Empowering Caregiver Moms: A Maternal Health Digital Care Management Program Helps to Lightens the Load

Mothers are caregivers not only for their children, but for themselves too, trying to maintain good overall health from conception through pregnancy and postpartum. This journey often leads to overwhelming stress, burnout, and anxiety, especially as mothers manage both a newborn’s needs and their own health, which may involve physical and emotional changes. This delicate balance can become even more challenging when complications such as postpartum depression or physical pain arise. ¹

Many maternal caregivers lack formal training to address the complexities of postpartum care, from recognizing early signs of conditions like depression to managing physical health concerns such as pre-eclampsia. In addition to the emotional strain, they must navigate practical challenges like scheduling follow-up appointments, managing infant feeding and sleep routines, and breastfeeding or formula preparation. Without adequate support, mothers may experience significant mental and emotional strain, potentially affecting their caregiving abilities. ^2,3

To address these challenges, the EarlyCare program by GoMo Health provides personalized, nurturing support for maternal and child health, giving mothers the resources, guidance, and emotional reinforcement needed to navigate this pivotal journey.

How the EarlyCare Program Lightens the Load

Powered by the GoMo Health proprietary BehavioralRx® science, EarlyCare supports caregiver moms with real-time assistance in managing postpartum and infant care. Through text and mobile platforms, the program offers timely information, reminders for medical appointments and vaccinations, and self-care tips, which help reduce mental and emotional strain.

The program’s educational content covers maternal and infant health care, empowering caregivers to feel more confident and prepared, reducing stress and improving outcomes for both mothers and their newborns.

Client Case Study: Central Jersey Family Health Consortium (CJFHC)

The Central Jersey Family Health Consortium (CJFHC) partnered with GoMo Health to implement a digital care management program for moms in the network, integrating BehavioralRx® science into their maternal and infant care strategies. By focusing on postpartum support, the program provided personalized content and interactive messaging, prioritizing the needs of new mothers during a particularly challenging time.

Program Objective

The goals of the digital care management program were to support maternal and infant health by providing caregivers, especially first-time mothers, with essential, real-time assistance and education, and to provide comprehensive support for those with depression, anxiety, rage, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and OCD during pregnancy and postpartum.

The program accomplished this by raising awareness, promoting early screening for postpartum depression (PPD), and educating prospective and new parents on recognizing PPD signs and getting help promptly, crucially impacting families by promoting timely intervention and support.

Solution

The program delivers bi-directional messaging to caregivers for real-time support, allowing them to ask questions and receive timely responses through the GoMo Health platform. Automation within the platform enabled CJFHC to scale “virtual care coordination” by redirecting high-priority inquiries to healthcare professionals as needed. This balanced approach of human care and automated interaction reduced caregiver stress while optimizing resources for the care team.

Outcomes

The collaboration between CJFHC and GoMo Health led to a reduction in hospital readmissions and emergency interventions for postpartum complications:

• 3,884 people enrolled in program
  • 1,925 Chat messages were sent by prenatal/postpartum mothers during secure conversations with their care team
• 17 escalations (requests for immediate assistance) were triggered by participants who expressed:
  • Self-harm risk
  • Domestic violence concerns
  • Requests to be contacted (for general needs)

Program participants reported:

• Increased confidence
• Reduced anxiety
• Decreased stress levels
• Improved ability to care for their infants while maintaining personal well-being
• Reduced hospital readmission rates due to early intervention in postpartum concerns
• Reduced emergency interventions

These outcomes demonstrate the effectiveness of sustained, personalized caregiver engagement in achieving better outcomes for both mother and child.

Empowering Maternal Caregivers for the Future

As healthcare needs evolve, the demand on maternal caregivers continues to grow. Through innovative, personalized solutions, the EarlyCare program is transforming the landscape of maternal caregiving. By reducing caregiver burnout and supporting both caregivers and those they care for, GoMo Health empowers families to build a sustainable and confident future.

Learn more about how the EarlyCare program can support maternal and child health by providing caregivers with the resources they need for a successful postpartum experience. Explore the program and see how GoMo Health is making a difference for families.

References:

1. Stewart, Donna E., and Simone N. Vigod. “Postpartum Depression.” New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 375, no. 22, 2016, pp. 2177-2186. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMcp1607649.
2. World Health Organization. “Postpartum Care of the Mother and Newborn: A Practical Guide.” World Health Organization, 2022, www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/documents/who_mca_postpartum_care_guidelines/en/.
3. Dennis, Cindy-Lee, et al. “Postpartum Depression and Anxiety: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Recommendations for Prevention and Treatment.” Annual Review of Nursing Research, vol. 28, no. 1, 2010, pp. 19-34. DOI: 10.1891/0739-6686.28.19.
4. Schulz, Richard, and Paula R. Sherwood. “Physical and Mental Health Effects of Family Caregiving.” American Journal of Nursing, vol. 108, no. 9 Suppl, 2008, pp. 23–27, doi:10.1097/01.NAJ.0000336406.45248.4c.