Are maternity systems failing parents? A look at gaps in postnatal care and community support

When you’re expecting a baby, most systems are designed to prepare you for birth. There are scans, appointments, hospital bags, antenatal checklists. But what about after the baby arrives?

At Lullabies, I’ve worked with hundreds of families in Dubai and across the world who feel this painful truth:
Maternity care often drops off the minute the baby is born. So today, I want to ask a bigger question: Are maternity systems failing parents—and what can we do about it? Globally, maternity care usually falls into two categories:

State-funded/subsidised systems (e.g. NHS UK, Australia’s Medicare) are:

• Funded by taxation
• Free or low-cost for families
• Midwife or nurse-led care is common
• Standardised access to postnatal services (e.g. health visitors, drop-in clinics)

Private healthcare systems (e.g. UAE, USA) are:

• Funded via insurance or out-of-pocket
• Choice of hospital, doctor, and timings
• Generally obstetrician-led model
• Postnatal care is limited or privately paid for

On paper, private care can seem “better”—but continuity of care often falls short when there’s no joined-up system after birth to follow mothers through their postnatal care, and babies through their first 100 days. But what do we mean by “joined-up” care? In an ideal world, care should be connected—from pregnancy through the postpartum period and beyond. Joined-up care means: your midwife communicates with your GP, who communicates with a community health professional so that your baby’s development is tracked and supported, and your mental health is monitored after birth. This all means thatyou don’t have to keep retelling your story to new professionals every.single.time you have an interaction with them.

Sadly, many private systems don’t have this kind of community infrastructure—so once you’re discharged from hospital, you’re on your own. Or if you're lucky, you accidentally stumble across community programmes and classes run by qualified healthcare providers, such as lactation support, baby massage or baby signing. If you're unlucky, you stumble across people and organisations with no qualifications or appropriate experience. But why does this even matter? Because when care ends at the hospital door, families face real consequences:

For the baby:

• Missed developmental checks or red flags
• Inconsistent vaccination and weight tracking
• Delays in referrals for feeding, speech, or sensory concerns

For the mother:

• Undiagnosed postnatal depression or anxiety
• No support for breastfeeding or sleep challenges
• Feelings of isolation, overwhelm and burnout

A look at the UK - the power of community midwifery and health visitors

In the UK, every new parent receives a home visit from a community midwife within days of birth, ongoing support from a health visitor (a trained nurse in child development), with scheduled check-ups at 6–8 weeks, 12 months and 2 years. Parents also receive free access to parenting support groups, feeding clinics and weigh-ins While the NHS has its own pressures, this kind of embedded community care can reduce hospital readmissions, improve breastfeeding rates, and support early mental health intervention. Compare that to places like Dubai or the USA, where postnatal visits are typically private and optional, and access depends on your insurance level (or ability to pay out of pocket) and the disparity is clear. Insurance inequality is a quiet divide. In countries without national health systems, insurance often dictates the quality and duration of care. If you have premium coverage, you might access postnatal packages, home visits, lactation consultants. If you're on a basic plan, care might end within 24–48 hours of birth—with no follow-up unless you seek it privately. This creates a tiered system where access to vital early intervention depends on privilege—not need. Poor postnatal care has a ripple effect. When parents are unsupported, we see long-term consequences across public health and early childhood development such as:

Reduced breastfeeding rates
Increased hospital admissions in the first year
Unaddressed perinatal mental illness
Missed early developmental milestones
Higher rates of birth trauma and delayed birth debrief services

And it doesn’t stop there. These gaps can ripple out into school readiness, parental employment, sibling adjustment, and even the economy.

Midwifery vs medical models: A vital difference

Antenatal and postnatal care often looks very different depending on the system. Midwife-led care focuses on continuity of care, education, emotional wellbeing, is more accessible in homes and communities and often includes longer visits, holistic assessments. Midwifery models are most usually seen in systems like the UK, New Zealand and the Netherlands. In contrast, the medical/obstetric model is led by obstetricians, often hospital-based and can focuse on risk management and intervention, sometimes to the detriment of maternal emotional or infant developmental support. This model is commonly found in American style healthcare systems. Both are needed—but balance is key. Without midwifery or nurse-led continuity, many families fall through the cracks.

So—are maternity systems failing parents? In many ways, yes. Not through lack of care—but through lack of connection, continuity, time and community support. Every family deserves a joined-up journey from pregnancy to parenthood. Every mother deserves access to mental health support, feeding advice, and practical reassurance—regardless of where she lives or what her insurance covers. At Lullabies, we’re doing our part to fill these gaps—offering trusted antenatal & postnatal care, informed feeding support, and holding space for real conversations.

If you want to know more, make an appointment to chat with us today. If you want to learn more about what Lullabies stands for, head over to our Instagram.

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