Supporting Mothers

“I’ll tell you a story,” Janelle Green, cofounder of The Victoria Project (TVP) — a holistic maternity care organization in Santa Barbara — told me over the phone recently. In short, the story is that after she gave birth to her twins, during an incredibly challenging time, a family member extended a helping hand and offered to watch her children while she went to get a pedicure. “And it has always stuck with me.”

On Mother’s Day, we often show our mothers that we care about them through gestures like flowers and brunch, “but, truly, what I believe mothers need is a system of support,” she said, as she held back tears. 

The Victoria Project launches its 2024 campaign this Mother’s Day, May 12. “Why not buy with a purpose?” said cofounder Deja Rabb. “And why not, you know, as you’re celebrating your mother, give to other mothers.” 

Midwifery care costs thousands of dollars; in partnership with the Santa Barbara Birth Center, TVP provides midwifery care to expecting mothers in Southern California who cannot afford the high costs. 

Green, Rabb, and senior midwife student Haize Hawke started The Victoria Project in 2020 amid the reported rise of maternity ward closures and strict hospital policies during COVID-19. The Victoria Project provides holistic maternity care to low-risk expecting mothers. This type of care extends support before, during, and after the birthing process. Through collaboration with a midwife, who is a skilled practitioner, families chart their birth journey. Working alongside their midwife’s expertise, they decide on the birthing environment and approach that best suits their desires. Green said one reason she advocates for midwifery is that it “empowers women to be the ones making the decisions for their care.”

Black women in the U.S. face a staggering racial disparity in pregnancy-related deaths, being “at least three times more likely to die” from such complications compared to white women, according to a National Library of Medicine study. TVP hopes to address issues with maternal health, including the high maternal mortality rate, racial disparities, and the isolation that often comes with childbirth. 

“I think another thing that isn’t really talked about as much as in the postpartum part, you know, women often feel very alone,” said Rabb. The Victoria Project gives women another lesser-known birthing option beyond the hospital setting and helps them “heal traumas” from past birthing experiences. 

“We’re trying to help people have a victorious pregnancy and birthing experience so that they can be prepared for motherhood and the transition into parenting,” said Green.

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Learn more at the-victoria-project.com. For specific questions about the Mother’s Day campaign, contact Angela Schmidt at (805) 699-5438 or angela@the-victoria-project.com. Donations can be made online at classy.org/give/460887/#!/donation/checkout or mailed to 1221 State Street, P.O. Box 90753, Santa Barbara, CA 93190.