Pregnancy-Related Deaths Have Become an Epidemic — It's Up To All Of Us To Fix That

By De Elizabeth


The United States is residence to some of the ideal medical care in the world, with renowned hospitals from coast to coast. Although the U.S. Also has a alarming rate of maternal mortality; what’s more, most deaths would be entirely prevented with the correct interventions.


According to a new report from the CDC, approximately 700 girls perish from childbirth-related complications per year. The report also found that for every 5 mothers who died, 3 could have survived if they had gotten more accurate medical care. Maternal mortality also disproportionately affects black women; black mothers are three to four times more likely to perish while or immediately after giving birth than white women.


With numbers like these, it’s hard to wonder why we aren’t talking about this offer all of the time. That’s why MTV and VH1 has launched the #SaveOurMoms campaign, in partnership with Black Mamas Matter and Every Mother Counts. The project is designed to raise awareness about maternal mortality, and educate others on what they can do to help. Lena Waithe served as creative director, and Minhal Baig directed a new PSA video which aims to raise awareness — and to remind each person that there really are ways to prevent it from getting worse.


That mission is also what initially drew Baig to the campaign, shortly soon after premiering her film Hala at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. “It felt like this is a subject that people haven't really been talking about, or perhaps it’s been spoke, yet it hasn't really been investigated,” she tells MTV News, adding that she herself was mostly unfamiliar with the staggering maternal mortality rate prior to joining this project. “As I was doing studies, if felt like there needs to be more education. And this PSA was a spectacular way to do that.”


The PSA itself takes viewers by way of the journey of a black woman who experiences some level of pain or discomfort during her pregnancy. And while we visualize one possible ending results in April's death shortly immediately after giving birth, we also know that outcome would be completely preventable, had she derived the needed medical interventions and support networks.


“Pregnancy-related complications are something that several, several females are going to experience,” Baig explains. “It’s not just on the pregnant woman to contributor for herself, and it’s not just on the medical community to change their practices. It’s critical for support networks, like family member members, to circle around the pregnant woman, ensure that they feel safe...And that they feel listened to. There’s several different ways that people could intervene at different stages.”


One of the objectives of #SaveOurMoms is to let each person know that there are tangible ways to support a pregnant person in their life. It might would be as simple as getting on a crowd text and asking how they are feeling, or issuing to drive them to a doctor’s appointment.


“One of the ways you could be helpful is by being proactive and allocating your help on things you wouldn’t think are necessarily related to health,” Baig points out. “For example, distributing to do chores, providing to take on some of the burden and emotional load that pregnant girls have to carry.... Pregnancy shouldn't be this burdensome piece of life. We have to change the culture around it; it doesn't need to be this painful experience.”


Baig also hopes people re-visit their preconceived notions of why maternal mortality happens, especially once it happens to black ladies. “One of the greatest misconceptions is that the reason that females of color — specifically black women — are dying at a greater rate...Is because of a lack of insurance. That's just simply not true,” she points out. The director adds that unconscious bias from the medical community and others can play an enormous role. “It’s more complex than people think. It’s often the diminishing of a woman’s pain, and females feeling like they are being told they don’t know their bodies and also they do. I would mention there's four or five big factors, along with a woman's socioeconomic status or access to care is just one of them.”


However the campaign isn’t meant to demonize the medical community either; as Baig notes, we need to bring each person on board, and doctors need to be segment of the conversation — and the solution. “Sometimes the onus is placed also much on the pregnant females to supporter for themselves,” Baig says, noting that some days people do supporter for themselves and so they simply are not listened to, as Serena Williams experienced any time as soon as she gave birth in 2017. “I do think the medical community has to be aware in the part that they play in that. Ensure there's an environment where ladies feel comfortable speaking up, although also actually listen any time once they do.”


Ultimately, #SaveOurMoms aims to bring this distribute to the spotlight, yet also to change the conversation to a more proactive dialogue. It’s not just a topic, however an avenue with action-based resources, allowing each person to get involved and make a change.


“Pregnancy can seem lonely and isolating, even for first-time mothers who don't have anything to compare it to,” Baig says. “We need to be more proactive in how we help pregnant ladies navigate this very unique piece of their lives. I don't think we should be scared of pregnancy. Taking the fear out of it, understanding that pregnancy can be this joyous segment of life because you have support, that’s what we desire to get across.”


Every day, 2-3 girls in the US perish from pregnancy-related complications. However over half of those deaths are preventable. We all have the power to support moms and save lives. Find out how at saveourmoms.Mtv.Com.