Top Pregnancy And Parenting Tools For Black Parents
Apps, Websites, Support Groups, Books, Podcasts, And More
Pregnancy is a transformative, exciting time of life, but it can also be difficult to navigate, especially for Black families. Research has shown that implicit bias and racism contribute to higher Black maternal and infant mortality rates in the United States.
To help improve maternal and infant health outcomes for Black families, we’ve put together this list of our top recommended pregnancy and parenting tools. Here you’ll find apps, websites, support groups, books, and podcasts specifically selected for Black parents. We hope these resources help you feel more prepared and equipped on your parenting journey.
Online Tools For A Safe, Supportive, And Informed Pregnancy
“Yelp” For Finding Respectful Providers: Irth App
Irth (as in Birth, but they dropped the B for bias) is a “Yelp-like” platform where you can find prenatal, birthing, postpartum, and pediatric reviews of care from other Black and brown women. Their goal is to help Black and brown women and birthing people have a more safe and empowered pregnancy and parenting experience by allowing them to see how other parents of color experienced care at a doctor or hospital. They then turn those collective experiences into meaningful data to push for change within health systems.
To Learn How To Make The Right Choices For You: Choices in Childbirth - Every Mother Counts (EMC)
Choices in Childbirth was designed by Every Mother Counts to educate people about their pregnancy and birth options, help them take an active role in their maternity care, and to remind them that they are not alone during pregnancy, birth, and beyond. The program is set up as a series of educational videos and interactive tools to help guide you along the way, including resources like these printable birth affirmations.
To Make Informed, Empowered Choices: Evidence Based Birth
Evidence Based Birth envisions a world in which all birthing families have access to safe, respectful, evidence-based, and empowering care. Their work focuses on making evidence-based information easily accessible, nurturing a community of like-minded advocates, teaching high-quality trainings on important skills, and providing easy-to-read handouts to share with clients of birth workers.
To Know Your Rights: Black Birthing Bill Of Rights
The Black Birthing Bill of Rights, created by the National Association To Advance Black Birth (NAABB), serves as a resource for individuals to become knowledgeable of their rights as a Black person in need of maternal care. It also serves as guidance to engage hospitals, health providers, government health agencies and others to change/improve their ethic, policies, and delivery approach to serving Black women and persons throughout the birthing process.
To Learn About Reproductive Justice: Black Reproductive Justice Policy Agenda
The Black Reproductive Justice Policy Agenda is an innovative, proactive policy agenda created in collaboration with more than 30 Black women’s organizations and Reproductive Justice activists. The agenda offers proactive policy solutions to address issues at the intersections of race, gender, class, sexual orientation and gender identity within the situational impacts of economics, politics and culture that make up the lived experiences of Black women, femmes, girls and gender-expansive individuals in the United States. This is great reading if you’d like to learn more about Reproductive Justice.
An All-In-One Pregnancy And Parenting Companion: BabyCenter
BabyCenter is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. Their content is doctor approved and evidence based, and their community is moderated, lively, and welcoming. With thousands of award-winning articles and community groups, you can track your pregnancy and baby's growth, get answers to your toughest questions, and connect with moms, dads, and expectant parents just like you.
Every week of your pregnancy you’ll get an update on your baby’s size and development and your pregnancy body. They also offer a variety of tools, including an ovulation calculator, a due date calculator, a baby costs calculator, pregnancy weight gain calculator, BabyCenter courses, a baby names finder, and more. We recommend BabyCenter as a general one-stop shop companion for your pregnancy.
An All-In-One Baby Registry: Babylist
Simple and easy-to-use, Babylist lets you put anything onto your baby registry from any store. It’s available on all devices - web or app - and also includes expert-backed advice and information to help guide you through your pregnancy journey.
Supportive Communities For Parents
A Digital Community Of Women Of Color: Wolomi App
Wolomi is the first online pregnancy community for women of color, by a nurse of color. Membership to Wolomi gives you access to weekly tips from a midwife of color to help you prepare for your provider appointments. You'll also have access to a variety of maternal health experts, events, and a community of amazing women like you.
A Digital Safe Space For Dads: Dope Black Dads
Dope Black Dads is a digital safe space for fathers who wish to discuss their experiences of being black, a parent, and masculinity in the modern world. Their aim is to celebrate, heal, inspire and educate black fathers for better outcomes for black families. They also host a podcast called Dope Black Dads Podcast. (For those based in the U.S., be aware that this is a British community.)
