Some Pregnant Women Who Can Afford to Are Fleeing New York City

With fear of exposure to the coronavirus in hospitals, many pregnant women are considering giving birth at home or traveling great distances. The Stateline initiative of Pew Charitable Trusts reports that rural, black women, who were already marginalized before the pandemic, are now unable to find available midwives and feel they have no option but to have risky unassisted home births. Lifting existing state restrictions on midwifery and supporting black midwives and doulas could be part of the solution. Experts at the Urban Institute also propose that ensuring Medicaid coverage for out-of-hospital births would help further support safe options for mothers. #covid-19