Elaine Welteroth is in the midst of what she’s dubbed a “redemption pregnancy.” As she embarks on her second pregnancy with her husband, musician Jonathan Singletary, she has the experience and the expert support of a proper health team.
“The first one was so challenging, and this one, I’ve felt so much better in every way,” she told People magazine.
During her first pregnancy, Welteroth developed 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.
It was also during her first pregnancy that Welteroth learned the full extent of the maternal mortality crisis in the U.S. and its disproportionate impact on Black mothers. This led her to begin working with a doula and make the choice to have her baby at home.
Welteroth opened up about working with a doula from the start of her second pregnancy during a recent fundraising event for the birthFUND, which she launched to help other families afford this lifesaving care.
“This time, my experience of pregnancy has transformed because I have access,” she said.
Beyond health, Welteroth also feels better prepared when it comes to knowing what she actually needs for a newborn. During her first pregnancy, she told People magazine she and Singletary were overwhelmed by all of the items a new parent can buy.
Ever the one to pay it forward, Welteroth has just dropped a perfectly curated shopping list for new and overwhelmed parents with Johnson’s.
Based on a survey conducted by Johnson’s, nearly 60% of expecting parents feel overwhelmed — and roughly two-thirds wish they had more guidance, the company reported in a release to theGrio.
“I was not surprised when I saw that because I remember vividly feeling so overwhelmed in creating my registry as a first-time parent, and this time, I just feel like I have so much more knowledge about what you actually need and what you really don’t,” Welteroth told People.
To produce the list, the former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief had the chance to wear her “editor hat” again and she carefully selected each item.
“The first time around you don’t know what you don’t know, so you tend to over-shop. You don’t even know what to ask for. So you put, like, a million things on your registry, and then you realize months in that these are things you ended up giving away,” she continued. “So I would say, cut the fluff, cut the excess, and just home in on the essentials that are on this.”
The Worry Free Registry, available to shop now, includes essential bath and body items, feeding supplies and tools, state-of-the-art furniture picks, and more.
Among Welteroth’s personal essentials are the The Worry Free Registry with Johnson’s.
“In my household, bathtime is sacred,” Welteroth said.