Supporting the ideals of Bump Day, a global day of maternal health awareness, action and advocacy, and reaffirming United States leadership to end preventable maternal deaths in the United States and globally.

Whereas Bump Day, an annual global campaign that celebrates beautiful bumps and healthy pregnancies while raising awareness about and calling for action to address the urgent need for better, more accessible, more respectful, and more responsive maternal health care, promoting healthy pregnancies, safe births, and healthy babies in the United States and around the world; Whereas the World Health Organization estimates approximately 810 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth every day around the world; Whereas 80 percent of all maternal deaths in the United States and worldwide are preventable; Whereas over 700 women in the United States die each year from pregnancy- and childbirth-related complications and about 70,000 women suffer near-fatal complications or serious lifelong health-consequences, including permanent disability; Whereas women in the United States are more likely to die from childbirth or pregnancy-related complications than women in all other high-income countries, and the United States is the only high-income nation in the world where maternal mortality is currently increasing; Whereas 1 in 5 deliveries globally happen without the presence of a skilled birth attendant; Whereas 1 in 7 infants in the United States are born to a woman receiving inadequate prenatal care; Whereas pregnant women who do not receive prenatal care during pregnancy in the United States are 3 to 4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications; Whereas Black and American Indian/Alaska Native women in the United States are 2 to 3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes compared to White women; Whereas, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the maternal mortality rate for Hispanic women surged during the COVID–19 pandemic, surpassing that for White women for the first time in more than a decade; Whereas risks to moms in the United States and globally have risen even higher due to widening gaps in maternal health care during the COVID–19 pandemic, as well as due to serious pregnancy risks associated with maternal COVID–19 infection; Whereas proper preconception management of chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and periodontal disease can reduce the risk of serious pregnancy complications for both a mom and her baby; Whereas nearly half of all maternal deaths occur in the immediate postpartum period, with 21 percent occurring between 1 and 6 weeks postpartum, and 12 percent during the remaining portion of the postpartum year, and most of these deaths could be prevented with increased access to postpartum care; Whereas 1 in 5 women in the United States experience perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMAD), with suicide being a leading cause of preventable maternal deaths, and untreated PMADs cost the United States $14,200,000,000 annually; Whereas intimate partner violence (IPV) is a leading cause of maternal death, and women are more likely to experience IPV during pregnancy than at any other time in their lives; Whereas IPV during pregnancy and postpartum crosses every demographic and has been exacerbated by the COVID–19 pandemic; Whereas doula support has been shown to improve pregnancy, birth, and postpartum outcomes, lower pregnancy- and childbirth-related costs by lowering rates of cesarean birth, epidural anesthesia, and other interventions, and reduce the impact of racial bias on pregnant and postpartum women of color; Whereas incarcerated pregnant and postpartum women face heightened risks for maternal mortality and complications, as well as maternal mood disorders, and should be provided the highest standard of care; Whereas the rate of maternal mortality and morbidity in rural and other underserved areas in the United States is disproportionately high due to challenges in accessing the comprehensive, affordable, quality maternal health care that all moms deserve; Whereas more than half of all rural counties in the United States do not have access to hospital-based obstetric services; Whereas increasing access to broadband, telehealth, and mobile maternity care could improve maternal outcomes; Whereas awareness of urgent maternal warning signs and symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum and prompt diagnosis and treatment can prevent mortality and morbidity; Whereas every expectant mom deserves the respectful, responsive care and support she needs to deliver a safe pregnancy, healthy birth, and healthy future to herself and her baby; and Whereas Wednesday, July 19, 2023, and all subsequent third Wednesdays in July would be an appropriate annual day for the celebration of Bump Day That the House of Representatives— (1) celebrates Bump Day’s goal of raising awareness about the need for improved maternal health care in the United States and globally, and of ending all preventable maternal deaths; (2) recognizes the critical role of health workers, including obstetricians, midwives, mental health providers, and doulas in achieving safe, healthy pregnancies and deliveries in the United States and globally; (3) recognizes the benefits of evidence-based group prenatal and postpartum care approaches; (4) recognizes the role of fathers and other partners in supporting healthy pregnancies, safe births, and healthy babies, improving health outcomes for mother and baby, as well as initiation and success of breastfeeding; and (5) reaffirms continued leadership by the United States to combat preventable maternal deaths in the United States and globally.

Summary: This resolution recognizes Bump Day, an annual social media campaign that celebrates baby bumps and healthy pregnancies while raising awareness of unmet needs for maternal health care.