Torie Bowie was an athlete. She wasn't just any athlete, she won multiple medals including the gold medal at the 2016 Olympics. This was a woman who was incredibly fit. She was found dead at 8 months pregnant due to eclampsia. The takeaway is that even the healthiest of mothers can have health issues that are a direct result of pregnancy, and that maternity care providers must do better for mothers in their care.
It grieves me to learn of stories where normal maternity care should have caught something. It grieves me to hear of mothers who aren't listened to, whose concerns are dismissed and who do not feel heard and respected. It appalls me that mothers aren't educated about nutrition, appropriate weight gain and normal changes in pregnancy. It scares me that mothers aren't educated about symptoms of concerning health conditions during pregnancy.
In my midwifery practice, I partner with my clients in providing care. I want my clients to understand what is normal and what may be concerning. I want my clients to know what symptoms to watch for that means we need to do some testing, or additional checks. I want my clients to know that I hear them and I take what they say seriously. I want my clients to know I will not dismiss their concerns, observations and complaints. I want my clients to know I care!
It's so hard for me to wrap my mind around how this nation can spend so much money on health care and yet have higher percentages of poor outcomes compared to other countries, including those we consider developing. I don't think more interventions, medications or treatments are going to solve the maternity crisis in America. Listening to women, and trusting them are the things we can do to improve care dramatically and quickly in my opinion. We can't continue doing the same old things and hoping for different results. We must make big changes, and make them now. Increasing access to midwifery care is a simple, effective way to reduce maternal mortality. I'm proud to be a midwife who is making a difference one birth at a time!
It grieves me to learn of stories where normal maternity care should have caught something. It grieves me to hear of mothers who aren't listened to, whose concerns are dismissed and who do not feel heard and respected. It appalls me that mothers aren't educated about nutrition, appropriate weight gain and normal changes in pregnancy. It scares me that mothers aren't educated about symptoms of concerning health conditions during pregnancy.
In my midwifery practice, I partner with my clients in providing care. I want my clients to understand what is normal and what may be concerning. I want my clients to know what symptoms to watch for that means we need to do some testing, or additional checks. I want my clients to know that I hear them and I take what they say seriously. I want my clients to know I will not dismiss their concerns, observations and complaints. I want my clients to know I care!
It's so hard for me to wrap my mind around how this nation can spend so much money on health care and yet have higher percentages of poor outcomes compared to other countries, including those we consider developing. I don't think more interventions, medications or treatments are going to solve the maternity crisis in America. Listening to women, and trusting them are the things we can do to improve care dramatically and quickly in my opinion. We can't continue doing the same old things and hoping for different results. We must make big changes, and make them now. Increasing access to midwifery care is a simple, effective way to reduce maternal mortality. I'm proud to be a midwife who is making a difference one birth at a time!
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