Letter: Innovation in Maternal Health Education

credit: wellbeingwire

"It takes a village to raise a child,"Jenna Bland writes in the Chicago Sun-Times.

"The answer lies in the widespread access to free digital platforms that enable individuals to convene around shared interests (like motherhood).

And that access is worth protecting."

Bland is the founder of Social Moms Club, an online group for new moms in Illinois that she launched last year.

It's a place where new moms can connect, meet other new moms, and learn about topics like mental health, lactation, behavior, and more.

"I designed the group to be both an outlet for friendship and a safe space for exploration and education on important topics like mental health, lactation, behavior, and more," Bland tells the Sun-Times.

"And it's made possible through technology and innovation, which form the foundation of so many positive things in our community."

She says the group has grown to more than 1,700 members and is an "essential outlet for many women who might not otherwise have support during a pivotal season of their lives."

In an op-ed for the Sun-Times, Bland urges Illinois lawmakers to support platforms that make such groups possible.

"When our policies support innovation and a free and open internet, everyoneincluding moms in Illinoiswins,"

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