Dr. Joy Cooper adjusts an inspirational quote from Nina Simone: "Freedom is to me no fear"—a current North Star in her motherhood journey.

The incomparable Nina Simone is also the namesake for Dr. Joy's bubbly baby, Nina Simone.

"I feel like I was socialized to always want to be one, but it was never this deep desire I had as a child. As an adult, I always saw motherhood on my list of things to do. I often would say that 'I want to give birth to greatness.' I had this desire to pass on my DNA, if anything."

Dr. Joy scoops up Burt's Bees' Gentle Cream Cleanser, made with 98.9% natural origin ingredients.

This includes cotton extract, which helps sustain moisture and acts as a shield from potential irritants, and soothing aloe, which gently removes dirt, oil, and makeup without causing redness or irritation.

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Another favorite is the classic Mama Bee Original Lip Balm, made with 100% natural origin ingredients—namely beeswax, which provides hydration and nourishment with a minty twist.

“The Old Faithful when it comes to lip balm," says Dr. Joy. "Burt’s Bees always does the trick.”

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"It was when the world shutdown, March 2020. I knew I was not going to be dating anyone for awhile–I’m a germaphobe. Personally, there was not going to be enough time for me to feel comfortable marrying and having a baby before the end of the pandemic. I was two years out from a myomectomy (fibroid surgery) and fibroids grow back, so it was important for me to use my uterus before the fibroids returned. I did already have an anonymous sperm donor in mind because this had been on my mind since 2018, but the catalyst was the pandemic for sure. It made me brave."

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"This life that I created for myself was intentional and took a lot of planning and trying to predict potential barriers and obstacles. First, I will say that at both of my physician jobs in California, there were doctors who made this same decision, just in their 40s. As an ObGyn, I was lucky to interact with a couple of patients who made the decision in their 40s as well."

"When I realized that all types of people were making this choice, then I knew I could do it too. I first thought I wanted to be a co-parent and asked some male friends. When I exhausted that list, I did finally find a Black sperm donor (hard to come by) that I liked. I just pulled the trigger and leapt feet first into getting inseminated."

"For the last year, my daughter's monthly milestones have been on the wall space in our kitchen. I wanted to transition it to a quote that reflected my journey to motherhood."

"The full quote is 'I’ll tell you what freedom means to me: no fear.' I leapt into motherhood with no fear and that is where I found freedom from all of the expectations a woman over 35 may encounter."

"I was blessed to inherit my late aunt’s entire Le Creuset collection that she collected for decades. It’s the ultimate inspiration for cooking."

"As far as my go-to items to cook, they are things that reflect our culture, like black-eyed peas, but I make them with jerk seasoning for Jamaican flair. I also make a mashup of my two grandmothers' macaroni and cheese recipes."

"I don’t really use cookbooks, I use Instagram recipes I find and sometimes make versions based on what I have in the house or textures and tastes that I want to mix."

"Collect your community and pour into them as a habit, because as a single mom, people are certainly going to pour into you. Pay it forward today and then just go for it!"

"Dare I say it, motherhood was easier than I thought it would be. I mentally prepared for 5 years of treachery because certain voices speak louder when it comes to mothering. However, I had some really good mommy friends that pushed me to create a schedule and routine and that has been my saving grace."

"I think being a single mother makes me even more deft with my planning to make sure that Nina Simone and I live and move with ease."

The sweetest little helper.

A stunning mother-daughter duo.

"I live in a beautiful garden in-law suite in a larger home. I fled Downtown Oakland for this Oakland oasis after an intense summer 2020. It came with a bonus room that I made Nina Simone’s room, which I call the 'Black Girl Magic Lab.'"

"I both live and work here, so it was important for it to have zones in terms of work and play."

Joy, in her office, wears a dress by Capulet.

"The photo on the left is a piece by Shani Crowe. She is a photographer and hair stylist. A marriage of my two interests. The cool part I always talk about Shani Crowe is her handiwork styled Solange for her SNL appearance years ago in this magnificent basket crown with a wheel."

"The photograph on the right is of a pregnant woman coiffing hair scene by Shaniqwa Jarvis, which I purchased weeks before the pandemic. It spoke to me because my college thesis was about Black women’s hair, so it is a true reflection of my foundation as a scholar and my current work."

"The best way to describe my design style is Bougie Bohemian. I like modern finishes married with tropical plants and touches of my own carefree personality. My maternal grandmother is the supreme family interior decorator and when she gave me the nod for my home, it was the greatest compliment."

"Basically I went to school—a lot. I studied African and African-American Studies at Harvard and then moved to the U.K. to study Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. After that, I returned to the U.S. to go to medical school at Howard University. Then, went back to my hometown of Philadelphia for residency at the University of Pennsylvania."

