This Mother’s Day, as we celebrate and honor the moms/mums/aunts/aunties/grandmothers and maternal figures in our lives, we must also acknowledge the ongoing maternal health crisis in the United States. It is a crisis that Representative and Nurse Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) understands well, especially its severe impact on Black mothers. Marrying her nursing background with a genuine enthusiasm for the power of policy to improve and save lives, she co-founded the Black Maternal Health Caucus and introduced The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021. A comprehensive legislative solution, the Momnibus covers everything from the intersection between the COVID-19 pandemic, being a pregnant person of color, to the impact of extreme heat and air pollution on maternal and infant health outcomes. This legislation will drive innovation in practice—a bill that will scale transformative care by matching policy with science and data. It is also a reminder that there are solutions to longstanding inequities and problems, if we are bold enough to enact them.

Have questions for the SEE YOU NOW team? Feedback? Future episode ideas? Contact us at hello@seeyounowpodcast.com.

Guests Featured in this Episode

• Representative Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14)

Episode Resources

• White House Declares Black Maternal Health Week
• Black Maternal Health Caucus Momnibus Bill
• US Black Mothers Die In Childbirth At Three Times The Rate Of White Mothers
• ProPublica Lost Mothers Project
• A Clarion Warning About Pregnancy Outcomes and the Climate Crisis
• National Birth Equity Collaborative
• World Maternal Mental Health Awareness Day