Creating a Movement: Jamaa Birth Village Birth Center & Postpartum Retreat Haven

About This Project

Summary

The Jamaa Birth Village Birth Center & Postpartum Retreat Haven, a 5,000-square-foot facility in Ferguson, Missouri, revolutionizes postpartum care for Black women. Featuring four postpartum retreat huts, three water birthing suites and a wellness garden, it addresses critical health disparities and inequities. Inspired by African design principles, the center embraces a communal layout and offers holistic care, ensuring that Black mothers not only survive but thrive post-childbirth.

Goals & Objectives

In the U.S., a critical maternal health crisis is particularly severe in St. Louis, Missouri. To combat these alarming statistics, Jamaa Birth Village developed the Birth Center & Postpartum Retreat Haven to provide affordable, comprehensive midwifery services for BIPOC pregnant individuals.

Results & Impact

Jamaa Birth Village’s future Birth Center and Postpartum Retreat Haven will be the first free-standing birth center in St. Louis. Last year, Jamaa’s midwifery practice achieved 0% maternal-infant mortality, 99% full-term births, and was recently supported by Elaine Welteroth’s birthFUND.