Baby Dove is committed to changing the narrative and encouraging moms to share just #OneRealPressure on social media this Mother's Day and beyond. The campaign call-to-action will empower moms to talk about the real experiences they have faced during their own postpartum journeys.
"The pressures of early motherhood can affect moms in many ways. As a brand born to provide superior care to new families, Baby Dove understands this reality for new moms and wants them to know that they are not alone," explains Sally Brown, Global Brand Director, Baby Dove. "Together, we recognize the power of shared experiences, and how by destigmatizing these pressures through conversation, we can build a community that supports new moms on their postpartum journeys."
After giving birth, new moms are met with a new reality at the most transformational moment of their lives. Women feel pressure to be the perfect mom and aren't given the space to talk about the overwhelming challenges that come with motherhood. As a result of these pressures, one in five new moms experience serious mental health conditions in the postpartum period: including Postpartum Anxiety, and Postpartum Depression.1 Though many women are experiencing pressures, challenges and deteriorated mental health, they avoid discussing the unrealistic expectations of new motherhood with others. Research shows that 85% of moms agree the first year of motherhood is nothing like what they see on social media.2
"We partnered with Baby Dove to listen to people's postpartum experiences. Motherhood is a lot. The research suggests that many birthing parents or caregivers do not have opportunities to authentically share their realities and connect– which reflects our culture and our inner voices," said Dr. Kristin Tully, PhD, a leading member of the UNC School of Medicine's 4th Trimester Project. "We stand together to change the narrative. Being open and vulnerable is a sign of strength and an important part of improving systems of support. We look forward to a future in which the postpartum tune is about wellness and joy.
To shed light on the real experiences of new mothers, Baby Dove will release a short film, titled: "Under Pressure." The film will feature stories of real challenges new moms face, to destigmatize conversations around the struggles of the postpartum experience and is set to a modern rendition of Queen's "Under Pressure," performed by Claudia Gomes, a new mom facing her own postpartum pressures. This film features a montage of raw scenes depicting some of the earliest and most challenging moments of motherhood, including: feeding obstacles, sleep deprivation, body changes and balancing responsibilities outside of the home. The film intends to build a shared sense of experience and recognize the real, unfiltered, and often unshared moments of new motherhood.
Baby Dove is raising awareness of postpartum struggles so more women will recognize symptoms and fewer will suffer in silence. In partnership with Postpartum Support International (PSI) – the world's largest perinatal mental health organization – and a group of real moms who have experienced Postpartum Anxiety and Postpartum Depression, Baby Dove is providing true accounts, resources, and tools needed to navigate the pressures of postpartum – all available to review and learn more on BabyDove.com.
"Research has found that 72% of women agree they wish they knew more about postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression. Most of the time, new moms going through the postpartum period mistakenly think they are failing at parenting. We are excited to work alongside Baby Dove to make our resources more accessible to the general public, so that women and their families can increase their awareness of two of the most difficult pressures for new moms. We want to help them improve their ability to identify symptoms and know where to reach out for help," notes Wendy Davis, PhD, PMH-C, Executive Director of PSI.
Baby Dove will also encourage moms to share and engage with one another digitally and in real life:
- Beginning April 25th, Baby Dove, powered by Google, will reply with tools and resources to the thousands of search queries posted by moms regarding postpartum struggles.
- On May 4th, Baby Dove, in partnership with BabyCenter, will convene leading experts across postpartum specialties to engage in a virtual roundtable discussion focused on signs, symptoms and support for moms experiencing Postpartum Depression or Anxiety.
- At BabyDove.com, we will host a suite of resources for moms facing the broad spectrum of postpartum pressures, true stories from real moms who have shared these experiences, helpful articles about the challenges women face during their postpartum journeys and more.
Join us and share #OneRealPressure about your own postpartum experience to support other moms. Visit BabyDove.com for more resources from Postpartum Support International and visit NewMomHealth.com for postpartum information from the 4th Trimester Project.
About Dove - Dove started its life in 1957 in the US, with the launch of the Beauty Bar, with its patented blend of mild cleansers and ¼ moisturizing cream. Dove's heritage is based on moisturization, and it is proof not promises that enabled Dove to grow from a Beauty Bar into one of the world's most beloved beauty brands.
