RMOMS is a federally funded grant program that seeks to improve maternal health in rural communities. The Texas and Missouri RMOMS representatives with us today that you’ll hear from our awardees of the initial pilot between the federal Office of Rural Health Policy and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Today, we discuss innovative solutions…

For true innovation in maternal health to occur, we need to take a look at what works (and what needs improving) with maternal health in various cultures. On this episode, we discuss learning from tribal and indigenous cultures, and the programs and trainings involved. Today’s guests are Heidi Christensen and Lynn Lane, Maternal Health Innovation…

Vanessa Caldari founded Mujeres Ayudando Madres because she I realized that midwifery care, especially in Puerto Rico, was really for people with access to the finances and the education to have that care. She didn’t want midwifery care to be a privilege, so she did something about it. Vanessa Caldari is the founder of Mujeres Ayudando Madres, a…

In the Appalachian region, poverty is a huge concern. Too often, pregnant women miss appointments because they don’t have the money for gas. Or they’ll have a baby on Thursday and return to work on Monday because they need the paycheck. And breastfeeding can be seen as for “hillbillies” or “rednecks.” For our guests today,…

Black women have twice the rate of preterm birth compared to white women, and that has persisted despite decades of research, despite differences in socioeconomic status, maternal education, access to prenatal care. When you pair or look at a Black woman and a white woman who are pregnant, the Black woman will have their baby…

Eight years ago, when To-wen Tseng returned to work after giving birth to her first child, her right to pump at work was denied and the company refused to provide either a space or a break time to pump (lawsuit). Stevie Merino (Birthworkers of Color Collective) is a doula and lactation professional whose graduate school…

The sad reality is that people in rural communities don’t have as many resources to healthcare, and that includes adequate prenatal and maternity care. For Shaunette Howard, her biggest role is advocating for birthing people and their families so that they can get as many of the necessary resources as possible. Today’s episode is hosted…

According to today’s guest, Dr. Rachel Caskey, “stark disparities exist whereby Black women are nearly three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related condition compared to white women. In addition, it is estimated that the majority of deaths are actually preventable.”  Today, we talk about what can be done to fix these inequities and…

For Birth Sisters Doula Services‘ LaToshia Rouse, becoming a doula changed her entire life because she gets to give people exactly what she wishes she had while delivering her 4 children (including triplets). According to LaToshia, “the reward is instant. It’s addictive and you get to do it again and again, and you keep hearing…

Join us as we speak with experts about ways we can better serve women and birthing people and advance maternal health equity. From what is going well to what needs to be done to improve our health outcomes, we will share innovative work, new strategies, and impactful stories from people who are changing birthing care…