NEW BRIGHTON, Minnesota — Amanda Duffy said she didn’t even realize stillbirth was a risk when she was pregnant with her daughter Reese a decade ago. But when she arrived 16 hours before her scheduled delivery, she was already gone.
“It was earth-shattering. I always say that my life as I knew it ended at that point, and then a new life began, and one that I didn’t sign up for,” Duffy recalled.
She’s not alone in her grief: 1 in 160 pregnancies ends in stillbirth, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Some reports suggest that 25 percent of stillbirths are potentially preventable.
Duffy explained that Reese’s movements had started to change in the womb, which can be a sign of stress. But she said she was told it was normal, and only later discovered it was a warning sign when it was too late.
“I knew I would turn my anger and sadness into Reese’s legacy so I could help other people change,” she said.
She and others dealing with a similar loss urged members of Congress to expand access to stillbirth prevention, which Duffy called a “forgotten” area of maternal health care. In July, she saw her advocacy turn into action when President Biden signed a bill that freed up existing federal funding for stillbirth prevention nationwide, bringing both resources and recognition to the problem.
Thursday was National Stillbirth Prevention Day, and Duffy requested that the state recognize the occasion in the same way. The 35-W and Lowry bridges in Minneapolis were lit up in blue and pink to commemorate her request.
“When I went to the U.S. Capitol to talk to lawmakers, there was not one person I ran into who said this wasn’t important. They all said, ‘This is absolutely important, and this is something that has to change,’” she said.
Dr. Elizabeth Alabi, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Hennepin Healthcare, said people of color, particularly Black women, are at increased risk for stillbirth. Other factors such as obesity, diabetes and other health conditions also increase the risk.
Alabi advises people who are thinking about pregnancy to get preconception counseling to assess health issues that could affect the pregnancy to optimize the mother’s health. Prenatal care and doctor visits are also essential.
But at home, expectant parents should keep an eye on the fetus’ movements, she added. Duffy works with “Count the Kicks,” a nonprofit that educates parents about this and offers a free app to help track the frequency.
“Your baby has a pattern. If you don’t notice it, if that pattern isn’t happening, or if there’s a warning sign, you need to talk to your healthcare provider about it,” Alabi said.
Duffy said she wishes she could have monitored Reese’s movements more closely, as she did during two other pregnancies. While she considers the recently signed Stillborn Prevention Act a victory, her fight for families isn’t over.
“These babies are important, they are loved and they are very wanted, and that is why I want this conversation to continue,” she said.
Caroline Cummings
