It’s hard to hear,
but important: The
chance of dying during
or after pregnancy
is shockingly high
in the U.S. Find out
why, and how moms-
to-be can protect
themselves.
BY RACHEL MORRIS
W
hen 37-year-
old Stacy-Ann
Wa l ke r ’s ba b y
was born
weighing a dangerously tiny
2 lbs, 12 oz, the Hartford, CT,
mom was ready to fight for
her daughter’s life. Little did she
know that two nights later, she’d
also be fighting for her own.
Stacy-Ann’s pregnancy had
been fairly routine until her third
trimester, when she started
noticing she felt a bit off: She was
short of breath and unusually
fatigued, with a rapid heartbeat
and swollen legs and ankles.
She shared her concerns with
her midwife, who dismissed the
symptoms as “normal pregnancy
complaints.” After all, what
expectant woman isn’t a bit more
exhausted at that point?
Work i n g t o
SAVE
MOMS
GE
TT
Y^
IM
AG
ES
.