For Mamas

Research has verified many aspects of water labor and waterbirth. Learn more about the benefits HERE.

You don’t have to have a birth plan but having one is great!

AI birth plan is a set of instructions you make about your baby’s birth.  It tells your  provider how you feel about things like who you want with you during labor, what you want to do during labor, if you want drugs to help with labor pain, and if there are special religious or cultural practices you want to have happen once your baby is born.

Learn more from the March of Dimes on how to establish and use your birth plan

The Birth Hour provides an example of how to write out your birth plan. The purpose of a written birth plan is to give your midwife, partner, and other support team members, as well as yourself, a clear picture of your informed choices and essentially what you are choosing to say, “yes” to or what you are choosing to say, “no” to. 

Learn more and view examples of how to write out your birth plan HERE.

Breastfeeding Mommy Group est.2013. Safe space to meet the needs of Oakland residents focused on all things Breastfeeding, Parenting and Birth related.

Learn more HERE

Breastfeeding is a learned skill and it can take time for it to feel natural. As you learn, you may encounter some challenges along the way,  These challenges can be discouraging, but most can be overcome.  

Learn more about the challenges of breastfeeding and how to work through them HERE.

La Leche League’s Mission is to help mothers worldwide to breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information, and education, and to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby and mother.

Learn More Here

California has some of the strongest laws and regulations in the nation to support breastfeeding and lactating individuals when they are in hospitals, in workplaces, in schools and in public places. Below is more information about the requirements for each place and how to make a complaint when one feels that the law is not being followed.

Learn more about California Breastfeeding Coalition HERE

Mothers’ Milk Bank is a nonprofit organization founded in 1974 to provide Pasteurized Donor Human Milk (PDHM) to infants in need. Our mission is to help infants thrive by making donated breastmilk safe and accessible. We are registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), accredited by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA), a licensed tissue bank in California and Maryland. We distribute PDHM to hospitals and families across all states, including Hawaii and Alaska. Our vision is to contribute to the best start in life for all babies. We do so by helping mothers succeed in breastfeeding, supporting lactation groups, supplying breast pumps to low-income families, and organizing events to promote breastmilk donations.

Learn about Mother’s Milk HERE

BElovedBIRTH Black Centering is a new GOLD PACKAGE of prenatal and postpartum care, by, for and with Black people. Our unique model of group care is brought to you by Alameda Health System and the Alameda County Public Health Department. It provides a supportive Black community to help you and your growing family through the joys and challenges of pregnancy, birth and parenting.

You can learn more about BElovedBirth HERE

Pacifica is an accredited freestanding birth center in Berkeley, CA. The birth center has two separate, private birthing suites, each equipped with a luxurious tub and spacious bathroom. Further amenities include a comfortable group room, cozy prenatal and postpartum rooms, an ample kitchen, a resource library, and convenient parking for when you’re in labor. We are committed to green business practices and a more gentle impact on our environment. Pacifica Family Maternity Center is four short blocks from Alta Bates Hospital and accessible by public transportation.

You can learn more about Pacific Family Maternity Center HERE using the contact information below.

Email: Midwives@pacificamaternity.com

Phone: (510) 280-5543

The Black Doula Locator is a place for Black Doulas to create profiles; and for pregnant or postpartum mamas to locate Black Doulas from around the country.

Learn more about the Black Doula Locator HERE

Roots of Labor Birth Collective is pausing the active doula-client match process at this time in order to focus on internal restructuring for our collective’s overall sustainability and longevity. Thank you for your patience, and know that we are still deeply committed to connecting folks in need of services with doulas who are available. In the meantime, if you are seeking doula services please reach out to any of the doulas below directly for support.

Learn more HERE

Phone: (805) 910-RLBC (7522)

Email: Rootsoflaborbc@gmail.com

Labor and birth doula. Doula mentor. Education and support for birth and parenting. Mother and baby blessings. They also offer healing services and doula training. “Our focus is to provide services to the Oakland East Bay Community services and opportunities which will reduce the infant and maternal mortality rates in our community!”

Learn more about Oakland Better Birth Foundation HERE

Phone: (510) 827-9160

Email: lsamsarahmorgan@gmail.com

Abortion Clinics Online (ACOL) directory has been online since 1995 and has had over 40 million visitors. Some of the MOST REPUTABLE and TRUSTED abortion clinics, doctors, and Planned Parenthood clinics are listed here.

