Racism in the health care system is killing Black pregnant Texans

A note: This story discusses mental health and suicide. For resources and support, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, text HOME to 741741 to connect to the Crisis Text Line, or call 1-833-943-5746 for the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline. A few months after Si’Mone Scott gave birth to her daughter, she knew something was off. This was her third pregnancy, and her toughest. The Dallas resident had been put on bed rest early on in her first trimester because she was at high risk of a miscarriage. “I’ve never experienced a miscarriage before and I didn’t want to,” Scott said. “I was already going through a lot at home, and then to basically have to stop working, I couldn’t even clean.” When Scott gave birth to her daughter via C-section, she started bleeding, losing more than 1,300 mL of blood. Postpartum hemorrhage is categorized as losing more than 1,000 mL of blood within 24 hours to 12 weeks after delivery, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. “I basically almost died on the operating table,” Scott said. She said not being able to get up and move during her pregnancy and after giving birth...