Introducing a Blog Series on Maternal Health From Research Scientist Mothers
How Childbirth is Like a Marathon
Lots of pomp and circumstance greet you when you cross a finish line of a marathon. You are congratulated, cheered and handed water, food, or flowers. After all, you have accomplished something worth celebrating, such as – pushing your body to ridiculous limits. It is a remarkable feat.
When I completed a similar achievement, I was bleeding profusely. Shivering to the point where my teeth felt like they were shattering, I was unable to walk after losing feeling in my legs and in total shock. Then I was handed a slimy five pound baby.
Motherhood is widely recognized as a beautiful experience. Indeed, it is likely the most fulfilling aspects of my life. But a lesser known characteristic is that it inflicts as much injury to a woman’s body as running a marathon.
Researchers from the University of Michigan found that the trauma of childbirth can result in stress fractures, pelvic muscle tears, and severe muscle strain. And physical injuries are only half the battle. The mental distress of labor, delivery, and early parenting can be substantial. Birth experiences themselves can be traumatic. Women may undergo medical interventions they never planned or even consented to. These include emergency C-sections or episiotomies.
Society and Maternal Health
These medical events and injuries during pregnancy and childbirth can ultimately have long-term negative effects on a woman’s overall health. But the bandwidth dedicated to maternal health is surprisingly narrow among businesses, media, and researchers. Most focus on baby-centric themes – i.e., baby clothes, baby names, baby health outcomes.
People are thinking about the experience of moms. An example of this is attention to the “fourth trimester” immediately after delivery. But it remains peripheral to mainstream conversations. The focus is on the fact that two-thirds of maternal deaths are preventable.
Planning for Postpartum
Fundamentally, the approach to maternal recovery requires further attention. Women spend time creating healthy spaces and birth plans. What is missing is how to plan for the postpartum period. Mothers need strategies when they are bleeding or fatigued. During these times, strategizing how to take a shower can be the hardest thing to do.
About the Authors
Shilpa Londhe, PhD and Jessica Holzer, PhD
Co-Directors of Research and Advocacy at Be Her Village, Inc.
Shilpa Londhe, Ph.D. is a social scientist trained in health services research and public health. The goals of her research are to improve population health and create value in delivery systems. She earned her Ph.D. from the Heller School for Social Policy at Brandeis University, a master’s degree in Health Administration and Policy from Cornell University, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Yale School of Public Health. Dr. Londhe has over a decade of health care experience spanning hospitals, pharmaceuticals, information technology, consulting, and governmental agencies. She is currently an adjunct associate professor in the Health Administration graduate program at Hofstra University.
Jessica Holzer, Ph.D. is an expert in community-based participatory research approaches whose research focuses on community well-being, especially for mothers. Her work on maternal morbidity has been recognized by the American Public Health Association. She earned her Ph.D. in health policy and bioethics from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a master’s degree in bioethics from Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Holzer is an Assistant Professor and the Program Director for the BS in Health Sciences at the University of New Haven.