Bump Day Call for Better Maternal Health Care

More than 800 women die every day as a result of pregnancy-related causes — a startling piece of information given modern advances in medicine.

That’s one of the many maternal health facts you’ll hear or see repeatedly Wednesday, August 3, on Bump Day (or #BumpDay throughout social media), an international effort to call attention to the risks and challenges moms and babies around the world face.

The second annual event aims to celebrate moms and babies with the hope of giving more newborns the healthiest start in life possible. The day’s organizers, which include City Dads Group associate WhatToExpect.com, want to raise awareness of the need for more and better maternal health care worldwide. They note that most maternal deaths are preventable with greater access to prenatal care in pregnancy, skilled care during childbirth, and care and support in the weeks after birth.

Bump Day organizers, which includes the United Nations Foundation, ask people to post photos of their or their partners’ baby bump, past or present, on social media with the hashtag #BabyDay to help bring attention to their effort.

Other ways to celebrate the day or spread the word can be found on the bumpday.org website.