Access to care at risk as Alabama preps to close three maternity wards | USA TODAY

Pregnant people in Alabama could have more difficulty finding a healthcare facility to give birth as three maternity wards are set to close.
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For many expecting mothers in Alabama, finding a healthcare facility to give birth is a challenge. But the shutdown of three maternity units might just make it more difficult. NBC News reported that by the end of October, two maternity wards will close, and a third will close just a few weeks later. The closing of these facilities leave woman across Shelby and Monroe counties without any birthing units.
"There's a sense of dread knowing that there's going to be families who are now not only driving to the county over, but driving through three counties," Honour McDaniel, director of maternal and infant health initiatives for the March of Dimes in Alabama told NBC News.