Racism, Filters, and Maternal and Fetal Mortality

NOTE: This post will pull from a previous post I wrote about maternal and fetal mortality in 2016. I really encourage you to read it. Most of this will come from the CDC data and graphics I cite in that post. Maternal mortality is a public health issue. American women die at a rate […]

Out of Range: Rural Healthcare for Moms

A recent story in a local newspaper illustrated a crisis people in my state are facing – a lack of access to healthcare in rural areas. The Columbia Missourian ran a well-researched article by Taylor Blatchford that outlined a crisis hurting women in rural counties. In shows that: In 43% of rural counties in Missouri, there is […]

Dear Paul Ryan, I will have more kids when…

Dear Paul Ryan, So, you’ve stumbled on the crisis of revenues vs. spending that everyone studying basic economics and the Congressional budget process is aware of. Thanks for joining the party. I’m glad you’re concerned about this. I’m glad you’re suddenly worried about elder poverty, paying for Social Security, and taking care of infrastructure. I […]

12 things I want to change for new moms

My baby is now 12 months old. She is a TODDLER. A year ago, I pushed out a baby who has been a joy since day one. Honestly, I feel like I got away with a crime having a baby who eats anything, sleeps through the night, and loves to go out. Today, she got […]

Let’s Not Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater, Okay?

This week, a lot of strange things took place on Capitol Hill. A strange, archaic way to pass bills was used to call for a motion to open debate on a bill. Various versions of “reform” were trotted out for the “Obamacare Crisis”. One version would have removed health coverage from an estimated 30 million […]

Pre-Eclampsia and Heart Disease: Why We Need Medicaid Expansion

Common wisdom about pre-eclampsia seems to be that it ends after pregnancy. Most people know pregnancy hypertension means you need to get the baby out before mom’s blood pressure spikes even more. Because it is usually successfully treated, I’ve heard people say that it’s “no big deal”. Still, between 5 and 8% of births in […]

Substance Abuse is a Feminist Issue and a Maternal Issue

Today, I’m talking about an issue that does not attract much attention even in the circles which discuss pre-natal and post-natal depression. Honestly, even in the discussion of mental illness, this topic is often left out even if it is an especially common issue. Today, I am approaching drug abuse in pregnancy and in struggles […]

I’m Officially Opposed to Encapsulating Your Placenta Now

When R was born, I wanted to see the placenta. I asked about that in our birth class. Everyone in the room thought I was weird for asking, “Can we see our placenta”. Much to my husband’s dismay and horror, I did see it (and so did he). I grew up with horses giving birth […]

Part Two: The World After TBoBB

This is part two of a series entitled Intervention on Interventions which seeks to address the place of medical science, interventions, and public policy in the lives of women. Using research done on interventions, pilot studies, and public policy interventions, this series will highlight whether or not interventions are to be feared and how public […]