In this episode, Therese Markow and Irin Carmon discuss Irin's new book, "Unbearable: Five Women and the Perils of Pregnancy in America." 80% of maternal deaths in the United States are due to completely preventable reasons. She highlights the three pillars of reproductive justice: the right not to have a child, the right to have a child, and the right to parent in a safe community. She shares her personal experiences and those of five women to illustrate systemic inequalities in maternal care. Irin emphasizes the need for respectful, autonomous care and the impact of systemic racism and misogyny on maternal health outcomes.

Key Takeaways:

• Abortion care affects all levels of pregnancy care. In many states, such as Alabama, many former abortion clinics want to turn into birth centers, but are prevented by the government and state medical associations.

• 80% of maternal deaths in the United States are due to completely preventable reasons.

• In the US, we have a system where OBGYNs are classified as primary care providers and are the most common way people give birth, which is not right for everyone.

• False binaries (C-Section vs vaginal birth, epidural or not, etc.) are a way to pit women against each other for their own biological story that is often outside of their control.

"There's something profoundly wrong with a system that doesn't recognize your full humanity at a point where you need it the most. Because these are life and death experiences, even in the best of circumstances and regardless of the course of your pregnancy and your choices around it, they concern our deepest held values and our ideas about our destiny." — Irin Carmon

Episode References:

• Pregnancy Justice: https://www.pregnancyjusticeus.org/

Connect with Irin Carmon:

Professional Bio: https://www.irincarmon.com/about

Website: https://www.irincarmon.com/

Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Unbearable/Irin-Carmon/9781668032602

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: [email protected]

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