Something massive is happening in maternal healthcare, and if you're not paying attention, you're going to miss it.
Women are leaving. In droves.
They're walking away from the care models that have been standard for decades and seeking out what we're calling "alternative" care — even though it's actually traditional care that midwives have been providing for centuries.
The Numbers Don't Lie
Home birth rates have increased 77% in the last two decades, and another 14% since 2020. Midwife-attended births are at an all-time high. The functional medicine market is exploding. And postpartum doula services? Consistantly booked solid with 6-month waiting lists.
This isn't a trend. It's an exodus.
And it's not because women are anti-medicine or anti-science. It's because the current system is failing them, and they know it.
Women are saying:
"My OB never asked about my nutrition or how I was feeling mentally."
"I was told my exhaustion at 18 months postpartum was 'normal new mom stuff.'"
"They diagnosed me with postpartum depression but never checked my iron levels."
"I had to beg for lab work that showed I was fine and sent me on my way. I was not fine."
Women aren't just seeking different care...they're seeking comprehensive care. Care that sees them as whole humans, not just vessels for babies.
The Providers Who Get It
This week's podcast features two incredible providers who've transformed their practices by understanding this shift. Brooke, a nutritionist, and McKayla, a postpartum doula, share exactly how they've built thriving practices by meeting women where they actually are.
🎧 Listen: Real Providers Share How They're Meeting This Moment →
Because the providers who adapt to this reality? They're not just surviving — they're booming.
The Sacred Work You're Already Doing (And Why It Matters More Than Ever)
If you're reading this, you're already part of the solution. You're the midwife advocating for longer postpartum follow-ups. The doula teaching families about nourishing foods. The therapist asking about sleep and nutrition alongside mood. The nutritionist diving deep into hormonal health.
You're already doing the sacred work.
But here's what I'm hearing from providers like you:
"I feel like I'm swimming upstream in a system that doesn't value what I know works."
"My colleagues think I'm 'too much' when I talk about root causes."
"I know there's more I could be doing, but I don't have the clinical depth I need."
"I see the same struggling mothers over and over, and I feel helpless."
You're caught between two worlds: The broken system you're trying to work within, and the comprehensive care you know mothers actually need.
You're living in the tension of knowing better while working in systems that resist change. You see the gaps everywhere:
- Medical colleagues who dismiss nutritional interventions
- Insurance models that don't reimburse for comprehensive care
- Time constraints that force surface-level solutions
- Training gaps that leave you knowing something's missing but not sure exactly what
- Isolation from other providers who understand this approach
The exhaustion is real. You became a provider to help people heal, but you're stuck in systems that treat symptoms instead of causes.
Women aren't just leaving the system — they're seeking providers like you who bridge both worlds. Who can work within medical frameworks while offering comprehensive, root-cause care.
But to truly serve this movement, you need:
- Clinical depth that goes beyond surface-level wellness advice
- Confidence to have complex conversations with medical colleagues
- Tools that actually address the physiological reality of postpartum recovery
- Community of providers who get it
- Language to communicate this approach in ways that create change
This week's podcast shows exactly what's possible when providers have these tools. Brooke is now partnering with OB practices. McKayla has built a statewide network. Both are busier than ever, not because they left the system, but because they learned how to transform it from within.
📝 Get on the Waitlist to Deepen Your Impact →
Our Postpartum Nutrition Certification opens in September (waitlist only), and it's designed for providers who are already doing this work but need the clinical depth to do it with confidence.
Because the mothers who need you most are the ones seeking comprehensive care. And they're looking for providers who can deliver it.
Stay fierce, stay rooted,
Maranda Bower
CEO & Founder of Postpartum University®
www.PostpartumU.com
P.S. The bridge-builders are the ones who will define the future of maternal health. You're already building. Now let's make sure you have the strongest foundation possible!
