Virtual health care with personalized maternal support

Like many couples, Kathryn and her husband Dan always wanted children, but the timing never felt right. As a professional musician and teacher, Dan worked long hours. Kathryn, a perinatal nurse, cared for newborns and families — and witnessed both the joy and heartbreak of bringing fragile new life into the world. 

“Because I had that exposure to a lot of high-risk pregnancies, I was really nervous to have a baby,” she said. “But we decided we’re not getting any younger and we wanted to give it a go.” 

At 35 — considered advancing maternal age — she understood that becoming pregnant might be more difficult. At the same time, she wanted to give herself permission to quiet her “nurse brain” and experience the journey as a patient. 

“The recommendation for women my age is to consult a reproductive health practitioner if a successful pregnancy doesn’t occur within the first 6 months of trying,” she recalled. “But I felt like I needed support earlier in my journey.” 

After experiencing two early losses within the first few months of trying, Kathryn turned to Maven for support. 

“Maven turned out to be an incredible resource — it felt like such a treat to be able to access it,” she said.  

Kathryn began by exploring Maven’s “Trying to Conceive” resources. Impressed, she connected with Nia, a Maven Care Advocate, who scheduled an intake call within a day, listened to her concerns and explained her support options. 

“Nia immediately made me feel like my questions were valid and my experience was important,” Kathryn said. “She felt like a person I could naturally talk to.” 

Based on their conversation, Nia recommended a fertility coach and helped Kathryn schedule a virtual visit that same week. 

With Mary, the fertility coach, Kathryn felt comfortable sharing her hopes, fears and support needs. Mary provided:

• Guidance on cycle tracking and fertility
• A recommendation for an over-the-counter ovulation test
• Curated articles and podcasts

In a follow-up session, they reviewed her results together, helping Kathryn refine her routine and next steps.

Alongside her fertility journey, Kathryn was working with a therapist to manage work-related secondary trauma.  

“I had a lot of trauma symptoms, and experiences where I would picture these really terrible things that happened to my patients happen to me,” she explained. 

As she went through her fertility journey, her worries about pregnancy and parenting grew. Nia connected her with a Maven mental health specialist who understood firsthand how stressful pregnancy can be and how that stress can trigger trauma. With that support, Kathryn was able to work through her fears and began to feel more hopeful. 

Within a few months of working with Maven’s multidisciplinary team, Kathryn became pregnant again and transitioned to Maven’s maternity program. 

To support her high-risk pregnancy, Nia connected her with a perinatologist to complement her OB-GYN and midwife. Kathryn also used Maven’s pregnancy education and tracking tools for additional guidance. 

As her pregnancy progressed, she continued to lean on Maven’s network of specialists. When she experienced severe nausea, Nia connected her with a nutritionist, whose guidance helped her find tolerable foods and build meal plans. 

Later, Nia introduced Kathryn to a physical therapist and pelvic floor specialist to support mobility and manage discomfort. 

“With Maven, I felt like I had this expansive on-demand resource and network,” Kathryn said. “It felt very special to have access to all those highly qualified providers.”

Months later, Kathryn delivered a healthy baby girl.  

Following their daughter’s arrival, she continued using Maven for a full year postpartum for milestone tracking, educational resources and on-demand support — including a 3 a.m. lactation consult.  

“We cherish every single day with our daughter — she is such a delight,” Kathryn said.  

Looking back, Kathryn credits Maven as an important part of her journey to motherhood. 

“Trying to get pregnant and pregnancy can be very stressful. I knew I needed more support. Maven was so personalized and supportive — I felt heard, validated and truly supported.” 

Together, Optum and Maven help employees receive end-to-end coaching, navigation and resources for each phase of reproductive and family health, delivering outcomes that matter with our corporate wellness program:  

• Fewer complications — 
  • Up to 28% reduction in neonatal intensive care admissions
  • Up to 20% reduction in cesarean deliveries 
  • 33% better managed anxiety or depression
• Enhanced productivity: 94% return-to-work rate