643: Nana Eyeson-Akiwowo: Overcoming the Societal Neglect of Moms in Their 4th Trimester

Apr 20, 2022

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Nana Eyeson-Akiwowo the co-founder of Fourth Phase aftercare boxes that support women in their 4th Trimester after giving birth. She is a social entrepreneur and seasoned humanitarian with a strong commitment to advocating adequate and accessible health care for all under-resourced women, children, and families. Fifteen years prior, after her dad suffered a heart attack in Ghana, Nana founded African Health Now (AHN), a global public health organization, to provide information and access to primary and maternity health care to women, children, and families living across Sub-Saharan Africa. To date, her work with AHN has serviced over 30,000 people in Ghana and Nigeria who are in need of basic health services readily available in America.

Before AHN and entering the world of non-profit work, Nana had a successful career in media, working for women's titles such as Honey, Suede, Essence, and Seventeen. Over the years, she has been repeatedly recognized for her philanthropic efforts, garnering multiple global awards.

Nana speaks English and Twi, the latter a language native to Ghana. She and her husband are the proud parents of a beautiful, eight-year-old girl. When she’s not working on Fourth Phase, she is in DIY heaven making balloon garlands, resurfacing furniture, and watching HGTV.

I immediately hit it off with Nana and want to go do DIY HGTV projects with her now! This conversation is as real and raw as they come. If your entrance into motherhood was not the stuff Instagram photos are made of, you will be able to deeply relate to Nana.

Listen in to hear Nana share:

Her journey into motherhood that defied every Instagram photo she had ever seen
How her non profit in Ghana inspired her work in maternal health care globally
How “fourth trimester” got added to the dictionary and why this is so important
What the fourth trimester is in definition
The massive gap of care for moms in the year after they give birth
The missions of Fourth Phase as a social impact maternal wellness brand that helps moms heal, feel, be heard in their 4th trimester
How Black moms are treated differently during and after childbirth
How she courted her co-founder, Marcia Cole, and how they started Fourth Phase as a team

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