Disaster-Proofing Parenthood: 5 Steps to Empower Pregnant and Postpartum Families

By Shakima Tozay, DSW, MSW, LICSW, PMH-C, CCM

Imagine trying to evacuate a major community disaster, such as a wildfire, severe storm, or flooding, while being six months pregnant or caring for a newborn. Now picture doing this with limited access to social support, nutritious food, safe housing, or reliable transportation for you and your family. Evidence indicates that pregnant and postpartum people, infants and children, women, people living with mental illness, physical disabilities, and severe medical conditions, and people experiencing homelessness are most vulnerable if a natural disaster or hazardous event were to strike. Therefore, it is crucial to empower expectant and postpartum families to remain vigilant and ready.

Disasters Are Increasing—Why Perinatal Planning Saves Lives

According to Forbes’ Natural Disaster Facts and Statistics 2025 report, since 1980, the United States has faced 348 weather and climate-related disasters, with total damages exceeding $2.51 trillion. Between January 2013 and January 2023, a staggering 88.5% of U.S. counties declared at least one natural disaster—including 95% of the 200 most densely populated counties. These events are not only widespread—they’re becoming more frequent and more severe.

Between 2018 and 2022 alone, the country experienced 90 distinct climate disasters, resulting in $607.2 billion in damages and claiming 1,751 lives. These figures underscore the urgent need for proactive planning, particularly for communities most severely impacted by systemic vulnerabilities.

The Cost of Waiting: Why Prepare Now?

 September is recognized as National Preparedness Month, with the theme for 2025 being Preparedness Starts at Home. We often underestimate the complexity of crises until we face them head-on, as a common saying goes: “Failing to plan is planning to fail.”  I invite you to start by educating yourself and your perinatal families about Ready, a national public service campaign launched in 2003 to inform and empower Americans to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the impact of emergencies and disasters. 

Just as expectant moms prepare for their new baby’s arrival with birthing plans, hospital bags, birth or postpartum doulas, and involving anxious dads in sleep, bathing, and feeding routines, having a disaster preparedness plan can be equally important. It helps families feel more ready and recover more efficiently if an emergency occurs.

If you are a mental health provider, Community Health Worker, or Birth Worker serving perinatal families, you can help shift this narrative. By assisting perinatal families in preparing for natural disasters and emergencies, you are not only providing them with a plan for peace of mind, keeping them and their loved ones safe, but also planting seeds for future generations to recognize the importance of planning for the unthinkable.

The R.E.A.D.Y. Framework: 5 Steps to Empower Perinatal Families

I created the R.E.A.D.Y. acronym, which is explained in detail below, that encompasses five steps you can take to support perinatal families in becoming better prepared for crisis events. Here are five quick steps to help your expectant families become disaster-R.E.A.D.Y.

1: Review and Discuss Community Risks

Normalize talking openly about planning for uncertainties, such as natural disasters. Asking questions and encouraging conversations with families about their knowledge of emergency planning sets the stage for active engagement. Do your families know about the risks in their community? Would they know where to go to shelter in place or who to turn to for financial assistance in the event of a natural disaster or community crisis? To review community-specific disaster relief resources, contact your city, county, or state department of emergency management to learn about resources, local emergency plans, training opportunities, and relief programs.

2: Establish a Family Emergency Plan with Every Member in Mind

Check if your perinatal family has an emergency preparedness plan. Ask questions like: How do you and your family prepare for emergencies? ‘Do you have an emergency disaster plan?’ and follow up with ‘Would you like help developing one?’ to encourage a meaningful discussion about the importance of planning. 

According to a 2021 survey conducted by Wells Fargo, many Americans are poorly prepared for physical and financial emergencies, with 71% admitting to having no emergency plan 46% reporting being without a home emergency kit, and only 54% report having a two-week supply of groceries in the home if a crisis were to hit.  Creating a plan can feel overwhelming, but with a bit of guidance and encouragement, it can be an enriching and even enjoyable experience. Begin with a family meeting, introduce the topic, and share a template for an emergency disaster plan, like this one, to structure the planning process. Once complete, review the plan and encourage visible posting of the plan, such as on the kitchen refrigerator, where it’s always top of mind and accessible for reference or making changes.

3: Assemble a Perinatal Emergency Kit

For pregnant and postpartum families, access to emergency supplies such as clean water, food, medications, electronic devices, and baby care items is crucial when time is limited. That is why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends building an emergency kit that contains at least a 3-day supply of food, a 7-10-day supply of medications, and a 2-week supply of water stored in a safe place. While assembling a kit is straightforward, deciding what to include in a perinatal emergency kit can be more difficult. For ideas and recommendations, check out this guide from the American Public Health Association (APHA)and these suggestions from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Remember also to consider culturally relevant items to include in these kits.

4: Develop a Resource Network

Having a robust resource network proves valuable when a disaster occurs. There are many expecting and postpartum families that struggle with isolation and limited social support. Guide families to identify local and national disaster resources to increase their awareness. Perinatal Support Washington’s (PS WA) Warm Line offers free telephone support and is a great resource!

Motivate families to participate in community activities (both in-person and online) to better understand local hazards and establish a support network with neighbors, local businesses, and other community members. These resources may include the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, other non-profit organizations, and local shelter programs. 

