In today's episode, I interview Nicole Deggins, a Certified Nurse Midwife and one of the country's leading birth advocacy experts.. She served as faculty for the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative and sits on the Louisiana Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review committee, the Louisiana Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies council, and is a consultant for the Global Infant Safe Sleep Center. Nicole has provided guest lectures to public health students at universities and has provided training and consultation to many local and national agencies, including the New Orleans Maternal Child Health Coalition, Birthing Project USA, Birthmark Doula Collective, Healthy Start New Orleans, New Orleans WIC and others. **Trigger Content Warning: This episode talks about systemic racism in birth work and racial trauma.**

As we wrap up the "International Year of the Nurse and Midwife," I'm grateful to Nicole Deggins for coming on the podcast. Don't miss this episode, where Nicole talks about Black midwifery, labor and delivery nursing, doula training, and the founding of Sista Midwife Productions. She also shares her experiences of navigating systemic racism as a Black pregnant mother and birth professional. Nicole also shares her own inspirational preterm birth story.

Learn more about Nicole Deggins and Sista Midwife Productions Birth Sister/Doula training here (https://www.sistamidwife.com/ and https://www.sistamidwife.com/doulatraining). Follow Sista Midwife Productions on Facebook here (https://www.facebook.com/SistaMidwife) and on Instagram here (https://www.instagram.com/sistamidwife).

Learn more about Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative here (https://partnersforfamilyhealth.org/lapqc/).

Learn more about Louisiana Healthy Moms here (https://ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/page/231).

Learn more about Global Infant Safe Sleep Center (GISSC) here (https://gisscenter.org/). Follow GISSC on Facebook here (https://www.facebook.com/gisscenter/).

Learn more about New Orleans Maternal Child Health Coalition (NOMCHC) here (https://wavestarter.tulane.edu/campaigns/new-orleans-maternal-and-child-health-coalition-student-assistant-stipends) and follow NOMCHC on Instagram here (https://www.instagram.com/nolamchcoalition).

Learn more about Birthing Project USA here (https://www.healthystartepic.org/resources/evidence-based-practices/birthing-project-usa/).

Learn more about the Birthmark Doula Collective here (https://www.birthmarkdoulas.com/). Follow the Birthmark Doula Collective on Instagram here (https://www.instagram.com/birthmarkdoulas/), on Facebook here (https://www.facebook.com/birthmarkdoulas), and on Twitter here (https://twitter.com/BirthmarkDoulas).

Learn about Healthy Start New Orleans here (https://www.nola.gov/health-department/healthy-start/).

Learn more about New Orleans WIC here (https://www.nola.gov/health/wic/).

Learn more about the "Bringin' in Da Spirit" documentary here (https://www.twn.org/catalog/pages/responsive/cpage.aspx?rec=1119&card=price).

Learn more about Shafia Monroe and SMC Full Circle Doula Birth Companion Training here (https://shafiamonroe.com/). Follow Shafia on Instagram and Black Midwife Cooking here (https://www.instagram.com/shafiamonroe/). Follow Shafia on Twitter here (https://twitter.com/Shafia_SMC). Follow Shafia on Facebook here (https://www.facebook.com/shafiamonroeconsulting/).

Learn more about the International Center for Traditional Childbearing (ICTC) here (https://thenaabb.org/).

For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/EvidenceBasedBirth/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ebbirth/), and Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/ebbirth/). Ready to get involved? Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/become-pro-member/). Find an EBB Instructor here (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/find-an-instructor-parents/), and click here (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/childbirth-class/) to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class.