What is Bonded by Baby?
Bonded by Baby is a postpartum health program that embeds social and emotional care into routine healthcare, ensuring every parent has access to the support networks and connection they need to thrive. Designed especially with and for parents navigating systemic inequities that can limit access to care and support—such as poverty, racism, language barriers, and disability—Bonded by Baby strengthens new parents’ social health and well-being to improve outcomes for both parent and child.
Who is it for:
Bonded by Baby is not just for mothers—fathers, co-parents, grandmothers can also participate. Anyone who is a first-time parent or caregiver of a baby less than 9 months old can benefit from participating in the program.
How it works:
12-month Program: In your first 6 months, we’ll meet weekly. From months 7-9, we’ll meet every other week. From months 10-12, we’ll meet once a month.
Virtual and In-Person Sessions: Most therapeutic group sessions are held virtually, but we also coordinate optional in-person opportunities for connection.
Peer Groups: We create small peer groups with other parents based on how far along you are postpartum and where you live.
Social Worker Led: Group sessions are led by trained clinical social workers.
Create Lasting Connections: The program fosters enduring relationships between new parents, creating strong communities that offer support long after formal programming ends.
Curriculum-Based: Parents learn skills for managing their health, stress, relationships, and communication, and receive guidance on infant development, nutrition, and family dynamics.
Whole-Person Postpartum Care: A clinically integrated program that embeds social health into the standard of care for new parents.
Personalized Care: Parents also receive regular one-on-one health screenings with their social worker, assessing and supporting their social and emotional well-being, while monitoring for mental and physical health risks that contribute to postpartum maternal mortality.
Community Co-designed: We work with our Community Advisory Boards of parents like you to continuously inform program design, delivery, & curriculum.
Inclusive & Accessible: Programs in English and Spanish are available for moms/birthing persons and dads/co-parents. Medicaid and private insurance cover services, ensuring financial accessibility for families, and scalability and sustainability for the healthcare system.
Who is it for:
The first year postpartum is a critical yet undersupported period for parental health, marked by significant risks to parents' mental, social, and physical well-being:
Conditions like postpartum depression, anxiety, and PTSD affect 1 in 5 new mothers, yet 75% go untreated.
65% of parents and 77% of single parents report feeling lonely—significantly higher rates than among non-parents.
Over 50% of pregnancy-related deaths occur postpartum, with marginalized communities—particularly Black, Indigenous, and Hispanic parents—facing disproportionately high rates.
Bonded by Baby Impact
Results from Bonded by Baby's pilot controlled-trial show that parents who participate in Bonded by Baby experience significant improvements in mental and social health outcomes, compared to those who do not participate:
33%
Lower postpartum depression
21%
Lower postpartum anxiety
20%
Higher parent-infant bonding
17%
Lower perceived stress
Testimonials
We are a collective of scientists, creatives, and activists united by a vision of a world of togetherness.