Pregnancy, birth, and the newborn stages are joyous and important times. But women also face physical and mental stress in the pregnancy and recovery period. Pregnancy affects women’s heart function, breathing, digestion, mood-regulating hormones, and much more.

Maternal health refers to the health of women:

  • During pregnancy.
  • During labor and birth.
  • In the postpartum period.

Women are at an increased risk of disease and death in all three of these stages.

Recent data show that approximately 20 out of 100,000 women in the United States die each year due to pregnancy-related complications. These may include causes of death such as heart attacks, strokes, and bleeding. The number is even higher for pregnant people of color.

During pregnancy, some people may develop a new mental or physical health condition. Up to 9% of pregnant women develop gestational diabetes. Up to 4% develop a heart- or blood vessel-related disease. Nearly 1 in 8 women experience symptoms of postpartum depression.

Strong maternal health supports reduce these risks. These include access to healthy food, psychosocial supports, and equitable health care.

How Health Care Entities Can Improve Maternal Health

Great first steps to improving maternal health include:

  • Connecting women to health care in the family planning and early pregnancy stages.
  • Encouraging patients to be their own advocates.
  • Listening to patients.
  • Using doulas.

Though often overlooked, continuing care during the postpartum period is also an important way to support maternal health.

Nurses, midwives, doulas, dietitians, and doctors can help women eat healthy, exercise, and avoid stress. This lowers their risk of pregnancy-related complications throughout pregnancy and beyond.

Blood pressure and weight information can help recognize early signs of pregnancy or postpartum complications. It can also determine treatments, prevention strategies, and monitoring that can stop or reverse these complications.

It’s important for women to continue to see health providers during the postpartum period. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends women see obstetric care providers within three weeks of birth.

ACOG also recommends at least one more visit no later than 12 weeks after birth. In this visit, the health provider should screen for postpartum depression.

You can find further resources for staying healthy during pregnancy and beyond from UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, the Office on Women’s Health, and the National Institutes of Health.