20+ Black Maternal Health Resources for New Moms and Birthing Professionals
Becoming a new mom comes with its own set of challenges, and for Black birthing people, those challenges are often magnified by disparities in care. Whether you're navigating this journey firsthand or you're a birth worker dedicated to providing culturally responsive support, having access to the right resources and community makes all the difference.
In honor of Black Maternal Health Week and every week, our team has compiled a collection of resources created by and for Black mothers, doulas, midwives, and perinatal professionals—because every birth story deserves safety, dignity, and joy.
This list is by no means exhaustive, but we hope it provides you with support, insights, and resources to make the black pregnancy and postpartum experience safer, happier, and more supportive.
Black Mamas Matter
Non-Profit Organization
The Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA) is a Black women-led organization dedicated to advancing Black maternal health, rights, and justice. Through advocacy, research, and cultural change, BMMA centers the experiences and needs of Black mamas and birthing people.
They explain on their website: “We foster connections and collaborations between mainstream entities and Black women-led initiatives. We recognize that maternal mortality and morbidity is a global concern and we frame domestic maternal health policy within the global context.”
Their work is grounded in a vision of a world where Black mothers have the rights, respect, and resources they need to thrive—before, during, and after pregnancy. BMMA works to drive policy change rooted in human rights, support community-driven research, promote holistic models of care, and shift the national conversation to honor and amplify the voices of Black mothers.
Every Mother Counts
Non-Profit Organization
Every Mother Counts is a nonprofit organization committed to making pregnancy and childbirth safe, equitable, and respectful for every mother, everywhere. They work to improve maternal health outcomes by raising awareness, mobilizing communities, and investing in community-based programs.
Through storytelling, filmmaking, and accessible educational resources, they shine a light on the often-overlooked challenges of maternal health both in the U.S. and globally. By partnering with thought leaders and advocates, they inspire individuals and communities to take action and advocate for change.
Their grant-giving efforts support local programs that expand access to quality, respectful maternity care—particularly for underserved and marginalized populations—by strengthening the maternity care workforce and advancing models of care that meet the unique needs of each community.
Homecoming Podcast
Podcast
At Homecoming, we address two myths: 1) Hospitals are the safest place to give birth and 2) Black families don't birth at home. We broadcast how Black families birth in love and choose to birth at home, unassisted or with midwives. We interview parents, birth workers, cloth diaper enthusiasts and also feature stories of hospital transfer during planned home births and even stories of loss.
Tune into this podcast to listen to Black homebirth stories in the context of the national crisis in maternal and infant health. In spite of the statistics, black birth people DO have beautiful births!
The Radical Doula
Blog and Resource
While this blog is no longer publishing fresh content, the website is full of resources for black mothers and doulas. Created by Miriam Zoila Pérez, you can read through old posts and interviews, buy her book, The Radical Doula Guide, and browse an extensive list of black doula training organizations and services.
Perinatal Health Equity Initiative
Local Organization - New Jersey
Started by Dr. Nastassia Harris, their mission is rooted in the stark reality for black mamas in New Jersey. They explain on their website:
“We are in a maternal health crisis. New Jersey’s maternal mortality rate for Black women is more than 7-8 times the national average, but Black mamas in the state are 3.8 times more likely to lose their babies in the first year post-birth than white women. This is the highest racial disparity in infant mortality in the United States.”
This New Jersey-based organization provides classes and programs for black mothers, including lactation and preeclampsia risk reduction. They also host events, health provider trainings, and so much more.
Natal Stories
Podcast
NATAL is an award-winning audio docuseries that centers the voices of Black women, gender-expansive people, and families as they share their own experiences with reproductive care. By honoring personal stories and care traditions, NATAL invites listeners to reimagine what care can look like within Black communities.
Through collaborations with birthworkers, artists, healthcare providers, and cultural institutions, NATAL creates original media and programming that explore Black womanhood, gender expansiveness, and family life through powerful lenses—memory, tradition, autonomy, power, and place.
Their work uplifts and empowers audiences to celebrate their bodies, reclaim their reproductive narratives, and imagine new traditions of care. Past collaborations include the Simone Leigh Opening Celebration at LACMA, and NATAL’s impact has been supported by organizations like the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism, and The Economic Hardship Reporting Project, which co-published Season Three.
Shades of Blue Project
Local Organization - Texas
The Shades of Blue Project is a Houston-based nonprofit organization dedicated to improving maternal mental health outcomes for Black and Brown birthing people. As part of their ongoing commitment to this mission, they are opening a new Maternal and Mental Health Resource Center in North Houston.
This center will provide a range of vital services, including social support, job readiness training, onsite therapy, support groups, and more—each designed to uplift and empower the community. To learn how you can support their work and be part of creating meaningful change, click the link below to get in touch.
