HealthTech

Dawn Thompson’s Mission to Revolutionize Maternal Healthcare

For over two decades, Dawn Thompson dedicated herself to helping pregnant and postpartum families. During this time, she witnessed firsthand the shortcomings of the current maternal healthcare system.

Dawn realized providers often prioritized finances, risk mitigation and convenience over the wellbeing of mothers and babies. She also saw the lack of information and support available to pregnant women. This inspired Dawn to leverage technology to fill these gaps through innovation and her company – Birthify.

The Inspiration Behind Birthify

Through Dawn’s work with “Improving Birth”, a leading maternal health advocacy group, she heard from thousands of women who felt unprepared and unsupported during childbirth. As Dawn explains, “So many people say, ‘If only I had known I had more options.’” She saw an opportunity to use technology to provide expectant mothers accessible and affordable guidance throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Realizing the limitations of in-person care, Dawn sought to move childbirth education into the 21st century. With Birthify, she created a platform offering virtual support right in the palm of users’ hands. The goal was filling the information gaps women faced, arming them with knowledge to make informed decisions during this pivotal time.

Pivoting Based on User Feedback

In Birthify’s early beta testing stage, Dawn quickly realized the need to pivot her approach. Originally, the platform matched women with various maternal health experts like obstetricians, midwives and lactation consultants. However, Dawn found splitting care between providers meant women had to continuously reexplain their situation.

To solve this, Birthify shifted to a single coach model, pairing users with one consistent guide throughout the pregnancy and postpartum journey. Compared to competitors averaging two appointments, Birthify clients stayed an average of 18 weeks. Dawn credits this retention to “the personalized support and continuity of care” their model provides.

Additionally, Dawn assumed clients would bring questions to appointments. But in practice, users often had no questions prepared. She realized an educational outline was essential so coaches could proactively provide valuable information during each visit, regardless of the client’s preparedness. This approach differentiated Birthify from competitors requiring users schedule appointments around their questions.

Balancing Tech With Human Connection

Some may question whether technology can provide the human connection so important during major life events like childbirth. But through Birthify’s one-on-one coaching model, Dawn found clients formed deep bonds with their guides. She recounts clients wanting to meet their coaches in person after their official time with Birthify ended, a testament to the relationships formed.

According to Dawn, “the misconception that an emotional connection is lost through tech comes from the assumption that people merely want information from the internet. But what most seek is genuine support.” This personal touch is Birthify’s focus.

Growing a Tech-Driven Maternal Health Platform

As a leader growing a tech platform in the maternal health space, Dawn’s mindset centers on enhancing the user experience. “My personal mission is to reduce the unnecessary induction and cesarean rate in the U.S.,” she explains. “I want to see over the next 10 years as I grow Birthify and this technology that there are less inductions and better outcomes for everyone.”

Dawn brings relentless passion for improving maternal and infant outcomes. She channels early doubts about entering leadership into motivating her work uplifting women’s voices and birth experiences. Now embracing her role as a maternal health advocate, Dawn boldly speaks out against practices undermining women’s health and agency.

Empowering Women with Knowledge and Confidence

Looking ahead, Dawn aims to scale Birthify’s reach to empower more families through pregnancy and early parenting. She also plans to expand service offerings, providing guidance throughout babies’ first year. Dawn envisions acquiring a doula training organization, ensuring a robust talent pipeline as demand grows.

While competitors will certainly enter the space, Dawn welcomes innovations that ultimately improve women’s wellbeing and birth outcomes. As she simply states, “there’s plenty for everyone to go around.” For Dawn, this mission extends far beyond business concerns. Her purpose is contributing to an era of better-informed and supported mothers and babies.

To learn more about Dawn Thompson and Birthfy, you can visit her website or check out her LinkedIn profile.

 

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