A Certified Midwife's Perspective

Maternal mortality occurs with alarming frequency. With 17.4 maternal deaths/100,000 live births(1), the United States loses more new mothers than most other developed countries. What should be considered a joyous event far too often becomes a tragedy. As someone involved in the miracle of life, Katie Grennan, RN, CNM, shares her experiences as a doula and midwife and how practitioners might improve. Creator of the iOS app “What About Mom?” and previous Speak Up for SaferCare guest, Dr. Teresa Wagner, joins the discussion as the two provide special insight on how current “routine” practices may contribute to poor maternal outcomes.

1. High U.S. Maternal Mortality Rate." Statista, Statista Inc., 19 Nov 2020, https://www-statista-com.proxy.unthsc.edu/chart/23541/maternal-mortality-developed-countries/