwoman delivers her statement. wanda knows only too well how painful the death of a mother can be this is not a new phenomenon this is been going on for decades why can't we get it right there are things that can be done but are not being done i think she would probably say that behind every one of these statistics there is a woman who's loved to miss and look at the domino effect look at the families look at the children that are suffering because we can't get it right there are no words in the english language to adequately trained the pain i feel when soulé looked up at me and asked where is my mommy no no why can't i see her or cry i want my mommy

while clutching a picture log the love of my daughter has earned the right to demand the transformation of the health care system the reduction of preventable maternal death among black women is a national disgrace and has become an urgent national priority thank you. i want to have spoken powerful about her daughter's death and her family's grief and suffering but what impact will her words have. the audience is moved and they express their sympathy to the question why we can't in this nation protect but for wanda the congressional representatives appear detached and distant she fears that the loss of her daughter will not be the wake up call that is so badly needed in washington. i'm not only angry i'm appalled at the numbers that are rising on the maternal mortality statistics because with $700.00 women dying every year 60

percent of those women did not have to my daughter did not have to these deaths are preventable and there is no reason why we should be worse than a 3rd world country. one day flies back home to atlanta to the only family she has left her granddaughter so late. we never give up that's our motto right. but. you sure you don't want to go on the big 1st line. in a month no. need to make me. all i wanted to do was be that indulgent grandma who could spoil her rotten and send her home to her mom that's all i wanted to do and enjoy my retired when. i could go see her again. anything like. so if it means i have to be on today 247 that

that's what it's going to. come back to me. that many things. have happened. where you could be when you grow up you go to the doctor so she's going to make sure that this never happens to anybody else's money. that's what she's going to be beat.

i you do need to keep a day about the people both put over the mats and home the force and the small of the most machine and at its number of lives with at least the bottom of the fannies at the nasa dragon this one called the truth. on. double talk show. strong. clear positions from international perspective. every week we get to the point on a current topic. committed . to the point. of.

this is g.w. new swine flu from berlin tonight going back to health going back to auschwitz on the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the nazi death camp survivors a speaker of the past with a message for the future joined by world leaders and dignitaries to honor those murdered at the camp they warned not to forget also coming up tonight as he welcomes israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu to the white house u.s. president donald trump says he has a plan for middle east.