HealthPartners’ Post

AccendoWave - A Pain #Data Company "That fear was compounded early on in my pregnancy, when I was ignored and dismissed by my doctor’s office — so much so that I left that practice and went searching for better care." "Even when I found another doctor, those visits felt perfunctory and isolating. I was repeatedly asked whether I had any questions during the brief 30-minute visits. And I did. But I would realize later, as a first-time mother, I often didn’t know what I didn’t know. I hesitated to bring up my experiences and discomfort, unsure whether they were worth mentioning or indicative of more serious problems." "To allay my fears, I dove deep, spending months researching the quality of hospitals, different birthing practices and studies about the pros and cons of various medical interventions. I studied C-section rates and induction rates, and found that many of the most sought out hospitals where I lived had some of the highest rates of medical interventions. Ultimately, I was trying to find evidence that I would be safe somewhere or that I would be supported in making the choices that were best for me." "I quickly reached a conclusion that increasing numbers of Black women are coming to: Finding safety in childbirth in America is not as simple as going to a hospital." A Top 4 Global Health Equity Solution and Top 15 Global Remote Monitoring Company, AccendoWave, benchmarks objective brain wave #pain data (specialty, gender, age) and has nine #pain databases: Emergency Department, #Maternal Health, Oncology, MSK, Medical Surgical, ICU, Women, Adults, Seniors to eliminate bias, improve outcomes and reduce health care costs. If desired, AccendoWave can also create customized pain databases for partners that can be accessed on the Datavant platform. https://lnkd.in/gpv3mQNC

Every challenge we face leaves us wondering if we have somehow offended someone or getting puni.shed for what we did in our past life. But that's not the case. In reality, every challenge carries a hidden lesson meant just for us. Some challenges come into our lives to make us truly feel the pain and learn how to create empathetic solutions. For more than a decade, I've encountered women who have experienced the heartbreaking loss of a pregnancy or a baby. All I could offer them was the familiar phrase, "sorry, take heart, God will provide another one." Isn't that what many of us say in such situations? But it took just one experience for me to fully comprehend the deep pain that comes with losing something so precious. One miscarriage was all it took for me to start creating empathic solutions that would ensure no woman or unborn child is lost to avoidable complications. The factors that contribute to the loss of women and/or their babies are largely preventable. All we need to do is provide women with 24-hour access to quality healthcare. That's precisely why, at Preggify, we offer women a personal doctor who is available to them round the clock. Whether it's daytime or nighttime, at home, at work, or even on holidays, your doctor is always there to ensure you don't suffer avoidable losses. Today, allow one of our compassionate doctors to hold your hand and guide you towards a successful delivery. Let's hold your hands and bring you joy at the end of your pregnancy 👇

A big part of what I hope to do with The Maternal Stress Project is amplify women’s health solutions that exist in the space of stress reduction but DO NOT revolve around individual stress management, coping, or resilience training. I fully recognize that this phase of life (to and through pregnancy and parenting) presents a spectrum of situations that match the hallmarks of acute stress — unpredictability, lack of control, and novelty — so, yes, some stress is absolutely unavoidable. HOWEVER, the sources of stress that I am focusing on with this project are the (theoretically) *avoidable* stressors – the stressors created by and/or exacerbated by the structures and systems and societal pressures that we work within as American mothers and caregivers and birth parents. *When stress relates to structural, societal, and community support issues, the solutions need to come from structural, societal, and community support changes.* Starting with the stressors related to breastfeeding and baby feeding decisions, the stress is layered and connections are complex. But with complexity comes a load of opportunities to address the sources of that stress. This week’s newsletter is a not-quite-comprehensive round up of solutions large and small that address the stressors and connected stressors related to breastfeeding and baby feeding decisions. https://lnkd.in/gtNEGrQm #maternalhealth #stress #maternalmentalhealth Plus, I love a good opportunity to pull in some of my favorite people and companies who are having health impacts (whether they realize is or not) by decreasing the stress load for mothers and lactating parents -- Chamber of Mothers, Moms First, Paid Leave for All, #CareCantWait, SimpliFed, Bobbie (Laura Modi, Sarah Hardy), ByHeart, Kobi V. Ajayi, Ph.D., MPH, MBA, Narrative Nation Inc. (Meagan Centeno, Kimberly Seals Allers), Julia Beck, Eve Rodsky, Kate Mangino, Mamava (Sascha Mayer, Nikkie Kent), Milk Stork (Kate Torgersen), Babyation (Samantha Rudolph), Willow Innovations, Inc., Lilu, Inc (Sujay Suresh Kumar, Adriana Catalina Vázquez Ortiz), Lauren Smith Brody, Phoebe (Emily Klingbeil, Lucy Hutner, MD).

