Birth Stories in Color

Being a parent requires us to exam the best and worst part of ourselves. Our children are reflections of us and are consistently watching us as we navigate our parenthood journeys. On that journey we have an opportunity to evolve, allowing our children to see our growth. As you listen to Barbara's story, you connect with her growth and understand how powerful it indeed can be!

Becoming pregnant with her daughter was a surprise for Barbara. Throughout her pregnancy, birth and postpartum, the community was a vital part of uplifting and supporting her. She discusses that during her pregnancy she was depressed, yet her community called her home and surrounded her in love. At her birth, her church family gave her shoulders to lean on and continued that support as she navigated the postpartum transition. That experience pushed her to keep being a doula and into becoming a midwife.

As we learned from speaking with her, there are only 2% of black midwives in the birth world. Taking that information and combining it with the fact that black women have higher rates of maternal mortality than their white counterparts it highlights why this statistic must change! One way we as a community can help with that change is providing our student midwives with sustainable access to resources. Barbara hopes that by 2020 she will be a midwife and we are here for it! There are a couple of ways to help support Barbara on her goal. Head over to her website (Tiny and Brave) to learn more about her work and services. Follow her social media (Facebook & Instagram) pages to stay up to date on her journey and places she'll be speaking. Lastly, if your looking for some fantastic merchandise check out her t-shirt site. Your purchase and/or donation helps her, but also continues to open the door wider for other birth workers of color to serve their community!

Resources:

Efe Osaren | student midwife

Kia Shatteen-Jones | student midwife

Paige Jackson | student midwife

Lifecycle WomanCare | birth center

Nya Memaniye Cinque, CNM | midwife

Motherbloom Midwifery | personalized midwifery & home birth care

Doula Trainings International (DTI) | training registration (10% discount code: DOPE)

Sponsors:

Doula Trainings International (DTI) | the birth world, reborn

Doula Trainings International is an educational body and professional community certifying doulas, childbirth educators, and lactation specialists. They believe today's birth workers deserve an accessible and appealing learning environment - one that is positive, inclusive and provides a quality experience. A movement, a community, a purpose. Beyond their courses, DTI is also an international network of doulas - united as advocates for social justice, reproductive justice, and professional growth. Together they are on a mission to revolutionize the birth world, to find out more and to connect go to www.weareDTI.com

There are many emotions that pregnancy and birth can elicit from us. For Alyestal an emotion that covered her pregnancy was fear, fear of dying during childbirth.

To help her process this fear and prepare for birth she relied on three components. The first being prayers and affirmations, to help her get in the mindset that her body and baby were going to be able to work together. Second, being flexible with her birth plan, understanding that even with all the planning, things may change. Staying grounded in that if there were changes those changes were what was best in that moment of time. Lastly shutting down others birth stories that could potentially elicit more fear. While it was vital for her to hear from others, she understood that there were specific stories she wasn't in a place to connect with.

This preparation, her husband and her midwife supported her in her birth. Specifically, in the moments when her birth plan shifted, and she needed an episiotomy and vacuum assistance. Because she had prepared in trusting her body and being flexible, Alyestal explains that she found her power through her daughter’s birth and continues as she navigates postpartum.

Something that we love about Alyestal postpartum journey is her MoMo’s Mama Monday’s series. Being a spoken word poetess, she’s using that gift to help realign herself in her new identity, using her voice to spark honest conversations about motherhood and how we can evolve through the journey. To join the conversation and ignite your fire head over to her IGTV.

This is a story about loss - In memory of Tatia Oden French & Baby Zorah

Tatia's story began like many, she had a healthy pregnancy, she and her family were excited to be growing, and when they went in for her induction, they were expecting to walk away with a healthy baby. However, things did not go as planned and sadly both Tatia and her baby Zorah died in the operating room.

We had the honor of having Tatia's mother Maddy Oden to share Tatia's story with us. Maddy and her family knew that they didn't want others to go through the same experience. From their loss, they developed the Tatia Oden French Memorial Foundation in March 2003 to continue Tatia's memory and provide education to others.

"It gives ALL women of childbearing age complete information concerning medical interventions and drugs which are administered during childbirth. We do this hoping that women may then be able to make FULLY informed decisions regarding the birth of their children." - Tatia Oden French Memorial Foundation

This experience highlights the importance of informed consent, the medicalization of birth specifically with the induction drug Cytotec and infant/maternal mortality. We hope that as you listen, you don't sit in fear from their story, but instead take in the information, share it with others and help extend the mission of the foundation.

We can't control birth, and we can't predict outcomes, but we can gather information to ensure decisions are lead by our informed voices!

Resources:

Tatia Oden French Memorial Foundation | foundation website with resources, videos, articles and more information on their work

Tatia Oden French Memorial Foundation | Facebook page

Sponsors:

Fringe22 | Design & Creative Strategy

Today's programming is in partnership with FRINGE22 design & creative strategy. A design studio focused on brand development and creative strategy aimed at connecting with people who are committed to social impact. For sneak peaks of their work, you can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram at @fringe22studio.

