Series: Building the future of maternity care (what comes next)
Let’s build a care system that actually cares for new moms | 5 min read
I’ve built healthcare programs, then had to rely on maternity care as a patient. We can do better.
Here’s the moment that solidified it for me.
When I was 8 weeks postpartum, I joined a peer support group with new moms. In our first meeting, we shared our birth stories.
- 2 moms trying to make sense of unplanned c-sections.
- 1 mom furious her nurse didn’t take her excruciating contractions seriously.
- 1 mom worried about burning through PTO for a longer than expected NICU stay.
- Another 3 who felt like they ‘failed’ because they couldn’t breastfeed.
Instead of bonding with their babies, these moms were grieving the version of motherhood they didn’t get.
Since then, I’ve heard similar stories from hundreds of moms–through my work with Postpartum Support International and Chamber of Mothers.
Here’s what moms actually need now:
- A real follow-up–when she screens positive for depression or social need
- Support that doesn’t drop after her 6 week postpartum visit
- Confidence, not guilt, in the decisions she’s making (for herself)
- Care that’s accessible and compassionate
- A system that keeps her healthy and makes her feel whole again
This kind of care shouldn’t be a privilege. It’s what all new moms deserve.
That’s why it’s an honor to build the future of maternity care at Delfina. One that’s more in touch with the realities of new moms–designed around them, not the system’s limits.
📣 If you want to be part of this shift, here’s how you can plug in:
- Patients and loved ones: Download Delfina and start your care journey here
- OB care teams: Bring this model into your workflows here
- Payors and employers: Build a maternal care program that improves outcomes for your members and emploers here
- Maternal health advocates: Systems change takes all of us. I’d love to connect
I’ve seen what better care can look like, because I had to piece it together myself.
But moms in this country shouldn’t have to work this hard to get it. So let’s build a care system that actually cares for new moms.