"I randomly got recruited for a job in Oakland and moved here five years ago. For the last four years, I have worked at Highland Hospital. Three years ago, I co-founded Culture Care, a telemedicine startup that gives Black women the care they deserve outside of the traditional healthcare system."

Mommy's plaques upon plaques upon plaques.

"At Culture Care, we connect Black women with Black physicians to get the care they crave and often do not get. We allow patients to pay the price of a copay and to determine how long they would like their visit to be in case they have multiple concerns. We do not take insurance to prevent typical barriers to Black doctors and currently serve California only."

"We do have a free visit fund that supporters can donate to and help extend someone's visit or give a free one. And you can always tell a Black girlfriend that we exist!"

"We are currently fundraising for a seed round for Culture Care so that we can expand our work beyond California!"

"And my non-profit, Daughters of the Diaspora, is currently on hiatus because all of our medical students graduated earlier in the pandemic, but we are looking to relaunch soon."

"Yes! I do not take everything lightly anymore. As a single woman, I was abused by work and expected to be flexible because I had no partner and no child. That did not stop when I became pregnant, nor when I returned from maternity leave. So I had to change the nature of my work so that I can focus on all of my passions and Nina Simone is my number one passion right now."

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"The major key is found in the Girl Scout law: 'Use resources wisely!' That goes for human resources and otherwise."

"I tap into my friends and community so much because I do not have family here. A large proportion of my money goes toward childcare, so I make sure I can show up for my day job and my business. However, I did find more affordable rent early in my pregnancy to make financial room for Nina Simone in my life."

"Lastly, I live by my Google calendar. It allows me to make space and time for all of the important things and gives me inventory of what time I have for naps!"

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"This is super smooth going on and feels great,” says Dr. Joy of Burt's Bees' Sensitive Daily Moisturizing Cream, which is clinically shown to provide all-day hydration without causing redness or irritation.

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It includes 98.9% natural origin ingredients, including a soothing blend of rice extract, aloe, and cotton extract.

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The lotion is hypoallergenic formulated without fragrance, parabens, phthalates, petrolatum and SLS—making it safe for the whole family.

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"I am super organized now. My daughter is looking at me, so I feel compelled to have everything as together as possible so that she can enjoy her life with minimal disruptions. I want her to never feel less than because she has one parent currently; I hope she feels greater for it."

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Bold gem-like tones fill the living room space.

"I just love Solange. I can’t even remember the artist that I bought the picture from on Instagram. The image is a play on the A Seat at the Table album cover."

"That album got me through my first year in the Bay Area. After another physician touched my hair without my consent at work. 'Don’t Touch My Hair' from that album became an anthem in my home."

The loungey den, filled with books, plants, and keepsakes.

Empowering books next to an equally empowering mini-doctor figure.

"I know how important sleep is and in medicine there are such things as sleep labs. So, I thought that Black Girl Magic would be charging up every night when my baby girl goes to sleep."

"I put in lots of touches of science because it is a laboratory and also want her to think of science as a girly thing to do!"

"I chose the colors of peach and yellow because I wanted non-traditional 'girl' colors. Becoming a mother of a girl, I have realized how much we codify genders from birth [insert eye roll]."

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A pennant by Christian Robinson for Target sits alongside Burt's Bees Baby products for little Nina Simone.

Crafted with coconut oil and beeswax, the Multi Purpose Healing Ointment is a 100% natural origin product that is non-irritating, petroleum-free, and pediatrician-tested to be gentle and safe for everyday use. Plus, “its smells great!” says Dr. Joy.

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Burt's Bees Baby Nourishing Baby Oil, $8.99, Burt's Bees.

Nina Simone gets her little paws on Burt's Bees Baby Nourishing Baby Oil, made with 100% natural origin ingredients (including apricot and grape seed oil).

The Nourishing Baby Oil gently moisturizes and soothes baby's delicate skin with an antioxidant-rich formula that will soften mama's skin, too!

Burt's Bees Baby Multi Purpose Healing Ointment, $6.99, Burt's Bees.

Burt's Bees Baby Nourishing Baby Oil, $8.99, Burt's Bees.

"She has two first names, a common Jamaican tradition. She is named for my favorite singer of all time, Nina Simone. The singer to me reflects both musical talent as a piano prodigy and a symbol of resistance from all of her songs that furthered the Civil Rights Movement."

Nina Simone's middle name—Sula—also embellishes her wall.

"I definitely found out by 11 weeks because I needed to prepare what my community was going to look like based on the sex of the baby."

"As a solo parent, it did matter. Raising a Black boy in America would mean I had to ensure he had reflections of himself in his community and that they were regular fixtures."

The stunning storybook Nina: A Story of Nina Simone, by Traci N. Todd and illustrated by Christian Robinson.

