Power of MoMMAs Voices

When comedian and advocate Traci Stumpf was diagnosed with preeclampsia that progressed into HELLP syndrome, she had no idea it was something that could happen to her. What began as a desire to help others feel included, seen, and supported has evolved into a powerful mission to help people stand up for themselves and take ownership of their health.

In this episode, Traci shares her journey from patient to advocate, reflecting on wh...

As a mom of three, Felicia Watts jokes that she brought her babies into this world like hip-hop albums – every 10 years. Her motherhood journey spanned a unique path from being a younger mom, all the way to being considered high-risk because of “advanced maternal age.” In this episode, she shares her wisdom of how she navigated those challenging motherhood experiences including anxiety, depression, and preeclampsia while also balan...

“There needed to be a space; a safe space for people to go in… so we’re
really proud that that space came out of this in Lincoln’s honor.” Alexis LaVacca started her pregnancy journey like every mom – looking forward to the next steps in her life. Tragically, early-onset preeclampsia transformed that journey from one of excitement to a story of premature birth, a month-long NICU stay, and the heartwrenching loss of her sweet ba...

“Create a community who is there to support, advocate, and be there for you across your motherhood journey.” Colleen Grant’s motherhood journey began with the preterm birth and loss of her first child. She subsequently experienced other preterm births, miscarriages, and complications that left her passionate to make things better for the next mom down the line. Today, she serves as a Patient Family Partner, physical therapist, and ...

As a high-risk perinatal nurse, Autumn Mels understood the potential for pregnancy complications better than most… yet she never thought that those challenges could hit so close to home. An unexpected emergency c-section in her own pregnancy left her reeling, struggling to find the resources she needed to process her own and others’ traumas. Now as a maternal health advocate and patient family partner, Autumn is speaking up and spe...

Today’s episode of Power of MoMMAs Voices highlights a “Pain into Purpose story of Kate Boydston. Kate is a survivor of placental abruption, gestational diabetes, and postpartum anxiety and depression, as well as a NICU stay. She has since used her “mom voice” on local, national, and international stages as both a Patient Family Partner and as Mrs. New York American. 

“Being able to know that I had a goal of being on a stage, being ...

In this “Pain into Purpose” episode of Power of MoMMAs Voices, we hear from Melissa Gordon Metzler about her traumatic twin-pregnancy experience, her desire to advocate to help others, the connection between advocacy and her therapy career, and how she found MoMMAs Voices. 

“So at that moment just kind of started connecting with myself, connecting with a higher power, and just really felt I needed to live. And I was gonna do whateve...

This episode of Power of MoMMAs Voices is a conversation with Mandi Gross, a Patient Family Partner and also the Administrative Coordinator for MoMMA’s Voices. Hear Mandi discuss her journey from pregnancy to postpartum preeclampsia to maternal health advocacy with MoMMAs Voices Program Manager, Bekah Bischoff. 

“I truly found my calling in advocacy and my MoMMAs Voices crew.”

“It's been such an unexpected, but amazing thing in ...

On this episode of the Power of MoMMAs Voices Podcast, Nicole speaks with Brace Gibson from the Colorado Perinatal Care Quality Collaborative (CPCQC). Brace explains how her desire to make a difference in maternal health outcomes stems from her own lived experience with severe preeclampsia during her first pregnancy and her experience being compounded by the exceptional life circumstances of being 16 years old. She additionally exp...

In this must-watch podcast episode, Nicole Purnell, MoMMAs Voices Program Director, speaks about something we all need to hear - having a culture of acceptance. As someone who has experience in quality improvement projects, Nicole stresses the importance of listening and being open to those with lived experience. She reminds us that when people feel accepted and valued, great things can happen. So take a few moments to listen to th...

Power of MoMMAs Voices this week highlights certified Patient Family Partner and MoMMAs Voices Community Specialist, Judith Francis. Judith shares her birth stories including, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes and how her experiences led her to her passion and mission to spread the message that preeclampsia is not over at delivery. She also talks about the MoMMAs Voices Patient Family Partner training and some of her advocacy w...

In this episode of Power of MoMMAs Voices, we have a special episode to commemorate Amniotic Fluid Embolism Awareness Day. Nicole Purnell interviews Miranda Klassen, an AFE survivor and the founder and executive director of the Amniotic Fluid Embolism (AFE) Foundation. Her passion for raising awareness of AFE was created from her own experience, which she shares in this podcast. She also explains the mission of the AFE Foundation a...

In this episode of MoMMAs Voices, Emily Taylor speaks with Dr. Christina Davidson and Patient Family Partner, Trashaun Powell about the Patient Safety Toolbox. Created as a collaboration of many perspectives including, physicians, nurses, midwives, and the lived experiences of MoMMAs Voices, the toolbox explains how to incorporate “health equity into all quality and patient safety projects.” Trashaun and Dr. Davidson also discuss h...

Eleni Tsigas, CEO of the Preeclampsia Foundation, talks about her personal experiences that drive her passion. Eleni further discusses the important work the Preeclampsia Foundation is engaged in, including the 10th anniversary of the Preeclampsia Registry and how it is impacting research. Also, covered is the future of maternal care and the Preeclampsia Foundation’s impact on it, including the growing Cuff Kit program, and the new...

Patient Family Partner, Huda A., speaks about her birth story including preterm birth, cardiac arrest, hypertension, bleeding, clotting, respiratory effects, and amniotic fluid embolism. She also talks about her recovery and advocacy including working with an MMRC (Maternal Mortality Review Committee), a PQC (Perinatal Quality Collaborative), the Amniotic Fluid Embolism Foundation, and how she was pivotal in establishing AFE Awaren...

Patient Family Partners, Amanda Quillin and Emily Liczbinski discuss their experiences as “context experts” working with Catherine Mather, a Senior Project Director at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), on a patient safety bundle. IHI partners with the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) to create Patient Safety Bundles. The bundles suggest actionable changes to improve maternal health outcomes. 

--“It was ...

Power of MoMMAs Voices is a platform for those using their “mom voice,” and those who support them, to create change and improvements in maternal health.
 
Episode 1: Welcome to Power of MoMMAs Voices! In this first podcast join us to meet the team. Hear about our personal stories and the life-changing work that MoMMAs Voices is engaged in. Our Podcast journey begins here!

About MoMMAs Voices
MoMMAs Voices (Maternal Mo...