• by Les Luchter , April 17, 2023

Increasing access to doulas -- those trained to provide special support to moms during the whole childbirth process -- is a key element of Baby Dove’s commitment to close the Black maternal health gap.

“Black expectant moms are almost three to five times more likely to die due to complications during their birthing journey,” explained Neha Minj, U.S. marketing director for the six-year-old Unilever brand. However, “60% of these pregnancies that lead to death are preventable.

“Research shows that, with the support of a doula, a mom is two times less likely to suffer and experience birthing complications, and their actual overall positive health outcomes increase.”

Minj made her remarks Thursday on a during the Baby Dove-sponsored Black Maternal Health Week, where the brand  announced a partnership with Sista Midwife Productions (SMP) to birth an online “Black Doula Directory.”

That directory, containing info on over 1,000 Black doulas, grows out of SMP’s 11-year-old “Black Birth Workers Directory,” which included both doulas and midwives and contained just 50 names when it began.

Baby Dove’s mission for Black maternal health started in 2021 when the brand partnered with Black Mamas Matter Alliance), the founder of Black Maternal Health Week, on the Black Birth Equity Fund, which provides Black expectant mothers with one-time grants of up to $1,300 to help cover the cost of a doula. The brand says it has now invested $650,000 into the fund, providing approximately 500 moms with financial support for doulas. 

Last year, Dove also co-founded #DearDoula, an ongoing social media content series.

For Minj, the advantage of using doulas is personal. During last week’s event, she recalled that “during my birthing journey, I remember feeling that probably my doula was the only one in the room who truly understood what I was going through.”