Every Mother Counts

Abortion care IS healthcare. When abortion care is restricted, maternity care is restricted. Approximately 3 women die each day from complications of pregnancy and childbirth in the United States, so limiting access to any lifesaving healthcare is unconscionable. For women and birthing people across the country, restrictions on abortion care have had devastating consequences, and those consequences were largely preventable. Read the harrowing stories of 18 women whose pregnancy and childbirth experiences were severely impacted by abortion restrictions: https://bit.ly/3LCnQix

“The health of women in the United States is in a perilous place.” Last week, The Commonwealth Fund released the first-ever State Scorecard on Women’s Health and Reproductive Care, assessing health indicators for women across the country and the policy choices and decisions that contribute to health outcomes. One of the areas examined in the report is the state of maternal health. The report found that the states with the highest rates of maternal mortality are Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. In all four states: ▫️ A large percentage of counties don’t have a single provider of obstetric care; ▫️ Rates of postpartum depression screenings are low; ▫️ Low-risk cesarean birth rates are high; ▫️ Uninsured rates prior to pregnancy are high; ▫️ There are full bans on abortion. 🔗 Read the full report: https://bit.ly/4cZPmCw

Black mothers and birthing people face systemic and social barriers that increase their risk of maternal mental health complications and limit their access to the resources and support needed to address and treat those conditions. To achieve equity in maternal health, we must address the social, systemic, and healthcare challenges experienced by Black mothers and birthing people. Want to learn more and take action this Black Maternal Mental Health Week? Follow our grantee partner Shades of Blue Project for facts, resources, and a packed #BMMHW2024 schedule from July 19-25. 🗓️💙

This week, our office was filled with joy as we showered our incredible Chief of Staff Courtney with love, well wishes, and many cake pops at her baby shower! 🧡

✨ Are you an exceptional project manager and a strong writer? Do you want to be part of a dedicated team committed to improving maternal health globally? We’re looking for a Manager, Communications & Marketing to join our growing Communications & Marketing team! 🔗 Sound like you? Learn more and apply: https://bit.ly/44viH3D

Heading into the weekend after a fantastic staff retreat! Thank you, Bloomberg Philanthropies, for your generous hospitality and for welcoming us into your beautiful space. Pictured is one of the highlights of the week: Our escape room victories!

In the two years since the Dobbs decision, we’ve seen in real time how increased abortion restrictions have worsened what was already a maternal health crisis in the United States. Read the statement on the urgency of this moment from our new Vice President of Programs & Impact, Divya Sooryakumar: https://bit.ly/4bhjEPL

Every Mother Counts' founder and president, Christy Turlington Burns, is at Aspen Ideas to discuss the changes that need to be made to improve the health and wellbeing of mothers in the United States. Don't miss her in conversation live today, June 21, at 3:40 PM (ET): https://bit.ly/3xiAVKx

“There has been a widespread erasure of the diverse experiences of Black motherhood - namely, the beauty of our rich tradition, the righteousness of our resolve, the decadence of our pleasure, and the boundless limits of our hopes, dreams, and joy.” -Rabiyah Amina, MPP, MS & Erin Snowden, MPH, Mamatoto Village This #Juneteenth, we encourage you to read “Our Motherhood, Our Joy", a fantastic resource from our grantee partner Mamatoto Village elevates Black joy as a necessary tool for empowerment – and liberation. Today, we affirm our commitment to decolonizing birth and centering racial justice, in the pursuit of a world where pregnancy and birth can be safe, equitable, and joyful for all. 🔗 Read the article: https://bit.ly/4bdUvVY

Last week, our Impact team was in Chicago for the 2024 Birth Equity Funders Summit! We are so grateful for the opportunity to join a dynamic group of funders to discuss and collaborate on ways to collectively work toward birth justice and equity. For other funders who are interested in learning about Funders for Birth Justice & Equity, visit https://lnkd.in/esFUAR2T