March 2024

Women's History Month

Our research team recently published a study that anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder, is linked to preterm birth, low birth weight, and small for gestational age deliveries. Treatment prior to or during pregnancy may improve birth outcomes.

After a winter hiatus, the pop-up is back on Saturday, March 9 from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Southeast Community Center (SECC). Families, pregnant people, and all interested people are welcome to celebrate in community, engage in self-care, get valuable resources and services, and more.

Black Maternal Health Week is an annual observance from April 11 to 17 founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance​ to build awareness, activism, and community-building​ to amplify ​the voices, perspectives, and lived experiences of Black mamas and birthing people. The theme for #BMHW24​ is:

"Our Bodies STILL Belong to Us: Reproductive Justice NOW!” Widespread restrictions on abortion care access coupled with rising cases of criminalization due to pregnancy loss continue to widen the gaps of adverse maternal and birth outcomes in the U.S.

She's a PhD, RN, MPH — and she was born a preemie. Today, she conducts birth research from a unique and much needed perspective. "I don’t think about birth as a clinical condition to be managed, it is a social process," she said.

Voices for Birth Justice has a jazzy new Zoom background for you to use this month. Featuring Katherine Brown, a physician and educator at UCSF and a mom.

The National Health Law Program is trying to get an accurate count of the doula workforce in California to help state agencies and potential funders make informed decisions on where to focus resources and outreach. Respondents will have the option to enter a drawing for one of forty $200 gift cards. All survey responses will be de-identified. The survey closes on March 31, 2024.

California’s First Latinx Surgeon General, Dr. Diana Ramos, met with trainees, faculty, and staff during her visit to UCSF and talked about the power of positive childhood experiences. The recording is available on YouTube.

Without increasing the number of midwives who are Medi-Cal providers, access to perinatal care will worsen in our state, especially in geographies that are already grappling with maternal mortality crises. Researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 23 community midwives from 20 counties in California in 2022 and 2023 to understand their experiences with Medi-Cal and barriers to becoming Medi-Cal providers. They found that community midwives face barriers at all stages from signing up to be a Medi-Cal provider to obtaining reimbursement.