Earlier this month, Jocie and I had the opportunity to interview Rose Horton, a nurse leader working in maternal health at Emory Decatur Hospital. I met Rose during a convening organized by Cities Challenge, a project within our Delivery Initiative...
Promoting shared decision-making and transparency for birthing people during COVID-19
By Michele Kulhanek I was 18 about to give birth to my firstborn and scared to death. No one took the time to explain what was happening to me that day. There must have been twenty people in and out of the room, mostly residents who were there to...
2020 March for Moms and Advocacy week
Monday May 4th was the fourth annual March for Moms rally, typically hosted on the Washington Mall but instead brought to our computer screens this year. The March for Moms team assembled an amazing group of speakers including politicians...
You’re doing it wrong: a conversation with Margaret Quinlan
Earlier this year, I spoke with Margaret Quinlan, co-author of the newly released book You’re Doing it Wrong! Mothering Media and medical expertise. Margaret and her co-author Bethany Johnson explore the history of advice that pregnant people...
What we were reading during Black Maternal Health Week
By Yara Altaher and Jocie Fifield Last week was Black Maternal Health Week (April 13-17), and it has been equally illuminating and hopeful to read the myriad articles that were published last week about centering Black mamas. We were reminded that...
Black Maternal Health Week
In the United States, racism remains alive and well, not only among overt bigots, but within thought patterns and structures of revered institutions, including the medical establishment. Few facts make this more apparent than the shared experience...
With only ‘shaky data’ to go on, it’s tough to practice evidence-based medicine during the Covid-19 pandemic
Part of my job as an obstetrician is to keep up with the latest evidence so I can provide the best care for my patients. But I’ve never felt as dependent as I am today on shaky data to make what could be life or death decisions.
COVID-19 and Pregnancy: thoughts from an epidemiologist
By Vanessa Neergheen Editor’s Notes: The studies reviewed in this article have been linked within the text. The findings described here should not be taken as a substitute for medical advice from a qualified health provider, and the evidence on...
Auntie Ami at-a-distance
By Ami Karlage Being a “professional aunt (no kids)” makes my life easier in many ways, especially in this time of COVID-19 and social distancing. I don’t have to entertain or educate children home from school and daycare while trying to do a...
New families need support during a pandemic. And they’ll still need it after.
By Jocie Fifield Our Expecting More team is two weeks into working from home. We are all familiar with each other’s household decor and are on a first name basis with our coworkers’ pets. Those of us who are parents are creating new routines and...