Maternal Health Platform Birth By Us Owned By Ijeoma Uche And Mercy Oladipo Receives $40,000 Boost
Birth By Us, a maternal health platform for Black women founded by Ijeoma Uche and Mercy Oladipo, recently received a $40,000 grant to further its mission of advancing maternal health equity. The funding comes from the Westly Prize for Young Social Innovators.
Platform Empowers and Advocates
Uche and Oladipo launched Birth By Us in 2021 to address alarming racial disparities around pregnancy and postpartum outcomes. The platform offers resources like health insights, wellness checks, provider directories and more to empower mothers-to-be.
Birth By Us also collects data and insights to help providers better understand the needs of Black maternal health patients. As Uche said, their dual mission is “empowering women of color to shape their birthing experience while giving providers insights to better support their pregnancy and birth.”
Funding Fuels Expansion
The $40,000 Westly Prize grant is unrestricted, meaning Birth By Us can use the money for any operational or growth needs.
Cofounder Uche said the funding “will help us make the impact we want as quickly as we anticipate.” Specifically, the team plans to expand staffing to accelerate their work towards maternal health equity.
The prize, from the Westly Foundation aimed at supporting innovative social enterprises, serves as a vote of confidence in Birth By Us’ potential for meaningful change. It comes after difficulty securing backing for their niche focus area in the past.
Driving Progress in Maternal Health
With fresh funds and growing support, the Birth By Us platform is poised to drive impactful progress.
The startup aims to arm Black expectant mothers with information and resources too often lacking in the healthcare system. By simultaneously presenting data and insights to providers, they prompt necessary improvements in pregnancy and postpartum care.
Through their empowerment and advocacy approach, cofounders Uche and Oladipo hope to move the needle on the alarming crisis of maternal mortality plaguing Black women. Their dedication and innovation signal hope for equitable, supportive maternal health outcomes nationwide.
