BirthMatters

A Good Idea

Description

BirthMatters provides complimentary community doula services to young (24 years old and younger) expectant mothers.

Starting before 24 weeks into pregnancy, trained doulas provide educational and emotional support to each family with home visits and birth support. BirthMatters provides doula care services until the infant is 6 months old.

In 2011, BirthMatters expanded its services to include teen pregnancy prevention programing to youth ages 13-19 years old. Parent-child communication sessions are also offered.

Goal / Mission

The mission of BirthMatters is to provide community-based doula services to vulnerable mothers in need of pregnancy and birth support. The program aims to increase breastfeeding rates and decrease cesarean (c-section) rates among young, low-income mothers.

Results / Accomplishments

In 2011, BirthMatters doulas in Spartanburg and Cherokee County supported over sixty families with doula services, with a total of 750 prenatal sessions and 370 postpartum sessions.

In 2012, BirthMatters doulas in Spartanburg and Cherokee County supported fifty-three families with doula services, with a total of 1087 prenatal sessions and 963 postpartum sessions.

BirthMatters served 120 young girls in Spartanburg County with a teen pregnancy prevention program.

About this Promising Practice

Primary Contact
Molly Chappell-McPhail
BirthMatters
701 Saxon Avenue
Spartanburg, SC 29301
864.621.2878
molly@birth-matters.org
http://birth-matters.org/contact/
Topics
Health / Maternal, Fetal & Infant Health
Date of implementation
2007
Location
Spartanburg and Cherokee County, SC
For more details
http://birth-matters.org/
Target Audience
Teens, Women, Families
Additional Audience
Low-Income

Related Promising Practices

  1. By My Side Birth Support Program
  2. Centering Pregnancy Plus Program
  3. It's Your Game: Keep It Real
  4. Nurses for Newborns
  5. Teen Choices
  6. Baby Love

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A Good Idea meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program funding source, program implementation steps and outcomes.
  2. The program evaluation is limited to descriptive measure(s) of success/accomplishment (i.e., program participation rates, number of services/education sessions/radio messages provided). Note: oftentimes, the program has been newly implemented and a program evaluation has not yet been conducted. Programs that have not yet been evaluated, but which show promise in improving health or quality of life, are classified as Good Ideas until an evaluation is conducted.