LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Welcoming a new baby into the world should be one of best times in a woman's life. But it can be an incredibly scarring experience for mothers like Taylor Ryan.

In 2018, Ryan gave birth to her beloved baby boy, Jordan. It's a birth that came with life-threatening complications, and post-pregnancy was just as hard.

"I almost bled out and died. It was a very traumatic experience," Ryan said. "I struggle with depression, and with that comes the post-partum depression, which is detrimental on someone who it's their first kid."

While Ryan struggled, she said she's grateful to be alive and watch her son grow up.

"But there's an unfortunate rate of individuals who haven't had that same blessing," Ryan said.

The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show Kentucky's maternal mortality rate is about twice the national average.

Numbers from 2018-20 show Kentucky had a maternal mortality rate of 39.7 per 100,000, nearly double the national average of 20.4, the CDC said. Nationally, the Black maternal mortality rate jumped from 44 deaths per 100,000 in 2019 to 55.3 in 2020. Comparatively, the rate among Hispanic mothers was 18.2 and 19.1 for white mothers.

Much of the complications, doctors say, are tied to high blood pressure, which occurs in one in every seven pregnancies, the CDC said. High blood pressure affects more than 1 in 5 delivery hospitalizations of Black women. The prevalence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy increased from 13% in 2017 to 16% in in 2019.

High blood pressure can lead to preeclampsia, heart attack, organ damage and other severe medical conditions that can threaten the mother or baby's health. Now, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force is recommending doctors monitor blood pressure in all patients throughout their pregnancy.

All that damning data helps explain why Rep. Kim Moser, R-Taylor Mill, filed House Bill 10 on Wednesday, also known as the "Save Kentucky Moms Act." The bipartisan bill aims to address prenatal health issues and mental health resources, making maternal deaths a qualifying event for life insurance and expand health care coverage beyond childbirth.

"Nearly all maternal death are preventable," Moser said Wednesday.

The bill would offer more hands-on support with lactation counseling, education on safe sleep for babies and research on the role of doulas in the birthing experience.

"We need all the care we can get," Ryan said. "We are making the world run."

Alicia Cottrell, a doula who has helped with more than 30 deliveries through Louisville nonprofit Mama to Mama, said she's seen firsthand the struggles of childbirth and welcomes HB 10.

"It's so overdue," Cottrell said Wednesday. "We have the same goal: happy healthy mom, happy healthy baby, (and) successful delivery."

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