How Baby Dove’s Black Birth Equity Fund and Expecting Care Campaign Are Helping Black Mothers
by Mariel Turner
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May 21, 2024

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How Baby Dove’s Black Birth Equity Fund and Expecting Care Campaign Are Helping Black Mothers

How Baby Dove’s Black Birth Equity Fund and Expecting Care Campaign
Jazzmine Hall and her baby (Credit: Edelman/BabyDove)

When Jazzmine Hall first realized she was pregnant, all she wanted was a healthy delivery. The expectant mother knew she’d like a doula to assist her during her birthing journey, and Baby Dove’s Black Birth Equity Fund provided the support she was looking for. 

Jazzmine received a grant from the Equity Fund in 2023, allowing her to hire a doula and have the birthing experience she always longed for. She is among five inspiring mothers featured in Baby Dove’s Expecting Care campaign, a portrait series that highlights fund recipients who are in various stages of motherhood and pregnancy. 

Jazzmine is joined by fellow moms Matilda, Jasmine Hall, Ronique Stewart, and Kendra, who all applied for and received Black Birth Equity Fund grants for doula support between 2021 and 2023. 

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“Being included in this national campaign feels incredibly validating and empowering,” Jazzmine tells Black Love. “It’s an opportunity for me to share my personal journey and advocate for the importance of equitable care for Black mothers. Knowing that my experience can contribute to raising awareness and promoting change in maternal healthcare is truly gratifying.”

“After receiving a grant from Baby Dove in 2023, I was able to hire a doula who acted as my personal advocate leading up to my due date and in the delivery room,” Jazzmine adds. “It made me so much more confident in my journey, and I was able to enjoy my pregnancy more knowing I had someone who would be there to help me through the labor process.”

How Baby Dove’s Black Birth Equity Fund and Expecting Care Campaign
Baby Dove’s new Expecting Care portrait series features five Birth Equity Fund grant recipients to celebrate the power of Black motherhood. (Credit: Edelman/BabyDove)

The portrait series was shot by photojournalist Solana Cain, who specializes in Black maternal health photography. Jazzmine, Matilda, Jasmine Hall, Ronique, and Kendra were selected from a national pool of Black Birth Equity Fund recipients. First launched in August 2021, Black Birth Equity Project has now provided over $650,000 in grants to help over 500 Black moms access doula support during their pregnancy and postpartum journeys. 

The Expecting Care campaign is “designed to increase awareness of the importance of lifesaving doula care and the right for Black moms to receive superior care at every step of their pregnancy and birthing journey,” according to Dove. 

Our aim for the portrait series was to highlight Black moms in different stages of pregnancy and early motherhood, each with a unique journey and doula care experience to share,” Greg Ross, Chief Operating Officer of North America Personal Care at Unilever, tells Black Love. 

Jazzmine says that the photoshoot was “a phenomenal experience all around” and “predominantly staffed with Black women who made me feel so empowered and comfortable from start to finish.” 

How Baby Dove’s Black Birth Equity Fund and Expecting Care Campaign
Credit: Edelman/BabyDove

“The photographer, Solana Cain, is so lovely and really aimed to capture and celebrate the power of Black motherhood through these portrait images,” the new mom says. “I feel honored to be part of a movement that aims to address disparities and ensure that all Black mothers receive the support and care they deserve.” 

In a time when Black mothers are three times more likely to die from childbirth complications than white mothers, the impact of Black maternal healthcare cannot be understated. With the help of a doula, like the ones provided from Baby Dove’s Black Birth Equity Fund, we can begin to combat this frightening statistic. Expecting moms are two times less likely to experience birth complications and are more likely to experience overall positive health outcomes when supported by a doula, according to a study from Journal of Perinatal Education

Jazzmine is one of the mothers who experienced that positive outcome. 

“[The Black Birth Equity fund] empowered me and made me feel more knowledgeable about going into the child birthing experience,” Jazzmine concludes. “I hope that the Expecting Care campaign reaches Black women far and wide.”

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