Thread by @NBCLX

In 2020, Black women were 2.9x more likely to die from pregnancy complications than white women, up from 2.5 in 2019, per new @CDC data. On the last day of Black History Month, NBCLX looks at how these staggering stats influenced one pregnant Black woman. trib.al/zuHxyO2

First-time mom-to-be Laila, who's in her second trimester and lives in Atlanta, told NBCLX she grew up hearing about the risks pregnant Black women face, from racism in health care to death during delivery. trib.al/zuHxyO2

"It wasn't until after college that I actually saw the Black maternal mortality stats," Laila said. "That scared me because it wasn't just that this is what it means to be a Black woman in America — but that we're actually dying in incredible numbers." trib.al/foYqjsi

Laila's wanted kids since she was young, so more than anything, the stats convinced her to take control of her pregnancy. "[Trying to get pregnant] was a lot of talking to God ... while also shopping around for the right care," she said. trib.al/Dh12fnr

Working with midwives who looked like her was important. Laila's reproductive health issues had been dismissed by white doctors before: "I would get tested, and they would say, 'There's nothing wrong with you.' OK, but I know that I'm bleeding." trib.al/Dh12fnr

Learn more about the CDC data, obstetric racism and what it's like to decide to get pregnant as a Black woman in America: trib.al/5Ez7S5N