This study analyzed data from 658 insured pregnant women in a Midwestern county to compare risks and outcomes between those who did and did not utilize the emergency department (ED) during their peripartum period. The study found that 218 women (33%) visited the ED at least once during this time. ED users were more likely to experience psychosocial risks like postpartum depression and smoking, have poorer birth outcomes like prematurity, and have inadequate prenatal care. After adjusting for demographic factors, ED use was associated with a higher likelihood of postpartum depression, smoking during pregnancy, unstable housing, delayed prenatal care initiation, and missing a postpartum visit.