Substance use and mental health issues play a key role in the health of a pregnant person or their child before and after birth. Black and Indigenous mothers and infants experience the highest rates of pregnancy-related health problems. We need your help to understand the scope and scale of these issues.
We want to talk to people who have experienced mental health challenges through a pregnancy, or who have lost a partner, family member or child as a result of the birthing process. We’re especially interested in the experiences of Black and Native American families.
This can include, but isn’t limited to:
A mother’s personal experience seeking help for substance abuse while pregnant
A family’s experience dealing with maternal or infant death, including across generations
Perspectives from a health care or perinatal support worker seeking to improve a client’s health
You can share your experiences in the form below. You can also call (253) 260-5219 to leave us a voicemail, or contact reporter Kaylee Tornay atkaylee@investigatewest.org.
By filling out this form, you're helping us and the broader public better understand how maternal and infant health disparities impact real people, and what systemic failures are causing them. Even if you don’t want your name published in a story, we’re still interested in hearing from you.
Kaylee Tornay is InvestigateWest's reporter covering labor, youth and health care. A reporter since 2017, she has dedicated herself to rigorous, revelatory journalism that scrutinizes power and equips local communities with knowledge they can use.
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