For everyone who has children, nieces, nephews, younger siblings, and/or a soul, safe childbirth is deeply personal—not only because of what has happened to some of us, but also because of what could have happened and what still might happen. Nearly four million women give birth in the United States each year, and more than 50,000 of these mothers experience severe, life-threatening complications. This makes the United States among the most dangerous countries in the developed world to give birth.