Women have always been our inspiration and since the beginning, we have been wholly committed to providing superior care to all women and to championing real beauty in our advertising. Dove believes that beauty is for everyone. That beauty should be a source of confidence and not anxiety. Dove's mission is to inspire women everywhere to develop a positive relationship with the way they look and realize their personal potential for beauty.
For 60 years, Dove has been committed to broadening the narrow definition of beauty in the work they do. With the 'Dove Real Beauty Pledge,' Dove vows to:
- Portray women with honesty, diversity and respect. We feature women of different ages, sizes, ethnicities, hair color, type and style.
- Portray women as they are in real life, with zero digital distortion and all images approved by the women they feature.
- Help young people build body confidence and self-esteem through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, the biggest provider of self-esteem education in the world.
About Baby Dove - Baby Dove entered the baby care market in 2017 – with the aim to bring something very different in terms of superior care to baby skin. Baby Dove was created from the long, trusted heritage of Dove, with the goal to bring the 60-year superior care credentials to the most delicate skin: baby skin. Baby Dove® is available nationwide in food, drug and mass outlet stores.
About Postpartum Support International - Postpartum Support International (PSI) is the world's leading non-profit organization dedicated to helping women suffering from perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, including postpartum depression, the most common complication of childbirth. PSI was founded in 1987 to increase awareness among public and professional communities about the emotional difficulties that women can experience during and after pregnancy. The organization offers support, reliable information, best practice training, and volunteer coordinators in all 50 U.S. states and more than 30 other countries around the world. Working together with its volunteers, caring professionals, researchers, legislators and others, PSI is committed to eliminating stigma and ensuring that compassionate and quality care is available to all families. To learn more about PSI, call 800-944-4PPD or visit postpartum.net.
About the 4th Trimester Project - The 4th Trimester Project at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill brings together new mothers, health care providers, researchers, and other stakeholders to build knowledge about postpartum health issues and strengthen systems of care. The team is committed to advancing health equity through co-developing resources with expectant and postpartum people, clinicians, and community leaders. The 4th Trimester Project team manages the mom-centered, mom-designed, evidence-based postpartum information resource, NewMomHealth.com. The site offers postpartum recovery and self-care support for birthing parents, with postpartum health care materials and tools for health providers to improve and streamline care after childbirth.
The 4th Trimester Project is part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Jordan Institute for Families (JIF) in the School of Social Work, the Collaborative for Maternal and Infant Health (UNC CMIH) within the School of Medicine, and the Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute within Department of Maternal and Child Health at the Gillings School of Global Public Health. The current interdisciplinary team is comprised of Amelia Gibson, PhD; Kimberly Harper, RN; Venus Standard, CNM, LCCE; Alison Stuebe, MD, MSc; Kristin Tully, PhD; Sarah Verbiest, DrPH, MSW, MPH; and Suzanne Woodward at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
About Unilever - Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. We have 148,000 employees and generated sales of €52.4 billion in 2021. Over half of our footprint is in developing and emerging markets. We have around 400 brands found in homes all over the world – including iconic brands like Dove, Knorr, Hellmann's, Magnum, Axe, Ben & Jerry's, Degree, Seventh Generation, St. Ives, Suave, TRESemmé, and Vaseline.
Our vision is to be the global leader in sustainable business and to demonstrate how our purpose-led, future-fit business model drives superior performance. We have a long tradition of being a progressive, responsible business. It goes back to the days of our founder William Lever, who launched the world's first purposeful brand, Sunlight Soap, more than 100 years ago, and it's at the heart of how we run our company today.
The Unilever Compass, our sustainable business strategy, is set out to help us deliver superior performance and drive sustainable and responsible growth, while:
- improving the health of the planet;
- improving people's health, confidence and wellbeing; and
- contributing to a fairer and more socially inclusive world.
While there is still more to do, in the past year we're proud to have achieved sector leadership in S&P's Dow Jones Sustainability Index, 'Triple A' status in CDP's Climate, Water and Forest benchmarks, and to be named as the top ranked company in the GlobeScan/SustainAbility Sustainability Leaders survey for the eleventh consecutive year.
For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands visit: unileverusa.com
For more information on Unilever Canada and its brands visit: unilever.ca
1 Baby Dove x 4th Trimester Project Maternal Mental Health Whitepaper Delivered by the 4th Trimester Project Team at UNC Chapel Hill
2 Baby Dove x 4th Trimester Project Maternal Mental Health Whitepaper Delivered by the 4th Trimester Project Team at UNC Chapel Hill