Empowering Mothers to Understand, Share and Complete Successful Postpartum Physical Recoveries
My idea is to openly educate women, mothers, about the necessary physical recovery following pregnancy and childbirth. My idea is to ensure that mothers have the resources to learn how to recuperate their bodies after labor and delivery to feel good in the short term and avoid future physical complications in the long term. I want to empower mothers to talk about their recoveries with purpose, not embarrassment. Mothers supporting mothers during postpartum physical recovery will bring the understanding that there doesn't have to be a "price paid for parenthood" that comes in the form of chronic back or hip pain, urinary incontinence, sexual dysfunction, or other common but abnormal physical complaints.
Sobre ti
Sección 1: Sobre ti
Nombre
Angela
Apellido
Halliwell
Website
Organization
The Women's ACTION Initiative, Inc
Country
Estados Unidos, MA
Are you an individual between the ages of 18 and 35 who would like to apply for a nine month Young Champions Program mentored by an Ashoka Fellow?
No
Sección 2: Sobre tu organización
Nombre de la organización
WAI (The Women's ACTION Initiative, Inc.
Sitio web de la organización
Teléfono de la organización
415 3103340
Dirección de la organización
64 Parker Street Newton MA 02459
País de la organización
Estados Unidos
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tu idea
Name Your Project
Empowering Mothers to Understand, Share and Complete Successful Postpartum Physical Recoveries
Country your work focuses on
Estados Unidos, MA
Describe Your Idea
My idea is to openly educate women, mothers, about the necessary physical recovery following pregnancy and childbirth. My idea is to ensure that mothers have the resources to learn how to recuperate their bodies after labor and delivery to feel good in the short term and avoid future physical complications in the long term. I want to empower mothers to talk about their recoveries with purpose, not embarrassment. Mothers supporting mothers during postpartum physical recovery will bring the understanding that there doesn't have to be a "price paid for parenthood" that comes in the form of chronic back or hip pain, urinary incontinence, sexual dysfunction, or other common but abnormal physical complaints.
Website URL
Innovación
What makes your idea unique?
The uniqueness in our model comes first in the compilation and simple dissemination of valuable postpartum wellness information from multiple areas of expertise. To date, there has been little focus on postpartum physical recuperation. Studies show that new mothers typically do not seek any care for themselves, other than a 6-8 week OB check-up, during the entire first year after labor and delivery. We know also that in the US, most women do not view the period after pregnancy as a “recovery” at all, instead largely ignoring the physical implications of pregnancy and childbirth on the body in the short and long term until they become more serious health concerns.
We aim to provide a new, substantially different approach to women’s postpartum year and beyond. Our contention is that happy, healthy, well rehabilitated mothers are BETTER mothers all around. The entire family model thrives when Mom is physically fit and comfortable without nagging aches and pains or more serious issues like urinary incontinence that affect her ability to care for and support her family.
We will provide a simple, well laid out education for women on the physical changes that occur during and after pregnancy and how to efficiently and thoroughly rehabilitate themselves. We will leverage technology to provide customized solutions to each woman’s unique experience and allow her to leverage a community of women in similar situations to learn, grow, recover and share information and experience for the betterment of all moms involved.
We expect that success in the Boston-area will drive expansion nationally. The nearly 4.3 million women giving birth in the US every year are an under-served community in this category. We will change the way women view their postpartum year to ensure a focus on rehabilitation and self-care that will bring better health and fewer future obstacles to the well being of every mother we reach.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
No
Impacto
Esta presentación se trata de
What impact have you had?
We are in very early phases of developing our reach to postpartum women. To date we have held 8 events to educate 62 new mothers and get feedback on what they knew already, what they needed more information on, how they would like to receive their education on physical recuperation after pregnancy, etc. We asked all participants, anonymously, whether the information we provided was valuable to them and 100% said yes. We also heard from over 90% of the mothers that they feel other mothers would be very interested in the information we compiled and shared and that they would recommend the physical practices we shared with them to other mothers. The mothers we have reached so far have said that the impact of our offering has been significant with very positive comments across the board such as, "since the birth of my first child my lower back has been sore and uncomfortable. I had no idea that there were such simple, easy ways to recover from my pregnancies and the change has meant the world to me! I sleep more comfortably at night now which means I have more energy to take care of my 3 young kids! Thank you!" (Susan, mother of 3).
We expect that our offering will very positively impact a very high percentage of the women we reach, a prospective audience of 4.3 million women in the US per year and many more worldwide. We simply need to raise the necessary funds to put our plan in to action!
Problem
The problem that we address is fairly clear: there is a lack of available information about postpartum physical recuperation and therefore, women live with pregnancy and childbirth related physical ailments instead of resolving them. Despite the volumes of accessible information about pregnancy and childbirth, there is an extreme lack of postpartum health and wellness resources. Most mothers simply do not view the weeks and months and years after having a baby as a period of physical recovery. As a result, most women experience chronic or ongoing problems such as pelvic floor laxity, hip and back pain, sexual dysfunction, maladaptive breathing strategies, vaginal or perineal pain, urinary incontinence and more. Many of these physical complaints are very common and therefore have become viewed as "normal" or a "price of motherhood" but they are not. Women do not have to live with, quietly endure the discomfort associated with unknowingly missing out on a full recovery from pregnancy and childbirth.
