Kristin’s Story
In 2015, I had a traumatic birth and was overwhelmed with depression, anxiety, and PTSD. It was this experience that led me down a road of research to help solve the problem of “who helps the mother after birth when it comes to managing their overall well-being?”
What I found was there was no specific clinician whose role is to simply hold space for a mother using evidence-based tools to support change and transformation. Whether it is finding tools to help adjust to life with a new baby, finding ways to lower stress during fertility treatments, or simply having an accountability partner, having a wellness coach can fill in the gaps where traditional maternal health leaves off.
It is my hope that coaches become part of the standard of care for maternal health models. That we put mothers first in their well-being in order to promote healthy families and decrease the onset of chronic disease.
Please check out the research below on how evidence-based Health & Wellness Coaching can support self-efficacy and decrease (or help manage) the onset of chronic disease, improve mental health, and support an individual’s unique well-being goals.
What is Health & Wellness Coaching?
Health Coaching is a patient-centered, collaborative model grounded in theories of health behavior change in which a coach collaborates with the patient to identify goals and action plans that maximize personal well-being and overall health. A holistic approach to wellbeing, coaching is grounded in the belief that patients are experts in their own life situations and work with patients by aligning health-related goals to personal values.
For more information, visit the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching.
A comprehensive review of the research into the efficacy of coaching can be found here
The Facts
1 in 7 women will experience clinical Postpartum Mood Disorders. What about the other 6? How can we best serve them?
75% of women who screen positive for depression receive no treatment. Left undiagnosed and/or untreated, the short-and long-term sequelae of postpartum depression may negatively impact both mother and child. Full study here
Untreated depression is estimated to cost $22,000 for every untreated woman. An effective coaching program can cost as little as $100 per woman, potentially saving millions of dollars annually while positively impacting the lives of mothers, infants, children, and families. Full study here
A woman’s mental health during and following pregnancy has the capacity to directly impact an infant's growth, development, and life trajectory. Full study here
Coaching has proven to be an effective model for the management of chronic disease. By using evidence-based tools routed in behavior change and psychology, coaching can be used to help women and families optimize their well-being before, during, and after baby.
In alignment with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, rather than an arbitrary 6-week check, postpartum care should be individualized and woman-centered and extend well beyond the traditional period of rest and recuperation. Alongside their medical provider, a Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach can fill in this gap by providing comprehensive, woman-centered to enable every woman to optimize her long-term health and well-being.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Optimizing Postpartum Care
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