Laura Warren-Hughes, MSN, RNC-OB, C-ONQS, IBCLC Director of Maternal Quality, Missouri PQC Across Missouri, access to maternity care continues to decline — especially in rural communities. As birthing units close and maternity care deserts expand, non-birthing hospitals are...

Improving maternal and infant health takes more than one organization or one solution — it requires collaboration, shared strategy and a commitment to listening to the people most impacted by care systems. That’s the work driving the Missouri Maternal Health Task Force, a statewide...

Who I Am and Why This Work Matters My name is Marybeth Bohn, and I am a PMDD awareness advocate and co-founder of the Christina Bohn Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing awareness of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and premenstrual exacerbation (PME). My husband,...

Marvella Ying Doula, Owner, M-Brace Birthing LLC  Let’s talk honestly for a second.  The data isn’t new, and it isn’t subtle — Black women are still more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women in this country. And not by a little. These are preventable deaths....

For pregnant and postpartum individuals affected by substance use disorder, the path to recovery can be filled with barriers — from stigma and fear to limited access to timely, coordinated support. Too often, the gap between clinical care and ongoing recovery support leaves families...

On Feb. 1, 2020, my life changed forever.  My name is Courtney Johnson. I am an Amniotic Fluid Embolism survivor, maternal health advocate and Missouri state liaison for the AFE Foundation. What began as a routine delivery of my second full-term pregnancy became a fight for my life...

What is the Postpartum Dinner Series? In January and February 2026, the Missouri Perinatal Quality Collaborative hosted a series of six regional dinners that focused on sharing recommendations for extended postpartum care, based on the recently published report, “The One-year...

The 2026 Maternal and Infant Health Convening: Navigating Pathways Forward, held March 4-5 in Chesterfield, Mo., offered two days filled with urgency, honesty and a shared commitment to transforming maternal and infant health in Missouri.   Co-hosted by the Missouri Perinatal Quality...

Pregnancy and the postpartum period are times of profound physical and emotional change. For individuals managing chronic health conditions, these changes can feel especially daunting. To better understand how chronic conditions affect pregnancy — and how patients can be supported...