The mission of the bbc is to address and improve the systemic and community structures that lead to poor birth outcomes through culture, education, advocacy, support, and engagement.
During the year, birthing beautiful communities served 777 families through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care, supporting the delivery of 624 babies. Bbc continued advancing equitable maternal health outcomes through culturally responsive, community-based care, achieving an 85% full-term birth rate and an 83% breastfeeding initiation rate, both exceeding local, state, and national averages. To reduce barriers to care and promote stability, bbc coordinated 2,219 rides to medical appointments, fulfilled 359 baby bank requests for essential infant supplies, and provided 47,575.88 in emergency financial assistance for housing and utilities. Bbc also expanded mental health support services, providing individual and group counseling sessions as well as grief recovery workshops for clients and families. Bbc further strengthened programming through workforce development, partnerships, and community initiatives focused on birth equity and maternal wellness. The organization expanded its birthing moms unchained initiative for incarcerated mothers, hosted the annual wave of light remembrance event for pregnancy and infant loss awareness month, and prepared for ohios medicaid doula reimbursement implementation by credentialing 53 doulas and securing contracts with five managed care organizations. Bbc also launched and expanded educational initiatives for teen and first-time mothers and partnered with neighborhood family practice to train new perinatal support doulas and provide education on culturally responsive care.