black maternal health

Dear Mama

You are worthy to rise each day and dance in your dreams with your children by your side.

You are worthy of serenity in birth.

You are worthy of joy while holding your children.

Join Midwife Jamarah Amani of Southern Birth Justice in partnership with the WNBA for a meditation experience to remind you:  You are complete. You are not alone.  You are magic.

Meditations by Mamas are led by Black mamas to help us maintain alignment with healing, creativity, and liberation to manifest joy and abundance.

We’re coming to LA on September 3rd!!! Early bird has been EXTENDED TIL SUNDAY, AUGUST 20th. Get on the mothership & ride with us LIVE!  GET YOUR TIX NOW>>>https://demblackmamas.com/events/

For more about Jamarah visit the shownotes for this episode on our website: https://www.demblackmamas.com/podcast

Town Square with Ernie Manouse airs at 3 p.m. CT. Tune in on 88.7FM, listen online or subscribe to the podcast. Join the discussion at 888-486-9677, questions@townsquaretalk.org or @townsquaretalk.

The state of Texas is among the worst states when it comes to maternal mortality, with an overwhelming majority of these deaths being preventable. Elena Rivera, KERA Health Reporter shares insight on why Texas fares so poorly, current legislation that’s being pushed to address the issue, and how people are having issues accessing care for complex pregnancy issues with the removal of Roe v. Wade.

Then, we’re joined by Dr. LaToia Marks, OBGYN at St. Luke’s Health, and Latoya Hill, Senior Policy Analyst in Racial Equity & Health Policy at KFF, to discuss why maternal mortality rates remain the highest among Black women, the drivers behind these pregnancy-related deaths, and ways to improve health outcomes for women plagued by these health disparities.

Guests:

Elena Rivera

• Health Reporter, KERA

Dr. LaToia Marks

• OBGYN, St. Luke’s Health

Latoya Hill

• Senior Policy Analyst in Racial Equity & Health Policy, KFF

Town Square with Ernie Manouse is a gathering space for the community to come together and discuss the day’s most important and pressing issues.

We also offer a free podcast here, on iTunes, and other apps

Dear Mama,

What if I told you understanding menopause was a matter of life and death? In her 2022 book You Got Anything Stronger, Gabrielle Union went into deep detail about how in her words, “the surge and retreat of hormones” during perimenopause and menopause caused her to have passive suicidal ideations and pointed out that science has focused on hiding symptoms or treating the symptoms of menopause that have mattered most to men like vaginal dryness.  The part of Union’s book that made me pause (see what I did there) was when Union stated, “According to a 2020 CDC study, the suicide rate among women is highest for those ages 45-64” and calls out how women’s depression is often linked to men or their children, focusing on the external features of women’s lives and not the internal.  That’s when I knew we had to do an episode about Menopause and I knew just who turn to Omisade Burney Scott s creator of the platform Black Girl’s Guide to Surviving Menopause which includes a podcast of the same name.   

Black Mama Creative Week is the perfect time to drop this episode. Burney-Scott is a trailblazer in this field and roots her work in her spirituality producing creative projects such as Messages From the Menopausal Multiverse. In this episode, we talk: 

👉🏾Listening to your body 

👉🏾Menopause & spirituality

👉🏾Deciding to have the best sex of your life

👉🏾Bonus Content: The greatest story Nekisha ever told & why her Daddy is a REAL ONE!

So thanks for coming inside the Black Mama Magic Room.  If you’re a new listener, welcome to the ride. Remember Black Mama Creative Week kicks off Saturday, June 24th & we’re hosting a workshop on podcasting called Ask Us Anything: Composing Dynamic Questions to Create Compelling Interviews and one for entrepreneurs and Black Mama Creatives called Being the Blueprint: Tools to Help Black Mama Creatives and Entrepreneurs Design a New Path.  To sign up go to www.demblackmamas.com/events .  

CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS

• It's Black Mama Creative Week! Come celebrate with us on Instagram all week!

INVEST IN US

• Sign up for our Black Mama Creative Week Workshops. 
• Share us with one other person. 
• Become a Magic maker by getting on The Mothership (aka our newsletter). 

For full show notes check our website.

