Supporting Women’s Health Through Every Life Stage

BY Carrie Snider | May 29, 2025

Being a woman today often feels like balancing on a tightrope—juggling career, health, family, and societal expectations, all while navigating life's complex transitions. As women face these challenges, it’s up to companies to offer tailored healthcare and support that evolves with them at every stage.

During From Day One’s April virtual conference, expert panelists shared how their organizations are supporting women’s health through every life stage in a session moderated by Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, reporter at the Denver Post.

Traditional healthcare often falls short in supporting women through every stage of life. Kathleen Davin, director of people operations at Maven Clinic, the largest virtual clinic for women’s and family health, sees the difference a more personalized approach can make. “We talk a lot about really taking a one-size-fits-one approach to employee benefits and not a one size fits all,” she said.

After a high-risk pregnancy, Davin returned from parental leave with a renewed appreciation for holistic support. Living with type 1 diabetes, she used Maven to meet monthly with diabetes educators and accessed lactation consultants and sleep specialists during postpartum. Through Maven’s internal Wallet program, she was reimbursed for costs traditional plans often ignore—like a wearable breast pump and acupuncture. “I didn’t have the stress of figuring all these things out with a new baby at home,” she said.

This tailored approach highlights a broader shift in benefit design. “It’s not just about checking the box on ‘Yep, we offer these benefits.’ It’s really thinking about delivering care that is supporting employees in as many of their moments of need that are very different and complex,” Davin said.

That includes supporting midlife transitions like menopause. Despite affecting half the workforce, only 22% of employers offer menopause support. “It’s a super stigmatized stage of life,” said Davin. “But it also leads to a lot of impact on engagement and productivity in the workplace.” Maven provides 24/7 access to specialized providers, community support, and clinically vetted content—giving employees trusted care and connection.

Personal and Professional Balance

Phyllis Stewart Pires, associate VP of employee support programs & services at Stanford University, brings a deeply personal perspective to the conversation around integrating career and caregiving. 

“I had three different pregnancy experiences, three different postpartum experiences,” she said. “I leveraged my part-time, extended leave, and gradual return. I’ve used all forms of childcare over the course of almost 30 years of parenting.” Her story of caring for her children while navigating elder care for her parents, all while continuing to build her career illustrates the often-invisible complexity many employees carry.

That experience has shaped not only her leadership style, but the programs she advocates for. At Stanford, Stewart Pires has led the development of a holistic well-being approach, one that addresses physical, mental, financial, and career health throughout an employee’s time at the university. 

“We’ve created something we call Babble Back, after the baby bonding leave ends,” she said. “It brings together a cohort of people coming back from leave and gives them a safe place to navigate those early challenges.” The program offers resources ranging from childcare guidance to having conversations with managers about breastfeeding.

Supporting employees through those intersections of work and life requires cultural change. “First and foremost,” she said, “it’s thinking about whether you have a culture in which people feel they can be vulnerable.” 

From Fertility to Menopause

For Neha Yadav, director of total rewards at Weight Watchers, supporting women’s mental health means embracing their entire journey, from fertility to menopause, with a workplace culture rooted in care, flexibility, and proactive communication.

Panelists shared insights on the topic "Supporting Women’s Health Through Every Life Stage" (photo by From Day One)

“The entire spectrum of women in the work environment has changed,” Yadav said. “We’ve taken on more responsibilities, but we haven’t let go of any. It’s important to create an atmosphere where you feel safe, welcomed, and understood.”

Yadav emphasized that support needs to be both cultural and practical. When her newborn was flagged for additional medical testing shortly after birth, the response from her team left a lasting impact. “I was in pain, emotionally and physically drained, and panicking,” she said. “But my team said, ‘If you need more time or access to benefits, we’ll help you.’ That’s the kind of support that builds retention.”

Education around available benefits—before a crisis hits—is another critical component. “You can’t send a new mom a link and expect her to research while she’s in crisis,” she said. “Organizations need to push information out ahead of time, so employees are empowered when they need it most.”

At WW, that proactive approach includes incentives for prenatal care, support for fertility and adoption, and even pet insurance. The company also offers community-based resources, including internal groups where new parents can connect and share. “A peer support network, trained managers, and benefit options tailored to different phases of life—these all matter,” Yadav said. 

Life Stage Support Programs

For GHD’s Global Benefits Manager Katy Bellmore, their mission to meet its people where they are is personal. “After I first had my children, I wanted to do it all,” Bellmore said. “I didn’t ask for flexibility at work, and that’s my biggest regret. I wish I had behaved differently.” 

Her experience now informs the way GHD supports employees, especially when it comes to life transitions like parenting, caregiving, or midlife health changes. To address these needs, GHD launched its Life Stages initiative, an effort driven by employee feedback. 

“People wanted more personalized support that reflects where they are in their life,” Bellmore explained. “Whether that’s starting a family, managing a chronic condition, or navigating something like menopause.”

One example is GHD’s expanded midlife health and wellness stage, which includes menopause support through virtual care platforms like Maven. “We’re creating a space for open conversations, reducing the stigma, and normalizing this stage of life,” she said. 

Maven bridges gaps by offering virtual coaching and care navigation, she added. Education plays a key role. Employees are also given tips on how to talk to managers about their needs—from eldercare responsibilities to navigating childcare options.

Ultimately, the goal is to create “a culture of support and awareness, where our employees feel seen, heard, and understood—no matter what stage they’re in.”

Supporting women’s health throughout every life stage is about cultivating a culture of care, flexibility, and understanding. As companies listen to women’s needs and embrace individualized support, they ensure better health outcomes, higher retention, and a thriving workforce.

Carrie Snider is a Phoenix-based journalist and marketing copywriter.

(Photo by Paperkites/iStock)

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