PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — In 2109, Ciara Tucker was shocked when she learned she was pregnant with twins... 21 years after having her first child.
"My kids are grown at this point, so the last thing on my mind is that I'm pregnant,” said Ciara Tucker.
Tucker's birthing plan included having two doulas, who she said were able to advocate for her in the delivery room.
"I'm telling them I feel the pressure, I feel the pain, it's time push, and the nurse she's like no, it's not time,” Tucker said.
One of the twins was consumed in utero, and after nearly 30 hours in labor, Tucker said delivering her son Jayvion went smoothly.
"My doulas and my midwife and my husband ensured to the best of their ability that my birthing experience was memorable and wasn't a nightmare,” she said.
Mothers dying in childbirth is significantly higher in Florida than the national average.
According to the 2023 "Florida Maternal and Infant Health Crisis" from the University of Miami (UM) School of Law Human Rights Clinic and the Florida Health Justice Project, between 2013 and 2017, our state ranked 32nd for the highest maternal mortality rates in the country.
New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows Black women saw fetal mortality rates fell in 2021, but still twice as high as other racial/ethnic groups in the U.S.
Severe bleeding is one of the top complications of childbirth and the cause of maternal death.
“There are multiple risk factors that can cause a postpartum hemorrhage, so they are prevalent. With different toolkits and preparation and learning, we have learned to be prepared for these things. So, we’re saving the lives of women,” said Sharmaine Andrews, director of nursing at Bayfront Health Baby Place.
A hemorrhage toolkit used in Tampa Bay hospitals to stop excessive bleeding during birth saves lives.
“A postpartum hemorrhage cart. In that cart would be everything we would possibly need for a woman that was experiencing a postpartum hemorrhage, including IV supplies. Also, what we call balloon tamponade, which we would insert to help control the bleeding of the uterus,” said Andrews.
The toolkit also involves screening women for their risks of hemorrhaging and medication bundles. At Bayfront Health Baby Place in St. Petersburg, Andrews said they are changing their approach and making maternal health care more individualized for each patient.
“The main thing is for the hospitals and health care professionals to be ready and identify the signs and risk factors of those patients when they come through the door,” Andrews said.
