Damn, I took too long to edit but I wanted to say that I have a hard enough time hearing about privileged experiences in the American health care system. I can’t imagine trying to navigate it without insurance or a family doctor. Mix in the toxic rasism you are 100% correct about and my head explodes. I don’t know how…

I think Americans, for the most part are good people.

They didn’t let my husband watch. They purposely pulled him out of the room and handed him the baby. Which meant that while they talked about saving my life, I laid there listening to my husband and my baby, thinking I’d never see them again. But it’s true, at least my husband didn’t witness what was being done to me.…

Good lord. After the birth of my fourth healthy baby, I felt unwell with a blinding headache. I was in one of the busiest and best birthing hospitals in the country. I told the nurse, they ignored me. I started to swell in my legs, they ignored me. I felt amazing in terms of the actual birth, once the headache…

My husband was so scared by seeing how much I bleed out he was hesitant about having another baby: I’ll never forget him saying, “you didn’t see what I saw. It scarred me.” 

If we want to get out of this with at the bare minimum clean consciences, we have to resist. The last thing we want is to be the proverbial German citizens that all the American kids go “WHY DIDN’T THEY STOP HITLER OMG” about in history class. I’d rather go down fighting so at least I can say I tried.

I had to have blood transfusions with each of my 4 deliveries. It’s no fun seeing your face as a white sheet pre-transfusion, and then seeing weird, rosy cheeks on a white face post-transfusion. That’s when I knew that for me, access to a hospital is vital if I’m going to have a healthy delivery.

Ya, the kids in cages shook me to my core. I cried hard. I was depressed for days. I would look at my little guy as he slept and cried and prayed. I said to myself, this has happened before, there are terrible and evil things happening all over the world. Why are you crying and depressed now? I don’t know but it…

Pessimism is a legit and normal response to the situation. There is very little reason to be optimistic. In the end though, resistance, however futile might be the only thing we have.

You are 100% correct. And black women are 3-4 times more likely to die during/after childbirth than white women.

My son had a stroke at birth and we had to do the same “wait and see” thing. It’s hell and I’m sorry you’re having to do that. The uncertainty is awful, but it does get better eventually. (Also, don’t ever look online for “when should my baby do x?”ASK one of the many doctors I’m sure you’re seeing, “When should I be…

Thanks for your perspective. For what it’s worth I’ve seriously looked into moving to Canada twice in recent memory. The first time was right after the election; my wife and I seriously pondered it for a few weeks but it seemed too hard/expensive. The second time was a few weeks ago when the administration started…

Some days it feels like, short of sharpening the guillotine blades, I’m not sure how things will change here in the US. The fuckers in charge have no interest in actually listening to their constituents, and the system is rigged against most of us to begin with.

As a Canadian I often think Americans don’t understand how seriously in decline the American empire is. I think Americans, for the most part are good people. However your country is a shit show (hole?) I don’t say this to be pious or better than thou, I say it because as a black woman with relatives in the States I am…

I told my doctors and anesthesiologists and nurses that I did not tolerate the epidural well last time and in general anesthesia affected me differently (which I knew from surgeries and had medical professionals tell me, along with attributing it to my red hair) I coded on the table during my second c section and then…

I can tell you from personal experience that watching that blood come out of you is the most terrifying thing that’s ever happened to me. And at the time I had no idea it was an entire body’s worth (9 pints).

Hemmorhage (PPH) is the number one leading complication in the US today. People will tell you that losing your entire blood volume is rare, but it’s not that rare. I know women who lost two body’s worth (they were still bleeding while being transfused).

We're #1! We're #1! Wait...FUCK!

but we have the greatest health care in the world dammit! /s

Universal healthcare. Why is this not the drumbeat mantra of the Democratic party? Everytime a Democrat opens their mouth - whether they are running for office or already elected - they need to begin and end on “Healthcare for all”.