We founded Maternal Spotlight based on one unifying theme: that the lived experiences of all women should be prioritized when designing new or improving upon existing programs and policies. For example, when we consider high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity, what if we consider that the level of respect a woman receives from her provider during childbirth or her ability to advocate for her own care was really an indicator of something bigger?

After experiencing our own pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum periods, we began to ask these types of questions. As researchers, our health policy and public health training allowed us to identify that our experiences and those of the women around us indicated overall systemic change was required to impact maternal well-being in all communities.

But we didn’t stop there. As we surveyed our friends, families, and community members, we realized that maternal experiences are not limited to pregnancy, birth, and parenting. Caregiving for elderly parents or neighbors is maternal. Experiencing fertility challenges is maternal. Loss of a loved one in or out of the womb is maternal. And so much more. Understanding all of these experiences can help us improve maternal well-being for all, if we can hear the stories that need to be heard.

How are we different from other maternal health organizations? Our research program is designed to address the challenges and gaps in existing maternal health data. We evaluate and interrogate existing data and measurements so that we can 1) shine a spotlight on maternal issues which require further generation of new evidence where there isn’t any; 2) increase visibility for unseen experiences and communities; 3) use this evidence to co-create decision-making tools with community-based partners that a woman can print out and use when faced with any daily or emergent maternal choices.

We want to change the mainstream narrative around maternal health and to create equitable access to evidence-based decision-making tools for women and families. Together we can generate evidence to empower every maternal step.

Shilpa Londhe, PhD and Jessica Holzer, PhD

Co-Founders, Maternal Spotlight