Learn more about finding an abortion clinic HERE

Find an Abortion Clinic 800-455-8130
ACOL Staff 770-434-5957

A directory of federally funded health centers that provides free or low-cost care, including prenatal care.

Learn More HERE

The San Francisco Pacific Islander Maternal Advisory Council (MAC) is a group of Pasifika mothers and community organizers from the SF Pacific Islander community who are dedicated to improving the wellbeing of our birthing women and expecting families. We are a hub for cultural support and connection to combat the high preterm birth rates & adverse birth outcomes of our community and the lack of PI representation in birth work.

Contact: sfpimab@gmail.com

The #1 “Yelp-like” platform for the pregnancy and new motherhood journey, where you can find prenatal, birthing, postpartum and pediatric reviews of care from other Black and brown women. You can search doctor and hospital reviews from your community!

An app made by and for people of color. Leave a review today to help inform and protect others!

Learn More and download the Irth App Here

The San Francisco Diaper Bank provides a free monthly supply of diapers to Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, or CalFresh households with children under the age of three. Each eligible child may receive up to two cases of diapers each month. Please note: Participation in the Diaper Bank will not reduce monthly benefit amounts for food or cash assistance.

Learn More HERE

First 5 San Francisco has invested in San Francisco’s youngest children, their families, and the providers who work on their behalf.

Their initiatives increase access to and raise the quality of valuable services in our focus areas: family support, child development, and child health. Their focus is on strength-based, equity-focused programs that build on families’ abilities and meet their greatest needs.

Get In Touch with First 5:

First 5 San Francisco
1650 Mission Street, Suite 300
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: 628.652.7000  | Fax: 415.565.0494 admin@first5sf.org

In a community-academic partnership, Expecting Justice is proposing to pilot the first pregnancy income supplement program in the US which we are calling the Abundant Birth Project (ABP). ABP will provide unconditional cash supplements to Black and Pacific Islander mothers as a strategy to reduce preterm birth and improve economic outcomes for our communities. ABP presents an opportunity to transform San Francisco into a city where all children have a healthy start at life.

Learn more about how to apply to ABP HERE

The YMCA San Francisco food pantries have served thousands of families in communities throughout the San Mateo, San Francisco, and Marin counties who are struggling with food insecurity. With the increasing rise of joblessness and suspended access to food support services like free school lunch programs there are more mouths to feed with fewer resources. Food pantry services are in high demand.

To meet this increased need, The YMCA San Francisco has expanded their food distribution programs to serve more than 2800 community members and families at 11 locations.

Find a location near you HERE

Started by two Black sisters, FranDelJa provides high quality child care and support for families in San Francisco’s Bayview and Hunter’s Point community. They offer an Infant Program, a Toddler Program and a Preschool Program for children aged 6 weeks to 5 years of age . Additionally, FranDelJa is home to the Jump Start San Francisco Preschool Program, in which college student role models come to the classroom several times each week to assist preschool children struggling in early learning programs.

Learn more about FranDelJa Enrichment Center HERE

Contact Info:

Phone: 415-822-1699 or (415) 523-0362

Find a Virtual Black therapist, doula, yoga teacher, mediator and much more.

Start here.

Sista Afiya is a social enterprise that provides low-cost mental wellness care that center the experiences of Black women. We have a community support approach to mental wellness. We believe that community support for people living with mental health conditions can foster healing, growth, freedom, and self-actualization.

Learn more about Sista Afiya HERE

Inclusive Therapists offers a safer, simpler way to find a culturally responsive, LGBTQ+ affirming, social justice-oriented therapist. We center the needs of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. We amplify the voices and expressions of Neurodivergent and Disabled communities. We are a mental health liberation movement creating change through decolonial education, collective care, and activism.

Do you need help finding an inclusive therapist? Click HERE for support

These recipes were submitted by supporters when we had a campaign in 2020 to collect traditional postpartum recipes from the African Diaspora. A special “THANK YOU” to everyone who submitted a recipe. The MPJ Nutrition Team composed of registered dieticians and interns tested these recipes and analyzed their nutritional values. This is a major contribution to the preservation, validation and advancement of traditional postpartum wisdom.

GRAB YOUR RECIPES HERE!

Recipes created by two sisters in the Bay Area who work in Traditional Mexican Knowledge and indigenous foods, combined with a sprinkling of their longtime training in the Indian healing art of Ayurveda.  

