Life Style
Elaine Welteroth, the trailblazing former editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue, has embarked on a new journey that intertwines her personal experience with a broader mission to transform the maternal healthcare landscape. Her path to this new endeavor began with a transformative experience during her pregnancy, which not only changed her life but also redirected her career.
Welteroth, now 38, initially envisioned a traditional hospital birth, following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother. However, her search for a doctor who made her feel safe and comfortable proved challenging. After a series of disappointing appointments with eight different doctors, she discovered Kindred Space LA, a Black-owned birthing center staffed by midwives. This encounter was pivotal, as it not only changed her perspective on childbirth but also empowered her to take control of her body and agency.
Midwives, Welteroth explains, offer a more holistic approach to care, spending quality time with expectant families and addressing aspects like stress levels and work life. Research supports the effectiveness of midwifery care in reducing maternal deaths, stillbirths, and neonatal deaths—a crucial consideration in the U.S., which has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among high-income countries.
The Birth of birthFUND
Moved by her positive experience, Welteroth sought to make compassionate midwifery care more accessible. In December 2023, she launched a fundraiser on Instagram to support one family in affording these services. Surpassing her goal, she raised enough to help two families, which inspired her to establish birthFUND. Officially launched in April 2024, birthFUND aims to raise awareness about midwifery and facilitate access to these services for expectant families.
birthFUND operates through a network of founding family funders, including celebrities like Serena Williams, John Legend, and Chrissy Teigen, alongside corporate donations and individual contributions. The organization partners with Birth Center Equity and The Victoria Project to identify midwifery-care providers, who then connect with families in need. As of mid-January 2025, birthFUND had supported 53 families, with 26 babies born under its support.
A Career of Creating Change
Welteroth's journey with birthFUND is a natural extension of her career, which has been marked by a commitment to creating positive change. As the youngest editor-in-chief in Condé Nast's history, she led Teen Vogue from 2016 to 2018, expanding its politics coverage and amplifying marginalized voices. Her best-selling book, More Than Enough, further solidified her role as a voice for empowerment.
Welteroth has always been aware of the stark statistics surrounding maternal mortality, particularly the disproportionate risk faced by Black women, who are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues than white women. Her personal experience and these statistics galvanized her to ensure that every mother has the option to give birth on her own terms, supported by capable birth workers.
Moving Forward
For Welteroth, birthFUND represents a solution to a systemic issue. While acknowledging the complexity of factors contributing to high maternal mortality rates among Black women, she believes that focusing on proven solutions like midwifery can help solve this crisis. "If we each can just focus on what we can do to move the needle, then I really, truly believe that we can solve this crisis in our lifetime," she says.
Through birthFUND, Welteroth is not only making birth more accessible and joyful but also contributing to a broader movement to empower women and transform the healthcare system.
Source:
Chantelle Lee, Time Magazine https://time.com/7210607/elaine-welteroth-birthfund-maternal-health-care-midwives/
Image Credit: Simone Niamani Thompson—The New York Times/Redux