Please excuse any silence or slowness on my end. I have an inbox full of messages, connection requests, and tasks waiting to be completed. Last week started with a fever and terrible body aches and ended with a trip to the hospital. This is where trigger warnings may apply. Just after Christmas, I experienced a pregnancy loss. It rocked me, but shortly after, we were blessed again. It wasn't the same as my first pregnancy. Instead of excitement, I was vigilant for signs that it would happen again every moment. Needless to say, when the fever came, I worried. And I couldn't get in touch with my doctors to get some guidance about how to treat the fever. It was a terrifying day. When the fever went down the next day, I sighed relief. I was so happy that I didn't have to cancel my 12-week ultrasound appointment. Our 3-year old was so excited to see their sibling, and I didn't want to disappoint. Short-lived relief. At the 12-week ultrasound, there was no heartbeat. I was told it must have only just happened, as the fetus was measuring to date. I do not know if the fever was triggered by the event or triggered the event. Friday, I underwent a d&c, essentially a medical abortion. I felt this would be significantly less traumatic than passing it at home. I also thought it might give me some answers, at least ruling out if there were any structural issues causing these losses. But to add insult to injury, I've now paid nearly $4000 out of pocket in just 4 months for miscarriages. Because American healthcare is spectacular -_- At the same time, I'm grateful to live in NJ, where I could be treated in the way that was best for my wellbeing without me or my doctors being threatened. I don't say this for sympathy. I say it because other women telling me they experienced losses made me feel more human, more connected, at a time where grief has otherwise made me withdraw. And I want to give that gift to others going through it. I say it because I can. It's a privilege of owning a business. Because not everyone has a boss who understands what it means to experience the unexpected loss of a wanted pregnancy-- physically or emotionally. And the more people know, the more we can treat these instances with the empathy required. And I say it because it's overwhelming to repeatedly say, "I'm no longer pregnant." I hope this reaches enough of the people that I know that I will have to do it a few less times. In all honesty, this is the most talking about it I want to do. There's not a lot to say other than "it happens, it's senseless, and it sucks." But I do ask for grace. As much as I like to push through and use work to get away from my feelings, I am unable to outrun them this time. My team has offered incredible support. They have stepped up to fill gaps where I have had to let go. Business continues on as usual. And I am incredibly humbled and grateful to them. Looking to better days ahead.

May 15th always feels a bit bittersweet for our family. 🌸 Today is Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) Awareness Day. 🌸 HG is a severe pregnancy complication, far worse than typical morning sickness, causing extreme nausea, dehydration, and weight loss. Like many women's health issues, HG is often not taken seriously in the medical field. I was incredibly fortunate to eventually find a medical team that listened, believed, and supported me throughout my HG journey. Despite their help, my experience was incredibly HARD. Having HG means navigating a constant duality: joy, happiness, and excitement for your baby alongside fear, exhaustion, worry, isolation, and sadness. Here’s an article I wrote during my battle with HG. I share today in hopes of raising awareness and educating others about this debilitating condition. To anyone suffering with HG or any other health issues, hang in there. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, even if you can't see it now. 💜 #HyperemesisGravidarumAwareness #HGWarrior #PregnancyHealth #SupportMothers #HealthAwareness

As many as 15.6% of pregnant women in low-income countries experience some type of mental health condition, mainly depression, according to the World Health Organization. The lack of support and stigma around mental health can lead to women suffering in silence. As women navigate the challenges of pregnancy and mental health conditions, other health issues can arise too. Carabayllo is the largest district in Lima, Peru, with one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country’s capital. To address this problem, Socios En Salud, as Partners In Health is known in Peru, supports health centers to strengthen maternal and neonatal health in Carabayllo and beyond. Learn more about our work: https://bit.ly/3O0jBQr