Dem Black Mamas
Podcast
Dem Black Mamas is a podcast hosted by three Black mother creatives—Crystal Tennille Irby, NeKisha Killings, and Thea Monyee—that delves into topics ranging from sex and pursuing dreams to adulting and raising free Black children. The show offers candid conversations aimed at Black women seeking guidance, healing, and creative liberation, emphasizing that motherhood is not the graveyard of dreams.
Through their discussions, they provide listeners with insights and support on various aspects of life and parenting.
Choices in Childbirth
Digital Resource
This unique platform brings a diverse range of birthing professionals together to provide you with the support, strategies, and information you need to feel confident and supported going into childbirth. Watch their films or head to their resources section to find hundreds of articles, downloads, and lists too!
Carmen Bridgewater
Birth Photographer
Carmen Bridgewater is an amazing birth videographer/photographer who showcases joy for black women during pregnancy/childbirth. This work is not only beautiful but can be so helpful with combating the fear that many black women can experience during pregnancy due to high black maternal morbidity rates.
Black Women’s Health Imperative
Non-Profit Organization
The Black Women's Health Imperative (BWHI) is the first nonprofit organization created by Black women to protect and advance the health and wellness of Black women and girls. Founded in 1983 by Byllye Y. Avery as the National Black Women's Health Project, BWHI has been a pioneer in addressing racial and gender-based health disparities.
Through comprehensive public education initiatives, policy advocacy, research, and leadership development, BWHI is dedicated to promoting the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of Black women and girls nationwide.
For support and insights, check out their blog posts, videos, and upcoming events.
The National Association to Advance Black Birth
Non-Profit Organization
The National Association to Advance Black Birth (NAABB) is dedicated to improving the care and treatment of Black women, infants, and birthing persons by addressing the impacts of structural racism on Black maternal and infant health. Through advocacy, research, educational programs, activism, and policy change, NAABB equips birth workers—including doulas, midwives, lactation consultants, nurses, and doctors—and maternity health institutions with practical tools and education to enhance outcomes for Black communities.
Some of their most significant initiatives include The Black Birthing Bill of Rights, a resource designed to empower Black birthing individuals and guide healthcare providers in delivering respectful, equitable care.
They also offer programs like the Birth Justice Incubator & Fellowship, providing mentorship and financial support to Black birth workers developing community programs, and the Black Midwifery Scholarship, aimed at supporting Black midwifery students committed to serving Black communities.
Mamatoto Village
Local Organization - Washington DC
Mamatoto Village is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to serving Black women and birthing people by providing accessible perinatal support services and creating career pathways in maternal health.
Their comprehensive services include pregnancy and postpartum care, labor support, breastfeeding assistance, childbirth education, and wellness coaching, all tailored to empower families throughout their reproductive and parenting journeys.
Additionally, Mamatoto Village offers professional training programs for individuals pursuing careers in perinatal health, such as Perinatal Community Health Worker and Lactation Specialist Training. Through community organizing, advocacy campaigns, and policy initiatives, they address systemic inequities impacting Black maternal health, striving to foster healthy mothers, healthy babies, and healthy communities.
Motherhood Redefined
Community, Directory and Events
Motherhood Redefined is a digital platform committed to supporting Black mothers by providing culturally responsive mental health care, fostering community connections, and offering empowering content. Recognizing the systemic barriers and societal pressures Black women often face, the organization offers resources such as The Redefined Collective—a private membership community where mothers can connect and support each other—along with events and Pennsylvania-based mental health support.
They also host events and workshops focused on wellness and personal growth, and provide virtual counseling services for Pennsylvania residents. Additionally, Motherhood Redefined maintains a directory of Black wellness professionals, including therapists and doulas, to ensure accessible and culturally competent care.
Founded by LaToya Hamm Wilson, a Licensed Social Worker specializing in maternal mental health for women of color, the organization strives to challenge unrealistic expectations of motherhood and help moms prioritize their well-being.
Forpartum
App
Think BabyCenter or Ovia but not for the babies—for moms and everything they need for postpartum support.This much-needed app was developed by a Black doula.
Forpartum is the world's first all-in-one postpartum wellness app, designed to provide comprehensive and personalized support for mothers navigating their postpartum journey. Utilizing innovative Evolving Nurturing Technology™, the app adapts to each user's unique needs, offering tailored insights and guidance.
Forpartum focuses on six key pillars of postpartum wellness: physical recovery, nutrition, sleep, mental health, nervous system regulation, and community support. Features include personalized meal plans, wellness trackers for mood, energy, and sleep, and access to a supportive community of mothers and experts. Committed to user privacy, Forpartum employs stringent data security measures to ensure the confidentiality of sensitive health information.
Raising Resilience
Local Organization - North Carolina, Online Resources
Raising Resilience was created by Black women, for Black women—born from lived experiences in parenthood and the deep need for a space that truly supports those often overlooked. It’s for the ones expected to stay strong, to care for everyone else, and who sometimes feel invisible in their own struggles.
As therapists and mothers themselves, they understand the unique challenges that come with this journey. With specialized training and deep compassion, they offer support through every stage—from fertility struggles and loss to postpartum healing and parenting.
