Heather Conner welcomed her first child into the world in 2024. The birth was covered by Vanderbilt’s MyMaternityHealth Bundle. And now that she is expecting her second baby in November, she didn’t hesitate to reenroll.
“I had such a great experience, I would do it all over again,” she said. “And here I am, doing it all over again.”
As a Vanderbilt University Medical Center nurse who trains clinicians in hospital software, Heather is no stranger to health care systems, but she was surprised at how the MyMaternityHealth Bundle simplified her journey.
Better Experience, Lower Costs
MyMaternityHealth provides an enhanced experience for expectant mothers with low to no out-of-pocket costs. The program takes an innovative approach that coordinates and “bundles” all the services an expectant mother and baby need. Patients receive high-touch support from a patient navigator.
Heather first learned about the MyMaternityHealth Bundle from a friend who is a fellow VUMC nurse. “She had a great experience, so it was nice to have a guide who could vouch for it,” Heather said.
One of the standout benefits for Heather was the cost savings. As a bundle patient, her employer fully covered her entire pregnancy and delivery. “I brag about it because everyone else is paying up to $10,000 to have a baby, and I’m like, ‘Mine was free.’ It’s awesome.”
Support from a Navigator and Educational Classes
Because Heather was relatively healthy with no issues or complications, she chose to have her baby at the Vanderbilt Midwives Melrose location in Nashville. “It was a nice experience to have minimal intervention,” she said. “But there's still a lot of anxiety that comes with pregnancy and especially when it's your first.”
Heather’s patient navigator, Nikita Walton, helped relieve that stress by providing regular updates and answering questions promptly. “I would shoot Nikita a question and she was able to answer everything,” Heather said. She is already back in touch with Nikita for her second pregnancy.
Heather also took full advantage of the educational classes included in the bundle. From childbirth preparation and labor to lactation and newborn care, these virtual classes were a vital resource for her.
“I've never taken care of a baby before, so those classes were awesome,” she said. “Even though I’m a nurse, caring for a newborn is a different kind of nursing.”
Heather sees MyMaternityHealth as an exceptional employee benefit. “I'm just so grateful that Vanderbilt offers something like this,” she said.
