Keshee Dozier-Smith hurried through the basement door of the aging Uniontown Municipal Building. She ignored the lectern at the front of the room where she […]
Category: Maternal health
Expensive childcare keeps mothers out of higher-paying jobs
As soon as Antoinette Pruitt opened her acceptance letter from Samford University’s Cumberland Law School, she started planning her move to Birmingham. The 29-year-old Panama […]
Fired for having a baby? Alabama is OK with that
Haley Gentle paced the waiting room at the obstetrician’s office and reread the cryptic text message from her boss. Just three words: Will talk tomorrow. They […]
Black, poor, and Southern: A deadly demographic for American pregnant women
Myra Powell gripped her phone, her obstetrician’s number half-dialed, as she watched the blood spread across her sundress. It was a blue-and-black striped dress, and […]
We’re spending the rest of the year reporting on Alabama’s mothers. Join us.
I’ve launched a project at AL.com about how Alabama treats its mothers, from healthcare to workplace discrimination to public policy and beyond. Follow along at […]
Alabama’s highest abortion rates are mostly in the Black Belt, where healthcare options are few
The flashing sign outside the Sumter County Health Department advertises family planning services every Wednesday. That means birth control and STD testing. It’s one of […]
Opioids lead to spike in foster care
Child protective services stepped into Bobbi Beverly’s life within days of her daughter’s birth in 2012. After the birth, Beverly tested positive for opiates and […]
Facing lack of birth choices, an Alabama nurse heads for the border
Jessica Thompson didn’t take her eyes off the glowing dashboard clock as her husband sped their minivan through the night, heading north on a deserted […]
‘Wrap those boobs up’: Breastfeeding cop sued and won
She pumped her breastmilk in the locker room at the police station. Shirt askew, horn-shaped pump parts – technically called breastshields – held up to […]
Alabama women drive 50+ miles to deliver their babies
The day before Sommer Curry was scheduled to deliver her baby in early September last year, she got in her car and drove to the […]