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By Kattrina Richardson, VP of Marketing and Business Development, Edgepark

As a mom of two young kids, I know how challenging it can be when you bring your new baby home from the hospital. Though they should, babies don’t come with a manual on how to take care of them – and babies certainly can’t tell you what they need or want, no matter how loudly they cry.

What I wish I would’ve known as a new mom was that, when people told me it would take a village, they meant it. Moms especially may feel like all they do is advocate for themselves and their children. It can feel isolating, and many don’t want to speak out about their own struggles for fear that it may make them look like a “bad” or “unfit” mom. New moms may need a friend to come help them with dinner or household tasks – they may need to talk to a physician or a lactation consultant about physical or mental symptoms they’re experiencing. But the reality is that many moms don’t have a village, and don’t get much support beyond a few postpartum and pediatrician visits. This is especially true for moms of color and those living in rural or medically underserved parts of the country. For example, postpartum depression and anxiety is a common challenge new moms face. The American Hospitals Association Institute for Diversity and Health Equity reports that postpartum depression affects one in eight women – however, the risk is 1.6 times higher for Black women than white women. A recent research report in Health Affairs states that women of color suffering from postpartum anxiety and depression are significantly less likely to receive treatment than white women. When untreated, postpartum depression and anxiety may cause a mom to stop breastfeeding, cause difficulty with bonding or caring for the baby or increase a women’s risk of suicide or future episodes of major depression, according to Mayo Clinic.

For those who may be showing signs of postpartum depression and anxiety, WomensHealth.gov provides valuable resources, including where moms can go to get support and/or treatment based on their zip code. At Edgepark, we are proud to advocate for new moms. We serve as a member for AAHomecare’s Breastfeeding Coalition alongside leading manufacturers and providers in women’s health to address key issues. As a coalition, we advocate for government-backed postpartum support, access to breast pumps and supplies and more. As a result of this work, the state's sales tax on breast pumps and supplies was removed in several states, including California, Rhode Island and Illinois. The coalition is currently working on increasing access under insurance plans for supplies needed for pumping, including milk storage bags, to lessen out-of-pocket costs for moms. It also continues to advocate for finding resolutions to reimbursement challenges that come with products like breast pumps that may limit access under select insurance plans.

This work is just the tip of the iceberg. Coverage alone won’t get a mom the support she may need, especially in those first few weeks at home with her new baby. I was encouraged to read about Oregon’s new initiative called Family Connects, which offers any family in the state up to three no-cost nurse visits in their baby’s first few weeks of life. You can read about this on the Oregon Health Authority website. This the type of program that helps move the needle for patient outcomes in postpartum care; it will help providers to identify postpartum depression and anxiety before they become dangerous to mom and baby. It’s the kind of program that can only be successful if our industry commits to supporting them on a larger scale.

At Edgepark, we like to think that we are a part of any mom’s village. We support moms and moms-to-be with one of the many important decisions they’ll make as they welcome their new baby. We try to make the feeding decisions on a mom’s to-do list easy. We continue to add new pumps and supplies to our portfolio so moms can find the fit that’s right for them, their baby and their lifestyle. When these types of things are easier to manage, a mom can focus on what matters most: getting to know their sweet, wonderful baby.

We will keep advocating to make it easier for moms to get the support they need throughout the prenatal and postpartum journey. I hope you’ll join me this Breastfeeding Awareness Month in celebrating moms everywhere who continue to thrive despite the challenges they may face. You can learn more about some of the initiatives this year’s Breastfeeding Awareness Month is focusing on here – and follow along on Edgepark’s breast-pump focused Instagram and Facebook as we share helpful tips for moms. Thank you to moms everywhere for allowing Edgepark to be a part of your village. It is a privilege to serve you.

Kattrina Richardson is vice president of marketing and business development for Edgepark, a leading provider of medical supplies direct-to-home, and one of two main businesses within at-Home Solutions. Richardson leads her team in building market strategies for long-term growth, including driving new patient acquisition and referrals through digital and traditional marketing channels. She also represents the business as a committee member for AAHomecare, an advocacy group dedicated to legislature focused on home healthcare.