About

We have a big bold vision. Soshe is building  a comprehensive, app-based, digital health program that truly informs and empowers new and expecting parents, beyond the clickbait content that's so ubiquitous today. We're outcomes-driven and evidence-based. Our goal is to cover health and wellness (physical and emotional) from trying-to-conceive (TTC) through pregnancy, childbirth, and the months and years postpartum.

You have to start somewhere, and we're starting with childbirth. Why? The reality is that too often we're under-prepared for childbirth, and data show that more preparation leads to better outcomes, for you and your baby. Furthermore, so much of postpartum recovery starts with the childbirth experience. 

Improving birth experiences and outcomes is also a win-win for families, providers, payers, and employers. Birth is the #1 reason for hospitalization in the U.S. and c-sections are the #1 most frequently performed surgery. And the U.S. has room for improvement in maternal health outcomes (more on this later).

​So after a ton of feedback from childbirth experts and moms, we launched the only app-based online birth education. And guess what?!? People LOVE it.

Up next: We'll extend our tools and education into the postpartum: breastfeeding, newborn care/safety/sleep, mental health, physical recovery, and more.

A big bold vision. And we're well on our way.

Our Vision: The Modern Village of Support

The Soshe vision is that everyone gets the credible INFORMATION and comprehensive human SUPPORT needed to thrive physically, emotionally, logistically, and professionally throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum.

​How? Create the modern village. Smart, personalized technology is part of that village, and so are the professionals that complement the care of physicians, from lactation consultants and doulas to postpartum physical therapy and mental health support.

[Note: Soshe does not practice medicine nor offer MD-driven telemedicine. Our belief is that, especially in the maternal health context, you want to talk to YOUR doctor. So we'll help you know when to contact your doctor, what to ask, and eventually, help you find the right doctor and hospital for you. We'll also help you understand who else should round out your village of support, and connect you with experts from doulas to lactation consultants, including virtually given the coronavirus context.]

Soshe believes that to improve health outcomes efficiently and effectively - in maternal health or anywhere in health care - it requires a combination of high tech + high touch. If we empower people to take ownership of their own care, with credible information, real-time problem solving, and triage tools, we can deliver effective health care to consumers wherever they are, with tremendous reach and scalability. This patient education/engagement can be a great equalizer in a landscape where health care is not equitably accessible across populations.

But human support matters too. "Tech" won't be replacing doctors, therapists, PT, or others anytime soon. So whether it's telehealth support in the era of COVID, or in-person support in the years beyond, Soshe helps new moms build their village of support.

So let's get real about what's ahead. Really prepared. Really supported.  #SoSheCanThrive

It takes a village.

We believe that technology is part of the modern village, including connecting new parents with credible information and human support. 

Team

Soshe is a growing team of stand-out consumer technology leaders and maternal health experts who are passionate about changing the information and support available to new parents.

Soshe was founded by Shannon Sullivan Field, who has 20 years of experience building and marketing consumer apps at brands like Disney, Trulia, and Pinterest. Shannon was the first Head of Product and Marketing at Virta Health, an online diabetes reversal clinic with paradigm-shifting clinical trial results, and is a mother of three. See Shannon's Bio.

See also: "Why I started Soshe" (founder's story)

App-Based, Evidence-Based Childbirth Education

Did you know:

Satisfaction with the childbirth experience is LESS about pain and how long labor lasted, and  MORE about actively participating in the decision-making throughout the childbirth experience, which requires KNOWLEDGE and PREPARATION.

​And satisfaction with the birth experience can impact the biological process of bonding with a new baby, breastfeeding success, risk of postpartum depression, and intimacy/sexual health after baby.

#SoShePrepares   #SoSheFeelsConfident    #SoSheCanThrive

The Problem

 Everyone's focus is on the new baby. But what about the person, the literal lifeblood who just gave birth to that baby? 

Compared with medical care for a new baby, or care during pregnancy, postpartum care is almost non-existent. One appointment six weeks after childbirth is insufficient (ACOG agrees), and 40% of people don't even go. One in five, if not more, suffer from perinatal mood disorders including depression, anxiety, or PTSD. One quarter are back to work within two weeks of giving birth and 43% drop out of the workforce within three months.

More family support isn't the answer. Aside from the lack of training and expertise, families are spread across the globe. Parents and even grandparents are working longer hours and are often financially constrained. So as new parents, we pressures ourselves to just handle it, to be strong, because in our minds, generations before us have done it (although not in the same way). 

Without sufficient guidance, new parents don't know what's "normal", accept the too-common response, "You just had a baby, of course you're tired. Of course it hurts. Of course it's hard," and then don't seek help, or more often, don't even know what support is available.
​
The result? Complications of childbirth go undiagnosed and untreated, and the learning curve of parenting is harder than it needs to be. Too many lack the KNOWLEDGE and SUPPORT to overcome breastfeeding pain, postpartum depression, anxiety, and PTSD, pubic bone fractures and pelvic muscle tears, back pain, incontinence, painful sex, lack of sleep, and more.

Not to mention preventable maternal deaths. Alarmingly, the U.S. has the highest maternal death rate of any developed country. An estimated 60% of these deaths are preventable, and 50% happen after discharge from the hospital. We can do better. And the answer is to create the modern village. 

Reading these alarming statistics is a big reason Soshe exists today.

See also: "Why I started Soshe" (founder's story)

The Health Economics Problem (and Solution)

Childbirth is the #1 reason for hospitalization in the U.S., accounting for 12% of hospital stays. And the U.S. spends more money on pregnancy and newborn care than any other country. Yet we have worse outcomes. How is that possible? Hint: the solution across Europe, Canada, and Asia isn't more access to OBs (again, ACOG agrees). ​

We already have data to support more comprehensive and more specialized care. For example, a meta analysis showed that the presence of a birth doula reduced c-sections by 28%, use of Pitocin for induced labor and contractions by 31%, and newborns admitted to a special care nursery by 14%. With only 6% of U.S. childbirths supported by birth doulas, and given that c-sections increase costs by 50%, the health economics argument is strengthening.

​The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) agrees, stating, "Published data indicate that one of the most effective tools to improve labor and delivery outcomes is the continuous presence of support personnel, such as a doula." 

​And this is just one example. There is similar data supporting increased utilization of Midwives for low-risk pregnancies: lower costs, better outcomes.

A Win-Win

Imagine this: maternal health care not only offers the experience and support that new parents want, but also the results that providers, payers, and employers want.

Fewer:
Unnecessary interventions
Untreated complications
Deaths and near deaths
Pre-term births
NICU stays and days
ER visits


And more:
Physical healing
Emotional well-being
Breastfeeding success
Happy households (and sex)
Healthy families
New parents retained and rising in the workforce
​

Let's Do This (Better)

Soshe's childbirth education is step one in achieving a much bigger and broader vision. See how the modern village of support is taking shape.