MEternal

Joining the MEternal Podcast is stand-up comedian and actress Angelina Spicer. Angelina's story on how she became an accidental advocate for maternal health will take mothers through the complexities of postpartum depression and how she is using comedy to reduce the stigma and shame associated with postpartum depression.

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Joining us on the podcast is Stacey Brayboy March of Dimes Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs. We'll be discussing public policy in the maternal health space and how March of Dimes is joining policymakers and local communities to help improve access to care.

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Half of the population menstruates. We all know plenty of women that have a period. But not everyone knows that two in five women struggle to purchase period supplies due to lack of income. This is called period poverty, and chances are we each know someone who has experienced this need – a neighbor, a co-worker, a friend. Joining MEternal is Vanessa Bracetti-Ormsby Founder of Expecting Relief and Jennifer Gaines Program Director for the Alliance for Period Supplies. No student should have to miss school, no adult should have to miss work, and no person should have to miss out on daily life because they are unable to afford the necessities they require to thrive. This conversation will help to ensure that women in need have access to essential period products required to participate fully in daily life.

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Joining MEternal are Nic and Trish Encina, the co-founders of Modelo Health. We'll be discussing the complications of high-risk pregnancy and how Modelo Health is using preventative medicine to improve maternal health outcomes in communities of color. We will also be discussing the benefits of precision medicine and what increases maternal health risks.

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Joining the podcast is Dr. Dawnette Lewis, MD MPH for the Center of Maternal Health at Northwell. As a maternal healthcare leader at one of New York’s largest hospital systems, she’ll be discussing the risk black women face during and after childbirth and the solutions Northwell Health provides for black mothers. Throughout the conversation mothers of color will hear about the support systems Northwell Health has in place to combat the black maternal health crisis and ensure black mothers have an equitable health care experience.

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April marks the start of Black Maternal Health Awareness. In this episode we are joined by March of Dimes VP Mission Operations for March of Dimes, Rahni Jenkins to discuss the importance of Implicit Bias Training and how it helps providers break down the racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health. This conversation was designed to help providers identify racial implications and better equip themselves to serve black moms and babies’ relationships and ways they better help black women have a more equitable healthcare experience. Mothers of color will also learn ways to better prepare for their pregnancy and identify financial support to ensure they are receiving adequate healthcare.

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According to the CDC, between 2020 and 2021 black women had the largest rate increase in maternal mortality tied back to systemic racism as the root cause. Black Maternal Health Advocate and Film Maker Tony Lewis Lee joins the podcast to discuss why it's important to bring black maternal health conversations to the forefront and how storytelling can be used as a tool to educate and empower women of color.

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Establishing a quality relationship with a healthcare provider is vital, and mid-wives have helped to bring that essential quality back to ensure healthier outcomes in communities of color to create change for the better. For this week's conversation we are joined by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Helena Grant Mid-Wife and Co-Chair of NYC Health and Hospitals Midwifery council. Mothers of color will learn ways to become partners in their care and how to get politically involved to create sustainable change and save lives.

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In this episode, we welcome maternal health advocate Danisha Vaughn to the MEternal platform, along with community nutrition activist Latoya Meaders. We explore access to alternative maternal health care and food disparities in families of color. Mothers will learn about birthing options available in addition to nutritional resources and solutions to feed their family with healthy food options.

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In honor of February’s American Heart Health and Black History Months, we are joined by Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at March Of Dimes, Dr. Elizabeth Cherot. This conversation cover ways mothers of color can prevent cardiovascular disease during pregnancy, some of the barriers women face, and how march of dimes is combating maternal health disparities.

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