Actions
The first critical step we took was to build an extensive database of information gathered from diverse areas of subject matter expertise to compile a unique, one-stop resource for postpartum wellness information and recuperation strategies. We took data and recommendation from experts including Obstetricians, Midwives, Physiatrists, Pelvic Floor Experts, Women's Health Physical Therapists, Gynecologists, Urologists, Urogynecologists, Acupuncturists, Fitness Experts, Yoga Masters, Functional Movement Specialists, Rehabilitation Specialists, and more.
The second step we took was to aggregate this vast body of information and itemize it into topical categories. This will allow us to offer need-based information for each woman's unique experience. Uniquely identifying chunks of information by category or type also allows us to simplify information that is highly clinical in to a basic structure, in layman's terms, that will be easily understood by the average mother. This will also allow for feasible translation in to other languages as we expand globally.
Planned next steps are web development including blogging functionality, "myWAI" web community, shopping cart, polling
Results
The potential impact of our efforts to educate + systematically rehabilitate mothers after pregnancy and childbirth will result in improved maternal health in the short and long term. We expect our efforts to instigate a paradigm shift in the view of mothers' health. Our efforts will precipitate a change in women's health care to include a changed system of follow-on care that will include physical evaluation during the post-partum year to ensure proper recovery.
Our unique focus on physical wellness results in the following:
*Improved positive maternal image of the body + overall personal health + outlook
*Increased overall strength + particularly increased core strength
*Increased flexibility + proper form+function
*A reduction in back pain
*A reduction in diastasis recti, abdominal separation
*A decrease/elimination of widespread urinary incontinence issues: leakage when sneezing, coughing, lifting, etc
*Prevention of common later-life incontinence + improved bladder and bowel habits
*A reduction in sexual dysfunction, pain + discomfort during intercourse
What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years? Please address each year separately, if possible.
A simple, snapshot of highlights from business plan:
YEAR 1: Success will be measured by completed build-out of web infrastructure to include:
- blogging functionality: daily topical additions to web site together with search functionality + indexing
- creation of "myWAI": a personalized service-oriented way for mothers to use content compiled + accessible at www.womensaction.org; it will provide education, support from community of mothers, networking opportunities based on common experience
- customization: functionality will allow each mother to complete an assessment based on her personal experience to pull customized blocks of content from the WAI knowledgebase; when compiled it becomes a uniquely valuable, personalized resource for each mother
- shopping cart: monetization of services via a simple, broken down access fee; we will offer customized workouts, tutorials, seminars and both written + video content for sale to mothers
YEAR 2 SUCCESS:
-Reach: establishing a significant web presence to drive our web advertising model + build a community of regular users: 4.3 million women give birth in the US each year (our addressable market) so our goal will be to ultimately penetrate 10%+ (.5 million women/year) once up and running. In year 2 we'd like to establish a user base of 20,000 women who regularly come back to the site as a postpartum resource
-Partnerships: we will increase our attention + focus on partnership in year 2; significant effort will be made to create channel relationships with childbirth related care facilities (hospitals, birthing centers, home birthing practices, etc) as well as mothers groups, businesses that serve pregnant + postpartum women, etc.
-Alternatives: we will make our content available via seminar + print for women without access to Internet
*note: income level should not affect access
YEAR 3 SUCCESS:
-Reach: usage expected to "hockey stick" - we'll go from 20K users to 80K in year 3, 200,000 in year 4, then 500,000 in year 5, etc.
-Accessibility: making the site available in Spanish + developing plans to translate to multiple languages;
-Continued focus on partner-driven model to ensure that our relationships with hospitals + other niche businesses that serve pregnant and postpartum women will drive more users to the WAI site for education and physical practice planning for recovery
What would prevent your project from being a success?
At this point, the primary obstacle to our success is timeline vs. fundraising. We are well poised to effectively complete the items in our business plan because we have already sourced most of the components needed and are well positioned in the technology sphere to engage vendors to make our platform a success. The primary hurdle for us is raising funds to make our plans a reality in the timeline we have established in the question above. Funding itself, because this is such a well needed resource and would so pervasively help women, should not be a bigger picture obstacle. The only concern is whether or not we can raise enough funds in the current economic climate to keep moving under the fast-paced, efficient timeline we'd like to.
Another possible obstacle is competition. To date there really has not been a well-rounded, thorough resource for women to learn about post-partum physical wellness. If another organization is currently working on this type of project and beats us to market, our success could be hindered by first-to-market leader advantage.
How many people will your project serve annually?
Más de 10,000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
Don't know
Does your project seek to have an impact on public policy?
No
Sustenibilidad
¿En qué fase está el proyecto?
Operando entre 1-5 años
Tu organización es
OSC/ONG
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
No
If yes, provide organization name.
How long has this organization been operating?
1-5 años
Does your organization have a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board?
