This Mother's Day many women will be celebrating that special moment they gave birth and started a new life as "mom". But for some women that birth moment is not cause for celebration but a moment of fear, confusion and even death.

Last year I wrote about what I learned about maternal health after attending a screening of The Crisis in the Crib. Sadly the issues of maternal health have not improved since then. A woman dies every 90 seconds from complications of pregnancy. 90% of deaths are preventable.

But thankfully more voices are being raised in spreading awareness. Once such voice is Christy Turlington Burns who will make a directorial debut in “No Woman, No Cry,” a documentary about maternal health, set to air this weekend on Own: Oprah Winfrey Network in conjunction with U.S. Mother’s Day.


I recently had a chance to meet Christy and watch a preview of her film “No Woman, No Cry,” The film follows the stories of expectant mothers in four countries—Tanzania, Bangladesh, Guatemala and the Unites States, as they face critical junctures in their pregnancies. “No Woman, No Cry,” explores the barriers millions of women face when trying to access critical care throughout their pregnancies and while delivering, along with the often simple solutions that could save their lives.


The film was touching on such a deep and human level. It starts with Christy sharing her own labor and delivery story which went smoothly until after the delivery when a complication happened. While Christy was able to get immediate care, she knows this is not the case for all women becoming mothers. Going through that experience inspired Christy to spread awareness of maternal health and it's surrounding issue.

After watching the screening I, along with a group of other bloggers took part in a short question and answer session with Christy. I learned that Christy deliberately chose to make this film independently. She wanted the freedom to tell the stories as honest and real as possible.

Instead of just focusing on one state or country Christy highlighted stories both domestic and international. The stories highlighted both the direct and indirect issues affecting women seeking care before and during their pregnancy. She wanted to put real faces that people can relate to.

One of the points stressed during the Q & A session is how important it is that women of all ages and stages of life try to educate themselves and becoming their own advocates. Women need to learn and if they want seeking alternative health options if traditional options aren't meeting their needs.

The film is connected to Every Mother Counts (EMC), a five-year outreach campaign Christy founded in 2010, dedicated to improving maternal health and reducing maternal mortality around the world by engaging the public, raising awareness and driving action.


In support of the EMC campaign, Starbucks will release ‘Every Mother Counts’, a companion CD of music inspired by the theme of motherhood and “No Woman, No Cry.” The artists and musicians include Carla Bruni, Rosanne Cash, Ani Difrnaco, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, and Gwyneth Patrow, among others. They contributed cover songs and original compositions, several of which were recorded exclusively for this compilation.

Make sure you tune in to OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network Saturday May 7, at 9:30 p.m. (ET/PT) and again on Mother's Day.

To learn how you can get involved and make a difference visit - www.everymothercounts.org