4 in 10 Mothers Report Feeling Unheard During Maternity Care

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On June 10, 2026, the National Partnership for Women & Families released its latest findings from Listening to Mothers IV, a national survey examining women's experiences of pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. This is the fourth, and most comprehensive survey of its kind with responses from nearly 4,000 childbearing women. A striking finding from this survey: Over 40% of mothers reported not feeling heard and listened to by their maternity care providers, and 43% said their knowledge and experiences were not always valued.

Sadly, this information is not new. A 2023 survey by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) similarly revealed that 1 in 5 women reported mistreatment while receiving maternity care, with rates rising to 1 in 3 for Women of Color. Furthermore, almost half (45%) of women reported holding back from asking questions or sharing concerns during their maternity care.

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This data raises an important question: What happens when women receive disrespect, mistreatment, and poor communication during one of the most vulnerable periods of their lives?

Discussions about maternal health often focus on medical outcomes for mother and baby; however, these findings additionally highlight the importance of the psychosocial experience of patients within healthcare. Indeed, the most important factor for the presence or absence of psychological trauma during childbirth is not the actual events of labor and birth (i.e., medical outcomes), but the person's perceptions and feelings about the experience (i.e., psychosocial experience). This is important because a person who experiences a traumatic birth is more likely to develop postpartum mental health disorders, another trend identified in the Listening to Mothers IV report.

Mental Health Conditions

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Mental health conditions during the perinatal period, the timeframe throughout pregnancy and postpartum, were common for the mothers in the Listening to Mothers IV report, and they mostly went untreated.

Specifically, depressive symptoms for the moms surveyed were high throughout pregnancy and postpartum (20-25%), and anxiety symptoms appeared to be even higher during this same timeframe (35-43%). Survey results also demonstrated that most (53%) respondents with postpartum anxiety and/or depression symptoms did not receive any treatment, therapy, or medication. Conversations about perinatal mental health have generally focused on depression; however, this data suggests that childbearing women would benefit from more inclusive screening and effective referral pathways.

Lastly, it is important to note that the burden of mental health is not shared equally. Overall, Women of Color fared worse, as did mothers covered by Medicaid and those with one or more disabilities.

Looking Beyond Healthy Outcomes

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Maternal health discussions generally focus on reducing health complications without acknowledging the significant role of mothers' psychosocial experience of childbirth. Yet, a healthy birth outcome and a positive birth experience are not necessarily the same. The survey’s findings serve as a reminder that respect, communication, and shared decision-making are not extras in maternity care; they are fundamental.