Baby Dove Unveils New Expecting Care Campaign to Ensure Black Moms Receive the Care they Deserve During and After Pregnancy

Research shows that across the US, racial disparities in maternal health prevent Black moms from receiving the care they deserve. The Black Maternal Care Gap has created a world where Black women are 3-5x more likely to die of pregnancy related causes than white women – with 60% of these deaths being preventable¹. However, a recent study found that expecting moms are 2x less likely to experience birth complications and are more likely to experience overall positive health outcomes when supported by a doula².

First launched in August 2021, Baby Dove's Black Birth Equity Project has now provided over $650,000 in grants to help over 500 Black moms access doula support during their pregnancy and postpartum journeys. The aim of the program is to help close the gap in care and improve health outcomes for Black expectant mothers.

Expecting Care

Through the lens of Solana Cain, a photojournalist with a concentration in bringing attention to Black maternal health, Baby Dove's new Expecting Care portrait series features five Black Birth Equity Fund grant recipients to celebrate the power of Black motherhood. The campaign captures Ronique, Jazzmine, Kendra, Matilda and Jasmine in different stages of pregnancy and early motherhood, each with a unique experience and journey to share.

"After receiving a grant from Baby Dove in 2023, I was able to hire a doula who acted as my personal advocate leading up to my due date and in the delivery room," says Jazzmine Hall, a Black Birth Equity Fund Recipient featured in the Expecting Care campaign. "It made me so much more confident in my journey, and I was able to enjoy my pregnancy more knowing I had someone who would be there to help me through the labor process. I'm so happy that Baby Dove is helping to bridge the equity gap and thrilled to be included alongside other Black expectant moms to advocate for the importance of doula care."

The campaign will live across Baby Dove's social and digital platforms, in addition to out-of-home placements and photography within the baby care aisle at Walmart locations nationwide, to further increase awareness of the Black maternal care gap.

"The goal of Baby Dove's Black Birth Equity Fund has always been to improve the birthing journey for Black moms and their babies," says Greg Ross, Chief Operating Officer of North America Personal Care at Unilever. "As we enter Black Maternal Health Week 2024, Baby Dove is proud to uplift the stories of our grant recipients with our Expecting Care project, while reinforcing our commitment to providing affordable, accessible and high-quality care for Black moms."

Black Birth Equity Project

In 2021, Baby Dove set out on a mission to close the Black maternal health gap by working towards systemic change to improve the birthing journey for Black moms and their babies. In partnership with Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Baby Dove expanded access to doulas through the Black Birth Equity Fund, which provides Black expectant mothers in the U.S. with immediate financial support so they can access doula services. Applications for direct, one-time grants of up to $1,300 are available at BabyDove.com.

Expanding its efforts, in 2023 Baby Dove partnered with Sista Midwife Productions, a birth advocacy, training and consulting agency, to launch the Black Doula Directory. A national resource offering expectant moms and birthing individuals access to Black doulas nationwide, the Black Doula Directory also includes doula members from around the world, including Canada, Australia, England, and Germany. To-date, there are over 1,400 Black doulas featured on the directory, with continued efforts to increase participation.

For more information on Baby Dove's Black Birth Equity Project and the brand's commitment to closing the Black maternal care gap, visit www.BabyDove.com.

About Dove

Dove started its life in 1957 in the US, with the launch of the Beauty Bar, with its patented blend of mild cleansers and ¼ moisturizing cream. Dove's heritage is based on moisturization, and it is proof not promises that enabled Dove to grow from a Beauty Bar into one of the world's most beloved beauty brands.

Women have always been our inspiration and since the beginning, we have been wholly committed to providing superior care to all women and to championing real beauty in our advertising. Dove believes that beauty is for everyone. That beauty should be a source of confidence and not anxiety. Dove's mission is to inspire women everywhere to develop a positive relationship with the way they look and realize their personal potential for beauty.

For more than 65 years, Dove has been committed to broadening the narrow definition of beauty in the work they do. With the 'Dove Real Beauty Pledge,' Dove vows to: 

• Portray women with honesty, diversity and respect. We feature women of different ages, sizes, ethnicities, hair color, type, and style.
• Portray women as they are in real life, with zero digital distortion and all images approved by the women they feature.
• Help young people build body confidence and self-esteem through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, the biggest provider of self-esteem education in the world.

About Baby Dove

As a brand born to bolster the belief of first-time parents in their ability to care for their babies with confidence, Baby Dove products deliver superior care with moisturizing ingredients and gentle formulas. With care at the foundation of every product clinically developed, Baby Dove was created from the long, trusted heritage of Dove, with the goal to bring the 60-year care credentials to the most delicate skin: baby skin. Baby Dove is available nationwide in food, drug, and mass outlet stores.

About Unilever in North America

Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Nutrition and Ice Cream products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. We have 127,000 employees and generated sales of €59.6 billion in 2023.

Our leading brands in North America include Dove, Hellmann's, Vaseline, Degree, Axe, TRESemmé, Knorr, Magnum, Ben & Jerry's, Nutrafol, Liquid I.V., Paula's Choice, and Dermalogica.

For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands visit: www.unileverusa.com

¹ Petersen EE, Davis NL, Goodman D, et al. Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Pregnancy-Related Deaths — United States, 2007–2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2019;68:762–765. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6835a3external icon
² Gruber, K. J., Cupito, S. H., & Dobson, C. F. (2013). Impact of doulas on healthy birth outcomes. The Journal of Perinatal Education. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3647727/.   

Media Contact:
Haley Wickham - [email protected]

SOURCE Baby Dove