Meghan Doyle is the CEO & co-founder of Partum Health, a company offering families a combination of expert support that’s right for you – from birth and postpartum doulas, mental health providers, lactation consultants, physical therapists, night nannies and more — all in one place, all designed around you.
Meghan is a mom of two and a former healthcare consultant inspired to found Partum after living through gaps in her own maternal care journey, particularly a lack of mental health, lactation, physical therapy, and hands-on help. Meghan started her career focused on consumer insights and is passionate about building healthcare that works for humans. She has an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from UNC-Chapel Hill, and she lives in Chicago with her husband, Geoff and their kids, Owen and Audrey.
During the interview, we discuss the following:
- After finishing business school, her brother was diagnosed with a recurrence of melanoma.
- In helping her brother, she was blown away by how hard it was to navigate the healthcare system.
- Once she had her first child, she noticed that a lot was missing from her own maternal care.
- She had the typical OBGYN and maternity leave from work, but it still didn’t rise to the level of need for her health.
- She realized the mental health aspect that was missing and how she had a shift in her identity when she became a mom, plus the change to her work life and home life.
- She also was surprised at the lack of physical therapy as well.
- It didn’t feel like healthcare was meeting the needs of women and families.
- The more she studied the lack of maternal care in this country, she couldn’t let it go.
- She started Partum Health so that women and families could get the right combination of care for them.
- Their mission is to let families know the support that’s available and then to make that support easy for them to get.
- She explains a birth doula’s role and the amazing support they offer before, during, and after delivery.
- Research has shown that working with a doula improves pregnancy and post-pregnancy outcomes.
- Partum Health also normalizes the mental health aspect of care during and after pregnancy.
- It’s not just about post-partum depression; it’s much more than that.
- She discusses the challenges working moms face during pregnancy, when they return to work, and the support working moms need.
- She shares that the United States is the lowest ranking in terms of women’s healthcare than other financially stable countries.
- Black women, in particular, suffer from maternal mortality and morbidity at a higher rate than anyone.
- She explains the importance of physical therapy during and after birth because there are often so many complications on the physical side of pregnancy that go unaddressed
- .She shares that the focus on a woman’s pelvic floor is extremely important and is unfortunately overlooked and not embedded into the way women receive partum care.
- She believes every woman needs to hear the words “pelvic floor” before they deliver, know how to engage those muscles, and have a post-delivery plan.
- She recommends that you go on your insurance website and find the additional help that you need that you may not have realized was available.
- You can find out more about Partum Health HERE