Hello to all the moms, dads, and anyone who is eager to explore the journey of becoming a parent. On this website, I often use the word “mother” to refer to anyone involved in raising children, not only because of its familiarity, but also because of the sacred meaning it carries. Thank you for visiting The Journey to Motherhood (Hành trình làm mẹ) and for choosing this space as your companion on such a meaningful and magical journey.
My name is Hao Pham. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy, a Research Master’s in Epidemiology with a focus on health systems and disease prevention, and I am currently pursuing a PhD in Health Economics at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.
My professional journey began as a clinical pharmacist at an international hospital in Vietnam, where I had the opportunity to support doctors in selecting optimal treatments, train healthcare professionals about medications, and guide patients in using medicines safely and effectively. Since then, I have held several other roles — including clinical research associate (ensuring the quality and reliability of clinical trials), product and training specialist (sharing pharmaceutical knowledge with both healthcare providers and the public), and currently, doctoral researcher and healthcare market access consultant. In these roles, I support policymakers in designing cost-effective public health interventions and help generate evidence on the risks and benefits of healthcare products to inform decisions that improve community health. These diverse experiences have given me a solid foundation to provide you with reliable, evidence-based, and practical health information.
But more than my professional background, the deepest motivation for creating this website comes from a personal place: I am also on my own journey to becoming a mother.
This journey has been profoundly transformative — filled with wonder, emotion, and immense joy. Yet, like many first-time mothers, I’ve also experienced waves of uncertainty: Is my baby healthy? Are they developing normally? Am I eating well enough? Will the birth go smoothly? Will I know how to take care of my child when they arrive? These worries are completely normal. In fact, they reflect love and a strong sense of responsibility. But that doesn’t mean you must go through pregnancy feeling anxious or overwhelmed. I truly believe that with the right knowledge and encouragement, every woman can embrace motherhood with confidence, calm, and joy.
After more than five years of working in the Vietnamese healthcare system, I’ve come to understand the many challenges in public health education. There is a flood of copy-pasted information online, but a lack of thoughtful, evidence-based guidance tailored to women’s real needs. I’ve also observed that, due to fear or lack of reliable information, many expectant mothers seek medical care too early or too frequently, even in cases where the pregnancy is progressing normally. While medical care is crucial and lifesaving when needed, unnecessary reliance on healthcare services can burden the system and may gradually erode women’s trust in their own ability to listen to and care for their bodies.
This website is my humble attempt to help change that. I hope that every Vietnamese woman can feel more empowered to trust her body, her instincts, and her choices. You have the strength to make your journey to motherhood a joyful and empowering experience, and I’m honored to walk alongside you on that path.