Birth Village Project
Upstream Initiative
The Upstream Initiative, convened and led by the Oregon Helath and Education Collaborative, aims to transform early childhood and perinatal support systems in Oregon by focusing on the first 1,000 days of a child's life, from pregnancy to age 2. We know this is a critical and precious period for brain development, early relational health and long-term well-being.
This coummunity-driven effort brings together health, education, and social sevice parnters to address the root causes of poverty, racism, and housing instability through proactive, upstream investments.
The birth village is a design pilot. Support senate bill 1167 to fund the birth village.
Our vision for the birth village
Our vision for birthing people and their support systems is for them to feel safe, honored, and respected throughout pregnancy and parenthood. For our community, we envision families celebrating life together, served by providers who look like them and reflect their background.
For our professionals, we advocate for sustainable careers in the maternal and family health field elevating culturally responsive care.
The Black Futures Initiative for Perinatal Health vision is to revitalize the sacrality in birth by eliminating barriers through cultural and structural change in Oregon’s reproductive space by 2035.
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Initial Goal
To Offer the Following Perinatal and Postpartum Services:
Dr. Nadia English-Williams, Naturopathic Midwife.
Learn more about Dr. Nadia’s holistic approach at Onyx Natural Medicine.
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8–10 hours of personalized care
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Group and individual perinatal care – Dr. Nadia advocates for both group perinatal education and one-on-one visits.
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Co-care model – Patients receive care from Dr. Nadia through the 28th week of pregnancy before transitioning to a provider who will oversee their delivery.
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Seamless postpartum support – After birth, patients return to our care model for continued support.
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Home visits – Our team provides in-home visits after birth.
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Complementary care for high-risk patients – For those with high-risk pregnancies, visits with Dr. Nadia serve as an additional layer of support.
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Postpartum care schedule – Home visits after hospital discharge, followed by check-ins at 2, 4, and 6 weeks postpartum.
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Naturopathic screenings – Depression screenings for new mothers and pediatric care for newborns.
Postpartum Care at 3, 6, & 12 months
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Childbirth education classes – Preparing for labor & birth
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Doula services – Emotional & physical birth support
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Breast and chestfeeding support – Lactation guidance & assistance
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Maternal mental health and wellness – Emotional well-being & counseling
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Parent-and-child groups – Community & peer connection
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Father and partner support groups – Support & education for partners
Where We Are:
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We are a registered non-profit in Oregon sponsored by the womens foundation. Thanks to MBA students from PSU we have completed our feasibility and are currently working of fundraising efforts to open our doors.