Beauty for Ashes Maternal Wellness: Centering Black Birthing Families & Birth Workers
Founded by Michelle Sanders, Beauty for Ashes Maternal Wellness is making a powerful impact on maternal health by providing culturally aligned, full-spectrum perinatal support to BIPOC women and families. Michelle created the organization with the mission of removing financial barriers to quality doula care, ensuring that birthing people can access support from doulas who look like them and understand their lived experiences.
Recognizing that doulas have historically been undervalued and underpaid, Beauty for Ashes Maternal Wellness actively advocates for systemic change. This includes pushing for insurance coverage for doula services and creating pathways for doulas to earn sustainable wages. The organization’s work uplifts both families and birth workers, helping to strengthen the maternal health workforce.
In 2023, they opened the Birth Equity Consortium Doula Hub in Los Angeles—a dedicated space for birthing families, workforce development, and long-term sustainability in the doula profession. This hub represents their commitment to building infrastructure that supports both the needs of families and the career growth of doulas.
The name Beauty for Ashes Maternal Wellness is inspired by Isaiah 61:3 (KJV), a scripture that speaks to transformation, resilience, and hope:
“To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.”
This scripture deeply resonates with the Black birthing and breastfeeding experience, which continues to be shaped by systemic inequities and disproportionately high maternal and infant mortality rates. Rooted in biblical principles, the organization began as a ministry and is uniquely positioned to engage the faith-based community—a group that has historically been less likely to access holistic perinatal support.
In addition to doula services, Beauty for Ashes Maternal Wellness offers doula training and business development for birth workers, equipping them with the skills and resources needed to thrive in their profession. Their mission is to provide holistic perinatal support across the lifespan, building strong, healthy families for generations to come.
Beauty for Ashes Maternal Wellness also reminds the community of the importance of self-care, urging both birthing people and birth workers to prioritize their physical and mental health: You cannot pour from an empty cup.
The organization will host its Beauty in Black Breastfeeding Gala on August 31st, celebrating the strength, beauty, and resilience of Black breastfeeding families.
Learn More & Support:
Website: https://beautyforashesmaternalwellness.com/home
Instagram: @beauty4ashesmaternalwellness
Email: michelle@beautyforasheswellness.com
Phone: 323-450-7750 - Contact Michelle Sanders
Donations of all sizes are appreciated to help expand access to culturally aligned perinatal care.