Last month we were invited by the Birthmark Doula Collective to bring our podcast on the road and attend their first Black Birth Matters conference. It indeed was a day of empowerment and healing. Black women's voices were centered, and the conference allowed everyone there to tap into community growth. As Birthmark Doula Jamilla Webb eloquently stated in her opening speech, "Are you okay, sis? I see you. I hear you. You are inherently valuable. You deserve to tell your story." We hope all who attended are uplifting the spirit of that day and sharing it with others!

During the conference, we set up a mini recording studio and invited attendees to come and share their birth stories. In doing so we met Myra Barnes, and she allowed us to hold space for her experience. It's such a wonderful feeling when you can feel the stars aligning! As soon as we began talking with Myra, you could feel that shift.

Myra's story was an accurate reflection of the conference. It highlighted the power in healing ourselves. Especially for women of color. When we can tap into the work (whatever that may look like) in making ourselves better, we can heal while adding in stopping cycles of trauma. To do that, we have to be ok with being vulnerable and transparent with our friends, our families and ourselves. Myra said it best, "I'm hoping that we can do a better job of supporting each other to be better givers of life. Better leaders and advocates, especially for ourselves in a world where we have been conditioned to be silent."

Sponsors:

Doula Trainings International (DTI) | for the modern doula

Doula Trainings International is an educational body and professional community certifying doulas, childbirth educators, and lactation specialists. They believe today's birth workers deserve an accessible and appealing learning environment - one that is positive, inclusive and provides a quality experience. A movement, a community, a purpose. Beyond their courses, DTI is also an international network of doulas - united as advocates for social justice, reproductive justice, and professional growth. Together they are on a mission to revolutionize the birth world, to find out more and to connect go to www.doulatrainingsinternational.com.

Erica was 19 when she had her daughter and while she wasn't necessarily sure how to prep she knew that no matter what she had to be in good space and mindset. Her daughter was born five weeks early. Labor lasted for 5 hours and included three pushes. Erica indicates that her daughter arrived in true Taurus form, like a bull ready to take on the world.

Once her daughter made her arrival, Erica found herself struggling to navigate postpartum. A sentiment that many birthing parents can connect with. Breastfeeding was difficult, she was working through feelings of self-doubt and not being a good enough mother. While she was able to put on a face for everyone around her, internally, she knew something was wrong.

Now 11 years from that time and reflecting on it, Erica knows she was suffering from postpartum depression. Currently studying counseling psychology and supporting families as a doula, she's working to help other birthing parents navigate their journeys. Erica is hoping that by being open about her experience and sharing her story, she's helping to normalize conversations of postpartum struggles. If you are looking to connect with Erica for doula support find her Trac-E Doula RI on Facebook and Instagram.

If you are a birthing person at the age of 35 or older, you have probably heard the term advanced maternal age. In this episode, we meet Derrin Moore, 42-year-old mama, who didn't let this term or categorization determine how she created her family.

Studies show that first time birthing individuals over the age of 35 can have increased risk for potential complications. These include excessive bleeding during delivery, prolonged or stalled labor, high blood pressure, premature delivery, and increased risk of genetic disorders in the baby (Evidence Based Birth). As with any process of birth, that doesn't mean that is the case for everyone. This sentiment is highlighted by Evidence Based Birth, "Certainly women of advanced maternal age go on to have otherwise completely healthy pregnancies and deliveries—increase odds by practicing healthy lifestyle choices and seek out a care provider that doesn’t automatically classify you as high risk simply based on your age."

As we discussed with Derrin, all birthing individuals should be given the opportunity to place themselves in a box, not the birthing system. When Derrin found out she was pregnant with her rainbow baby, she felt that stigma immediately. Her doctors saw her age and could only see the risk. Derrin even had family members tell her that a cesarean birth was the only option for her delivery. Knowing that she was having fear about birth and needing lots of medical interventions, she prepared in ways she thought best.

Being a gymnastic and circus instructor coach, she felt fit and kept working until she couldn't. She hired a doula and sought out additional support. Derrin's birth did not go exactly as she planned and that's ok, that's birth. From her story, we realize how impactful society's view on our expectations of our bodies can be. To all the cesarean birth parents, you, your body and your birth journeys are powerful!

One of the reasons that Birth Stories in Color was created, is because we knew our community needed space to allow families to process, learn and sometimes heal from their birth stories. We witnessed Derrin do that work in this episode. Our discussion with Derrin was the first time she fully shared her story, and we are incredibly thankful for her vulnerability!

Resources:

CooperRose | advocates for cloth diapering, breastfeeding, baby-wearing & natural product in communities lacking support

Evidence Based Birth | online childbirth resource

Two things we learned from Kimberly, there is power in your intuition and normalizing birth for older siblings!

