It's why the Spring Branch Community Health Center treats a simple prenatal doctor's visit as more than just a checkup. It's a lifeline for some expecting mothers.
"We wanted to really take care of women who needed women's health services, especially the women who were uninsured and needed prenatal care," the center's CEO, Marlen Trujillo, said.
Trujillo said they are located in an area that is predominantly Hispanic.
"In this community, there's just a lot of uninsured women who need access to care. That has been our focus from the beginning," Trujillo said. "Our mission was to address health disparities, provide care, provide OB-GYN services, making sure they have their prenatal vitamins, making sure that they're having a healthy pregnancy."
Hispanic mothers in particular face several different obstacles to accessing this care, according to Trujillo. She said some women face financial obstacles and transportation barriers.
Those challenges, Trujillo said, can sometimes lead to delays in doctors' visits, which can cause more complications.
"Sometimes the community residents or the women in our community decide to come to the doctor during the last trimester," Trujillo said. "Doctors receiving women who have no medical history. They have no records."
For many, the challenges don't stop at access. Safety at home can be an additional urgent concern.
Monica Guillen is the Bilingual Senior Manager of Sexual Violence Services at the Houston Area Women's Center - a place helping women, children, and families escaping domestic violence and sexual assault.
According to Guillen, one in six pregnant women will experience their first domestic abuse situation during their pregnancy.
"We know one of the most dangerous times for a woman to leave a situation is when they are pregnant," Guillen said. "So pregnancy itself becomes like this extra risk when it comes to leaving a domestic violence situation."
In the Hispanic community, Guillen said cultural norms can also get in the way of asking for support.
"We have group counseling services here because we believe that it is very important for survivors to meet other survivors," Guillen said. "To kind of break down those barriers of isolation as well that often happen within the Latino community."
Guillen and Trujillo said that for Hispanic women, surviving pregnancy can depend on navigating healthcare systems, stigma, and sometimes safety.
But whether it's an exam room or a shelter room, each of them is working to give expecting mothers a better chance at a healthy and safe pregnancy.
"Women need to take care of themselves and sometimes, we are the nucleus of our families," Guillen said.