About BB360
Doing what we can, as much as we can
In the spirit of "we all help each other"
What We Aim For
Peace of mind, prenatal and postpartum
We aim to be a community where Japanese-speaking families going through birth and parenting in Houston can feel safe and not alone, despite differences in language and systems. We embrace all kinds of families and keep growing our circle of support.
Main Activities
Main Activities
Classes for expecting families and families welcoming a new baby
Connect
Local Talk Circles and introductions to experienced parents nearby ("Watch Team")
Find
Where to give birth, Japanese-speaking sitters, and baby goods sales
About the name
It's pronounced "B-B-three-sixty." BB can also be read as "baby," and 360 represents the "circle" (wa, meaning both circle and harmony) of a society where support keeps going around, and our wish for the community to warmly watch over families during the first year after birth.
How it began
It began in 2021, when Houston doula Yoko Tarango started online Talk Circles so that people who were pregnant or raising children during the pandemic wouldn't feel isolated. Later, another doula, Noliko Utsuzawa, joined, and we continue our work together with volunteers.
Founder
Noliko Utsuzawa
Noliko Utsuzawa
Co-founder
Birth doula, lactation counselor, massage therapist
Houston-based
Following her husband's job transfers, she has hosted prenatal and postpartum gatherings across the U.S. She supports many people both physically and emotionally. A mother of three who loves nature and handmade things.
Yoko Tarango
Yoko Tarango
Co-founder, current volunteer
Psychological trainer / grief doula who walks alongside people from the beginning of life to its end
Houston-based
Mother of three: an eldest son with a genetic condition and autism, a free-spirited daughter, and a child who returned to the sky
Focused especially on pregnancy, birth and postpartum care (physical & mental), grief care for perinatal loss (miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion, etc.), and long-term programs for families of children with disabilities