PHOENIX-When Nicolle Gonzales gave birth to her three children in a hospital setting, the care felt routine and mechanical. Having worked as a nurse with the Indian Health Service, Gonzales also noticed the gaps in support and accessibility that left many Native American women with insufficient care during pregnancy and birthing.
Her concerns drove her to become certified as a midwife and, in 2015, to launch the nonprofit Changing Woman Initiative to address maternal health disparities in Indigenous women.
The U.S. faces higher rates of pregnancy related deaths than other developed nations, an...