Yvette Cravins knew something was wrong after her second baby was born. More than a week after leaving the hospital, she went to the emergency room and told doctors she was in terrible pain. They provided some pain treatment and told her she was just tired and should return home.

“My initial symptoms were dismissed and my health concerns were diminished,” Cravins, who is now chief of staff to Rep. Lacy Clay, D-Mo., said recently outside the Capitol.