From Teen Mother to Nurse-Led Maternity Founder: Cynthia Sparks on Community-Based Perinatal Care

In this episode of Perinatal Grand Rounds, hosted by the Star Legacy Foundation, Executive Director Lindsay Wimmer speaks with Cynthia Sparks, RN, certified breastfeeding counselor, case manager, and founder of Mainline Maternity Care in the Baltimore area. Cynthia shares her powerful journey from becoming a teen mother to building a nurse-led, community-based maternity care model that supports families through pregnancy, birth, postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, and maternal mental health. She discusses the gaps in education and access that families face, the impact of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and the importance of holistic, multidisciplinary care. The conversation also explores systemic disparities in maternal health, the role of community partnerships, and how organizations like Mainline Maternity Care and the International Partnership for Perinatal Excellence are working to improve outcomes through education, empowerment, and integrated support systems.