ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – A growing concern across Southwest Virginia is the lack of maternity care resources and professionals.
One group is trying to fight the issue by making it easier for mom’s to have some of that care at home.
The Roanoke based nonprofit, Huddle Up Moms, recently launched a new program to help mom’s monitor their own health and prevent maternal mortality rates from rising. Moms Under Pressure aims to help mothers and families avoid pregnancy complications through blood pressure monitoring.
There’s been an increasing demand for doulas and midwives as maternity units have closed in Southwest Virginia. Advocates like Moms Under Pressure director Mikayla Hensen explained it’s going to take everyone working together to help solve the crisis.
”We’re going to have to tackle poor maternal health outcomes as a whole,” Hensen said.
Virginia’s maternal mortality rate is higher than what advocates say it should be, nearly 30 per 100,000 births. A director with March of Dimes explained more hospitals canceling labor and delivery services won’t improve Virginia’s maternal mortality rate.
“Where it might have been that [families] were 10 minutes away from a hospital, they’re now 30 or 45 minutes away from a hospital,” Mallory Mpare said. “When we’re talking about maternal mortality, we’re often talking about sort of critical health issues that could be captured by someone who is readily available.”
The closures have placed an increased need for doulas and midwives who are able to help families through pregnancy in more rural areas. The maternity ward closures have also pushed more families to get help from organizations like Huddle Up Moms.
“We’re trying to fill those gaps in those rural areas,” Hensen said.
The non-profit’s latest initiative, Moms Under Pressure, gives families the tools to prevent pregnancy complications, like preeclampsia. Hensen explained it’s one way to tackle the ongoing crisis of maternity units closing.
“We’ll get a blood pressure cuff kit to them [mothers] so that they can start monitoring their numbers at home,” Hensen said. “By expanding using doulas and midwives, we’re able to reach smaller communities with less resources.”
A mom herself, Hensen explained the free program is made to help everyone.
“If you need help, we help,” Hensen said.
Huddle Up Moms plans to expand this program and others like it as we continue to see maternity wards close across Southwest Virginia and the entire Commonwealth.
So far, Moms Under Pressure has already passed out 100 kits to moms so they can monitor their own health.
Click here to find out how to enroll.
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