Many know that October is the month of #Breastcancerawareness. What many don't know, is that October is also the month of #StillbirthandInfantlossAwareness. A tragedy that I unfortunately experienced and have lived with for almost 3yrs. I am not the only one, 1 in 4 women will lose a baby during pregnancy, delivery, or infancy. There are nearly 2.6 million stillbirths, late in pregnancy losses, or losses during delivery that occur globally each year, and 2 - 9 babies out of 1000 are affected by Neonatal Encephalopathy. These statistics represent real people, real families, and real heartache. I share this very personal and vulnerable experience not for sympathy but to create awareness and hopefully be able to safe a family from going through this heartbreaking trauma. I take this opportunity to provide some clarity on misconceptions, for those who like me, once thought they were "normal" during pregnancy: - Babies DO NOT decrease movement as they approach full term. By 28w your baby will have stablished a pattern of movements. It does not change or decrease as the baby gets bigger. If you notice a change, don't wait, call your Dr. or go straight to the hospital, this could be a sign that something is not right. - There is no "safe zone". Loss can happen early in pregnancy, 2nd trimester or at full term. I lost my little girl at 38w and she was perfectly healthy. - Advocate! If you feel something is not right or that you are not getting your concerns addressed, change practitioners. You and your baby matter. I invite you to break the silence and talk about our experiences, support those who are grieving, and work towards better care and understanding for families affected by pregnancy and infant loss. You are not alone. #Stillbirthawareness #1in4

She had 5 consecutive miscarriages in a row... This happened to a resilient mother after joyfully welcoming her first child into the world. _________________ The culprit behind this series of losses was a medical condition known as Rhesus incompatibility. Understanding the Rh factor before marriage is crucial for prospective parents, as it plays a pivotal role in the health of future pregnancies. The Rh factor, a protein on the surface of red blood cells, can lead to complications if the mother and father have incompatible Rh types. If a mother is Rh-negative and her partner is Rh-positive, it can impact the well-being of the unborn child. During pregnancy, the mother's immune system may recognize the Rh-positive factor in the baby's blood as foreign. In response, the mother's body may produce antibodies against the Rh factor, a process known as sensitization. This sensitization creates a potential risk for subsequent pregnancies with Rh-positive babies. In subsequent pregnancies, if the developing fetus is Rh-positive, the mother's immune system, now armed with antibodies, may attack the fetal red blood cells, leading to hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells) and causing miscarriage. This condition is known as Rh hemolytic disease or Rh disease. To prevent the development of these harmful antibodies, medical professionals recommend Rh-negative pregnant women receive Rh immunoglobulin (RhIg) injections. These injections help neutralize any Rh-positive blood cells from the fetus that may enter the mother's bloodstream during pregnancy or childbirth, preventing sensitization and safeguarding the health of both the current and future pregnancies. Knowing the Rh factor before marriage through blood tests allows couples to understand potential risks and take proactive measures, such as timely administration of RhIg, to ensure the well-being of their future children and prevent the heartbreaking ordeal of recurrent miscarriages due to Rh incompatibility. So, before going into that relationship or marriage, as you are checking genotype, check your Rh factor! Seeing my post for the first time? I'm Khadijat, a mother and child health advocate, I write conversion-driven copies for mother and child health brands and companies. Follow, engage, and connect for more educational contents 🤗 #preventivehealth #pregnancy #childbirth #pregnancyloss

Motherhood Mondayz ... 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 & 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐔𝐍 𝐌𝐂𝐇 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 Unfortunately, they are offtrack now !!  Do you know that 85 percent of complications during pregnancy, childbirth & post-childbirth are preventable. Not just that, even the challenges in conception, men & women fertility are preventable. 𝑰𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒕, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒌 𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈? According to a new report released by United Nations agencies, an estimated 13.4 million babies were born preterm in 2020, with nearly 1 million dying from preterm complications. Babies born prematurely are at an increased risk of health problems, including respiratory issues, feeding difficulties, and developmental delays  𝐈𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞, 𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐬 & 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 ? Do you know, When you are pregnant, every part of your body is engaged in the phenomenal task of making a new life, By the time your little one is only 3 months old in the womb, everything is already formed. The heart is beating, the organs are shaped, fingers, toes. Fingernails and toenails are started developing. Now, this is just about physical health of the child what about mental health, emotional, social and spiritual health ?  Yes, the brain too is growing !!! The maximum brain development occurs during third trimester and we can lay strong foundation for this entire development inside the womb itself !!  Majority of you who are planning pregnancy or want to step into parenthood know that, In order to have healthy outcome during childbirth, maintaining consistent health routine is important.  But, when we intent to achieve that, we fall short of these 3 crucial aspects  1. 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 & 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐩  2. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 & 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 3. 𝐋𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 This gap in maternal & childhealth Ecosystem led to the birth of Maternal Health Coach Community  To reduce pregnancy complications, maternal mortality, preterm birth, infant mortality, neonatal complications, we need robust MCH ecosystem. I invite health professionals who come up with innovative ideas and have passion to help mothers in motherhood and parenting journey to join our MHCC community. DM to know more  𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 !! #drsmitabisen #Maternalhealth #Maternalhealthcoach #Maternalhealthcoachcommunity