Raising Resilience is about breaking the silence, embracing the courage to ask for help, and doing the inner work to heal, grow, and show up fully for ourselves and our families.
Outside of therapy for North Carolina residents, Raising Resilience also has a blog, resources for parents, and resources for providers.
NCAT Lactation Community Clinic
Local Organization – Greensboro, NC, Virtual Resources
North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University is home to the first Human Lactation Pathway 2 Program at a public HBCU, paving the way for a more diverse and inclusive lactation field. Recognizing the systemic barriers that Black and marginalized families face when it comes to breastfeeding, this program is committed to changing the health narrative through education, support, and advocacy.
As part of this mission, the program operates a free community lactation clinic on campus, providing both in-person and virtual support to expecting and postpartum families. By offering accessible, culturally responsive care, the clinic helps families navigate their infant-feeding journeys with confidence and sustainability.
The Loveland Foundation Therapy Fund
Non-Profit Organization
The Loveland Foundation's Therapy Fund offers financial assistance to Black women and nonbinary individuals seeking therapy services nationwide. Recognizing the barriers to mental health care faced by these communities, the fund collaborates with organizations such as Therapy for Black Girls, National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network, and Open Path Collective to connect recipients with culturally competent professionals.
Eligible individuals can receive up to 12 vouchers, each covering up to $120 per therapy session, to help make ongoing mental health support more accessible and affordable.
The Loveland Foundation also offers a wellness retreat for bipoc therapists and has an active Instagram page.
Mama Glow
Digital Platform
Mama Glow is a New York-based maternity lifestyle brand dedicated to supporting women throughout the stages of fertility, pregnancy, and new motherhood. They offer comprehensive services, including full-spectrum doula support, yoga and mindfulness sessions, lifestyle coaching, and spirit and self-care guidance.
Mama Glow also provides globally recognized doula training programs aimed at educating the next generation of birth workers. Committed to advocacy and education, the organization strives to empower women by promoting holistic wellness and reclaiming the birth process as a sacred rite of passage.
In Our Own Voice
Non-Profit Organization
In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda is a collaborative national-state partnership working to uplift the leadership and voices of Black women to advance reproductive justice for Black women, girls, and gender-expansive people.
Partnering with eight powerful organizations—Black Women for Wellness, Black Women’s Health Imperative, New Voices for Reproductive Justice, SisterLove, Inc., SisterReach, SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW, The Afiya Center, and Women With A Vision—this initiative delivers forward-thinking advocacy and policy solutions.
Their work addresses the complex realities of Black women’s lives, navigating the intersections of race, gender, class, sexual orientation, and gender identity, all within the broader context of economic, political, and cultural influences.
Melanin Moms
Podcast
The Melanin Moms podcast, hosted by mother and student Shay McClung, is dedicated to honoring Black women and mothers by providing a positive platform for discussing a variety of hot topics and social issues.
Each week, Shay engages with guests in panel discussions, where they share personal knowledge and experiences on subjects that matter most to the community. The podcast aims to amplify voices, foster meaningful conversations, and address the unique challenges and triumphs of Black motherhood.
Sista Midwife Productions
Midwife Training and Directory
Sista Midwife Productions (SMP) is a birth advocacy training and consulting agency dedicated to improving pregnancy and childbirth experiences, particularly within Black communities. Founded by certified nurse midwife and birth advocate Nicole Deggins, SMP offers educational events and comprehensive doula training programs that center the experiences of Black women.
The organization also provides valuable resources such as directories to connect families with Black midwives and doulas, aiming to foster a paradigm shift in how individuals and communities perceive conception, pregnancy, birth, and parenting.
Birth Stories in Color
Podcast
Birth Stories in Color (BSiC) is a podcast created as a dedicated space for Black, Indigenous, Asian, Latino, and Multiracial individuals to share their unique birthing experiences. It honors the full spectrum of birth—celebrating joy, holding space for grief, and supporting the profound transformation that comes through the journey.
At its heart, BSiC recognizes the power of storytelling as a tool for connection and preparation, offering future parents insight into both the expected and unexpected parts of birth. By amplifying voices that too often go unheard, BSiC strives to build a compassionate, supportive community—one that feels close no matter the distance, and serves as a trusted resource for those navigating their own path to and through parenthood.
Irth App
App
Irth is a free mobile app designed to empower Black and brown women and birthing people by providing a platform to find and share reviews of maternity and pediatric care experiences.
Often referred to as a "Yelp-like" resource for the pregnancy and new motherhood journey, Irth allows users to search for and rate prenatal, birthing, postpartum, and pediatric services based on firsthand accounts from communities of color.
By collecting and sharing these reviews, Irth aims to foster transparency, hold healthcare providers accountable, and ultimately improve care for marginalized groups. The app also offers resources for healthcare professionals and birth workers, supporting efforts to address and reduce bias in maternal and infant care.
