Maternal Health

There are millions of us around the world - women and men whose career is the caretaking of patients and their families, midwives, doctors and other healthcare providers. We’re nurses and it’s our responsibility to monitor our patients and put their care and treatment plans into action, but there’s a whole lot more to it than simply taking notes and following directions.

Elsa Walsh is the author of “Divided Lives: The Public and Private Struggles of Three American Women.” She is a former Washington Post reporter and New Yorker staff writer. This essay is adapted from a speech she delivered at St. Mary’s College of Maryland on April 5. The original article can be found on the Washington Post.

In honor of International Day of the Midwife, which falls on Sunday, May 5th, we’re offering a few films we think project powerful imagery and eloquent explanations about the work midwives do here in the US and around the world. This Sunday, settle down on the couch and check out these three films:

The Huffington Post, Half the Sky Movement, Skoll Foundation and Crowdrise have teamed up on a new challenge they’re calling The RaiseForWomen Challenge. It begins today and runs through June 6th. Every Mother Counts is among the 75-women-focused charities chosen from nearly 250 applicants to be part of the challenge.