December 11th, 2023

CNN’s Abby Phillip Reports in “Homebirth Journey: Saving Black Moms” for The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper

EPISODE PREMIERES SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17 AT 9PM ET/PT  

Promo: https://youtu.be/XXcpGkOHHGM

NEW YORK, NY – (December 11, 2023) – The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper, a CNN Original, returns with an intimate and heartrending report from CNN Anchor Abby Phillip on Black maternal health and mortality. “Homebirth Journey: Saving Black Moms” premieres on Sunday, December 17 at 9pm ET/PT on CNN.

“Homebirth Journey: Saving Black Moms” delves into why a growing number of Black women are choosing to give birth at home and foregoing the care of a doctor in a hospital. Phillip meets with some of these women and examines the deep distrust that many Black women feel when it comes to hospital care, even celebrities like Serena Williams and Beyonce with access to world class healthcare. Phillip speaks with obstetricians who have watched as the maternal mortality statistics in the US have gone in the wrong direction and she reveals her own personal story of homebirth with the help of a doula.

“The deeply personal journey to this story began with my own pregnancy in 2020,” said Phillip.  “Like millions of black women, I simply wanted to feel safe and stay alive when giving birth to my daughter. The women featured are each in their own way changing the face of both the black maternal health crisis and its solutions.” Phillip added “this episode is a journey from fear to empowerment with lessons that could help save the lives of ALL women.”

In this episode, Phillip shadows a shift at a midwife-led maternity ward at the MLK Jr. Community Hospital in Los Angeles, where they credit their better-than-national-average statistics to the unusual partnership between their doctors and midwives. She also visits Kindred Space, the only Black-owned birthing center in LA, where midwives are fostering a sense of community and safety for pregnant women.

The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper is executive produced by Susan Chun.

The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper will stream live for pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN connected TV and mobile apps on Sunday, December 17. “Homebirth Journey: Saving Black Moms” will also be available on demand beginning Monday, December 18 to pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN connected TV and mobile apps, and Cable Operator Platforms. Past episodes of The Whole Story are available to stream on demand now on Max.

The Whole Story is also available as a CNN Audio showcast. Visit CNN.com/audio or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

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About CNN Worldwide
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About Warner Bros. Discovery

Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world’s most differentiated and complete portfolio of content and brands across television, film and streaming. Available in more than 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery inspires, informs and entertains audiences worldwide through its iconic brands and products including: Discovery Channel, discovery+, CNN, DC, Eurosport, HBO, HGTV, Food Network, OWN, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Magnolia Network, TNT, TBS, truTV, Travel Channel, Max, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Warner Bros. Film Group, Warner Bros. Television Group, Warner Bros. Games, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies, Discovery en Español, Hogar de HGTV and others. For more information, please visit www.wbd.com.

 

Press Contacts

The Whole Story Press Contacts

Jordan.Overstreet@cnn.com

Sophie.Tran@cnn.com

 

Abby Phillip Press Contact

Danielle.Desser@cnn.com