To prepare for the birth of her children Kimberly and her husband took the Bradley Method childbirth education classes along with the Hypnobabies series. Kimberly explains these as being very beneficial. They provided her with the tools to help alleviate the fear of birth and allowed her to find peace with the experience.

As you listen to her stories, you find this to be very real. Her first birth was 17.5 hours, with the rest of her children coming into the world much faster, especially her fourth child with her labor only being 2 hours. Many families hope for speedy births, but what we don't realize at times, is that these types of experiences require families to birth on their own, unintentionally and for them to trust the process.

We hear all the time that birthing bodies know what to do, it's the mind we have to convince! Kimberly's experience is an excellent example of letting the education around birth elevate your mind to the level it needs be.

Another way of tackling that is for us to change what society has taught us about birth, and that begins with educating our children, normalizing birth for them. To include her older children in adding a family member, Kimberly would accompany them in watching birthing videos and explain to them what was happening.

During the birth of the new baby, her children went about their regular routines but were always welcomed to join her as she labored throughout the house. We love that after the birth of her daughter, Kimberly sons, snuggled next to her on the living room couch and just observed her postpartum care and their new sister. Taking it all in, for them, this is birth, at home surrounded in love!

Kimberly has currently begun training as a doula, if you are interested in connecting with her find her at Mama Bean Birth Works and Black Mamas Parenting Naturally.

Lara describes her pregnancy and birth as a true partnership with her husband, Alfredo. Together they did research, watched birthing videos, interviewed care providers and sought out friends and family for advice. Their strong connection was evident that when in their birthing space full of people Lara expresses that even though she couldn't always see Alfredo, his voice and presence was the only one she could hear and feel.

While her pregnancy and birth were healthy and easy to navigate, postpartum required more of Lara. She fell easily into her routine before baby but soon realized that she was starting to feel the weight of this new transition. Lara sought out support from her midwife and realized that what she was experiencing was affecting not only her relationship with Alfredo but also her bond with her daughter Layla. Lara got serious about her journey with postpartum depression and acquired professional help. She notes that it's on ongoing, she still has flare-ups, yet the most important and valuable thing for her is recognizing the time when she needs extra support and honoring that!

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) report that Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs), which include Postpartum Depression, affect 1 in 7 pregnant and new mothers. Whether you are a birthing person who is struggling, a concerned friend or relative, reach out for support from a healthcare professional. A great resource is the Postpartum Health Alliance which can offer support and referrals to resources that can help.

Resources:

Empowered Birth Project |birth censorship campaign
OSU Midwifery
Stop Censoring Motherhood |social media platform

Sponsors:

Fringe22 | Design & Creative Strategy
Today's programming is in partnership with FRINGE22 design & creative strategy. A design studio focused on brand development and creative strategy aimed at connecting with people who are committed to social impact. For sneak peaks of their work, you can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram at @fringe22studio.

Parenthood as a whole has this way of requiring you to surrender. Surrendering to the unknown, knowing though, that it's going to be a beautiful journey. When Laurel was finally able to yield she describes her son's birth as transformative for her relationship with herself mentally and physically. Many people claim birth to be a rebirth for the birthing person; her story is a reflection of that.

When Laurel and her husband began discussing the birth of their son, they knew that if it were a healthy pregnancy, the best space for their birth would be a home birth. Much of the preparation was finding a village to support them. With the guidance and support of her family, doula and midwives, their son was born surrounded by love. This space of love entirely defined by them.

Her journey required her to be mindful of the way she approached bonding during pregnancy, overcoming her fears of birth and walking in the ebb and flow of postpartum. Our take away from this episode is that we all in our everyday walk of life find ways to be mindful and present.

Resources:

ROOTT (Restoring Our Own Through Transformation) | black woman led reproductive justice organization

Columbus Midwife Collective | group of professional midwives

Ren the Doula | doula & birth affirmations creator

Aliayo Waistbeads | handmade jewelry

When Simone and her husband began planning to add to their family, they knew they wanted to have a home birth. Choosing this choice as Simone wanted full body autonomy and wanted to make sure she surrounded herself with a team to support her in that.

As you listen to Simone's story, you realize that even when we prepare to the fullest extent, pregnancy and birth can still cause anxiety. As a doula, Simone had to remind herself to get out of her head constantly. Trusting the process of birth and being entirely in touch with her body and baby. The day that her son was born, she did that, as she states, her knowledge and experience couldn't prep her for everything yet when she was present in what was happening "she felt labor, she felt the birth" of her son.

A big piece of Simone's story we feel should be a take away for everyone is postpartum planning. We love that Simone share's that families should create a postpartum plan, the same way they would their birth plans. Standing firm in their community and no matter what asking for help!

Resources:

Doula Trainings International (DTI) | doula training and childbirth education training

Sakina Midwifery | midwifery services in NY

Just for You Doula | birth and postpartum doula services in NY