"Catching mamas": redefining the postpartum medical imaginary at Boston Medical Center
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
Across the United States, birthing people are exploring demedicalized birth options and integrative postpartum care in pursuit of more bodily autonomy. This search for patient-centered care comes at a critical time as U.S. maternal mortality rates continue to rise, with more than half of maternal deaths occurring in the postpartum period (CDC 2016). Boston Medical Center (BMC), the largest safety-net hospital system in New England, curates a unique ecosystem of care, providing underinsured patients with postpartum care options that are typically accessed privately. In this small, qualitative study I aim to understand how various clinical and non-clinical postpartum providers at BMC conceptualize their roles in postpartum care. Through interviews and observations, I have witnessed and heard BMC employees describe how they provide comprehensive and interdisciplinary care. BMC’s stated focus on community building allows for the creation of social and emotional networks. The intensity of daily care in the Obstetrics and Gynecology clinic gives providers a sense of pride and encourages them to uplift one another. Addressing the broad needs of the patient population allows for increased communication, recreation of lost rituals, and better continuity of care. In this thesis I will argue that by providing these services, BMC has created a holistic model of care that responds to the structural violence and inequity its patient population faces by redefining the medical imaginary and embracing non-clinical aspects of care.
Description
2025