Our Objectives
1
To create an understanding of postpartum well-being that includes the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual care of all birthing people and their babies.
To advocate for increased access to compassionate healthcare and providers, such as doulas, midwives, and mental health professionals.
2
To address disparities in postpartum nutrition by eliminating barriers to breastfeeding, supporting parents who are formula feeding and/or introducing other foods, and advocating for policies that ensure safe and healthy environments where breastfeeding and pumping are supported.
To celebrate the work of midwives, lactation consultants, and breastfeeding support groups.
3
To activate Reproductive Justice as a framework for understanding the cultural, political, social, and economic factors that shape the postpartum journey.
To affirm the core tenets of Reproductive Justice:
The right to personal bodily autonomy
The right to have a child
The right to not have a child
The right to nurture the children we have in safe and healthy environments
4
To challenge the culture of shame and silence surrounding women’s and birthing people’s experiences of postpartum depression and anxiety.
To create awareness of the emotional support needs of women, birthing people, and families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss.
5
To mobilize advocacy and political support for postpartum well-being and quality care by developing policy, sharing stories of successful policy initiatives and coalitions, and advocating for change at the local, state, and federal levels.
6
To utilize the tenets and practices of antiracism and anti-oppression to guide individual and collective presence and participation in this work.
To decolonize our minds and leadership by incorporating holistic and collective-centered approaches into everything we teach, share, and co-create.
7
To establish Postpartum Awareness Week (PAW) as a nationally recognized observance that raises awareness and drives systemic change for equitable postpartum care for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).
To build a diverse coalition of stakeholders across the reproductive healthcare landscape who produce PAW events, activities, and strategies that shift policy, amplify BIPOC birthing people’s voices, promote holistic care, and prevent adverse outcomes during the fourth trimester.