January 13, 2026
By Emilia Ochoa-Ruiz, MS, PMP
Manager, California Telehealth Resource Center
Maternal Health Day is more than a date on the calendar. It is a call to action to strengthen access to safe, high-quality care for mothers and families, especially those in rural and underrepresented communities. At the California Telehealth Resource Center (CTRC), we see every day how telehealth plays a critical role in closing gaps in maternal care, improving continuity of services, and supporting healthier outcomes across the perinatal journey.
Across many regions, expectant and new mothers face barriers that make accessing routine and specialty care difficult: long travel distances, financial strain, lack of childcare or transportation, and workforce shortages in obstetrics and behavioral health. For some communities, maternity care deserts are not a statistic—they are a lived reality.
Telehealth helps bridge these gaps by bringing care closer to where patients live, work, and receive support. When thoughtfully implemented, virtual care expands options rather than replacing in‑person services, creating a more connected continuum of care for families.
How Telehealth Supports Maternal Health Across the Care Journey
Prenatal and postpartum check-ins
Virtual visits make it easier for patients to attend routine appointments, ask questions, review symptoms, and receive timely guidance without the burden of travel or time away from work and family responsibilities.
Specialist consultations for high-risk pregnancies
Telehealth enables rural providers to collaborate with maternal-fetal medicine specialists, improving care coordination and reducing unnecessary transfers or delays in care.
Behavioral and mental health support
Perinatal anxiety, depression, and trauma often go untreated due to stigma, lack of providers, or geographic isolation. Tele-behavioral health services increase access to screening, therapy, peer support, and crisis resources when mothers need them most.
Remote monitoring for maternal health
Home-based monitoring tools such as digital blood pressure cuffs or glucose tracking help providers identify early warning signs of complications like hypertension, gestational diabetes, or preeclampsia, allowing for earlier intervention and improved outcomes.
Culturally responsive and language-accessible care
Telehealth can connect patients with providers who understand their language, culture, and lived experience, an especially meaningful advantage for immigrant, tribal, and underrepresented communities.
Addressing Food Insecurity and Maternal Nutrition Through Telehealth
Food insecurity is a critical and often overlooked maternal health risk factor. Pregnant and postpartum individuals experiencing food insecurity face higher risks of complications, stress, and poor birth outcomes, and these challenges disproportionately affect rural and low-income communities.
- Nutrition counseling and education via virtual visits give patients direct access to dietitians, WIC counselors, and lactation consultants who can provide culturally relevant guidance tailored to pregnancy, diabetes prevention, breastfeeding, and postpartum recovery.
- Screening for food insecurity through telehealth assessments allows providers to identify social needs early and connect families to community resources, food banks, and benefit programs without requiring an extra in-person appointment.
- Care coordination and referrals can be completed in real time, linking patients to WIC, CalFresh or SNAP, home-delivered food programs, and community-based organizations that support maternal and infant nutrition.
- Group education and peer-support classes delivered virtually help families build healthy routines, learn practical meal strategies, and reduce isolation, particularly for rural parents who may not have local support networks.
Why Telehealth Matters for Rural and Underrepresented Mothers
Rural and underserved communities experience higher rates of preventable maternal complications, limited access to obstetric services, and greater structural barriers to care. Telehealth helps:
- Reduce missed appointments and care delays
- Support continuity of care during pregnancy and postpartum
- Strengthen collaboration between local clinics, hospitals, and specialists
- Expand access to lactation support, doula services, nutrition counseling, and patient education
- Empower families with flexible, patient-centered care options
For many mothers, telehealth is not simply convenient — it is essential.
Building Sustainable, Community-Centered Solutions
Expanding telehealth for maternal health is most effective when paired with:
- Community partnerships and trust-building
- Broadband and digital literacy support
- Trauma-informed and culturally respectful care approaches
- Policies that sustain reimbursement and workforce innovation
- Ongoing training and technical assistance for providers
Our Commitment
On Maternal Health Day, and every day, we reaffirm our mission to advance access to high-quality digital health tools for underserved communities. By supporting telehealth adoption across California and beyond, we strive to ensure that every mother has the opportunity to receive compassionate, connected, and life-affirming care, no matter where she lives.
If your organization is exploring ways to expand maternal telehealth services or needs guidance on implementation, training, or best practices, CTRC is here to help. Contact us to learn more or request no-cost technical assistance.
References
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2020). Implementing telehealth in practice (Committee Opinion No. 798). Implementing Telehealth in Practice | ACOG
Brown, M., Magee, L., & von Dadelszen, P. (2023). Remote blood pressure monitoring in pregnancy: A tool for earlier detection and intervention. Hypertension in Pregnancy, 42(2), 145–152.
Bryant, A. S., Blake-Lewis, S., & Stone, S. (2022). Telehealth as a tool to improve maternal health equity. Journal of Women’s Health, 31(9), 1256–1263.
Gago, C., Karls, A., & Redding, C. (2022). Telehealth nutrition counseling for low-income pregnant and postpartum women: Barriers, facilitators, and opportunities. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 26(5), 1012–1020.
Koenen, K. C., Silverman, M. E., & Smith, M. V. (2022). Tele-mental health care for perinatal women: Expanding access and reducing disparities. Psychiatric Services, 73(6), 678–685.
March of Dimes. (2023). Nowhere to go: Maternity care deserts across the U.S. Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the US | March of Dimes
Raymond-Flesch, M., Siemons, R., Brindis, C. D., & Poole, S. (2021). Telehealth in the safety net: Supporting high-risk pregnancies in rural and underserved regions. Health Affairs, 40(9), 1392–1400.
Testa, A., Waterhouse, P., & Leifheit, K. (2023). Food insecurity during pregnancy and postpartum: Implications for maternal and infant health. American Journal of Public Health, 113(1), 92–101.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2025). Telehealth and high-risk pregnancy. Telehealth and high-risk pregnancy | Telehealth.HHS.gov
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