Closing the Gap in Maternal Health Education and Support | Blush & Bloom Podcast | Ep. 9 with Emma Abassi

Gigi
11 hours ago
3 min read

Many women enter pregnancy without the information, support, or reassurance they need, and the consequences can be long-lasting. Birth trauma, misinformation, and lack of access to trusted professionals often leave women feeling anxious, unprepared, and alone.

In this episode of Blush & Bloom, I spoke with Emma Abassi, founder of Dearbump, an award-winning maternal health platform providing education, health tracking, and direct access to midwives.

Emma’s journey began with her own two very different, and both traumatic, birth experiences.

What started as a pregnancy care box subscription has grown into a digital platform where women can get real-time, personalized advice and feel empowered throughout pregnancy, birth, and early motherhood.

In This Episode, We Cover:

✨ Why maternal health education is still missing from schools and public conversation

✨ The difference midwife support can make for pregnancy outcomes

✨ How Dearbump grew from subscription boxes to a tech-enabled care platform

✨ Breaking the silence around birth trauma and postnatal recovery

✨ The challenges of integrating maternity care into workplace benefits

✨ Using data to close maternal health gaps and improve global outcomes

From Pregnancy Boxes to Digital Midwife Support

When Emma founded Dearbump, the focus was on curated monthly boxes for each stage of pregnancy. But as she connected with more women, it became clear that products alone weren’t enough — the real gap was in access to trusted, personalized advice.

A chance outreach from a midwife support provider aligned perfectly with Emma’s vision. Today, Dearbump’s app allows pregnant women to chat directly with midwives, track health data, and access tailored resources — with the goal of improving outcomes and informing better maternal health policies.

Tackling Birth Trauma and Misinformation

Emma shared that many women don’t speak about birth trauma because they don’t know what’s “normal,” or they fear judgment. This silence not only isolates mothers but also prevents awareness and progress in maternal care.

She also highlighted how misinformation online can fuel anxiety — something Dearbump addresses by connecting women to qualified midwives who can provide reassurance and personalized answers in real time.

Making Maternal Care a Workplace Priority

Dearbump partners with companies to offer the platform as an employee benefit. While HR teams are often enthusiastic, Emma notes a disconnect with senior leadership, who may see maternity support as optional rather than essential.

In reality, lack of support can drive talented employees to leave — a cost that far outweighs the investment in proper care.

The Future: AI and Data for Better Outcomes:

Emma sees AI as a tool to help scale support, answering common questions instantly and freeing midwives to focus on complex cases. Beyond that, anonymized data from Dearbump could be shared with researchers and healthcare providers to address systemic gaps and improve maternal health outcomes worldwide.

About Our Guest: Emma Abassi

Emma Abassi is the founder of Dearbump, a maternal health platform combining tech, midwife expertise, and community support to help women have safer, more confident pregnancies.

She’s an advocate for better maternal care in both personal and workplace settings, and a champion for collecting data to improve outcomes for mothers everywhere.