Holistic doula Ciara Clark, 34, and her husband Anthony Clark, a 38-year-old VIP associate for a sports betting company, prepare Evan, their crying newborn, to be weighed in Toms River, New Jersey, U.S., September 18, 2023. With her own Black doula and mother by her side, Clark had hoped to have her baby at home with no medical assistance at all. She wanted to have a "wild" pregnancy - one that is medically unassisted. After four cesarean sections with her previous pregnancies, Clark said she feared that her birth plan would not be supported by the medical staff. But after a long labor, Clark said she became anxious and decided to go to the hospital, where she gave birth to a healthy son. Clark is not alone in her distrust of medical intervention in the birthing process. Nine Black pregnant women and new mothers Reuters spoke to for this story voiced similar comments. All of the women spoke of feeling unseen and unheard at times through their pregnancy and postpartum period. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY 

Accountant Aliyah Ponton, 25, breastfeeds Savion, her newborn son, while she sits in her living room in Sparta, New Jersey, U.S., February 25, 2023. Nine Black pregnant women and new mothers Reuters spoke to for this story voiced feeling unseen and unheard at times through their pregnancy and postpartum period. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) April data shows that Black women in the United States are three times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white women. The CDC said this was a result of multiple factors, including variation in the quality of healthcare, underlying chronic conditions, structural racism, and implicit bias. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

CEO Ashlee Muhammad, 37, plays Uno with her husband Mustafa Muhammad, 38, and their 8-year-old and 2-year-old sons while holding her newborn in New York, New York, U.S., April 29, 2023. Muhammad said her doctors had assumed she would have a cesarean and she had to advocate for herself to have a vaginal birth for her twins. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Holistic doula Ciara Clark, 34, looks lovingly at Evan, her sleeping newborn, in Toms River, New Jersey, U.S., September 18, 2022. With her own Black doula and mother by her side, Clark had hoped to have her baby at home with no medical assistance at all. She wanted to have a "wild" pregnancy - one that is medically unassisted. After four cesarean sections with her previous pregnancies, Clark said she feared that her birth plan would not be supported by the medical staff. But after a long labor, Clark said she became anxious and decided to go to the hospital, where she gave birth to a healthy son. Clark is not alone in her distrust of medical intervention in the birthing process. Nine Black pregnant women and new mothers Reuters spoke to for this story voiced similar comments. All of the women spoke of feeling unseen and unheard at times through their pregnancy and postpartum period. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Medical assistant Lakayla Sobers, 31, holds her newborn son Alfonso Jr a few hours after giving birth, in a birthing center Brooklyn, New York, U.S., February 8, 2023. Nine Black pregnant women and new mothers Reuters spoke to for this story voiced feeling unseen and unheard at times through their pregnancy and postpartum period. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) April data shows that Black women in the United States are three times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white women. The CDC said this was a result of multiple factors, including variation in the quality of healthcare, underlying chronic conditions, structural racism, and implicit bias. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Medical assistant Lakayla Sobers, 31, is helped out her bed by a midwife after giving birth few hours ago while her husband Alfonso, 31, holds their newborn son Alfonso Jr in a birthing center in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., February 8, 2023. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Alfonso, 31, a steamfitter and the husband of medical assistant Lakayla Sobers, 31, holds and looks at their newborn son Alfonso Jr, while Lakayla looks at him in a birthing center Brooklyn, New York, U.S., February 8, 2023. Nine Black pregnant women and new mothers Reuters spoke to for this story voiced feeling unseen and unheard at times through their pregnancy and postpartum period. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) April data shows that Black women in the United States are three times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white women. The CDC said this was a result of multiple factors, including variation in the quality of healthcare, underlying chronic conditions, structural racism, and implicit bias. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Chelsea Ward, 32, bathes Cai, one of her seven-month-old twins, as her four-year-old son looks on in Fords, New Jersey, U.S., January 13, 2023. For Ward, a nursing student who recently gave birth to twins, the state of Black maternal health in the United States is "inadequate." "It's challenging when you're fighting and advocating for your maternal health rights, and having to educate your peers as well," Ward said. Obtaining knowledge and self-advocating is key to making informed decisions, Ward added. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Program manager Shariah Bottex, 30, cuddles her newborn son Kaiel in Flushing, New York, U.S., March 16, 2023. Bottex said her biggest hope for her children is that they will feel comfortable in their skin and that they get to enjoy their childhood. "My greatest joy as a mother is seeing my baby smile so big and knowing that I'm the cause of that smile and his happiness," Bottex said. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Program manager Shariah Bottex, 30, pumps milk while her fiance, paramedic Jose Quinonez, 30, feeds their newborn son Kaiel in Flushing, New York, U.S., March 16, 2023. Bottex said her biggest hope for her children is that they will feel comfortable in their skin and that they get to enjoy their childhood. "My greatest joy as a mother is seeing my baby smile so big and knowing that I'm the cause of that smile and his happiness," Bottex said. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

