Every year, more than 20,000 pregnancies in the United States end in stillbirth, the death of an expected child at 20 weeks or more.

That number exceeds infant mortality, and is 15 times the number of babies who died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, according to 2020 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

These deaths are not inevitable. One study found that nearly one in four stillbirths may be preventable. But while other wealthy nations have reduced their stillbirth rate, the U.S. lags behind.

The stark racial disparities underscore the crisis. Black women are more than twice — and in some states close to three times — as likely to have a stillbirth as white women.

ProPublica has reported on stillbirths and is working to better understand their lasting effects. To do that, we need your help. We want to hear your stories and the struggles you encountered over the course of your journey.

We hope to hear from you, whether you’re a parent or a relative, a doctor, midwife or doula, a collector of data or a researcher. We are particularly interested in hearing from Black mothers and Black medical professionals and other women of color who are disproportionately affected.

We know this is a big ask. If writing about your experience is too painful, but you would still like to share your story with us, indicate that below and a reporter will try to get in touch directly. We appreciate you sharing your story and we take your privacy seriously. We are gathering these stories for the purposes of our reporting and will contact you if we wish to publish any part of your story.

We will read every response. We won’t be able to connect with everyone, but even if you don’t hear from us, please know that your responses will inform our next stories.