When Mothers Die: Don't Forget My Mommy

We say we’re a nation that values life. But every year, hundreds of American women die while giving it.

In 2023, 676 mothers died from pregnancy-related causes in the United States. That’s 32.6 deaths per 100,000 live births—the highest maternal mortality rate of any developed country. And it’s not just a number. It’s a funeral instead of a baby shower. It’s a child growing up without their mother. It’s a tragedy we could prevent.

This isn’t just a crisis. It’s a scandal.

Because if we’re truly pro-life, we must be pro-mother. And right now, America is failing the women who give life.

🚨 What’s Killing Our Mothers?

Most maternal deaths in America are caused by:

• Cardiovascular conditions: high blood pressure, stroke, cardiac arrest

• Mental health: suicide and drug overdose now rival physical complications

• Hemorrhage and infection: often preventable with timely care

And here’s the heartbreak: Over 80% of these deaths are preventable. That means hundreds of women could still be alive—holding their babies, raising their families, living their lives.

So why aren’t we doing more?

⚠️ Race Matters—And the Disparities Are Devastating

This scandal doesn’t strike equally.

• Black women are nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women.

• Indigenous women face the highest rates of all—up to 106 deaths per 100,000 births in some regions.

• These disparities persist regardless of income or education.

This isn’t just about biology. It’s about bias. It’s about access. It’s about a system that too often fails to listen, to care, to act.

📍 Where Is It Worst?

Some states are in crisis:

• Tennessee: 41.1 deaths per 100,000 births

• Mississippi: 39.1

• Alabama: 38.6

• Arkansas: 38.3

• Louisiana: 37.3

• Georgia: 32.1

Compare that to California, where the rate is just 10.5—thanks to better prenatal care, postpartum support, and maternal health programs.

This is not about what’s possible. It’s about what we choose to prioritize.

❤️ Don’t Forget Mom

We cannot claim to be pro-life and forget the woman carrying that life.

We cannot fight for the unborn and ignore the mother who dies bringing them into the world.

We cannot let maternal death be the quiet tragedy that slips through the cracks of our advocacy.

If we believe every life is sacred, then we must fight for the women who carry it.

That means:

• Expanding access to prenatal and postpartum care

• Funding mental health and addiction support

• Training providers to recognize bias and listen to women

• Supporting community doulas, midwives, and maternal health advocates

• Protecting Medicaid and maternal health programs from political cuts

✊ This Is Our Fight, Too

This is not about politics. It’s about people. It’s about mothers who die from preventable causes. It’s about babies who grow up without them. It’s about communities that grieve and generations that suffer.

Let’s stop treating maternal death as a statistic. Let’s start treating it as a scandal.

Because every mother matters. Every life is sacred. And America must do better.

 Key Statistics and Citations

• Total maternal deaths in 2023: 669 women died from pregnancy-related causes in the U.S. Source: CDC Health E-Stat 2023

• National maternal mortality rate: 32.6 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023 Source: Milwaukee Independent / CDC Report

• Black maternal mortality rate: 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births—3.5x higher than White women Source: CDC Health E-Stat 2023

• White maternal mortality rate: 14.5 deaths per 100,000 live births Source: CDC Health E-Stat 2023

• States with highest maternal mortality rates (2023):

  • Louisiana: 41.9

  • Tennessee: 31.3

  • Arkansas: 31.2

  • Georgia: 32.1

  • Mississippi: 23.1 Source: Becker’s Hospital Review

• Leading causes of maternal death: Cardiovascular conditions (e.g., hypertension, stroke), mental health (suicide, overdose), hemorrhage, infection Source: Harvard Gazette / NIH Study

• Over 80% of maternal deaths are preventable   Source: Harvard Gazette