Two years ago, I gave birth to my son, Ahsan, in what my husband and I consider one of the most beautiful moments of our lives. I’m so proud to have been the first woman in the Georgia state Senate to give birth while in office.
The experience profoundly changed my life for the better, but it also deepened my understanding of how difficult pregnancy and childbirth can be when support is out of reach.
My pregnancy was high-risk. Four weeks before my due date, my doctor discovered the health of my baby was at risk and induced labor immediately. Every day, I’m so grateful for the rapid care my son and I received that day from the doctors and nurses who helped ensure a safe and healthy birth.
It pains me to think what might have happened if those doctors and nurses weren’t there, but for far too many women across Georgia, my worst nightmare is their reality.
Georgia has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among all U.S. states, nearly 45% higher than the national average.
Our women are facing a health crisis, and the burden is not shared equally. In rural communities, 60% of women live more than 30 minutes away from a birthing hospital, compared to 13% in urban areas. Nationally, Black women are 2.5 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women, regardless of income or education.
Maternity care deserts threaten women’s health
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
These disparities are a clear indicator that maternal health outcomes are not a failure of medicine, but a failure of policy and of a system that’s abandoning Georgia mothers.
That’s why Virginia’s new Momnibus bills, recently signed into law by Gov. Abigail Spanberger, are more than just a routine policy win. This legislative package is the result of years of advocacy work led by healthcare leaders — Black maternal health champions, in particular — front-ine healthcare workers, and policymakers who refused to let this crisis be ignored.
Because of the groundwork they laid, Virginia mothers will now have access to stronger healthcare protections, more mental health screenings and improved health monitoring. Increased investment in data-backed health systems will also empower physicians to provide better care to women who need it most.
Bringing this policy model to Georgia would have significant, widespread benefits for families across the state. Nearly one-third of Georgia’s counties classify as “maternity care deserts” without hospitals equipped with obstetrical providers or other birthing resources.
Workforce shortages and poor access to surgical and obstetrical training programs are leaving women without critical care and putting them and their families in potentially life-or-death situations when they’re forced to drive an hour or even longer to see a doctor.
This disparity is further compounded by insurance coverage gaps that leave uninsured women, including low-income women who are ineligible for Medicaid, unable to afford the support they need. Even for those who do qualify, Medicaid coverage often ends within 60 days after birth, even though complications can last far longer.
Investing in education programs, alleviating physician shortages, expanding healthcare infrastructure in rural counties, empowering community-based healthcare practitioners like midwives and doulas, and — especially — expanding Medicaid coverage: this is what a comprehensive Georgia Momnibus legislation package could look like.
Georgia needs to put families first over politics
I introduced legislation to require Medicaid to cover screenings for depression, anxiety and mental health support for mothers for one year following the end of their pregnancy. I also fought to repeal Republicans’ draconian six-week abortion ban. Unfortunately, but to no one’s surprise, Republicans blocked both bills.
Empowering Georgia families with practical, evidence-based solutions for saving lives, strengthening communities and making motherhood more accessible isn’t a radical idea. What’s radical is carrying on as normal in a system where preventable maternal deaths are treated as inevitable.
For me, this issue goes beyond legislation. Motherhood is personal. It’s a lived experience. It’s the memories I hold of my family and the understanding of how different my outcome could have been had it not been for my access to care.
It’s knowing how many women lack the support I was fortunate enough to receive, and how so many families feel alone.
Virginia has shown what leadership looks like. They’ve shown what it means to put families first. Now, the question is, will Georgia do the same, or will we continue to fall behind while other states move forward? Do we continue with politics as usual, or do we meet this moment with urgency?
The choice is up to us. We must demand more for Georgia’s mothers and families.
Former Georgia state Sen. and current Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor Nabilah Parkes is a staunch advocate for Georgia’s families, fighting to lower drug costs, make healthcare more affordable, fund our schools, expand Medicaid, and protect our freedoms.
In 2022, state Sen. Parkes became the youngest woman ever elected to the Georgia Senate at 32 years old. She is also the first Muslim woman and the first South Asian woman elected to the Senate. In 2024, Sen. Parkes became the first Georgia state senator to give birth while serving, strengthening her understanding of the challenges for new moms in the workplace. She lives in Duluth with her husband Bryan and their three children.
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