Elaine Welteroth announces her second pregnancy while celebrating birthFUND
The founder of the birthFUND, Elaine Welteroth, announced she was expecting her second child during a birthFUND fundraising brunch.
Elaine Welteroth is expecting her second child, and she’s more prepared than ever.
The fashion editor, author, and TV host announced her second pregnancy, noting that it wasn’t exactly expected, during a birthFUND fundraising brunch held on Thursday in Los Angeles.
“This was not part of my plan. This is God’s plan. But as we were building birthFUND, I happened to find out that my baby’s going to be part of the first birthFUND cohort. So, let’s go! Let’s go,” she said, per People, as she concluded her remarks.
Explaining that she’ll be partnering with the same midwives who facilitated the birth of her firstborn son, she added, “So let’s do this, joyfully.”
As previously reported by theGrio, after experiencing the lifesaving care of a midwife toward the end of her first pregnancy and learning the stark realities of the Black maternal mortality rate, the “Project Runway” host launched birthFUND to raise funds so other parents in need could benefit from this same care.
“Last time, I didn’t even discover midwifery until my third trimester. I didn’t even work up the nerve to do a home birth until week 36. So this time, my experience of pregnancy has transformed because I have access,” she told People.
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Welteroth and her husband, musician Jonathan Singletary, welcomed their first child in April 2022. The soon-to-be mom of two has since been open about her experience, including developing symphysis pubis dysfunction, a complication where the natural splitting of the pelvic bone to make way for the descending baby in utero causes excruciating pain.
While speaking to theGrio about the rare condition, Welteroth said, “It was one of those deeply human experiences that connects you with the broader human experience. I think pain will do that. It’s something that you can’t really understand and you can’t explain it to somebody who hasn’t experienced it. You have to really understand it firsthand.”
Initially launching the birthFUND in September 2023 as a tribute to her birthday and her young son, Welteroth said, “My experience giving birth, supported by the unmatched care of midwives at Kindred Space, completely changed my life — and every mother deserves that kind of care.”
Thursday’s brunch marked the organization’s first major fundraising event since its launch. In social media posts documenting the behind-the-scenes planning, Welteroth shared clips from final preparations, including performers’ dress rehearsals.
The event, which featured a summery outdoor setup and a performance by Singletary, was well attended. The mission has an A-list lineup of founding funders, including Serena Williams and her husband, Alexis Ohanian; Chrissy Teigen and John Legend; Ayesha Curry; Abby Phillip; Kelly Rowland, and more. Rowland and Phillip were among the event attendees, as were actress Lauren London, Angela Rye, Jeannie Mai Jenkins, and more.