Sí
Does your organization have a non-monetary partnerships with NGOs?
Sí
Does your organization have a non-monetary partnerships with businesses?
Sí
Does your organization have a non-monetary partnerships with government?
No
Please tell us more about how these partnerships are critical to the success of your innovation.
Our partnerships are critical + categorized in two ways: 1) Channel Partners and 2) Global Mission Partners
1) Channel Partners: the partnerships we develop, as stated in other questions, are critical to our strategic plan. Our innovation is the compilation + simplification of a vast body of knowledge from multiple areas of subject matter expertise. The unique value in what we bring to mothers can only be realized when mothers understand and successfully complete physical recuperation after pregnancy + childbirth. Our channel partners (hospitals, niche businesses, etc) will provide reach to our addressable market: the 4.3 million women who give birth in the US annually as well as our secondary markets, pregnant and postpartum women globally.
Global Mission Partners: Our mission seeks to improve postpartum physical wellness for all women. While our initial efforts will focus on US women, we believe that they care about the postpartum experience of ALL women as we do. We have partnered with the Worldwide Fistula Fund and Kybele, and will add partnerships as appropriate, to improve postpartum physical experience worldwide as our reach grows from US to global.
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization?
1) Funding: initial funding (first 3 years) is critical because it will allow us to get up and running and to a point where sales of our program will allow us to be a self-sustaining organization
2) Production: completion of our web build-out plans as well as production of the outlined content and program (web video/download, dvd, print, seminar, online tutorial)
3) Reaching out: attaining access, through partnerships and social media outlets for example, to as many postpartum women as possible in the US and globally. The success of our reach implies validation of our initiative by the partners we sign on to recommend WAI's program.
La historia
What was the defining moment that you led to this innovation?
In 2005 I experienced my first labor and delivery in San Francisco, CA. I was fortunate to have an uncomplicated, vaginal birth that was long and gradual, culminating in the birth of my beautiful, healthy daughter, Greta. It was an amazing, joyful experience and one that I will never forget. In 2007 I experienced my second labor and delivery in Boston, MA. It was a traumatic, intense, all-too-fast experience that culminated in the birth of my lovely, healthy son, Wesley, but left me with massive injury and infection. It was also an experience I will never forget.
The defining moment that led me to this idea and innovation came after months of surgery, initial recovery, and research in to how I could affect this "problem" for other women. I was shocked and saddened when I learned about the pervasiveness of physical issues following childbirth and the extreme, in my opinion, lack of education and resources for recovery. As an example, some 75% of women in the US experience urinary incontinence after childbirth, a condition that is largely treatable by targeted physical practices or therapy, yes most women go undiagnosed and "live with it" because they don't know their options. I researched various kinds of pain problems following childbirth, sexual dysfunction, urinary and fecal incontinence, diastasis (split stomach muscles) and various other complaints and found that though they are NOT normal, they are extremely common and often unresolved. We mothers need better care for ourselves and when we feel better, we are happier, better mothers. This realization, particularly the lack of understanding among mothers and professionals too (OBs, midwives, etc) was the real turning point for me. I considered many avenues including law school, social work, midwifery, and physical therapy but ultimately found that the most meaningful and widespread effect could be attained by creating a non-profit with a mission to serve postpartum women.
This was the impetus for the creation of The Women's ACTION Initiative: a dire need for women to have information about postpartum wellness that could meaningfully change their health and lives in both the short and long term.
Tell us about the social innovator behind this idea.
My name is Angela Hughes Halliwell. I'm a mother of 2 young children, a wife, a friend, a doula, the founder of a non-profit, and a woman who deeply cares about the health and wellness of others. I'm an over-achiever by track record, fairly type A, very academic at times, very open minded, hungry to learn, loving, empathetic, and extremely compassionate.
My background is in business studies and in the technology sector. For nearly a decade I was in sales, first publishing and then for the bulk of my career, technology services sales such as internet security and consulting. I believe that as an individual as well as a part of a family, it's critical to find meaningful ways to contribute to the greater good of our world community. My husband and I feel fortunate that we were able to forego my income for almost 2 years so that I could, without a salary, begin the planning and execution of a new and innovative strategy to affect the experience of post-partum women and shift the paradigm that I call the perceived price of parenthood.
I believe, now, that my vastly different childbirth experiences were truly valuable because they led me to discover this unnecessary void in postpartum support so that I could find a way to significantly improve women's experience. Without my own experiences with postpartum recovery, I wouldn't have such a genuine understanding of the broad spectrum of possibilities. I had one recovery that falls into a very "normal" category and one that falls squarely in a very "abnormal" category in that I experienced everything from back and hip pain to massive pelvic floor injury, spine injury, and nerve and disc damage. It was out of these experiences that I learned what resources are available but also learned how hidden and unknown they are, how hard it is to dig for them, and what a fight it is to get both the care and information postpartum women need.
Other than being a good mother to my children and a good family member to my larger family, I feel that my most important life goal at this point is to make the work of WAI successful so that women experience a more informed and thorough postpartum recovery for better short and long term health.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Friend or family member
If through another, please provide the name of the organization or company