Getting you the support you need...
You’re pregnant! We love that for you, friend—congratulations!
We know this exciting time can also be an overwhelming one, especially because you may have heard of the Black maternal mortality crisis. Black women* are dying at 3x the rate of white women from birth-related complications, according to the CDC.
Thankfully you don’t have to birth alone. You have your medical provider, your loved ones… And there are birthing professionals known as doulas who can support you through your journey. Doulas are like having a good friend who also happens to have encyclopedic knowledge about pregnancy. They‘re there to help you feel comfortable and informed, and have been shown to improve birth outcomes for women.
That’s why we partnered with Un-ruly and Gerber to present “Overdue,” a series that offers support and resources in the form of registered nurse and doula Ebony Harvey. She’ll take you through the ins and outs of what goes into having a birth that leaves you and your baby feeling safe, supported, and seen.
You got this! And we got you.
* There currently isn’t data on the birthing mortality rate for nonbinary and trans birthing folks by race available.
Start your journey with Ebony!
Pregnancy
Birth
Postpartum
Having a doula has its benefits...
Meet Ebony Harvey
Ebony Harvey is a registered nurse, holistic fertility and birth doula, lactation education specialist, and a certified peer support specialist with a specialty in maternal mental health. She works with individuals and organizations to raise awareness, challenge the status quo, and become change agents surrounding injustices in healthcare. She is also the owner of In Harmony Health & Wellness, where she provides holistic doula and wellness services to families who are pregnant or trying to conceive.
Nurse Eb, as she is referred to in her community, is a current student at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition where she is studying to become a health and wellness coach to further her mission of providing families with access to holistic health alternatives and self-development resources so they can make the best decision for their families.
It’s time to end the maternal health crisis
Pssst.
Are you an ally and/or a non-birthing person wondering what you can do to make birth better for Black birthing people? Good—we can use all the help we can get.
Since 1917, the first year this type of data was tracked in the United States, Black mothers have had a higher maternal mortality rate than white women. And even in this modern age of advanced technology and awareness, the crisis is still at large: About one-third of the pregnant women and new moms* who died in 2020 were Black, even though Black Americans make up just over 13% of the U.S. population, according to reporting from Reuters.
Spreading the word about Overdue with the people in your life who need it is critical to self-advocacy during this crisis. But so is supporting the kind of grassroots work the following organizations are doing to make birthing safe for everyone. Consider making a donation to these great groups.
* Data on nonbinary and trans birthing folks by race is currently not available.
4KIRA4MOMS
4Kira4Moms is a nonprofit that has made it its mission to fight for improved maternal outcomes through advocacy and coalition building, educate the public about the impact of maternal mortality in communities, provide peer support to victim’s families, and promote the idea that maternal mortality should be viewed, and discussed as a human rights issue.
ANCIENT SONG
Ancient Song is a national birth justice organization working to eliminate maternal and infant mortality and morbidity among Black and Latinx people.
They provide doula training and services, offer community education, and advocate for policy change to support reproductive and birth justice.
BLACK MAMAS MATTER ALLIANCE (BMMA)
The Black Mamas Matter Alliance serves as a national entity working to advance black maternal health, rights, and justice, and uplifts the work of locally based, black women-led maternal health initiatives and organizations.
National Birth Equity Collaborative
National Birth Equity Collaborative (NBEC) is one of the nation’s leading experts and an advocate for change in the Black maternal health and infant mortality crises.
As an organization focused on the sexual reproductive health and wellbeing of Black women and birthing people world-wide, NBEC creates transnational solutions that optimize Black maternal, infant, sexual, and reproductive wellbeing.
Our partners...
Un-ruly
Un-ruly was created to celebrate and inspire the versatility and beauty of Black hair and women. We take an in-and-out approach to beauty, looking at it on both a surface and profound level. We know that hair and beauty create experiences shared by women all over the globe, and so we ultimately aim to be a supportive community, stirring productive dialogue within the female and Black communities at large.
Gerber
Gerber Products Company was founded in 1928 in Fremont, Michigan. Gerber joined the Nestlé family on September 1, 2007.
Gerber is a leader in early childhood nutrition. At Gerber, research informs everything we do—from the products we make, the nutrition education we deliver and the services we offer. Gerber provides resources from the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) for health care professionals and for parents at Gerber.com.
