The new analysis of death certificates says the U.S. maternal mortality rate is in line with other wealthy countries, contradicting an earlier report from the CDC. muratkoc/Getty Images hide caption
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Kaniya Pierre Louis (left) is a third-year medical student shadowing Dr. Zita Magloire for the day. Pierre Louis says she appreciates Magloire as a role model and an example of excellence. Sarah Jane Tribble/KFF Health News hide caption
Can family doctors deliver rural America from its maternal health crisis?
Bethany Gates, a certified professional midwife in Iowa, examines her client, Mandy King. King has three children and this will be her first home birth. Natalie Krebs/Side Effects Public Media hide caption
As home births rise in popularity, some midwives operate in a legal gray area
Side Effects Public Media
A progesterone pill held between a woman's fingers. Photo Researchers, Inc./Science Source hide caption
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecology says suggestions that a medical abortion can be reversed after more than an hour has passed aren't supported by scientific evidence. Roy Scott/Ikon Images/Getty Images hide caption
Dr. Katie Merriam, an OB-GYN resident in Charlotte, N.C., says she loves her mostly female work environment but also appreciates having male colleagues. Alex Olgin/WFAE hide caption
Wendy Root Askew with her husband Dominick Askew and their son. When the little boy (now 6) was born, Root Askew struggled with postpartum depression. She likes California's bill, she says, because it goes beyond mandatory screening; it would also require insurers to establish programs to help women get treatment. Courtesy of Wendy Root Askew hide caption
Lawmakers Weigh Pros And Cons Of Mandatory Screening For Postpartum Depression
Women go through a lot in the delivery of a healthy baby. But in most cases, doctors say, an episiotomy needn't be part of the experience. Marc Romanelli/Blend Images/Getty Images hide caption
Most women get prenatal care from the doctor they expect will deliver the baby, which can make it difficult if the doctor and hospital are far away. Tim Hale/Getty Images hide caption
There's a widely held assumption that a slight imbalance in male births has its start at the very moment of conception. But researchers say factors later in pregnancy are more likely to explain the phenomenon. CNRI/Science Source hide caption
A C-section delivery may be needed to protect the health of mother and child. But too many are done for the wrong reasons, doctors say. iStockphoto hide caption
Pregnant doctors are less likely than other women to deliver their babies via C-section, recent research suggests. Economists say that may be because the physician patients feel more empowered to question the obstetrician. iStockphoto.com hide caption
Infants used to be born at home to traditional midwives. Mónica Ortiz Uribe hide caption