Today we talk to Nikia Lawson, Certified Birth Doula and Birth Doula Trainer through DONA international. Nikia is an international lecturer,  thought leader, and birth educator who uses her expansive knowledge to help expectant families go into their births feeling prepared. Her non-profit organization, The Natural Way Birthing Project, offers programs and services to help reduce maternal and infant mortality rates in the Texas counties where she serves.

We talk about Nikia's induction into the birth world and what drew her to birth work. We talk about her education and how she shifted courses to meet her calling as a birth worker.  We also talk about Nikia's approach to helping new families to start thinking about what they want for their birth and about hiring a doula

We talk about what Nikia teaches in her courses and the questions that new parents need to consider when they're approaching their birth so that they can feel confident and prepared, and so that they can stand up for their choices and prevent trauma. We talk about how to create a 'see something, say something' situation in the birth space where the birthing person's choices are being protected in the moment.

We talk about intersectionality in the birth space and the sorts of things that need changing, as well as how change can be made on a wide scale to protect black birth. We talk about how education and availability of birth support in every birth space can help to improve birth outcomes in marginalized communities.

Finally we talk about normalizing doula work and birth support for everyone so that advocacy for birth decisions can become the mainstream rather than the exception. We challenge new parents to become educated and empower their birth space to achieve this end.

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