Maternal Health Research & Model
Rethinking Postpartum Care for American Families
The United States has some of the highest maternal morbidity and mortality rates among high-income countries. While pregnancy and childbirth outcomes receive significant attention, a critical reality is often overlooked:
More than half of serious complications and maternal deaths occur in the postpartum period.
These outcomes are not random. They are most commonly linked to:
Hypertensive disorders (including postpartum preeclampsia and stroke)
Hemorrhage (including delayed postpartum bleeding)
Infection and sepsis
Cardiovascular complications
Substance use and overdose
Mental health conditions, including postpartum depression, anxiety, and suicide
The postpartum period is a time of significant physiological recovery, emotional adjustment, and increased vulnerability — yet in the United States, care during this time is often limited, fragmented, and delayed.
A Gap in the System
Standard U.S. postpartum care has historically centered around a single office visit weeks after birth. Although clinical guidelines now recommend earlier and ongoing follow-up, this model has not been fully realized in practice.
As a result, many women navigate the most medically and emotionally complex phase of recovery without structured, consistent support.
A Different Model Exists
In many European countries — including Germany, the Netherlands, and the Nordic nations — postpartum care is structured very differently.
These systems are built on a midwifery-led model of care that includes:
Routine home visits after birth
Ongoing assessment of maternal physical recovery
Infant feeding support and education
Monitoring for complications in real time
Emotional and psychological support
Care that extends across the full postpartum period
This approach reflects a fundamental difference in design:
Postpartum care is treated as an essential phase of healthcare, not a brief follow-up.
The MOB Family Model
The Military Overseas Birth & Family Center (MOB Family) is developing a nurse-led, home-based postpartum care model designed to bring this level of support into the American system.
Our model is grounded in:
Continuity across the perinatal period
Early and frequent contact after hospital discharge
Home-based care delivery
Integration of physical, mental, and social support
Targeted screening for postpartum complications and mood disorders
This is not an additional service layered onto the current system.
It is a restructuring of how postpartum care is delivered.
Research & Pilot Initiative
MOB Family aims to pilot and evaluate this model within U.S. military communities overseas, where families already interact with host-nation healthcare systems.
This setting offers a unique opportunity to:
Study a hybrid model of American and European care delivery
Evaluate outcomes in a defined and mobile population
Test feasibility within existing reimbursement structures
The goal of this research is to measure:
Changes in maternal morbidity outcomes
Rates of postpartum depression and anxiety screening and treatment
Healthcare utilization, including emergency visits and readmissions
Patient experience and perceived support during recovery
Alignment with TRICARE Initiatives
This work aligns with existing efforts within TRICARE to expand maternal support services.
Current demonstrations, including the 2022 - 2026 Childbirth and Breastfeeding Support Demonstration, have introduced:
Lactation support
Doula services
Expanded perinatal education
These initiatives reflect a growing recognition that non-traditional and supportive care services improve outcomes.
MOB Family builds on this foundation by proposing a fully integrated, home-based postpartum care model, rather than isolated services.
Why This Matters
Improving maternal outcomes in the United States will require more than incremental change. It requires a shift in how care is structured during the postpartum period.
A model that provides earlier, continuous, and home-based support has the potential to:
Identify complications before they become emergencies
Improve maternal mental health outcomes
Reduce preventable hospitalizations
Support recovery in a more realistic, family-centered environment
Looking Forward
MOB Family is committed to advancing a model of care that reflects what postpartum recovery actually requires.
By combining clinical experience, lived insight, and international models of care, this initiative seeks to contribute to a broader effort:
to improve how America cares for women in the weeks and months after birth.
Collaborate with MOB Family
We invite you to connect with us
Healthcare partners and clinicians
Holistic & integrative health practitioners
Military and policy stakeholders
Researchers and public health leaders
Families interested in participating in future pilot programs