Elaine Welteroth is still getting used to her custom belly chain, a commemoration of her second pregnancy and growing family.
The former “Project Runway” judge and editor in chief of Teen Vogue, Ms. Welteroth launched birthFund this past April. The foundation provides grants for midwifery birth support services and holistic perinatal care to mothers and families who qualify. The community-driven organization began with 10 families across the United States, each of whom was paired with a founding family funder, who include Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, Kelly Rowland, Ayesha Curry, Karlie Kloss and Ashley Graham.
“I started birthFund because of the surging maternal mortality crisis that we’re in, and how few of us are aware of it until it’s too late,” Ms. Welteroth said. “I felt called to build something that would offer support for families who deserve access to better care than what’s available to them during pregnancy, childbirth and after.”
Midwifery changed the trajectory of Ms. Welteroth’s own challenging first pregnancy, she said in an interview. She discussed how her belly chain, adorned with the names of her son and the baby on the way, honors where she is in life. This interview has been edited and condensed.
You have a history with the designer of your belly chain, right?
I discovered ByChari when I was putting out my first book, “More Than Enough,” in 2019. When I had my first baby, she [Chari Cuthbert of ByChari] made me a necklace that said his name with diamonds on it. I feel like she’s been with me through these significant milestone moments in my life and in my career, and so it only would make sense to go back to her to mark this moment of bringing in my second baby. She’s a woman-of-color designer, small-business owner. I always try to support women-owned businesses, Black-women- and women-of-color-owned businesses.
Did you know what you wanted your belly chain to look like?
I thought that it would be a fun time to have Chari make me this really chic belly chain that has my son’s name on it and my future baby’s name on it. And it’s like my little secret, because nobody knows the name yet and nobody knows the gender. It’s hidden under my clothes. It’s just for me and my husband to see and to know about. It’s 14-karat gold, and Chari put these little diamonds on there that elevate it even more.
Jewelry is so personal that it can feel strange when you start wearing a new piece.
That’s why you have to wear it with confidence, and you have to own it. This is my belly chain summer. I want to be proud of the belly that’s growing, and I think the belly chain is part of owning that and feeling good in my skin.
I’m actually a very modest person. I don’t show my stomach that much. But I think there’s a desire to show my belly because I’m just like, Why not? I’m pushing myself out of my comfort zone a little bit. And pregnancy pushes you out of your comfort zone in more ways than one, so it feels metaphoric, in a way. I like the idea that we don’t have to hide our bodies just because we’re pregnant.
What has it been like launching birthFund while being pregnant?
It’s been very rewarding to go through this second pregnancy journey alongside this group of families that I feel so connected to in more ways than one, and to know that we’re helping make their pregnancy safer and more joyful. I really could see firsthand just how broken this maternal health care system was, and I feel like I’m having a completely different experience the second time around, a much better experience this time around because I have had access to midwifery care from the very beginning this time. And sometimes pregnancy can get in the way of our dreams and our goals, and it can be isolating and alienating and challenging. But when you have the right support structure in place, it could be a game-changing experience for the better.
Honestly, it’s part of some divine plan. I feel really, really good this time around. And I feel like the jewelry piece is a way of marking that. I never adorned my belly last time. I was down in the dumps. I was in bed all day. I couldn’t do anything, I was feeling miserable. I was at my lowest point, my first pregnancy, and now I feel like I’m on a high. I feel like I get up every day and I feel so good in my body and in my purpose and my work in the world. I feel like it’s a way to celebrate and honor that, honor where I am in life right now. To me, this is my redemption pregnancy, and these pieces of jewelry are markers of that.
