BIRTHING BEAUTIFUL BABIES

COMMUNITY-BASED INTERVENTION

The Birthing Beautiful Babies project is a seven-week intervention program focused on reducing stress and anxiety experienced in pregnant black women by using culturally sensitive cognitive behavioral techniques.

Psychosocial measures of worry, pregnancy-anxiety, and distress and bio-measures of blood pressure, height, weight, and cortisol. Cultural components infused within the study include mobilizing local doulas as study facilitators and addressing relevant stressors such as negative media images of Black women, self-esteem, racism, colorism, hair care, and pregnancy-related health concerns.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques include a psychoeducation of panic attacks, visualization exercises to decrease anxious thoughts and relax the body, and a stress story narrative.

ACTION Maryland is proud to have supported monitoring and evaluation efforts for this program aimed to build community while reducing adverse health outcomes in alignment with our mission.