An integrated approach to maternal wellness for all families. 
Programs are designed to advance health equity within historically underserved populations (women of color, families at higher risk of pregnancy-related complications, and the medically uninsured / underinsured).

"It is such a precious moment when you finally become a parent, but every pregnancy is different. The challenges of pregnancy are often dismissed in our society. As women, we are forever changed during and after pregnancy—mentally, physically, and emotionally." - PUSH

 

“Understanding of freedom that we must rediscover. The words free and friend are derived from the Indo-European friya, which means “beloved.” Freedom, Birdsong writes, was originally “the idea that together we can ensure that we have all the things we need—love, food, shelter, safety.” Freedom is not an individual effort, but a collective one. “Being free,” writes Birdsong, “is achieved through being connected.” -Angela Garbes
Essential Labor: Mothering as Social Change

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Roundtable Sharing: This engaging dialogue ranged from the underfunding of women’s and maternal health issues to what holistic care truly means and how it varies per individual, family, entity, etc. Personal stories and moments of reflection from members of our team: Johanna, Lu Trenze , Kelsie, Cathy, Tania, and Jacqueline.

 

The State of Maternal Health: New data from The Texas Medical Association: The Lone Star State is last among the 50 states in the percentage of women 18 to 44 years of age who have health insurance (73.6%) and who have a primary care physician (57%). That means, in Texas, 26.% of women 18-44 years old do not have health insurance, and 43% do not have a primary care physician.

 

Comparison: Georgia has a significant percentage of women (19.9%) without insurance coverage. 36.1% of women in the state do not have a primary care provider.

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Source: https://www.valuepenguin.com/prenatal-maternal-care-study#Texas

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New March of Dimes Report for Harris County: Texas gets a D-, and Harris County gets an F, it worsened from last year.

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Source: https://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/reports/texas/report-card

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Advocacy Work for Current Legislation Session: 

• BIG push in the Texas legislature: Expand Medicaid past 6 months post-partum to 1 year.

• During the COVID-19 public health emergency, Texas women have had 12 months of postpartum Medicaid coverage, Ms. Davis says. But that coverage is set to expire when the Biden administration declares the emergency over, which will likely happen later this year.

• Address challenges to enrolling in Medicaid to get pregnant women seen sooner.

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Highlights from the New Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Board: 

 

Recommendations:

MMMRC Recommendation #1 – Increase access to comprehensive health services during pregnancy, the year after pregnancy, and throughout the preconception and interpregnancy periods to facilitate continuity of care, implement effective care transitions, promote safe birth spacing, and improve lifelong health of women. THAT’S WHAT PUSH DOES!

 

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) reinforces the importance of the postpartum period and the concept of the “fourth trimester” and states that, “… to optimize the health of women and infants, postpartum care should become an ongoing process, rather than a single encounter, with services and support tailored to each woman’s individual needs.”

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MMMRC Recommendation #10 – Prioritize continuing education, diversification, and increasing capacity of the maternal health workforce.

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Source: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/legislative/2022-Reports/Joint-Biennial-MMMRC-Report-2022.pdf

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PUSH's Approach and Addressing Whole Person Needs: 

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• A note on the dearth of community health workers in Houston—PUSH’s expansion projects to training CHWs.

• The holistic needs of mothers—approach of asking first then responding, not assuming needs.  

• DATA is important, but incomplete. What you are experiencing as maternal health professionals can be shared in settings like this, and your knowledge on the situation is valuable.

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Join the Conversation: For more information on joining as a guest to engage in conversations with PUSH, or to share the work you (or your organization) are doing in women's, maternal, and/or family health, send an e-mail to push@pushbirthpartners.org with the subject line "LnL Guest Request".   

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