JOY FEELINGS MAGAZINE April-May | Page 45

45 650 women die each year in the United States as a result of pregnancy or delivery complications. During pregnancy, a woman's body goes through many changes. These changes are entirely normal, but may become very important in case there are complications or problems. A pregnancyrelated death is defined as the death of a woman during pregnancy or within one year of the end of pregnancy from a pregnancy complication, a chain of events initiated by pregnancy, or the aggravation of an unrelated condition by the physiologic effects of pregnancy. JOY FEELINGS MAGAZINE What can women do to prevent a pregnancyrelated death? Many factors influence pregnancy-related health outcomes. It is important for all women of reproductive age to adopt healthy lifestyles (e.g., maintain a healthy diet and weight, be physically active, quit all substance use for good, prevent injuries) and address any health problems before getting pregnan и