Startup partners with Berks LaunchBox to offer pregnancy and postpartum services
For many women, the weeks after pregnancy, or the “fourth trimester,” can be an especially vulnerable time, physically and emotionally.
Talonda Rogers knows firsthand what it’s like to deal with postpartum health issues, and her goal is to ensure women in similar positions receive the right care at the right time.
To that end, Rogers teamed up Penn State’s Berks LaunchBox to create The Fourth Trimester MAHMEE — a nonprofit startup that advocates for pregnant and postpartum women with the help of support services. MAHMEE is an acronym for — Maternal Advocates Helping Magnify Education & Empowerment.
Berks LaunchBox, located in the Goggleworks Center for the Arts in Reading, is an innovation hub that connects local early-stage entrepreneurs to the support, resources, and facilities that they need to build businesses.
Working alongside Berks LaunchBox staff, Rogers created a prototype product and developed a website showcasing Fourth Trimester MAHMEE’s services, including physical and mental health assessments, yoga and exercise classes, maternal education, and “MAHMEE Mood Rooms” for relaxation.
Rogers’ journey toward advocacy began 23 years ago, when she was expecting her first child.
She suddenly began experiencing blurred vision, excessive thirst and decreased fetal movement, Rogers said in a press release from Penn State Berks.
Concerned, Rogers told her doctors, but her worries were dismissed.
Her son, Brandon, was stillborn, and Rogers faced further complications from a C-section that left her with paralyzed lungs and intestinal muscles, and a near diabetic coma.
That trauma led Rogers to pursue a career in nursing.
Rogers earned her licensed practical nursing certification, then associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing, the release said.
After working as a bedside nurse for 11 years, she switched to working as a nurse educator.
As a teacher, Rogers came face to face with statistics outlining the mortality rates disproportionately affecting Black women in childbirth compared to other groups in the United States.
“It’s concerning to note that Black and Indigenous People of Color are experiencing a three- to four-times higher mortality rate than others in the United States, and this gap is growing rapidly,” Rogers said in the release. “The high number of maternal deaths during the postpartum period highlights the historical neglect of postpartum care. What’s even more distressing is that 84% of these deaths could have been prevented. This emphasizes the critical need for widespread systemic changes.”
Learning those grim statistics motivated Rogers to start The Fourth Trimester MAHMEE.
Working with Berks LaunchBox
Rogers was referred to Berks LaunchBox in 2021, where she worked with Michelle Hnath, LaunchBox coordinator and entrepreneurial adviser, to undertake LaunchBox’s Idea TestLab accelerator program, which offers a six-week customer discovery course to prove an idea, culminating in a final pitch event.
Rogers took first place in the pitch event and earned $1,500 in funding.
She then teamed up with Berks LaunchBox’s Makerspace engineer, Jim Hong, to create a prototype product — a talking stuffed animal, designed to empower women to advocate for themselves during and after pregnancy.
“(The stuffed animal) is designed to provide comfort and important health information to expecting and new mothers,” Rogers said in the release. “This new product aims to help women ask their health care providers important questions when they experience symptoms. It also aims to offer support for those facing postpartum mental health challenges.
She said Hong played a crucial role in finalizing the design and functionality of her prototype.
“When the animal’s paws, ears, belly and heart are pressed, it delivers audio information to support and uplift women during this significant phase of their lives,” Rogers said.
Rogers also worked with LaunchBox to create a company brochure and website.
“Embarking on my journey with the Berks LaunchBox was transformative,” Rogers said in the release. “I have been supported in crafting a compelling pitch, building a great website, creating a professional brochure and, with the help of the LaunchBox’s Jim Hong, building my first fully working electronic prototype. Their hands-on support from pitch rehearsals to website development not only nurtured my business, but also connected me with a vibrant community of entrepreneurs, opening doors I never imagined.”
Since starting with Berks LaunchBox, Rogers has also received a $3,000 I-corps mini-grant and two $500 “Grow Your Startup” grants, which provide funding support for entrepreneurs engaged in Berks LaunchBox programs.
Fourth Trimester MAHMEE
According to the website, Fourth Trimester MAHMEE offers a suite of services for women in Berks and Chester counties, which can be requested via a link and submission form.
The process starts when Fourth Trimester MAHMEE receives a referral from the family, or a health care provider.
The mom is then visited within two weeks of postpartum to asses her and the baby’s progress. A mental and physical assessment is performed, and the mom receives access to education, other services, personal care supplies, and referrals as needed.
For the assessment, the company acts as a liaison between patients and doctors to provide a comprehensive physical and mental health checkup before a 6-week postpartum follow-up, to proactively address concerning signs and symptoms in a timely manner, according to the website.
Fourth Trimester MAHMEE also offers therapeutic massages and yoga and low impact exercise classes, which aim to stave off postpartum and pregnancy related health issues by reducing stress and improving blood pressure regulation and circulation.
Other services include child loss support groups, one-on-one mental health support, lactation support, a rentable space for baby showers, and classes on family planning, nutrition, CPR, and maternal warning signs, as well as partnerships with childcare providers, healthcare facilities, community organizations, schools, individuals, businesses, and other non-profits, according to the website.
The company’s partners include Maternal and Child Health Consortium, Black Women of Chester County in Action, Alvernia University, Breadth of Hope, The Fund for Women and Girls, and Taylormade Behavioral Health Solutions.
For more information, visit www.4tmahmee.org.
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