Learn more about their work and recipes HERE

Black Women for Wellness understands the importance of reclaiming our kitchens as a space where our families can experience health and wellness. This cookbook serves as a tool to assist your family as you explore new foods for your baby that will support their growth and development. We’ve included recipes to support mamas in the fourth trimester through motherhood. Your body deserves to be restored and empowered.

Learn More HERE

The abortion landscape is fragmented and increasingly polarized. Many states have abortion restrictions or bans in place that make it difficult, if not impossible, for people to get care. Other states have taken steps to protect abortion rights and access. To help people understand this complex landscape, our interactive map groups states into one of seven categories based on abortion policies they currently have in effect. Users can select any state to see details about abortion policies in place, characteristics of state residents and key abortion statistics, including driving distance to the nearest abortion clinic.

Learn More HERE

Where to start in finding the OB that’s just right for you? You’ll definitely want someone you feel completely comfortable with, and that you trust to take care of you and your baby. 

Learn more about How to find a good OB HERE

Directory of federally funded health centers that provides free or low-cost care, including prenatal care.

Check out the directory HERE

A core piece of our work is our bilingual ACCESS Healthline, and it is a crucial link to resources for people in need of reproductive healthcare and related supports. We provide free and confidential information, referrals, advocacy, and peer counseling on the full range of reproductive and sexual health issues, with special expertise in pregnancy options and abortion services. Our Healthline is operated by trained staff and volunteers who can provide information, referrals, and procedural and practical support around abortion care, birth control, health insurance and more. We also can help organize funding, transportation, lodging, childcare, meal funds, doula and emotional support care, and much more!

ENGLISH LINE: 800.376.4636 | SPANISH LINE: 888.442.2237

Learn More HERE

A birth injury is a devastating occurrence, but with the proper guidance and tools, you can restore your family’s hope for a brighter future. We want to help connect families to information and resources needed to overcome their current circumstances.

Learn more about the Birth Injury Center HERE

If you’re thinking about getting pregnant the best thing you and your partner can do for your baby is to plan ahead. Having a healthy baby begins well before you get pregnant, so start making healthy choices now!

Learn more about how to prepare for a healthy baby and pregnancy HERE

26 family resource centers across the city operate under a shared vision built on families who are thriving, connected, and able to support their children’s lifelong success. Parents with children of any age are encouraged to discover the many resources available at all family resource centers across San Francisco.

Find a resource center HERE

Family Resource Centers are family supportive and empowerment program that serves as a hub for connecting families with a network of local and citywide resources. Our programs are family centered, strength based, needs driven, solution oriented, and community based, all of which compliment the Y’s core values.

Learn more HERE

Community Well offers free and low-cost community services and classes.

Community Well believes that everyone can discover and claim their own path to healing. Every day, we help people experience the connection between mind, body, and spirit through holistic health services and education. Because working together in this way, we can overcome barriers and cultivate well-being for all.

LEARN MORE!

This group is to love, support and empower Black Women experiencing Infertility.

Learn more and sign up HERE

These blogs, sites, and organizations are founded or written by persons of color or speak directly to the black experience in infertility/reproductive health.

Find resources HERE

Please use this guide to create and engage your own Village, and to provide as a resource for anyone who may need it. We also encourage you to share the link to the guide on your social media channels using #WeAreTheVillage. Together, we can work toward equity in birthing outcomes for all.

Download your toolkit HERE

According to the National Association to Advance Black Birth, The Black Birthing Bill of Rights is a resource for every black person that engages in maternity care. We want each black woman and birthing person to know their rights and to have the tools to confidently exercise these rights. The Bill of Rights also serves as guidance for government programs, hospitals, maternity providers and others as they transform their policies, procedures, and practices to meet the needs of Black birthing people.

Download a PDF of the Black Birthing Billing Rights Here.

You have the right to bodily autonomy and self determination. Learn more your right, how to speak up for yourself and get HELP

View and download HERE

Reproductive health care, including access to birth control and safe and legal abortion care, is an essential part of your health and well-being. While Roe v. Wade was overturned, abortion remains legal in many states, and other reproductive health care services remain protected by law. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is committed to providing you with accurate and up-to-date information about access to and coverage of reproductive health care and resources. Our goal is to make sure you have appropriate information and support.

Learn more HERE