Understanding the perspectives and experiences of those who are postpartum
The Baby & You Survey program was created by HB 22-1289 in order to collect information to guide policies and programs that advance health and health equity for those who are postpartum and their families. In the spring of 2023, Baby & You began selecting around 3400 postpartum people each year from the birth certificate record and inviting these people to join an online survey platform at three to four months postpartum. Participants receive a total of four surveys by email and text message over the first three years of their new baby’s life–at 3-4 months, 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years postpartum.
The surveys collect information about the perspectives and experiences of those who are postpartum at key points in time as well as over time. This allows us to understand how opinions and circumstances change over the first three years postpartum and what factors support or hinder the health of families.
The Baby & You surveys touch on many different topics, such as:
- Physical and emotional health and well-being after birth.
- Breastfeeding decisions and support.
- Perspectives on childhood vaccinations and other health decisions.
- Paid leave and family-friendly business practices.
- Access to health insurance and health care, oral health care, and behavioral health care.
- Health care experiences and satisfaction.
- Social support.
- Financial, housing, and nutrition insecurity.
- Experiences of discrimination.
- And many more!
Advancing birth and health equity
Baby & You uses stratified random sampling in order to select and survey a greater number of people who identify as American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Black/African American. These groups have been historically underrepresented in other state data collection systems, resulting in data that are insufficiently powered to understand the strengths within and challenges faced by these communities. The Baby & You oversample is intended to improve equity in our data collection as well as identify opportunities to advance equity for those who are postpartum and their families within Colorado.
Available data
Baby & You launched in spring of 2023, drawing its first sample of postpartum people who gave birth in 2023. Data collection for Survey 1 for the 2023 birth cohort will be complete in June 2024 and weighted data will be available shortly afterwards. Data collection for Surveys 2, 3, and 4 will begin in January 2024, 2025, and 2026, respectively. Aggregate results from each survey broken down by several demographic factors will be made available online. Requests for additional aggregate statistics and deidentified-minimum necessary data sets can be directed to the Baby & You Program Coordinator whose contact information is provided below.
For similar data from the Health eMoms program’s 2018-2020 birth cohorts, please see the Health eMoms Survey Data page.
Contact
Contact the Baby & You Program Coordinator for more information.
Health Statistics and Evaluation Branch
HSVR-HS-A1
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver, CO 80246
1‑303-692-2257
sarah.blackwell@state.co.us