Military families affected by disasters should reach out to their branch installation’s Military and Family Support Centers. These resource centers are an excellent source for information and referrals for a variety of services to assist families in need. The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society and Military One Source remain primary resources for military families in need of financial and emotional support as they navigate crisis and disaster events in their communities.

5: Y ear-round, Practice Make Prepared

Planning for an event means little without ongoing practice. Set it and forget it, doesn’t apply here. Empower perinatal families to take a continuous improvement approach to their emergency disaster plans, which means thinking about their plans as living documents. One way families can practice their emergency disaster plans is by setting yearly or monthly SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals related to disaster planning. For example, for an expectant mom, a reasonable goal might be to add one new safety item to their perinatal emergency kit each month before their baby’s due date. Can you think of other examples?

Your Role in the Safety Net

These unprecedented times demand our attention and diligent efforts, especially for our most vulnerable communities during a crisis. Perinatal families need more than a standard emergency kit—they require one tailored to the unique physical, emotional, and cultural needs of pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and infant care. Preparedness is Self-Care! A well-prepared kit can reduce stress, help individuals focus on what is within their control, and ensure continuity of care during a disaster. As a perinatal care provider, your contributions to this effort become part of a safety network that helps vulnerable families create thriving futures. 

Below are links to disaster preparedness resources specific to Washington state that you and your families may find useful:

Washington Emergency Management Division

Washington Poison Center 800-222-1222

Washington Military Department

CERT-Community Emergency Response Team

Washington Climate Corps Network

Additional professional planning resources :

HHS Maternal-Child Health Emergency Planning Toolkit

Reproductive Health and Disasters (RHAD) Assessment Toolkit 2.0

Bio: Dr. Shakima “Kima” Tozay, DSW, MSW, LICSW, PMH-C, CCM, is a licensed clinical social worker, Certified Perinatal Clinician, Board Certified Case Manager, and military Veteran with over 17 years of clinical experience with individuals and families across the lifespan within military, veteran, and non-profit organizations. Kima is also a survivor of perinatal loss, Preeclampsia, and identifies as a Lived Experience Practitioner-Scholar-Advocate-Survivor. She is also a MoMMA’s Voice Patient Family Partner and a former board member of PS, WA, and board chair of Return to Zero, Hope. Passionate about writing for social impact, Kima served as a competency chair and contributing author for the forthcoming Disaster Relief Social Work guide by the Council on Social Work Education. Beyond her advocacy and leadership in maternal health equity, she finds joy in spontaneous road trips with her family—and yes, herds goats for fun!

References:

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2025). Preparing for Disasters: Addressing Critical Obstetric and Gynecologic Needs of Patients. Acog.org. https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-statement/articles/2025/01/preparing-for-disasters-addressing-critical-obstetric-and-gynecologic-needs-of-patients

American Public Health Association (APHA). (2019). Emergency preparedness for pregnant people and families with infants. American Public Health Association. https://www.apha.org/initiatives/get-ready/topics/pregnant-people-and-families-with-infants/emergency-preparedness-for-pregnant-people-and-families-with-infants

American Red Cross. (n.d.). Family Disaster Plan. https://www.redcross.org/content/dam/redcross/atg/PDF_s/Preparedness___Disaster_Recovery/General_Preparedness___Recovery/Home/ARC_Family_Disaster_Plan_Template_r083012.pdf

American Red Cross. (2025). American Red Cross. Redcross.org. https://www.redcross.org/?cid=generic&med=cpc&source=bing&scode=RSG00000E017&gclid=dfb92e6b3961115c4e1846bf63d7f8c3&gclsrc=3p.ds&msclkid=dfb92e6b3961115c4e1846bf63d7f8c3

Centers for Disease Control (CDC). (2024, July 18). Safety Messages for Pregnant, Postpartum, and Breastfeeding People During Natural Disasters and Severe Weather. Reproductive Health. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductive-health/emergency-preparation-response/safety-messages.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2013). Health Indicators for Disaster-Affected Pregnant Women, Postpartum Women, and Infants Guide for Assessment and Surveillance of the Health of Disaster-Affected Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Infants by Using Common Epidemiologic Indicators to Affect Public Health Interventions. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/emergency/pdfs/postdisasterindicatorsv41_cb916.pdf

Gusner, P. (2023, June 7). Natural Disaster Facts And Statistics 2023 – Forbes Advisor. Www.forbes.com. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/homeowners-insurance/natural-disaster-statistics/

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. (n.d.). Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) – Financial Assistance, Interest-Free Loans & Scholarships. Www.nmcrs.org. https://www.nmcrs.org/

Ready.gov. (2025). 2025 National Preparedness Month Toolkit | Ready.gov. Ready.gov. https://www.ready.gov/2025-national-preparedness-month-toolkit

Salvation Army. (n.d.). The Salvation Army USA. Www.salvationarmyusa.org. https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/

SAMHSA. (2024). Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: Disaster Planning. Samhsa.gov. https://www.samhsa.gov/technical-assistance/dtac/disaster-planners/homelessness

Wells Fargo. (2024). Most Americans Ill-Prepared for Natural Disasters, Wells Fargo Survey Finds. Wf.com. https://newsroom.wf.com/news-releases/news-details/2021/Most-Americans-Ill-Prepared-for-Natural-Disasters-Wells-Fargo-Survey-Finds/default.aspx