Posted on Mar 13, 2023
Missouri is one of the deadliest states for giving birth. Its abortion ban may make that worse
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Missouri has a maternal mortality rate of 25.2 deaths per 100,000 live births, higher than the national average. Health professionals worry that the state’s near-total abortion ban will make pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period even more dangerous.
Kristen Mason knows that the months during pregnancy and after childbirth can be difficult, lonely and even dangerous — especially in her home state. The United States is in the midst of a maternal mortality crisis and Missouri has some of the nation’s poorest outcomes.
In her work at the KC Women’s Ministry, Mason serves as a doula and childbirth educator and the group’s executive director. The Kansas City-based nonprofit provides free or sliding-cost doula services to low-income residents in the Kansas City area who are pregnant.
While doulas are trained experts in birthing, they also serve as advocates for clients who because of their race, income and life circumstances sometimes don’t get the services they need.
Kristen Mason knows that the months during pregnancy and after childbirth can be difficult, lonely and even dangerous — especially in her home state. The United States is in the midst of a maternal mortality crisis and Missouri has some of the nation’s poorest outcomes.
In her work at the KC Women’s Ministry, Mason serves as a doula and childbirth educator and the group’s executive director. The Kansas City-based nonprofit provides free or sliding-cost doula services to low-income residents in the Kansas City area who are pregnant.
While doulas are trained experts in birthing, they also serve as advocates for clients who because of their race, income and life circumstances sometimes don’t get the services they need.
Missouri is one of the deadliest states for giving birth. Its abortion ban may make that worse
Posted from kcur.org
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Posted 1 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel good day Brother William, always informational and of the most interesting. Thanks for sharing, have a blessed day!
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."More advocates needed
One possible solution for reducing maternal mortality could lie with the groups already helping people in the state, such as an expansion of the services provided by KC Women’s Ministry and other doula groups.
A 2009 study found that in comparison to a group of 97 women receiving standard care, a group of 44 doula-paired women experienced significantly shorter periods of labor, had fewer instances of instrument-assisted birth and had better outcomes in their babies’ initial health at birth. Other studies found that those who used doulas had higher rates of breastfeeding and lower rates of comparatively more dangerous cesarean delivery.
“I can attest to that,” Mason said. “New parents and doulas report back to me on how things went. And the number of times that we were able to avoid a C-section that was definitely being pushed for is unbelievable.”
Rep. Jamie Johnson, a Kansas City Democrat, is sponsoring a bill that would include coverage of doula and midwife services to those on Medicaid in Missouri, but it has yet to receive a committee hearing.
“It would be absolutely huge,” Mason said. “You’d have all kinds of people who didn’t have access to help before. We’re talking about an entire state of people not only being able to access any doula that accepts Medicaid, but suddenly everybody would have access to that level of care.”
For Mason, the issue comes back to advocacy.
“It’s insane that we then expect them to be successful and we’re surprised if they aren’t,” Mason said. “We need to be sending them help. That should be, in my opinion, the bare minimum. We should be sending these people help.”
..."More advocates needed
One possible solution for reducing maternal mortality could lie with the groups already helping people in the state, such as an expansion of the services provided by KC Women’s Ministry and other doula groups.
A 2009 study found that in comparison to a group of 97 women receiving standard care, a group of 44 doula-paired women experienced significantly shorter periods of labor, had fewer instances of instrument-assisted birth and had better outcomes in their babies’ initial health at birth. Other studies found that those who used doulas had higher rates of breastfeeding and lower rates of comparatively more dangerous cesarean delivery.
“I can attest to that,” Mason said. “New parents and doulas report back to me on how things went. And the number of times that we were able to avoid a C-section that was definitely being pushed for is unbelievable.”
Rep. Jamie Johnson, a Kansas City Democrat, is sponsoring a bill that would include coverage of doula and midwife services to those on Medicaid in Missouri, but it has yet to receive a committee hearing.
“It would be absolutely huge,” Mason said. “You’d have all kinds of people who didn’t have access to help before. We’re talking about an entire state of people not only being able to access any doula that accepts Medicaid, but suddenly everybody would have access to that level of care.”
For Mason, the issue comes back to advocacy.
“It’s insane that we then expect them to be successful and we’re surprised if they aren’t,” Mason said. “We need to be sending them help. That should be, in my opinion, the bare minimum. We should be sending these people help.”
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I guess we'll have to wait and see on that but I suspect that abortion is only a small part of their issues
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