CEO Ashlee Muhammad, 37, has her hair, make-up, and wardrobe fixed during her last maternity shoot in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., April 6, 2023. Muhammad said her doctors had assumed she would have a cesarean and she had to advocate for herself to have a vaginal birth for her twins. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Chelsea Ward, 32, takes her coat off after picking up her seven-month-old twins, Callie Rae Polen and Cai Ryan Polen, from daycare in Fords, New Jersey, U.S., January 13, 2023. For Ward, a nursing student who recently gave birth to twins, the state of Black maternal health in the United States is "inadequate." "It's challenging when you're fighting and advocating for your maternal health rights, and having to educate your peers as well," Ward said. Obtaining knowledge and self-advocating is key to making informed decisions, Ward added. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

School counsellor Charles Ebea, 41, the husband of child psychologist Natalie Ebea, 35, wakes their two-year-old son Nico, while Natalie holds their newborn daughter Charlie at their home in the Bronx, New York, U.S., March 11, 2023. Nine Black pregnant women and new mothers Reuters spoke to for this story voiced feeling unseen and unheard at times through their pregnancy and postpartum period. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) April data shows that Black women in the United States are three times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white women. The CDC said this was a result of multiple factors, including variation in the quality of healthcare, underlying chronic conditions, structural racism, and implicit bias. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Chelsea Ward, 32, and her grandmother Marcia Ward, 78, feed her seven-month-old twins, Cai Ryan Polen and Callie Rae Polen, and four-year-old son Cameron Drew Polen dinner in Fords, New Jersey, U.S., January 13, 2023. For Ward, a nursing student who recently gave birth to twins, the state of Black maternal health in the United States is "inadequate." "It's challenging when you're fighting and advocating for your maternal health rights, and having to educate your peers as well," Ward said. Obtaining knowledge and self-advocating is key to making informed decisions, Ward added. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Holistic doula Ciara Clark, 34, receives support from her husband Anthony Clark, a 38-year-old VIP Associate for a sports betting company, and doula while she labors in her birthing pool at her home birth in Toms River, New Jersey, U.S., September 11, 2022. With her own Black doula and mother by her side, Clark had hoped to have her baby at home with no medical assistance at all. She wanted to have a "wild" pregnancy - one that is medically unassisted. After four cesarean sections with her previous pregnancies, Clark said she feared that her birth plan would not be supported by the medical staff. But after a long labor, Clark said she became anxious and decided to go to the hospital, where she gave birth to a healthy son. Clark is not alone in her distrust of medical intervention in the birthing process. Nine Black pregnant women and new mothers Reuters spoke to for this story voiced similar comments. All of the women spoke of feeling unseen and unheard at times through their pregnancy and postpartum period. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

The bed of holistic doula Ciara Clark, 34, is stained after laboring at her home birth in Toms River, New Jersey, U.S., September 11, 2022. With her own Black doula and mother by her side, Clark had hoped to have her baby at home with no medical assistance at all. She wanted to have a "wild" pregnancy - one that is medically unassisted. After four cesarean sections with her previous pregnancies, Clark said she feared that her birth plan would not be supported by the medical staff. But after a long labor, Clark said she became anxious and decided to go to the hospital, where she gave birth to a healthy son. Clark is not alone in her distrust of medical intervention in the birthing process. Nine Black pregnant women and new mothers Reuters spoke to for this story voiced similar comments. All of the women spoke of feeling unseen and unheard at times through their pregnancy and postpartum period. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Holistic doula Ciara Clark, 34, goes to the hospital after laboring at home in Toms River, New Jersey, U.S., September 11, 2022. The baby was born 20 minutes after arriving at the hospital in a vaginal unmedicated birth. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Holistic doula Ciara Clark, 34, labors in her birthing pool at her home birth in Toms River, New Jersey, U.S., September 11, 2022. With her own Black doula and mother by her side, Clark had hoped to have her baby at home with no medical assistance at all. She wanted to have a "wild" pregnancy - one that is medically unassisted. After four cesarean sections with her previous pregnancies, Clark said she feared that her birth plan would not be supported by the medical staff. But after a long labor, Clark said she became anxious and decided to go to the hospital, where she gave birth to a healthy son. Clark is not alone in her distrust of medical intervention in the birthing process. Nine Black pregnant women and new mothers Reuters spoke to for this story voiced similar comments. All of the women spoke of feeling unseen and unheard at times through their pregnancy and postpartum period. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Holistic doula Ciara Clark, 34, receives a kiss from her mother Elle T Parker, 53, while she labors in her birthing pool at her home birth in Toms River, New Jersey, U.S., September 11, 2022. With her own Black doula and mother by her side, Clark had hoped to have her baby at home with no medical assistance at all. She wanted to have a "wild" pregnancy - one that is medically unassisted. After four cesarean sections with her previous pregnancies, Clark said she feared that her birth plan would not be supported by the medical staff. But after a long labor, Clark said she became anxious and decided to go to the hospital, where she gave birth to a healthy son. Clark is not alone in her distrust of medical intervention in the birthing process. Nine Black pregnant women and new mothers Reuters spoke to for this story voiced similar comments. All of the women spoke of feeling unseen and unheard at times through their pregnancy and postpartum period. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY 

