If you are reading this, you are alive. And you are alive because a woman, your mother or not, had a successful pregnancy. Birth is a very common process as nearly 4 million people are born each year in the US, and yet, 2-3 women die every day from complications during birth.
One of the most common problems that can occur when bringing life into this world is hemorrhaging, affecting 2.9% of women in the US which translates to about 125,000. Postpartum hemorrhage as it is termed, is when a woman loses too much blood, resulting in insufficient blood flow throughout her body. Normally, after the baby has been delivered, the muscles in the woman’s womb contract, limiting the amount of blood loss once the placenta is detached. However, if these muscles do not contract, the woman is at risk of losing unsafe amounts of blood.
Drugs are doctor’s preferred method of prevention for blood loss. Before bleeding becomes a problem, women are given the option to take a drug to decrease the chances for excessive blood loss. Other drugs exist to help the muscles contract or to help the blood to clot. Their last resort option usually involves surgical techniques that include blocking the uterine artery or removing the uterus completely.
And yet, when we think of getting pregnant and having a baby, we tend to forget that any risk exists at all. But why would we?
And that’s the problem. Women give birth every day. Women are risking their lives every day. But no one is talking about these risks. Now, getting the conversation started is no easy task, I am aware. Rarely do I find myself at work talking about pregnancy, let alone talking about the gruesome details of childbirth. But the least we can do is be aware. Having the basic knowledge creates an atmosphere where women feel comfortable opening up and sharing their personal experiences. And if women feel accepted, the conversations can begin.
But why is it so important to talk about it? Why do we need these conversations to begin? If we never talk about something, it is hard to enact change. Ranked 47th in the world for maternal mortality, the US could use some change. More talk leads to more spotlight in the media which usually results in more funding to be allocated to solve the problem.
We cannot change overnight, but we need to do something because 125,000 deaths is 125,000 deaths too many.
PPH: Postpartum Hemorrhage or Postpartum Happiness? 