Pregnancy, Labor & Delivery, and Beyond
At Happy Birth Day we know that moms' mental and physical health matter. Not only does mom need to have health, wellness, and balance in her life for her own sake, she also needs it for her little one. This website provides resources for mothers and healthcare providers alike.
Who is this site for?
Happy Birth Day is a program committed to decreasing maternal mortality by addressing women's mental health during pregnancy and through the first year after giving birth. In order to do this, we need all hands on deck. This is why this website is meant for both moms and healthcare providers.
Statistics
After participating in the Happy Birth Day program, mothers completed a survey describing their experience and the value of the Happy Birth Day program.
75%
Of participants said they would select a hospital that had a mental health focus over those that do not
100%
Of participants felt that all new moms should recieve occupational therapy consultation after giving birth
94%
Of participants felt they learned valuable ways to prevent postpartum mental health conditions
Is Postpartum PTSD really a big deal?
As you visit this site, you might be curious why the site even exists. This is HBD's why:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) completed a study of maternal deaths that occurred from 2008 to 2017. They found that 66% of deaths that occurred during pregnancy and the first year after birth were preventable.
Of these 66% preventable deaths, the group that had the highest percentage of preventable deaths were *non-Hispanic White women, and the leading cause of death among this group were mental health conditions. However, it should be noted that there was insufficient data regarding Hispanic women to determine their leading cause of death.
Non-Hispanic Black women also die from mental health conditions at a high rate during this period, but cardiovascular-related deaths were the most common cause.
This study did not address indigenous or Asian moms.
This image was created by Statista.
* Statistically insignificant
The United States is the only developed country with a growing level of maternal deaths from at least 1990 until present. In fact, every other developed nation has experienced a decrease in maternal deaths during this same period of time.
Maternal Mortality Is Rising in the U.S. As It Declines Elsewhere
Deaths per 100,000 live births
This graph was sourced from this study.
Health care costs more in the United States compared to every other country in the world. This is largely attributed to a lack of insured Americans, decreased government social spending, and is associated with a low level of organized labor (unions).
Out of the existing 65 developed countries in the world, only 8 do not provide universal health insurance: United States, Cyprus, Lithuania, Andorra, Slovakia, Kazakhstan, Uruguay, and Panama.
U.S. Health Care Spending Higher Than Any Other Country
This graph was sourced through this study.
Why occupational therapy?
Traditionally, occupational therapists have not worked in maternal healthcare specifically; however, their work has often matched them to mothers after disease has already developed. Settings such as the NICU, early intervention, hospital in-patient, hand therapy, and outpatient therapy are all examples of this fuzzy relationship. Yet, since the mid-twenty-tens, occupational therapists have been engaging this population specifically through advancements in treatment, research, activism, training, and policy.
Yet, large, private, for-profit institutions, are more difficult to effect change in. Resultantly, hospital administrators may find themselves asking the fundamental question, "Why include occupational therapists now? Are they really worth the hassle and bottom line?" My response is "yes," and here is why:
Physiological Stabilization vs. Psychological Stabilization
Currently, physiological stabilization is the focus of maternal healthcare in hospitals. Physicians and nurses meet these vital roles by providing acute and life-preserving interventions. However, psychological stabilization is missing prior to discharge. As the most common cause of maternal mortality among white women is mental health (namely suicide), it is clear that mental health care is desperately needed.
Education and Training
Did you know that occupational therapy is a mental health profession that can trace its inception to the Moral Treatment movement? We are also experts in function and lifespan development in the areas of neurological, psychological, and physical development. This education and training uniquely position us to understand mom, baby, and the importance of their interactions for long-lasting physical and mental health, and resultantly function.
OT's Domain and Process
Social determinants of health dictate our health and wellbeing across the lifespan, and yet occupational therapy is the only healthcare profession that specifically requires practitioners to study both the social sciences and health sciences in an integrated approach. These principles are then holistically applied in order to improve performance, prevention, health and wellness, quality of life, participation, role competence, well-being, and occupational justice.
Health Policy and Financial Incentive
A 2017 health policy study included data from thousands of American hospitals to find which spending category reduced hospital readmission rates--impacting both patients' health and hospitals' finances. These researchers found that occupational therapy was the only spending category that reduced readmissions by increasing respective funds. While maternal health was not included in this study, the same impactful clinical approaches that led to this result are proposed by HBD.
Trends and Happy Birth Day
Birth rates are down in the United States and are expected to continue to trend in this direction to the point of demographic crisis. Resultantly, hospitals that include labor, delivery, and postpartum care are experiencing tighter competition than ever. This competition will continue to increase lock-in-step with demographic trends; therefore, attracting pregnant women is vital to the survival of womens' services in American hospitals. Only those institutions that invest in women's health will have the edge needed to survive. Want a research-backed edge? Nearly 80% of Happy Birth Day participants said they would choose a hospital with a mental health focus to give birth compared to hospitals that do not have this focus.
Word of Mouth
How much weight does word of mouth (WOM) have in impacting a consumer's selection of a service? As it turns out, quite a bit, particularly in the last decade and in relation to positive WOM. One study found that positive WOM increased behavioral intention by 65%; whereas, negative WOM only had an impact of 35%. Therefore hospital programs that induce positive WOM have the potential ability to overcome overall negative WOM. In regard to the level of impact WOM has in the selection of a hospital, available research indicates that WOM predicts the selection of a hospital, and hospital services may make up the most impactful influence on patients' selection. The Happy Birth Day program had a 94% positive word of mouth.
Want to Learn More?
If you're interested in learning more about the creator of HBD, the program itself, Las Vegas, HBD's founding partner hospital, PP-PTSD, or assessments used; in-depth information is available.