Maternal Deaths Are at Their Highest in 20 Years: Why It’s Time to Rethink Women’s Health

For those of you new around here, my name is Mari-Carmen Sanchez-Morris
I’m a qualified nurse, women’s health coach, mother of three, and founder of Matresa. My mission is simple but urgent: to drive better health outcomes for mothers from preconception throughout motherhood.

A Sobering Reality from the Women’s Health Conference

Last week, my team and I attended the Women’s Health Conference in London — a jam-packed three-day event filled with investors, experts, and innovators all working toward one goal: improving outcomes for women.

It was refreshing to see so many people united by passion and purpose — but also a sobering reminder that this isn’t about markets.
It’s about lives and livelihoods.

In the UK, maternal deaths have climbed to their highest level in 20 years.
Up to one in five women experience a mental health problem during pregnancy or in the year after birth.
These are not isolated “women’s issues”, they ripple across families, workplaces, and the wider economy.

Within five years of their first child, the average UK mother loses around £65,000 in earnings, and many struggle to sustain a full-time career.

When we invest in women’s health, especially maternal health, we don’t just change outcomes for mothers. We create healthier babies, stronger families, and more productive economies.

Closing the women’s health gap could unlock nearly $1 trillion in global GDP each year. But this shouldn’t only be about the economic return; it’s about moral responsibility. When we prioritise maternal health with compassion and evidence, we save lives and build a fairer, more prosperous future for us all.

Breaking Down Barriers: Reflections from Dame Lesley Regan

At the end of Day 1, Dame Lesley Regan delivered a keynote that truly resonated.
She spoke about building an “imaginary door”, a way for innovators, developers, and practitioners to navigate the labyrinth of NHS and government red tape so that new treatments, tests, and technologies reach women faster.

As a nurse, I’ve seen firsthand how bureaucracy stalls meaningful change.
Dame Lesley’s words, “Women have been let down by successive governments”, echoed the frustration many of us feel. Britain has become complacent about women’s health, and the results are devastating.

Why the 6-Week Check Isn’t Enough

I’ve long believed that the moment a woman sees that positive or negative pregnancy test, we should pivot immediately to personalised, preventative care.

Too often, the 6-week postnatal check is too little, too late — and sometimes bundled with baby vaccinations, meaning the mother’s needs are overlooked entirely. If we reimagine these pathways and intervene earlier, we not only save lives but also reduce the burden on families, workplaces, and the healthcare system. Dame Lesley’s vision of a “bright yellow front door” to streamline innovation is exactly what we need, but infrastructure without urgency is still inertia. We must act now, for every woman, every family, every future.

Closing the Gaps: From Fragmentation to Continuity of Care

One of the greatest challenges in maternal health today is fragmentation.
Data, care, and communication often sit in silos.

How can we support a mother postnatally if we don’t know what happened prenatally? Too often, vital information about her physical and emotional well-being is lost between appointments, departments, or transitions of care.

To change this, we need to start much earlier, at preconception.

By collecting biometrics and health data, from blood pressure to sleep quality, stress levels, and emotional well-being, we can identify risks, personalise care, and provide timely interventions.

Preventative care isn’t just early screening; it’s about the right support, at the right time, before it’s too late, putting that support in the palm of every mother’s hand.

Both the NHS Long Term Plan and The Lancet Maternal Health Series highlight the need for this shift toward continuity and prevention.
The NHS calls for “digitally enabled, personalised pathways” to reduce inequalities and improve outcomes, while The Lancet describes current systems as “too reactive, too fragmented, and too late.”

Building the future with Matresa

This is exactly what we’re building with Matresa, a connected ecosystem that supports women from preconception through postpartum and the first four years of a child’s life.

Matresa integrates seamlessly with existing maternal health pathways, ensuring every mother receives preventative care at the right time, when she needs it most.

Our fundraise officially opens on 3 November, and we’re proud to already have a lead investor committed.

If you believe in creating a future where equitable, preventative maternal healthcare is the norm, not the exception,
👉 Book a call with me here and join us as we build something truly special and impactful.

💜 Together for Change

Our community will be walking 10 km on 26 October to raise funds for Baby Loss Awareness Week. If you’d like to donate or get involved, visit the link here.

Because the data tells one story.
But the mothers, the women behind those numbers, tell another.

It’s time policy, technology, and compassion finally align to change both.

Mari-Carmen

Founder of Matresa