Dr.Chowa

Honored to speak at the Minnesota Social Service Association (MSSA) Conference today about something I believe will define the future of maternal health: closing the postpartum gap. 🤍 Many maternal deaths occur after delivery, yet postpartum care remains one of the most fragmented parts of our healthcare system. If we want to reduce maternal mortality, we cannot focus only on pregnancy and birth. We must invest in the fourth trimester. 🌿 But medical professionals alone cannot solve this problem. That’s why it meant so much to speak at a conference filled with social service professionals who support families in the real world every day. 🤝 Postpartum recovery is not just medical. It touches housing, mental health, food security, childcare, community support, and access to care. When healthcare and social services work together, we build the kind of safety net mothers actually need. Because when we care for mothers well after birth, we change the trajectory of families, communities, and generations. ✨ #MaternalHealth #PostpartumCare #FourthTrimester #HealthcareLeadership #PublicHealth MSSA

Still pinching myself 🩷. Here are some excerpts from my Forbes Feature. Read the full story here. /sites/adairalandry/2025/10/27/pregnancy-care-ends-too-soon-how-the-postpartum-system-fails-mothers/ #Forbes #PostpartumCare #DrChowa #MaternalHealth #pregnant #pregnancy

Kicking off our WIMSummit rapid fire speaker series: starting with Dr. Chowa. Inspired by the story of a friend, @drchowa has been working in the multi-disciplinary post-partum care space. Check out her page and her conceptual model @emcare2u ! Also check out the @thenerdbugs neuron! #PWIMS2025 #wimstrongertogether #medicine #postpartumcare #obgyn #wimsummit #womeninmedicine #premed #residencylife #doctor #womeninsurgery #blackdoctors #blackwomeninmedicine #emergencymedicine #pregnancy

The U.S. postpartum care model gives mothers one scheduled visit after delivery. One. And it is often six weeks away. But many of the most devastating complications happen long before then. As an emergency physician, I have walked into homes for what seemed routine: Aclogged duct. A C-section check. A breastfeeding concern. And I have found mothers with life-threatening postpartum blood pressures who may not have survived the night without intervention. Mothers often do not recognize the warning signs. Many underreport symptoms. And our healthcare system still expects them to navigate recovery largely alone. At EMCare2U, I provide personalized postpartum support through virtual and in-home care designed to bridge that dangerous gap after birth. Services include: • Postpartum monitoring and support • Virtual and in-home physician visits • Blood pressure and symptom evaluations • C-section and recovery checks • Care coordination and advocacy • Guidance for urgent postpartum concerns Because postpartum care should not begin at six weeks. Memberships start as low as $199/month. Thank you to KevinMD for having me on the podcast to discuss the postpartum care gap and why the fourth trimester deserves a true continuum of care. The episode can be accessed through his Instagram page. Learn more abouty services at #PostpartumCare #FourthTrimester #MaternalHealth #ConciergeMedicine #EMCare2U

It’s exhausting, isn’t it? Watching the news. Watching the attacks on our livelihood. Watching systems that are supposed to protect mothers and families move painfully slow… and sometimes even backwards. But I want to remind you of something: We have already conquered mountains together. Reflecting on the time we had at EmpowerMOM and the way it brought mothers and birthworkers together. It reminded me of the power of community. Seeing physicians, doulas, therapists, lactation consultants, advocates, and mothers gathered in one room with one mission—to make sure women are seen, heard, and supported—was a reminder that we are stronger together. Systemic change is slow. At times, it even feels like we are moving backwards. But the communities we are building? They are more than necessary. They are lifesaving. So if you are a birthworker, you are so needed. If you are pregnant, postpartum, or beyond, please know this: You are held. You are not navigating this alone. 🤍 One more thing…I hope you voted this week 🙏🏾. And if you did not, please show up at the polls next week. #empowermom #birthworker #blackmaternalhealth #maternalmentalhealth #doula

