We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sarit Bridell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sarit below.

Hi Sarit, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

The idea for the International Partnership for Perinatal Excellence (IPPE) was born out of both urgency and a clear gap in care. In 2022 alone, more than 20,000 babies were stillborn in the United States, and it’s estimated that up to 25% of those losses are preventable. At the same time, we were seeing that many professionals simply didn’t have the training or tools needed to adequately support families, whether during pregnancy, after a loss, or in a subsequent pregnancy.
That disconnect became our “why.” We knew families deserved better, and we believed providers wanted to do better – they just needed the education and framework to make that possible.

From there, the question became: how do we bring a solution like this to life in the U.S.? We looked internationally for inspiration, specifically to the Care Bundle initiatives in Scotland, England, and Australia, which focused on addressing modifiable risk factors to reduce stillbirth. Additionally, The Rainbow Clinic in England developed a gold standard for pregnancy after loss care. While those models were impactful, they didn’t fully address the continuum of care.
So we asked: what if we could build something more comprehensive?

We combined the strengths of those models and expanded them into something entirely new: an all-encompassing certification that not only focuses on prevention, but also integrates bereavement care and support for pregnancies after loss. At the time, these areas had never been formally brought together in a single framework. We also incorporated a multi-disciplinary approach to ensure holistic and seamless care for families.

There was skepticism. Some organizations felt this approach wouldn’t work, and that prevention and after-loss support were too different to coexist effectively. But to us, that was exactly the point: families experience this as a continuum, so care should reflect that reality.

When it became clear that this concept wasn’t going to be adopted elsewhere, we made the decision to build it ourselves. IPPE came to life rooted in both evidence and lived need, with a clear vision to transform how professionals support families across the entire perinatal journey. We now have over 75 certified professionals, in varying specialties, acting as a resource for families.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

IPPE provides evidence-based education and certification for healthcare professionals, mental health professionals, and birth workers. Our programs focus on three key areas: stillbirth prevention, bereavement care, and pregnancy after loss support. We also offer a public-facing provider directory so families can find trained, compassionate professionals who understand their unique needs.

Our certification is designed to be both accessible and impactful. It takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete and can be done entirely on a professional’s own time. From there, the learning doesn’t stop. Once certified, providers gain ongoing access to a robust library of resources to support and enhance their care. This includes more than 60 learning modules, a curated library of research publications and practical tools, and an IPPE newsletter that keeps them up to date on the latest advancements in perinatal health. They also have access to a dedicated podcast featuring certified professionals and leading experts, a webinar series for continued education, and a biennial Summit that brings together researchers and professionals to collaborate and learn from one another.

At our core, we’re solving two problems: helping professionals feel more confident and equipped in complex, emotional situations, and helping families feel seen, supported, and safer in their care. Ultimately, what sets IPPE apart is our belief that perinatal care should reflect the real experiences of families. By integrating prevention, loss, and pregnancy after loss, we empower professionals to provide truly compassionate, consistent care at every stage.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

At the heart of our work is a commitment to creating resources that truly resonate with both families and professionals. Too often, there’s a disconnect between what families experience and what professionals are trained to provide, and our goal is to bridge that gap.

We want it to be informative, meaningful, and applicable. This thought process lives at the core of everything we create from relevant social media posts to education master classes for professionals.

Everything we create is designed with both audiences in mind, so families feel seen, understood, and supported, while professionals are equipped with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to provide the best care possible.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Because something like IPPE had never been done before, our first priority was identifying messaging that would resonate with both professionals and families, while staying true to our mission of bridging the gap between them.

A big part of that was understanding our audiences: what professionals would be open to learning, and what families would feel empowered to share from their lived experiences as valuable insight. We were very intentional about creating content that felt both educational and relatable, so it could serve as a connection point between the two.

Collaboration also played a key role in growing our audience. We partnered with organizations in the perinatal space and worked with professionals who were willing to lend their voices and expertise. That not only expanded our reach, but also built credibility and trust within the community.

Once we began to find our voice, the next step was curating content that consistently delivered that message to the right audience. It takes time, and there’s definitely some trial and error. My biggest advice is to experiment with different types of content and really pay attention to engagement and feedback. Your audience will tell you what resonates, and that’s what helps guide your growth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://perinatalexcellence.org/
• Instagram: ipperinatalexcellence
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ipperinatalexcellence
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-partnership-for-perinatal-excellence/?viewAsMember=true
• Other: https://perinatalexcellence.org/podcast/