Mothers are the superheroes and foundation of a household. However, many moms can feel overwhelmed during their pregnancies — one of the most medically-complicated times many women will ever experience.

That’s why the Accolade Women’s Health Team is here to support members during their pregnancies — and afterward. The care advocates and nurses who make up this team are available to offer Accolade members support through pregnancy, delivery and postpartum. No matter where your employees are during their journey to or through motherhood, our care team is by their side.

“Our Accolade Maternity Management prepares moms for everything they will experience through pregnancy and the postpartum period. Sometimes, we even get to be the first to hear the exciting news,” shared Jen Hanna BSN, RN and a clinical steward on Accolade’s Women’s Health Team. “We help members get ready for their visits, help them understand what to expect during the entire pregnancy, and set up checkpoints throughout to see how they are doing and feeling."

Since no two pregnancies are exactly alike, Accolade’s care is customized specifically to each individual member’s needs. “We tailor the education we provide and our approach — depending on where each mom is on her journey,” Hanna explained

Our care team understands our members well, and we’re able to help each mom-to-be navigate the unknowns and additional stress that comes with expanding their families. The Women’s Health Team staff is there to help members navigate their benefits, understand the costs of care and provide real-time support as it’s needed. Beyond the strictly medical side, the team is available to provide pointers on the less formal — but still very important — stuff that comes up during pregnancy.

“We make sure families know about discount programs that are available, such as lists of items they will need before the baby arrives (like a car seat), and that they have a packing list of what to take to the hospital during their stay,” shared Wini Curcio, RN, AAS, AND and lead clinical care advocate with the Women’s Health Team at Accolade.

Accolade’s prenatal care goes above and beyond because we want members to be prepared for their pregnancies — and to know that when things happen, we’ve got their backs. We understand that motherhood can be filled with many exciting and wonderful times, but that also comes with a lot of stress and worry, as well. That’s why the goal of the care team is to make sure each member feels equipped with knowledge and support to be confident at their doctor’s appointments.

“We are available any day of the week, at any time. However, we understand that we are not attending your employee’s doctor’s appointments with them. That’s why we have created checklists and questions for them to ask their doctors. We believe it is very important to ensure each mom is her biggest advocate in her own care. So, we’re giving them the tools to do that,” Hanna said.

That’s what Accolade is all about — personalized advocacy and a proactive approach to individual care for your employees and their families. It’s a model that helps us improve outcomes, reduce healthcare costs and provide members with the knowledge they need to ensure they have the right care from the right provider at the right time.

“I like to remind moms that they can call us at any time. There is no need to Google their symptoms or questions — which can be very overwhelming and is not specific to their individual needs and situations. We are here to provide knowledgeable answers and care to directly meet our member’s needs,” Curcio said.

Care from the Maternity Management Team doesn’t stop at delivery. Our nurses continue to follow up with members to ensure new moms (and babies alike) have everything they need to thrive when they’ve gone home from the hospital.

“After delivery, we follow up at around two weeks. That provides some time for mom and baby to get adjusted to being home, and we can check in to see how mom is feeling and doing,” Curcio shared. “We also provide support during the entire breastfeeding journey, or we help with picking the best formulas for their little ones if they prefer to go that route instead.”

If mom needs additional care after connecting with one of our nurses, we have a variety of resources available to help which includes emotional support should mom experience postpartum depression or anxiety. This additional care is available at any stage of motherhood, not just postpartum.

“We take a proactive approach to care and reach out to individuals who we feel might be expecting or who just had a baby,” Curcio said. “We keep everything very confidential, but we want them to know we are here to help should they need or want our care.”

It’s all part of Accolade’s work to help members find the right healthcare for themselves and their families. For more information on how Accolade can help support your employees throughout every step of their healthcare journey, visit our solutions page.