Holistic doula Ciara Clark, 34, goes through labor with the assistance of her doula at her home birth in Toms River, New Jersey, U.S., September 11, 2022. With her own Black doula and mother by her side, Clark had hoped to have her baby at home with no medical assistance at all. She wanted to have a "wild" pregnancy - one that is medically unassisted. After four cesarean sections with her previous pregnancies, Clark said she feared that her birth plan would not be supported by the medical staff. But after a long labor, Clark said she became anxious and decided to go to the hospital, where she gave birth to a healthy son. Clark is not alone in her distrust of medical intervention in the birthing process. Nine Black pregnant women and new mothers Reuters spoke to for this story voiced similar comments. All of the women spoke of feeling unseen and unheard at times through their pregnancy and postpartum period. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Holistic doula Ciara Clark, 34, labors in her shower at her home birth in Toms River, New Jersey, U.S., September 11, 2022. With her own Black doula and mother by her side, Clark had hoped to have her baby at home with no medical assistance at all. She wanted to have a "wild" pregnancy - one that is medically unassisted. After four cesarean sections with her previous pregnancies, Clark said she feared that her birth plan would not be supported by the medical staff. But after a long labor, Clark said she became anxious and decided to go to the hospital, where she gave birth to a healthy son. Clark is not alone in her distrust of medical intervention in the birthing process. Nine Black pregnant women and new mothers Reuters spoke to for this story voiced similar comments. All of the women spoke of feeling unseen and unheard at times through their pregnancy and postpartum period. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Holistic doula Ciara Clark, 34, receives support from her husband Anthony Clark, a 38-year-old VIP Associate for a sports betting company, while she labors in her bed at her home birth in Toms River, New Jersey, U.S., September 11, 2022. With her own Black doula and mother by her side, Clark had hoped to have her baby at home with no medical assistance at all. She wanted to have a "wild" pregnancy - one that is medically unassisted. After four cesarean sections with her previous pregnancies, Clark said she feared that her birth plan would not be supported by the medical staff. But after a long labor, Clark said she became anxious and decided to go to the hospital, where she gave birth to a healthy son. Clark is not alone in her distrust of medical intervention in the birthing process. Nine Black pregnant women and new mothers Reuters spoke to for this story voiced similar comments. All of the women spoke of feeling unseen and unheard at times through their pregnancy and postpartum period. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Performance artist Soyal Smalls, 37, lets her six-year-old daughter Kleio paint handprints on her belly as they play at home in Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S., August 24, 2022. Smalls, who was pregnant when Reuters photographed her, believes increasing the number of Black healthcare providers would help Black mothers, along with having more hospitals with birthing units to support the mother and allow for more vaginal births. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Performance artist Soyal Smalls, 37, watches her six-year-old daughter Kleio jump on the trampoline in Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S., August 24, 2022. Smalls, who was pregnant when Reuters photographed her, believes increasing the number of Black healthcare providers would help Black mothers, along with having more hospitals with birthing units to support the mother and allow for more vaginal births. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Bianca Haynes wipes her six-year-old daughter Afena's mouth while breastfeeding her newborn daughter Zuri in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, U.S., May 30, 2022. Nine Black pregnant women and new mothers Reuters spoke to for this story voiced feeling unseen and unheard at times through their pregnancy and postpartum period. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) April data shows that Black women in the United States are three times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white women. The CDC said this was a result of multiple factors, including variation in the quality of healthcare, underlying chronic conditions, structural racism, and implicit bias. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Bianca Haynes holds her sleeping newborn daughter Zuri in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, U.S., May 30, 2022. Nine Black pregnant women and new mothers Reuters spoke to for this story voiced feeling unseen and unheard at times through their pregnancy and postpartum period. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) April data shows that Black women in the United States are three times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white women. The CDC said this was a result of multiple factors, including variation in the quality of healthcare, underlying chronic conditions, structural racism, and implicit bias. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Bianca Haynes' oldest daughter, six-year-old Afena, watches her newborn sister Zuri sleep in a swing in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, U.S., May 30, 2022. Nine Black pregnant women and new mothers Reuters spoke to for this story voiced feeling unseen and unheard at times through their pregnancy and postpartum period. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) April data shows that Black women in the United States are three times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white women. The CDC said this was a result of multiple factors, including variation in the quality of healthcare, underlying chronic conditions, structural racism, and implicit bias. REUTERS/Joy Malone SEARCH "MALONE MOTHERS DAY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.