"I think a lot about gender. I rarely dress Nina Simone in pink and even if she has a bow in her hair, people would say 'he.' [Insert eye roll] Humans are so fixated on categorizing each other and as a mother it really annoys me."

The snuggliest space with numerous self-affirming details.

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We love all the nods to science, including another pennant by Christian Robinson for Target.

"Nina Simone is named for the incomparable Nina Simone, so that's why her picture is in the nursery."

"And Nina Simone's middle name is from my favorite Toni Morrison book—Sula."

"First, I took my own advice in even becoming a single mother by design. I tell my patients who have myomectomies over 35 that they should be thinking about how they will be pregnant in the next year with or without a partner and consider all of their options."

"With regard to the birth experience, because I had an extensive myomectomy, I had to have a cesarean section. For me, it was important to plan who would be in the room for this important moment in my life. I had immense privilege as a physician and I knew it was a pandemic so I went home where my family is to deliver. I delivered at the hospital where I was trained and was able to choose everybody from the nurse, to the scrub tech, anesthesiologist, and my surgeons. I believe I took the advice I give to my patients and took it to a whole new level."

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Burt's Bees' plant-based Shampoo & Wash naturally cleanses baby's soft skin from head to tiny toe with Vitamin B, essential minerals, and natural moisturizers. Plus, it's tear-free.

“It's very gentle for the baby, just in case it gets close to the eyes, which is a normal baby bath struggle,” says Dr. Joy.

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Shampoo & Wash Original, $8.99, Burt's Bees.

Joy wears a dress by Aje from McMullen and heels by Kat Maconie.

Nina Simone wears a dress by Janie & Jack by Kaavia James.

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"Cons: Nobody saw me pregnant!"

"Pros: I live in California and was able to drive for new scenery and was able to see some friends after serial testing. Palm Springs pregnant was pretty fabulous!"

"Self-care in a pandemic means saying 'no' when I don’t want to go to something."

"Self-care pre-pandemic meant regular spa days. I am too much of a germaphobe to let someone that close to me while I am supposed to be relaxing and breathing."

"I was born and raised in Philadelphia with middle school educators for parents. There was my preacher dad, church musician mom, and younger brother. I feel like I was raised in the Black church pretty much, based on my parents' extracurriculars."

'"It was a fun childhood with an amazing community that helped raise me. My grandparents even lived around the corner or two doors down from us for most of my childhood."

"My mother’s godmother is a retired ObGyn. I went to visit her family at age 16 in Brooklyn and came home saying I wanted to be an ObGyn. The rest is history."

"Since Nina Simone’s early years are going to be during the pandemic, things are a bit modified. However, we do go out a lot for park playdates and hikes, which is very California and not a Philly thing per se. She goes to church online with me but is super interactive and loves the music."

"Honestly, my goal is to not raise Nina Simone in the U.S. and I have to work on that in the next few years. I know a lot of my childhood trauma came from going to school as a Black kid and being different. I did not leave the U.S. until college and when I realized how welcome I am in places like Jamaica and Tanzania, I knew I wanted my daughter to have this experience early on. I want acceptance of her beauty and skin tone to be apart of her understanding of the world. I want her to be a polyglot. Those things are hard to come by in the U.S."

"The evolution of my relationship with my daughter. She is at an age where she is affectionate. It is the cutest thing. She told me, 'I love you,' because I always tell her that. Seeing how she changes in her tastes and likes is a beautiful metamorphosis to watch."

"Safety. This is America and random gun violence is a real thing that our government refuses to do anything about."

"I work hard to protect my baby, but I realized how it can’t be only me when she got Covid from daycare. When the government decided to return to normal, daycares for the first time became very vulnerable around the country and that is how Covid hit our door."

"I was blessed to have built an amazing community in Oakland for myself over the last almost 5 years of living here. At the start of the pandemic, we all kept in touch like everyone, through Zoom. Now that it’s understood that outdoor transmission is very low, I gather with most people on weekends for outdoor activities or meals."

"I was lucky that pretty much all of my local friends had babies in 2021, so that created a community around motherhood and pregnancy that I was not expecting. It is amazing to have friends with different ages to help you along the journey and that has become essential."

"However, I would say greater than that is basically the amazing auntie energy all of my girlfriends bring and the 'Auntie Tribe' is why Nina Simone and I are okay."

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"The greatest lesson I gained is to define my own happiness. I used to be a travel maniac. The pandemic and motherhood have quieted that for me and allowed me to redefine what excites me. Sure, I loved sunrises in the Maldives, but I really love putting Nina Simone to bed every night. Motherhood taught me how to savor the moment; you do not get these early years back."

To keep following along with Dr. Joy and Nina Simone, be sure to follow her @thedrjoy on Instagram.

To shop the plant-based products for mama and baby featured in this piece, head over to BurtsBees.com.