Pregnancy

These stories cover pregnancy in its relation to legislation and sex discrimination, abortion access, parenting and everything in between. Because of U.S. laws that put fetuses’ health above the fundamental human rights of pregnant people, they are often treated as second-class citizens.

From Pregnancy Discrimination to Advocacy: My Journey to Capitol Hill

Denied accommodations during my pregnancy, I fought back. Now, thanks to the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, fewer women will have to face the same struggle.

(This essay is a part of Ms. and A Better Balance’s Women & Democracy installment, all about the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act—a groundbreaking civil rights law ensuring pregnant and postpartum workers have the right to reasonable workplace accommodations. Bipartisan, pro-family and boldly feminist, the PWFA is both a lesson in democracy and a battleground for its defense against antidemocratic attacks.)

In the Fight to Defend Pregnant Workers, Focus on the South

The 2022 passage of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) did not happen in a vacuum. It was a culmination of a decade of direct advocacy in Congress paired with great momentum at the state level, especially in the South. Now as we look ahead to defending and enforcing the law, the South’s crucial role cannot be understated.

Progress in the South, whether legislative or in the courts, is a long road—one that takes an army of on-the-ground advocates, elbow grease and patience. But we know that the need for the PWFA and its robust enforcement is vital for women and their families in the South because, despite progress, many Southern states still do not have state-level protections and must rely only on federal protections. And too many corporations that put profits above people have made their home in the South in order to escape government regulations in a race to the bottom—a troublesome environment for workers seeking to vindicate their rights.

(This essay is a part of Ms. and A Better Balance’s Women & Democracy installment, all about the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act—a groundbreaking civil rights law ensuring pregnant and postpartum workers have the right to reasonable workplace accommodations. Bipartisan, pro-family and boldly feminist, the PWFA is both a lesson in democracy and a battleground for its defense against antidemocratic attacks.)

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Is Key to Improving Black Maternal Health and Families’ Economic Security

The enactment of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) marked a pivotal advance in safeguarding the health and economic security of Black mothers and their families. Black women are disproportionately represented in low-wage, physically demanding jobs where workplace accommodations are often necessary but frequently unavailable.

The PWFA is crucial in combating the maternal morbidity and mortality crisis in the U.S., where pregnancy-related mortality rates among Black women are over three times higher than those for white women.

(This essay is a part of Ms. and A Better Balance’s Women & Democracy installment, all about the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act—a groundbreaking civil rights law ensuring pregnant and postpartum workers have the right to reasonable workplace accommodations. Bipartisan, pro-family and boldly feminist, the PWFA is both a lesson in democracy and a battleground for its defense against antidemocratic attacks.)

Medicaid Insures Half of U.S. Children. ‘Pro-Life’ Republicans Are Trying to Cut the Entire Program.

Republicans’ proposed Medicaid cuts would strip healthcare from millions, including half of U.S. children, one in five Americans, and 40 percent of all pregnant women.

With so much at stake for America’s women and families, representatives in Congress should be working to strengthen and expand Medicaid and the coverage it provides, rather than decimate a program that touches the lives of over two-thirds of this country. The fact that these cuts are even proposed, let alone have passed, is a sign that we are in an unprecedented moment of extremism.

Young People Are Fleeing States With Abortion Restrictions

One in five individuals planning to have children within the next decade has moved—or knows someone who has moved—to another state due to abortion restrictions. 

Characterizing the exodus as a “brain drain,” Dr. Jamila K. Taylor, president and CEO of Institute for Women’s Policy Research, warned employers: “Our report makes it clear that companies who fail to address these needs risk losing their competitive edge. To build a resilient workforce and thriving economy, it’s up to corporate leaders and lawmakers to take decisive action and make reproductive healthcare a top priority.” 

‘I Felt Like a Human Again’: A Guaranteed Income Program Transformed This Mississippi Mom’s Life

Front & Center began as first-person accounts of Black mothers in Jackson, Miss., receiving a guaranteed income. Now in its fourth year, the series is expanding to explore broader systemic issues affecting Black women in poverty, including the safety net, healthcare, caregiving, and overall well-being.

Javonica, a 26-year-old mother in Jackson, Miss., has faced countless obstacles: navigating job instability, unreliable transportation, and a social safety net riddled with barriers. Despite completing technical college, she struggled to pass a certification test, and without a car, accessing childcare and work opportunities became nearly impossible. Now, as she prepares to welcome her third child, a guaranteed income program through the Magnolia Mother’s Trust is providing much-needed financial relief, allowing her to pay bills, care for her children and plan for a more stable future.

Trump Administration’s Executive Order Threatens a Historic Settlement That Would Have Improved Black Maternal Healthcare

President Trump’s executive order banning decades of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices erodes the federal government’s ability to hold hospitals accountable for their treatment of Black women and role in improving Black maternal health. This is especially troubling as it comes a few weeks after the Biden Administration reached a historic settlement agreement between the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (HHS OCR) and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Cedars-Sinai) in the Kira Johnson case.

In 2016, Kira Johnson tragically lost her life after giving birth to her second child through a routine C-section at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. Despite concerns voiced by Kira and her family about her condition, Kira was allowed to bleed internally for more than 10 hours before the medical staff took action.

USAID’s Reproductive Health Funding Has Saved Millions of Lives. Now It’s Gone.

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, boasted that he was gutting the federal agency tasked with providing foreign aid to its poorest. The agency’s funding in 2023 was about $40 billion, which represented less than 1 percent of the federal budget. “We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper,” Musk, the tech billionaire head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, posted on his social media platform, X.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was established in 1961 to provide foreign assistance to impoverished countries around the world through food aid and humanitarian and economic development work. It is also one of the world’s largest providers of contraception through its family planning program.

Wombs for Hire: Inside Europe’s Underground Surrogacy Networks

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The legal landscape of surrogacy remains a complex patchwork across nations, with some countries embracing it while others maintain strict prohibitions. This inconsistency in regulations has created gray areas.

Scientific research highlights the possibility of abuse arising from gaps in legal frameworks and disputes, whether surrogacy is legal or not. It points to unethical practices such as trafficking of women, coercion of both surrogates and prospective parents by agencies, lack of respect for bodily autonomy or informed consent, ‘sham’ procedures and multiple embryo exchanges.

Amid this contentious landscape, the European Parliament Council took decisive action on Jan. 23, 2024, reaching a provisional agreement to classify exploitative surrogacy practices as human trafficking. The measure was formally adopted on May 27, 2024. The new framework imposes strict penalties on those who exploit women through forced surrogacy or deceptive practices, while establishing comprehensive support systems for victims. E.U. member states must implement these protections into their national legislation within two years.

How I Broke Through the Fertility Industry’s False Promises to Become a Mom at 44

Assisted reproductive technology is more an art than a science—and until the success rates for certain groups drastically improve, doctors are foisting fairy tales onto vulnerable women. 

IVF was a hot button issue in this year’s election. But today’s discussion about whether IVF should remain legal leaves out a fundamental point: It assumes that IVF works. This is, however, far from the truth for many—especially Black and Brown women and older women—for whom assisted reproductive technology is far from a miracle cure.

Why are we selling women on the idea that they can easily get pregnant after 40 when we know that’s exceedingly rare? The answer is money.