Something Was Wrong
S23 Ep14: S23 Roundtable with MAMA founders Kristen & Markeda and Dr. Shannon M. Clark, MD, FACOG
08 May 2025
*Content warning: pregnancy and birth trauma, medical trauma and negligence. *Free + Confidential Resources + Safety Tips: somethingwaswrong.com/resources Moms Advocating For Moms S23 survivors Markeda, Kristen and Amanda have created a nonprofit, Moms Advocating for Moms, in hopes to create a future where maternal well-being is prioritized, disparities are addressed, and every mother has the resources and support she needs to thrive: https://www.momsadvocatingformoms.org/take-action https://linktr.ee/momsadvocatingformoms Please sign the survivors petitions below to improve midwifery education and regulation in Texas https://www.change.org/p/improve-midwifery-education-and-regulation-in-texas?recruiter=1336781649&recruited_by_id=74bf3b50-fd98-11ee-9e3f-a55a14340b5a&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_medium=copylink Malik's Law https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB4553 M.A.M.A. has helped file a Texas bill called Malik's Law, which is intended to implement requirements for midwives in Texas to report birth outcomes in hopes of improving transparency and data collection in the midwifery field in partnership with Senator Claudia Ordaz. Markeda’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markedasimone/ Moms Advocating for Moms Alliance: https://www.instagram.com/momsadvocatingformomsalliance/ Dr. Shannon Clark’s website https://www.babiesafter35.com/ Dr. Shannon Clark on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@babies_after_35 Dr. Shannon Clark on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/babiesafter35/ *Sources: American College of Nurse Midwives https://midwife.org/ American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) https://www.acog.org/ ACOG's Texas Levels of Maternal Care Verification Program: Quality Through Partnership https://www.acog.org/news/news-articles/2018/09/texas-lomc-verification-program-quality-through-partnership A Comprehensive Case Report Emphasizing the Role of Caesarean Section, Antibiotic Prophylaxis, and Post-operative Care in Meconium-Stained Fetal Distress Syndrome https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11370710/#:~:text=Meconium%2Dstainedamnioticfluid(MSAF)oftenleadstomore,andneonatalmortality%5B3%5D The Difference Between Health Equity and Equality https://www.hopkinsacg.org/health-equity-equality-and-disparities/ EMTALA – Transfer Policy https://hcahealthcare.com/util/forms/ethics/policies/legal/emtala-facility-sample-policies/generic-emtala-transfer-policy-a.pdf How cuts at the National Institutes of Health could impact Americans' health https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nih-layoffs-budget-cuts-medical-research-60-minutes/ Individualized, supportive care key to positive childbirth experience, says WHO https://www.who.int/news/item/15-02-2018-individualized-supportive-care-key-to-positive-childbirth-experience-says-who Is a HIPAA Violation Grounds for Termination? https://www.hipaajournal.com/hipaa-violation-grounds-for-termination/#:~:text=AHIPAAviolationcanbe,sanctionspolicyoftheemployer March of Dimes https://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/about-us Maternal Safety Series: Joint Commission Case Review Requirements https://www.greeley.com/insights/maternal-safety-series-joint-commission-case-review-requirements Meconium https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24102-meconium Meconium Aspiration Syndrome https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24620-meconium-aspiration-syndrome Meconium Aspiration Syndrome, Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy and Therapeutic Hypothermia-A Recipe for Severe Pulmonary Hypertension? https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38929252/#:~:text=Infantsbornthroughmeconium%2Dstained,ofthenewborn(PPHN) Medical Auditing Frequently Asked Questions https://www.aapc.com/resources/medical-auditing-frequently-asked-questions?srsltid=AfmBOooNLHrxkJi3hp2CO-3OkVj1heZAqWFVu7B-M8njnrJs8R78BBoM Midwifery continuity of care: A scoping review of where, how, by whom and for whom? https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10021789/#:~:text=Midwife%2Dledcontinuitymodelsin,plausiblehypothesesrequirefurtherinvestigation National Midwifery Institute https://www.nationalmidwiferyinstitute.com/midwifery North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) https://narm.org/ Outcome of subsequent pregnancies in women with complete uterine rupture: A population-based case-control