Dear
John,

For Congresswoman Lauren Underwood, addressing the Black maternal health crisis in this country is deeply personal.

The youngest Black woman ever elected to Congress and co-founder of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, Underwood was inspired by the tragic death of a good friend and epidemiologist, Dr. Shalon Irving, who passed away at the age of 36 from pregnancy-related complications three weeks after giving birth to a baby girl.

"You will forever be my mommy, and I, your baby girl" is the last message Shalon's mother ever got from her daughter, written in a letter that was found shortly after her passing.

Our country's maternity care system is failing women -- especially Native and Black women, who are two to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than their white peers. And far too many of these women are either uninsured, underinsured or only have access to substandard, often disrespectful care.

For Mother's Day today, we need your help to ensure the maternal health crisis doesn't fall off the radar, especially as the coronavirus threatens to make this already terrible situation worse.

Click here to send an email to your members of Congress telling them to prioritize the health and lives of new moms in the emergency response to coronavirus.

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Each year, hundreds of women die from a pregnancy-related cause. And, for every life lost, there are as many as 100 near-misses that are often traumatic and involve long-term health effects.

Many of these deaths and complications could be prevented if we lift up the needs of mothers and families and address the known failures of our maternity care system.

A great place for Congress to start is extending pregnancy-related Medicaid coverage up to one year postpartum.

More than 40 percent of all births in this country are covered by Medicaid, and that's expected to skyrocket as millions of people lose their jobs and employment-related health insurance due to the current crisis.

Medicaid provides essential coverage for women with low incomes while they are pregnant, when they give birth, and up to 60 days postpartum. However, continuous health care coverage is essential for a longer period, as one in three pregnancy-related deaths occur one week to one year after birth and a range of new-onset health problems persist for many months.

So please, take a minute right now and tell Congress to prioritize saving and helping moms in the next stimulus package. Then help us spread the word by forwarding this email to family and friends.

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Thank you,

Carol Sakala
Director of Childbirth Connection Programs



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