For Families With Babies In The NICU: March of Dimes NICU Initiatives
The March of Dimes NICU Initiatives page offers support and education to families with babies in the NICU through evidence-based programs and a variety of online and in-person resources while babies are in the NICU and during their transition home.
More: 12 Online Pregnancy Support Groups for Black Families
Recommended Reading
One Of Our Favorite Books: Black, Pregnant and Loving It: The Comprehensive Pregnancy Guide for Today’s Woman of Color
With month-by-month overviews, soul food recipes beneficial to pregnant women, checklists for doctor visits, a play-by-play of delivery options and even tips for keeping the romance alive, Black, Pregnant and Loving It has everything you’ll need for the 9 months of your pregnancy and beyond. With all your questions answered and all your fears laid to rest, Black, Pregnant and Loving It will allow you to enjoy your pregnancy and go on to deliver the beautiful baby you’ve been waiting for.
An Upgraded “What To Expect When You’re Expecting”: Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong--and What You Really Need to Know
Expecting Better is a data-driven decision making guide to pregnancy written by award-winning economist Emily Oster. Debunking myths and explaining everything from the real effects of caffeine to the surprising dangers of gardening, Expecting Better is the book for every pregnant woman who wants to enjoy a healthy and relaxed pregnancy—and the occasional glass of wine.
A Must-Have For Alleviating Boredom: First-Time Mom's Pregnancy Activity Book: 100 Fun Games, Projects, and Prompts to Prepare for Baby
Learning about a healthy pregnancy doesn’t have to be boring! This Pregnancy Activity Book is a fun collection of 100 creative puzzles, exercises, writing prompts, and advice to support you and help you stay positive as you prepare for motherhood. Featuring everything from coloring pages and crossword puzzles to tips for diet, exercise, and preventing morning sickness, this guide will keep you entertained, help you record how you feel, and give you the tools to take on parenthood with confidence and good humor.
For The Early Parenting Years: Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool
Also written by award-winning economist Emily Oster, Cribsheet is a data-driven guide to the early years of parenting. Armed with the data, Oster finds that the conventional wisdom doesn't always hold up. She debunks myths around breastfeeding (not a panacea), sleep training (not so bad!), potty training (wait until they're ready or possibly bribe with M&Ms), language acquisition (early talkers aren't necessarily geniuses), and many other topics. She also shows parents how to think through questions like if and how to go back to work, how to think about toddler discipline, and how to have a relationship and parent at the same time.
More Books: 10 Pregnancy Books That Black Moms Should Read Now
Recommended Listening
For Navigating Your Birth Journey: Birth Stories in Color Podcast
Birth Stories in Color (BSiC) is a podcast for Black, Indigenous, Asian, Latino and Multiracial individuals to share their birthing experiences - a space that specifically celebrates, mourns with and supports them and their transformation through birth. BSiC also emphasizes the role of storytelling as a way to equip future parents. Listening to real birth stories is one way to discover the expected and unexpected parts of the journey.
For Black Fathers: Black Fatherhood Legacy Podcast
Black Fatherhood Legacy (BFL) was created by Black fathers for Black fathers to come together and support each other in an authentic and unapologetic way. They strive to change the narrative surrounding black fatherhood in America by allowing a different lens into the world as seen through the eyes and lives of fully engaged black fathers.
For Raising Black Children In The US: Parenting for Liberation Podcast
Parenting for Liberation is a podcast hosted by Trina Greene Brown for Black parents as they navigate and negotiate raising Black children within the social and political context of the US. It’s rooted in an Afro-futuristic vision of a world where black parents are in community with each other to raise black children without fear and instead parent for liberation.
For Answering All Your Burning Parenting Questions: Dem Black Mamas Podcast
Dem Black Mamas answers all the questions yo mama won't! From sex & dream catching to adulting & raising free Black children, three #BlackMamaCreatives Crystal Tennille Irby, NeKisha Killings, & Thea Monyee, give you all the #BlackMamaMagic your heart can hold while pursuing their own creative dreams through healing and liberation.
More Podcasts: 21 Podcasts For Black Parents
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