Tia Ketant is our guest on this week’s episode, bringing us her experience and wisdom related to the landscape women of color birthing in America face. Women of color die at a rate 3x higher than that of white women and 12x higher in NYC, specifically, where Tia is located. Tia is an advocate and a certified doula, fighting for safe care for women of color and educating women about the best choices available to them. (See below for Tia’s full bio.)
In this episode, we discuss the care options available for pregnancy and birth, especially for those of lower income, as well as the ways families can best prepare for their birth experience and advocate for themselves. Tia emphasizes how important it is for clients to feel free to report their negative experiences at hospitals – the hospitals need to know and other people need to know what happened! Shop around for your provider and have plenty of questions ready for a hospital tour, if birthing in a hospital.
Tia has first-hand experience with serving clients facing a difficult birthing landscape, as well as mentoring the next generation of doulas through community agencies and organizations such as By My Side, Healthy Women Healthy Futures, and Carriage House.
“Doulas provide support, but we also save lives.”
“Trust your ability to birth your baby the way you need to. If you’re scared, then I didn’t do my job because you didn’t have enough info.”
“Childbirth education is like the multiple choice portion of the test. A doula is the essay portion of the test.”
“The system is broken and it won’t be fixed by the time you give birth.”
“All birth is natural - you give birth to a baby, not a banana.”
Tia's life has centered around the service industry for 20+ years. She has served domestic violence victims, the developmentally disabled, the homeless and even disadvantaged youth. However she has come to find that doula work is the home she has been searching for. Becoming a DONA and Carriage House Birth-Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula has been a humbling accomplishment. Her passion to see you through pre-conception, pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period is unwavering.
She is the proud mom of a 6 year-old son who was a miracle after 7 years of dealing with infertility. Inclusive of her desire to support you during your birth, she is excited to work with moms during the postpartum period helping create a strong bond between themselves and their babies. Because she has been all of the clients that she serves, Metoodoula services is all encompassing of each individual woman's needs.
Tia and her doula-sister, Shannon Serrano, have just started a podcast called Doula Sense to address birth, fertility, and all things self-care.
You can find Tia in the following places:
www.facebook.com/metoodoula
All Birth is Natural T-shirts:
www.bonfire.com/store/me-too-doula/
Questions about anything discussed on today’s show? You can email us at [email protected] or book a consultation with Sally at www.thebreastfeedingguru.com
As always, you can find us on social media in the following places!
www.facebook.com/lcdouladiaries
www.facebook.com/strongbirthjourneys
www.facebook.com/breastfeedingguru