📣 Meet Your 2026 DONA International Virtual Summit Keynote Speakers!🎉 Our theme this October - Awareness to Action: Insight to Practice - is all about moving beyond knowledge and into real-world application. And our keynote lineup delivers exactly that. ✨ Dr. Kimarie Bugg, DNP, MPH, IBCLC, FAAN - Practical, evidence-based insight on how doulas can better support lactation from pregnancy through the fourth trimester and why that role matters more than most realize. @doctor_mama_bugg ✨ Amy Chen, Esq. - Back on the DONA stage for the first time since 2022, Amy breaks down the current state of Medicaid and private insurance coverage for doula care and what it takes to keep expanding access. ✨ Dr. Kaveri Mayra, PhD, MPH, BScN - Joining live from India, Dr. Mayra uses arts-based research to explore obstetric violence in perinatal settings and what birth and postpartum doulas need to understand about disrespect and abuse in care. @kaveri_mayra ✨ Dr. Phindile Chowa, MD - An unflinching look at what postpartum medicine consistently misses, and a concrete case for how doulas can step into those gaps. @drchowa ✨ Special Session: Chéree Thomas M.L.S. & Dr. Jessica Edel from the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence @mcedsv - You're already supporting survivors. This session helps you recognize it and respond, moving doulas from awareness to action on IPV in the perinatal period. Registration is OPEN - presale access is live until May 31st! 🌍 👉🏽 Go to donasummit.com to see the full schedule and register today. #DONAInternational #DONASummit2026

Most postpartum complications do not happen in the hospital. They happen at home. Between appointments. In the moments when a mother says: “Something doesn’t feel right.” And often, birth workers are the first to notice. That is why I am hosting this in person workshop: POSTPARTUM EMERGENCIES: What Every Birth Worker Must Know This training is designed specifically for non-clinical birth workers who support mothers during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. You do not need to be a nurse, physician, or medical provider to attend. This course is ideal for: • Birth doulas • Postpartum doulas • Lactation consultants • Childbirth educators • Maternal wellness professionals • Community health workers • Newborn care specialists • Anyone supporting mothers in the fourth trimester As birth workers, you are often closest to mothers during vulnerable moments. You may notice warning signs before anyone else. This training will help you: • Recognize postpartum red flags early • Understand when escalation is necessary • Learn appropriate referral pathways • Strengthen communication and advocacy skills • Support mothers with greater confidence while staying within your scope This is not about diagnosing or practicing medicine outside your role. It is about helping birth workers recognize when something may be wrong and helping mothers access care sooner. Because education saves lives. 🗓 July 11, 2026 ⏰ 12–3 PM 📍 Atlanta Area 🎟 Limited spots available DM “BIRTHWORKER” or join the waitlist for updates. #PostpartumCare #DoulaEducation #BirthWorker #FourthTrimester

“Nobody checked on mom.” We celebrate the baby shower. We celebrate the birth. We celebrate the baby. But who’s checking on the mother after everyone goes home? This conversation with Dr. Chowa is a powerful reminder that postpartum care is not optional — it’s lifesaving. Black mothers deserve support, rest, community, mental health care, and to be cared for too. 🎧 Full episode out now on My Black Homebirth Podcast #PostpartumCare #BlackMaternalHealth #BlackMomsMatter #PostpartumHealing #myblackhomebirth

A few days before Mother’s Day, I ran a pediatric code. Baby did not make it. I will never forget that mother’s cries. As physicians, we are trained to move quickly in moments like these. Algorithms. Medications. Compressions. Decisions made in seconds. But as a mother myself…those sounds pierced straight through me. All I could think was: She is postpartum too. She is still navigating physical recovery, hormonal shifts, sleep deprivation, emotional changes…and now unimaginable grief on top of it all. As an ER physician, I offered what I could that night: A chaplain. Social services. Condolences. But if I am being honest, my resource cup felt empty. Eventually she would leave the hospital and go home carrying a pain no mother should ever have to carry. And I found myself hoping the system would somehow catch her afterward. What we do not talk about enough is that postpartum and grief can coexist. There is an entire category of mothers suffering silently at the intersection of both. This Mother’s Day weekend, while many celebrated, I could not stop thinking about her. And I also found myself thinking about all the mothers for whom this weekend was difficult. The grieving mothers. The postpartum mothers struggling silently. The mothers navigating loss, depression, loneliness, infertility, strained relationships, or survival mode while still showing up for everyone else. Motherhood can hold both love and pain at the same time. It is now Monday. I spent the weekend processing, hugging my daughter a little tighter, and reflecting on how fragile life can feel. Some patients stay with us long after the shift ends. This was one of them.

Happy Mother’Day to Mommy ❤️🌸.

Motherhood has stretched me, softened me, challenged me, humbled me, and grown me. Grateful for the journey ❤️.

Mark your calendars for the next EmpowerMOM Shower. EmpowerMOM is a space created for mothers to be educated, empowered, supported, and connected to the village they deserve through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. More details soon. We cannot wait to gather again. #EmpowerMOM #PostpartumCare #MaternalHealth #AtlantaMoms #pregnancysupport