That’s the question at the heart of American Delivery, an award-winning documentary now streaming on PBS. “I wanted to remind people just how precious human birth is,” said director Carolyn Jones, who, along with producing partner Lisa Frank, was in Montgomery County earlier this month to introduce the film, which is debuting against the backdrop of a growing maternal care crisis in Pennsylvania and nationwide, especially for women of color. “I wanted to tell the story of where we are in maternal health and how we got here – but with a glimmer of hope.”
PASNAP Executive Board Member Carla Le’coin, RN, a longtime Mother-Baby Nurse at Jefferson Einstein Hospital in Philadelphia, was there for the screening and the discussion afterward.
“The statistics are grim and the bedside realities heartbreaking. This beautiful documentary brought to the big screen the stats and the real life differences many Maternal Health clinicians encounter working in safety-net hospitals,” she said. “I loved how American Delivery spoke to women being patients needing equitable, safe care. It also showed clinicians seeing vulnerable communities as ‘patients’ who need advocacy and support. Whether it’s at the bedside caring for patients, in the community advocating for families, or in Harrisburg fighting for strong legislation, nurses are there!!!”
That’s the hope that shines through the film, in the faces of mothers, fathers, and babies, and in the leadership of caregivers determined to make birth safer for everyone by listening to patients, spotting warning signs, and fighting to build a system that values every life equally.