What it is

Building Beautiful Babies™, a holistic 12-week journey (7 weeks prenatal + 5 weeks postnatal) that combines culturally rooted mental wellness circles with evidence-based education for Black birthing people.

A 12-Week Continuum of Care

Because birthing people are often unprepared for the realities of the full perinatal experience, Birthing Beautiful Babies offers a comprehensive model that intentionally integrates perinatal education with emotional well-being.

Grounded in science-based information and culturally relevant support, the model prepares participants for birth while extending support into the critical fourth trimester.

Throughout this 12-week journey, which includes seven weeks of perinatal support and five weeks of postnatal support, participants receive two complementary layers of care:

Emotional Well-Being: Culturally grounded Sister Circles support emotional wellness and help reduce stress and anxiety through practical cognitive-behavioral techniques.

Perinatal Education: Essential birth and health knowledge is delivered through curated virtual micro-lessons led by trusted experts through Birthing the Magic Collaborative.

Mamas deserve more than survival.

They deserve care grounded in science, guided by community, and shaped by culture.

Why This Framework Matters

Black birthing people experience the highest rates of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in the United States. These disparities persist across income, education, and access to care, reflecting the impact of systemic racism, chronic stress, medical neglect, and culturally disconnected care.

The Systemic Gap: Black patients are more likely to experience poor communication, inadequate listening, and inequitable treatment during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period.

The Emotional Well-Being Gap: Black women face significant barriers to accessing culturally responsive emotional well-being support, including care related to pregnancy and birth experiences, stress, anxiety, and postpartum adjustment.

Contact Us

Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett

Grounded in Scientific Rigor

The Building Beautiful Babies™ model was developed in collaboration with Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett, retired Kent State University professor and nationally recognized scholar whose work has examined how anxiety, stress, and trauma affect the lives of Black women and girls.

The program incorporates her evidence-based, culturally grounded perinatal emotional well-being interventions and is informed by rigorous psychological and clinical research. As Building Beautiful Babies™ expands nationally, Dr. Neal-Barnett leads the program’s ongoing multi-market research and evaluation efforts, measuring impact, analyzing outcomes, and contributing to published findings that can help inform and strengthen the standard of care for Black maternal health.