• by Tony Silber , April 13, 2022

The Bump, a multiplatform brand for pregnancy and parenting, this week announced the expansion of its Black Maternal Health Hub, seeking to increase awareness of the fact that non-Hispanic Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women in the U.S.

That death rate is one of the highest maternal mortality rates among industrialized nations, according to the National Institutes of Health.

The Bump’s platform, built in partnership with the National Medical Association -- an organization representing African American physicians and their patients -- provides advice and insights for expecting Black parents.

The Bump, which is 14 years old, is a unit of The Knot Worldwide, formerly known as XO Group.

With the expansion, The Bump will partner with notable medical doctors and experts to provide informative content and engage with consumers. The brand will also donate up to $10,000 to 4Kira4Moms, an organization that advocates for improved maternal health policies, contributing $1 for every like, comment and share it receives during Black Maternal Health Week on an April 11th Instagram post about the expanded digital resource.

In addition, to increase the awareness of the Black Maternal Health Hub, The Bump is hosting an Instagram feature called “Ask an Expert” with Dr. Rachel Villanueva. Users submit questions to the doctor via Instagram, and she will respond on The Bump’s Instagram stories on April 15.

“At The Bump, it is our responsibility to use our platform to lead pivotal conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion.” The Bump Head of Marketing Jen Lee said. "We’re committed to creating authentic and inclusive content, and are proud to add more expert voices to the Black Maternal Health Hub and support this critical issue that plagues an important community we serve.”

The Black Maternal Health Hub, which launched in late 2021, has featured notable mothers and mothers-to-be such as journalist Elaine Welteroth, centering stories about women of color and their experiences of navigating pregnancy and parenthood.

To drive the Black Maternal Health Hub forward, The Bump is launching two new series with additional contributors.

• Reclaiming Your Power, which features videos and Q&A articles with leaders working to make significant changes in support of Black maternal health. 
• Doctor Spotlight, which features Q&A articles with three doctors who work in support of Black maternal health.