We are a company founded on the lived experience of postpartum depression. We are passionate about maternal health and believe that every mother deserves top notch mental health care as they navigate pregnancy and postpartum.

We learned from first-hand experience that postpartum depression is preventable and easily treatable IF early screening, intervention, education, and support is provided. Sadly, too many women experience a gap of care between OBGYN and mental health. For many, there are barriers like: mental health coverage, finding the right therapist, taking time off work for treatment, and many more. We wanted to bridge that gap and that’s when we created Previa Alliance.

With Sarah’s first pregnancy, she had a rare complication called vasa previa. Previa is a medical term that means ‘before or in front of.’ Previa Alliance desires to be in front of the pain associated with postpartum depression (PPD) by recognizing signs and symptoms before they can take root. We do this by advocating for regular PPD screening throughout perinatal and postpartum care and being an ally for women who need PPD care.

Previa Alliance tracks the screening score and employs early intervention if risk factors increase or symptoms of PPD are identified. Too often, women are screened but provided no support or treatment. Previa Alliance screens, monitors, provides early intervention, and most importantly, provides a connection to maternal mental health specialists for treatment options.

• Women are not screened with a proven tool or are not screened at all.
• Women are not educated on the signs and symptoms of PPD.
• Most screenings occur at the six-week follow-up after birth but 60% of women do not keep that appointment. As PPD can present several months after birth, these women suffer needlessly.

The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a widely used and recommended tool for screening pregnant and postpartum women (Adapted from the British Journal of Psychiatry, June 1987, vol. 150 by J.L. Cox, J.M. Holden, R. Segovsky​). It consists of 10 questions that help providers identify depressive and anxiety symptoms. You answer the questions based on the feelings you’ve experienced over the past 7 days. 

The EPDS is a widely-used and validated screening tool. You will get a numerical score ranging from 0 to 30. Your report will have a brief summary indicating your current risk of postpartum depression and include some helpful self-guided activities to complete. If your score indicates you are at risk, we will help connect you with a licensed therapist.

Awareness and education are key to decreasing the stigma behind PPD. Knowing signs and symptoms of PPD as well as risk factors, is impactful for all. With that said, this is your personal report. We honor your privacy and trust. Your health information is protected under federal and state laws. We will not share any your information with third parties in a manner that would violate that. You may, however, want to share how you are feeling with your support system, so they can better aid you.

While most women are diagnosed with PPD during the first six months of postpartum, it is possible to develop PPD later. In fact, 46% of maternal suicide occurs 180-365 days postpartum. This tells us that screening and support is crucial to continue to one-year postpartum.

No. This is a free service. We passionately believe that PPD screening should be widely accessible for all pregnant and postpartum women, and that it is key to preventing and treating postpartum depression.

We will work with you to determine insurance coverage and cost of either co-pay or self-pay sliding scale for therapy. The biggest hurdle in proper treatment is finding a mental health provider that 1) has availability, 2) takes your insurance, and 3) is trained in maternal mental health. We take that hurdle away and connect you with one who meets all the above.

Participating in therapy is completely your choice. We will continue to screen and monitor your scores.

We know the importance of just knowing someone is there to help, and that is what we are here to provide.

We want you to provide us with the most accurate answers and that comes from you being in an environment conducive to that. When you are in an office visit or filling out hospital discharge papers, you may feel overwhelmed, under pressure, or unable to be honest. By sending you the link to complete at your convenience in the safety of your home, we believe the assessment will be more accurate.

At this time, we are contracted by individual ob-gyn/medical offices. Our dream vision is to have this as a service for every mother. Contact us if you would like us to try and partner with your OBGYN provider, pediatrician, payor, or employer.