I'm filing this under "facts I'm glad I didn't know about before I gave birth." According to this ProPublica article, "The Last Person You'd Expect to Die in Childbirth," the U.S. has the highest maternal death rate of any developing country. And the rate is going up, while in other countries it's going down. What's the problem? 

"The reasons for higher maternal mortality in the U.S. are manifold," write ProPublica authors Nina Martin and Renee Montagne (also of NPR). "New mothers are older than they used to be, with more complex medical histories. Half of pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned, so many women don’t address chronic health issues beforehand. Greater prevalence of C-sections leads to more life-threatening complications. The fragmented health system makes it harder for new mothers, especially those without good insurance, to get the care they need. Confusion about how to recognize worrisome symptoms and treat obstetric emergencies makes caregivers more prone to error."

The devastating examples of maternal deaths in the article involve new moms in their early 30s (not older moms), and the stories of how dangerous symptoms went unrecognized even in supposedly high-quality, top-rated hospitals are terrifying. Of the U.S.'s 700-900 annual maternal deaths (and whopping 65,000 near-deaths), 60 % are preventable, the article reports. One crucially important takeaway from the story