As COVID-19 continues to spread, more expectant mothers are considering the benefits of home birth. Today on the show, Ali Muldrow spends the hour discussing what it means to be born and give birth during the pandemic with Tehmina Islam, the midwife behind Access Midwifery.

Tehmina outlines her commitment to making midwifery accessible to women of color and low-income families and responds to some of the myths and preconceptions about home births and the medical qualifications of midwives. She talks about a wide range of topics related to maternal care and reproductive justice—including safety, addressing trauma, race, the environment, bodily autonomy, human dignity—and advocates for collaboration between home-based providers and hospitals to best meet the needs of women and those who are pregnant.

Tehmina Islam is a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) and Wisconsin Licensed Midwife (LM) and founder of Access Midwifery. She is a member of the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM), the Wisconsin Guild of Midwives (WGOM), and Pregnancy Options Network (POWERS) and currently serves as treasurer for the Mothers’ Milk Alliance. She is also an environmental advocate with Safe Skies Clean Water Wisconsin and Eken Park Resistance.

Cover photo by Aditya Romansa on Unsplash