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Our Mission
Our mission is to ensure every Black mother and mother of an infant of color in the U.S. has a high-quality, culturally relevant childbirth experience.
Black mothers and mothers of babies of color in the United States are still facing significant problems during childbirth due to a lack of resources and support. We’ve established the Shades of Motherhood Network to fill in this gap by providing innovative resources like peer support groups, empowering community workshops, and comprehensive doula care.
Our Plan
3 ways to make childbirth safer for black mothers
No. 1
Doula Care
Doulas help families navigate the complex, systemically racist medical industry. They can improve the coordination of medical care and ultimately reduce birth complications (BlueCross BlueShield, 2022).
Our Solution
We aim to offer no-cost doula care to 30 mothers while building the doula workforce through recruitment and development.
No. 2
Community Support
We are simply better together. When families have the strength, wisdom, advocacy, and emotional support of a community, they are better prepared for the birth experience.
Our Solution
We host inclusive peer groups where mothers and fathers of color can find a safe space to support each other.
While our mission is national, we're launching in Spokane, WA. Join our Spokane-based peer groups today, tailored to the needs of our local community.
No. 3
Activated Knowledge
Why are so many mothers and infants of color dying or experiencing serious complications during childbirth in the US? The first step in prevention is to understand the reasons.
Our Solution
We utilize art activism, community workshops, data collection, and social media to equip Black mothers with practical knowledge and actionable steps to improve their health and well-being.
Our Founder
This is personal
Stephaine Courtney founded the Shades of Motherhood Network after suffering from infertility and loss for seven years.
Stephaine’s harrowing experience in motherhood compelled her to research Black maternal health, infant mortality, and culturally-based traditional care. She learned that doula care was the solution to many of the health issues that Black mothers face.
After becoming a certified doula, Stephaine founded Shades of Motherhood Network to bring the empowering knowledge of doula care to other mothers and birthing families.
What We’re Doing
The movement is growing in Spokane
A few of our partners
Join Us
Doula care can be game-changing for families.
Doulas provide the emotional, physical, and educational support that birthing families often don’t realize that they need. The culturally relevant care, wisdom, personalized guidance, and advocacy that families receive from doulas can be life-altering.
Doulas help birthing families come out of the shadows of infertility, loss, anxiety, and depression. When families need to make decisions but don’t have the medical knowledge, doulas can act as intermediaries with medical professionals.
Sign up to
become a doula
Sign up to
get a doula
Access our
doula library
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Give to the cause
Shades of Motherhood currently operates with less than one part-time employee. While we have been awarded $400K in grants (Yay!), we urgently need staff to oversee the funds and enable the organization to function.
A donation from you can ensure that we:
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Expand to 3 paid team members by 2024 date.
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Provide no cost prenatal, birthing and postpartum doula services to 30 families in Spokane in the next 3 years.
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Hire and train 10 doulas and other birth workers by 2024.
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Provide essential baby products, birthing equipment and food to families in need.
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Coordinate support groups for birthing families.
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Host workshops, film screenings and art exhibits to 500 people in Spokane and online over the next year.
We are striving to build a strong and sustainable organization, and your donation can make all the difference. Please donate today and share with others who care about this cause. Every donation counts!
Join Us
Connect with us
Subscribe to our newsletter up to date with relevant information about becoming a doula, volunteering with us, or learning more about maternal health and safety.
Contact Us
Email: somnspokane@gmail.com
Phone: 509-818-0216
Adress: 631 S Richard Allen Court
Spokane, WA 99202