teenagers have better birth outcomes in the United States than well-resourced black women.

You know, you will hear in America us talk a lot about how we have to present ourselves in hospital settings or in medical settings or in establishments to be respected.

But when you're sick, all of that presentation goes up the way. settings or in establishments to be respected.

But when you're sick, all of that presentation goes out the window and all of those labels start to play themselves out.

I'm Cynthia Overgard, owner of Hypnoberthing of Connecticut, Childbirth Advocate, and Postpartum

Support Specialist.

And I'm Trescia Ludwig, certified nurse midwife and international board certified lactation consultant.

And this is the down-to-birth podcast.

Childbirth is something we're made to do, but how do we have our safest and most satisfying experience in today's medical culture? Let's dispel the myths and get down to do. But how do we have our safest and most satisfying experience in today's medical

culture? Let's dispel the myths and get down to birth.

Welcome Stephanie and Kamika to down to birth. We're so honored and happy to have both of you here together on this podcast episode today, which we'll be releasing.

We think it's going to be releasing like just a day or two before Black Maternal Health Week.

And we just got to see, I guess, the raw footage of your upcoming documentary called Listen to Me, which is estimated to come out this summer,

focusing on specifically a very small handful of black women through their pregnancies and births.

We were really struck by some of the points that the documentary made.

I think one of the really big ones is that black women are dying at higher rates and childbirth irrespective of their background and education.

We saw very educated, well-spoken women with great communities, wonderful best friends.

Like they looked like they had absolutely everything going for them and they were still facing pretty tragic outcomes.

And Kanika for you, I know you yourself experienced a very tragic outcome.

You and your husband, when you were so happy to be pregnant with twins, you lost one and then lost the other.

So can we just please begin?

Stephanie, you're in the UK and Kanika, you're in the U.S.

...