Eliminating Severe Maternal Morbidity With Heart Health Doulas Trial

The purpose of this study is to improve blood pressure in women who have a hypertensivedisorder of pregnancy. A hypertensive disorder of pregnancy is one in which a woman'sblood pressure is elevated during pregnancy. For the purpose of this project, ahypertensive disorder of pregnancy includes gestational hypertension, preeclampsia andeclampsia. By improving blood pressure in pregnant women, the investigators aim to lowerthe number of women with chronic hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and mortality. Thestudy will enroll 454 women who are 18 years or older, are about to or have recentlygiven birth, and have been diagnosed with a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. Womenwill be randomly chosen to take part in usual care or an intervention group.This study is designed to evaluate support for new moms by providing a postpartum doulain partnership with Healthy Start Inc. Healthy Start is a local community‐basedorganization that supports women, children, fathers, families and communities throughcommunity‐based programming, advocacy, research, and training. The support provided tonew moms will include weekly doula sessions (in‐person or virtual), education andsupport, and blood pressure and weight monitoring. Women will be enrolled during theirthird trimester up until they are a few weeks postpartum and will complete the studyaround 12 months postpartum. If assigned to the intervention group, women will attendweekly check‐ins with their doula for 8‐12 weeks and receive continuous blood pressureand weight monitoring throughout the duration of the study. Both groups will be enrolledinto a 6‐week home‐based blood pressure monitoring program with text messaging support(enrollment in the 6‐week program is the standard of care at Magee Women's Hospitalfollowing a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy). Both the usual care and interventiongroups will attend a follow‐up visit at 12 months postpartum.