Maternal Wellness

Malone Maternal Wellness Program

Malone Maternal Wellness programs are dedicated to combating the inequities and disparities in Black infant and maternal health while providing safe and culturally responsive perinatal services.

Malone Malone Maternal Wellness programs focus on decreasing Black infant and maternal mortality and morbidity rates and increasing breastfeeding rates by implementing initiatives that include education, empowerment, support, access to healthcare resources and client services during pregnancy, and a year+ after childbirth. These services are led by Black, Indigenous, and Person of color (BIPOC) individuals and all fees are covered in full by the Malone. The only qualifications to participate in Malone Maternal Wellness programs is to be up to 36 weeks gestation and identify as a BIPOC individual. 80% of enrollment opportunities are reserved for Black individuals and 20% of enrollment opportunities are reserved for Indigenous individuals and People of Color.

Classes & Services

Birthing Classes: Families will choose between two courses; a six-week Hypnobabies Course or a three-part Navigation Series (Navigating Your Birth: Labor, Interventions, and Postpartum). These courses are taught by a certified Birth Doula, Hypnobabies Certified Instructor and Evidence Based Birth Instructor®.

Pregnancy and Childbirth Doula: Families will interview available partnering doulas and choose the one that they would like to work with. Partnering certified labor doulas will provide three prenatal visits before birth, are present for labor and birth, and provide one postpartum visit. Labor doulas assist with creating birthing plans, patient advocacy, informational/physical/emotional support, provide comfort measures, breastfeeding and latching initiation at hospital and more depending on their certifications and what the client’s wishes are.

Postpartum Doula: Families enrolled in the Pregnancy and Childbirth Doula Program will receive an additional six visits from a certified postpartum doula. These visits will take place over the first twelve weeks as families schedule the visits based on when they want the doula to come, the first visit will take place within ten days of giving birth. Postpartum doulas will provide emotional, informational, and physical support, breastfeeding assistance, postpartum care, light housekeeping and delivery of prepared meals and fresh produce. Each family will receive $83 worth of fresh and nutritious groceries at each visit.

Breastfeeding Support Programs: Our Melanin Mommas Support Group and Breastfeeding Peer Counseling programs include emotional support, lactation assistance, patient advocacy, education, virtual support, 1:1 support in the home and office, delivery of essential supplies, and group events to develop a strong support network for women and families. As long as the child is getting breastmilk, via the breast, bottles, or mixed with food families have access to the essential supply donation wall for up to two years. Our donation wall includes diapers, wipes, essential breastfeeding supplies, clothes, and more. Essential supply items are not guaranteed as these items are donated by community members and sometimes we run out of certain items.

Malone Maternal Wellness Doula Scholarship: BIPOC individuals interested in becoming a certified doula can apply for the MMW Doula Scholarship. This scholarship program seeks to increase the number of BIPOC doulas in Lincoln and Omaha by 10. After scholarship awardees have completed training, they will provide services to 1 family, pro bono, within the first year of course completion.

Doula Mentorship: Promote the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual wellness of individual MMW doulas and the development of robust, sustainable doula businesses through monthly community discussions of relevant topics, and 1:1 monthly meetings focused on individual goal setting, progress, and fulfillment. Unlimited 24/7 phone and text support when the mentee is at a birth and needs mentorship on supporting the client.

Milk Share: Malone Community Center facilitates milk sharing in the Lincoln and Omaha areas. Our MMW team and Community Committee include licensed midwives, nurses, International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants and other skilled breastfeeding experts and advocates. Facilitation of human milk sharing consists of informed screening of donors and storage and distribution of milk, in alignment with international standards and guidelines for the safe sharing of human milk. We provide support for, foster relationships with, and are accountable to milk donors and recipients through a standardized process of:

  • Donor health history interviews;
  • Donor blood tests for diseases that may be passed through breast milk, including HIV 1&2, HTLV 1&2, Syphilis, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C;
  • Response to requests for donor milk;
  • Triage of donor milk to infants up to 6 months of age;
  • Up-to-date breastfeeding information, safe pumping and milk handling & freezing guidelines and referrals as needed;
  • Support for lactation following infant loss.

Malone Center is not a milk bank. Milk is not pasteurized, homogenized or tested. Instructions for in home pasteurization are available to each recipient. Malone Center milk is free to all families. Malone Center is not informal milk sharing. Our Milk Share is open to all families, not just BIPOC families.

Omaha Contact:
Cydney Gaines
cydney.gaines@malonecenter.org
402-522-6384
Lincoln Contact:
Jordan Hardesty
jordan.hardesty@malonecenter.org
402-937-0444

Apply For The Milkshare Program

If you want to apply for The Malone Maternal Wellness Milkshare Program, click the button below and submit the Milkshare Program Application Form.

Doula Scholarship Application

If you want to apply for The Malone Maternal Wellness Doula Scholarship Program, please complete and submit the Application Form.

BIPOC individuals interested in becoming a certified doula can apply for the MMW Doula Scholarship. This scholarship program seeks to increase the number of BIPOC doulas in Lincoln and Omaha by 5 within the first two years of funding.

Apply Now! (Click Here)

It’s Working!

Year-To-Date Malone Health & Wellness Programs in Lincoln & Omaha have:

Results:

  • 172 Birthing Classes Taught
  • 294 Prenatal Visits
  • 98 Births Attended
  • 674 Postpartum Visits
  • 1,761 hours of Breastfeeding Support
  • 30 Doula Scholarships Awarded
  • Served 155 Clients
  • Invested $181,210 in BIPOC Doulas and Breastfeeding Educators

Donors & Partners

Thank you to our Malone Maternal Wellness Program supporters.

Community Health Endowment | A Malone Center Maternity Wellness Program Partner
HealthyLincoln.org | A Malone Center Maternity Wellness Program Partner
Healthy Blue | A Malone Center Maternity Wellness Program Partner

Make A Donation

For more than 66 years Malone has served families, youth, and the Lincoln community with services that make a difference. Your donation supports achieving our mission to end-multi-generational poverty, and helps us realize our vision to create unity and prosperity across Lincoln.

Thank You!