Progressives Struggle to champion Childbearing amidst Rising Maternal Mortality
WASHINGTON D.C. – A new book detailing harrowing maternal health experiences is sparking debate about the leftS messaging on pregnancy and parenthood as U.S. birth rates continue to decline. Unbearable, by New York magazine journalist Irin Carmon, chronicles the perilous pregnancies of five women, revealing systemic issues within the American maternal healthcare system. The book details two maternal deaths and one instance of a preventable complication stemming from an overworked anesthesiologist.
Carmon’s reporting underscores the stark reality of maternal mortality in the United States. In 2023,nearly 19 out of every 100,000 women died in childbirth – a rate substantially higher than the 12.67 per 100,000 recorded in the United Kingdom. The disparity is even more pronounced for Black women, who experienced a maternal mortality rate of 50 per 100,000 in the same year.
Despite exposing these critical failings, Carmon herself expressed concern about the potential impact of her work. In a recent New York Times opinion piece promoting Unbearable, she admitted to questioning whether “talking honestly about what’s messy and painful and unfair about pregnancy and parenting can make choosing it seem almost absurd.”
This sentiment highlights a key challenge for Democrats, who are struggling to articulate a positive vision of family life at a time when birth rates are falling despite the majority of young Americans still expressing a desire to have children. The book and accompanying commentary raise questions about the party’s ability to address the very real anxieties surrounding pregnancy and childbirth while concurrently encouraging families.