study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35233771/ Physiology, Pregnancy https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559304/ Pregnant women are less and less able to access maternity care https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/pregnant-women-cant-find-doctors-growing-maternity-care-deserts-rcna169609 State investigating Dallas birth center and midwives, following multiple complaints from patients https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/investigates/state-investigating-dallas-birth-center-midwives-following-multiple-complaints-from-patients/287-ea77eb18-c637-44d4-aaa2-fe8fd7a2fcef Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 203. Midwives https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/OC/htm/OC.203.htm Types of Health Care Quality Measures https://www.ahrq.gov/talkingquality/measures/types.html#:~:text=Outcomemeasuresmayseemto,informationabouthealthcarequality The US has the highest rate of maternal deaths among high-income nations. Norway has zero https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/06/04/health/maternal-deaths-high-income-nations U.S. maternal deaths doubled during COVID-19 pandemic, among other findings in new study https://www.brown.edu/news/2025-04-28/maternal-mortality#:~:text=Maternalmortalityratesdeclinedagainin2022,dieeachyearintheUnitedStates What is ‘physiological birth’? A scoping review of the perspectives of women and care providers https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0266613824000482 World Health Organization, Maternal mortality https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality Zucker School of Medicine, Amos Grunebaum, MD https://faculty.medicine.hofstra.edu/13732-amos-grunebaum/publications *SWW S23 Theme Song & Artwork: Thank you so much to Emily Wolfe for covering Glad Rag’s original song, U Think U for us this season! Hear more from Emily Wolfe: On Spotify On Apple Music https://www.emilywolfemusic.com/ instagram.com/emilywolfemusic Glad Rags: https://www.gladragsmusic.com/ The S23 cover art is by the Amazing Sara Stewart Follow Something Was Wrong: Website: somethingwaswrong.com IG: instagram.com/somethingwaswrongpodcast TikTok: tiktok.com/@somethingwaswrongpodcast Follow Tiffany Reese: Website: tiffanyreese.me
Full Episode
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Opinions shared by the guests of the show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of myself, Broken Cycle Media and Wondery. The podcast and any linked materials should not be misconstrued as a substitution for legal or medical advice. Origins birth and wellness owners and midwives Caitlin Wages and Gina Thompson have not responded to our requests for comment.
Additionally, midwives Jennifer Crawford and Elizabeth Fuel have also not returned our request for comment. This season is dedicated with love to Malik.
Until you
Hi friends. Over the course of this season, and especially over the past few weeks, we've had many survivors reach out to us with similar heartbreaking stories and new evidence. Because we need to fully follow up on these leads and fact check before airing our full findings in this season's finale, We need some extra time to make that happen.
In the meantime, today's special bonus episode features Season 23 survivors Markita and Kristen, the Broken Cycle production team, and obstetric expert Dr. Shannon Clark. Together we discuss Season 23, the maternal health care crisis, and more. Thank you so much to all who participated in this special bonus episode. We are excited to hear from Dr. Clark and really gather her expert advice.
She's been listening throughout the season and sharing her thoughts online. So we thought it would be great to welcome her onto the show and have a open dialogue as well as hear from the survivors what the season has been like for them thus far, what it's felt like hearing their stories back.
what the response from their loved ones has been like, what questions have popped up for them as they've been listening back to other people's stories, etc. So I'm just really excited to host this roundtable. We also have on the call today two of our associate producers, Lily Rowe and Amy B. Chesler, who worked alongside me on this season.
And I am eternally grateful for all of their hard work as well. Why don't we start with introductions? You guys already know Kristen and Markita from this season and you've met them before. So why don't we, Dr. Shannon, hear a little bit about you and your professional background and how you got into this work?
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