Local midwife and educator discusses mistreatment of women during childbirth

January 25th, 2023

A doctor uses a hand-held Doppler probe on a pregnant woman to measure the heartbeat of the fetus on Dec. 17, 2021, in Jackson, Miss. COVID-19 drove a dramatic increase in the number of women who died from pregnancy or childbirth complications in the U.S. last year, a crisis that has disproportionately claimed Black and Hispanic women as victims, according to a report released Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Research suggests the mistreatment of women during pregnancy and childbirth continues to be an ongoing problem, despite awareness about the issue and the steadily increasing maternity mortality rate.

On Wednesday’s edition of “Closer Look,” Dr. Priscilla Hall, a nurse midwife and assistant professor, spoke about the mistreatment some women experience during pregnancy and labor and a recent viral TikTok video that shows a local group of labor nurses (who have since been terminated) mocking expectant mothers.

“It was deeply, deeply troubling that they would put it in public, that they would show their faces. I think there’s arrogance to say that I’m willing to say this in public, but I’m also willing to have it attached to me,” said Hall.

Dr. Hall further spoke about the changes she thinks need to be made in the classroom as it relates to teaching medical students about what it means to respect women during prenatal care and labor.

During the conversation, Hall also talked about the statewide nurse shortage.