MaternaWell Tray: A Simple Tool Changing How the World Measures Blood Loss at Birth, Now in 18 Countries

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In maternity wards around the world, postpartum hemorrhage remains one of the most dangerous complications of childbirth. It is also one of the most treatable, if it is  recognized early. 

Yet recognition is often the challenge. For generations, clinicians have relied on visual estimation to assess blood loss during delivery. Research has repeatedly shown that visual estimates are unreliable, often underestimating blood loss by as much as half. The result is delayed diagnosis, delayed treatment, and preventable maternal deaths. 

At Maternova, the development of the MaternaWell Tray began with a simple question: What if measuring blood loss during childbirth were as routine and straightforward as measuring blood pressure? 

The answer is a reusable device designed to sit beneath the mother immediately after delivery, allowing clinicians to collect and directly measure blood loss in real time. Unlike disposable drapes, which must be replaced after every birth, the tray is durable, easy to clean, and designed for repeated use, an important consideration for facilities where resources and supply chains can be unpredictable. 

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Today, the MaternaWell Tray is quietly making its way into maternity wards across the world. 

In Liberia, more than one hundred trays were distributed to twelve health facilities through Americares. After training and initial implementation, the trays quickly became part of routine practice. Providers reported positive experiences from both clinicians and mothers, and local teams have begun advocating for their broader inclusion in national guidelines. 

Across the continent in Cameroon, the trays are now in use at Regional Hospital Limbe and Regional Hospital Buea through the Cameroon Arizona Partnership, where discussions are underway with the Ministry of Health about expanding postpartum hemorrhage prevention programs to additional facilities. 

Further south, clinicians in South Africa have responded with remarkable enthusiasm. One provider summarized their experience simply: 

“These trays are the best thing that ever happened to us.” 

In Sierra Leone, the trays are being used in several maternity facilities, including the country’s Maternal Center of Excellence. There, head midwife Isata Dumbuya noted that even in the early days of use, the trays have improved the accuracy of clinical reporting and planning around blood loss. 

The impact is perhaps most clearly expressed by midwives themselves. Dr. Fatu Forna of the Mama Pikin Foundation described how the trays change the moment when a provider must decide whether a patient is hemorrhaging: 

“The trays empower the midwives to call a hemorrhage a hemorrhage with confidence.” 

Confidence matters. When blood loss is measured objectively, providers can act sooner, mobilize medications faster, and coordinate emergency care more effectively. 

In Zimbabwe, a pilot conducted with United Nations Population Fund compared disposable drapes with the reusable tray in facilities at different levels of care. The evaluation ended earlier than expected, not because of problems, but because the result became clear. The tray proved easy to implement and more affordable for routine use. 

Beyond Africa, interest continues to grow. Hospitals in Guam have begun using the trays at Guam Regional Medical City, while clinicians in Botswana, Colombia, Uganda, Mali, and Uzbekistan are exploring their integration into maternity care. In Angola, partners are currently in the training phase of a pilot with plans to begin collecting data in the coming months. 

What makes the MaternaWell Tray notable is not just its design, but its practicality. In many of the settings where maternal mortality remains highest, hospitals must make difficult choices about which technologies they can realistically maintain. A reusable device that can serve thousands of births offers a different kind of sustainability. 

The innovation is modest in appearance, essentially a carefully designed collection tray with measurement markings, but its impact lies in what it makes possible: turning estimation into measurement. 

And sometimes, that small shift is exactly what saves a life. 

As more facilities begin using the MaternaWell Tray, the most valuable insights will continue to come from the people who use it every day: midwives, nurses, and obstetricians working on the front lines of childbirth. 

Their feedback will shape the next chapter of this story.