✨💗✊🏾

Dear Mama,

Dream with me.  Can you imagine a world with a Black midwife in every family, in every community, easily accessible, at our fingertips, a world in which birth choices aren’t controlled by capitalism, a world in which the birth practices that Black women used to literally birth this country are honored, a world in which they are revered, a world in which Black midwives could practice the full scope of reproductive health and reproductive choices are respected, a world in which Black mothers don’t fear death in the midst of giving birth, experience it with fully joy and bodily autonomy.  It’s Black Maternal Health Week and we are grateful for the opportunity to sit with two people invested in building that world: Jamarah Amani, founder of National Black Midwives Alliance & cofounder of Southern Birth Justice Network & filmmaker K. Sanderson  In this episode we’re talking: 

👉🏾Harriet Tubman & midwifery (Yeah we ain’t even know)

👉🏾Why the medical system fears Black midwifery (I mean we know why but still)

👉🏾The fight & journey to answer your calling (chiiilllleee this got deep)

👉🏾Their documentary series Legacy Power Voice: Movements in Black Midwifery (cause WE KNO what happens when other people tell our stories)

✨💗✊🏾

✨MERCH OF THE MONTH - MAGIC EVERMORE BOX ✨

The intention of this box is for Black Mamas to honor the light within themselves.  The items inside the Magic Evermore box will prepare Black mamas to soak up all the energy of the sun all summer and remind them of the importance of documenting themselves, the power to manifest the life you want, and to soften and pour into yourself when your mothership hits rough waters.  Items inside:

✨Full Black Mama Magic Card Deck

✨Manifestation Crystals: Citrine, Pyrite, Rose Quartz, Blue Apatite

✨Incense from Smell Good Spa

✨Mama Magic: Evermore Picture Frame

✨Postcards

✨Gratitude Jar

✨Herbs: Jasmine, Eucalyptus, & Lavender

✨An investment in yourself and in Dem Black Mamas Podcast. When you invest in us, you are investing in a platform curated by three women actively creating spaces of healing, creativity & liberation.

ABOUT OUR GUESTS

Jamarah Amani, LM is a community midwife who believes in the transformative and healing power of birth and that every baby has a human right to human milk. Her mission is to do her part to build a movement for Birth Justice locally, nationally and globally. Jamarah is the architect of the Birth Justice framework, the Black Midwives Model of Care and the Birth Justice Bill of Rights. Jamarah identifies as Black, Femme and Queer.  A community organizer from the age of sixteen, Jamarah has worked with several organizations across the United States, the Caribbean and in Africa on various public health issues, including HIV prevention, infant mortality risk reduction, access to emergency contraception and access to midwifery care. As a birth worker and activist, Jamarah has been tackling issues of racial justice, including the epidemics of Black maternal and infant morbidity/mortality for over fifteen years. She is currently the Executive Director of Southern Birth Justice Network, (https://southernbirthjustice.org/) a 501(c)3 non-profit organization working to expand the Birth Justice movement and to make midwifery and doula care accessible to marginalized communities. She is also the co-founder of National Black Midwives Alliance, (https://blackmidwivesalliance.org/) the only national professional association in the U.S. specifically for midwives of African descent, and a founding member of the Queer and Transgender Midwives Association.

Karyl-Lyn Sanderson (they/them), affectionately known as K, is a non-binary visionary, artist and entrepreneur with over 20 years of work experience as a digital media producer. K’s mission is to shift societal paradigms while enriching and advancing the lives of those they serve. With their daring and joyful spirit, K takes on projects that bring greater exposure to causes and issues of importance.  For over a decade, K created groundbreaking media as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Limitless New Media, an independently operated creative studio that designed a wide array of original content for community, educational and faith-based initiatives. K is an alumni of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Film and Television Production program.

OTHER IMPORTANT LINKS

• History of Florida Midwife & 1965 Medicaid Legislation 
• The Woman King
• Michelle Browder Mothers of Gynecolgy

All other links mentioned in the episode & full show notes on our website at demblackmamas.com/podcast 

Thanks for coming inside the Black Mama Magic Room.  If you’re a new listener, welcome to the ride. If you’re a newbie or an OG, order our intentionally curated  Our Magic Evermore Box which is our Merch of Month by May 1st and receive it in time for Mother’s Day. 

✨💗✊🏾

In this episode of The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast, I am joined by Charles Johnson, the founder of 4Kira4Moms. 

Charles tragically lost his wife Kira during a routine C-section at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, California in 2016. This experience led him to create 4Kira4moms in 2017.

The goal of 4Kira4Moms is to be a voice for other mothers and families facing unnecessary maternal loss and to help put an end to the black maternal mortality health crisis.

It is a sad reality that in the US, black women are four times more likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth than white women. This is due to implicit bias and systemic racism within the healthcare system, as well as a lack of access to high-quality maternal healthcare and resources.

Inside the episode, Charles and I discuss this tragic epidemic and talk about what platforms like 4Kira4Moms are doing to spark change and shed light on the issue. Then we get into what we can do to support his mission!

Tune in to hear Kira's story and learn how you can help make a difference.

Learn more about Charles Johnson

Charles Johnson has dedicated his life to the pursuit of what his own family failed to receive – safe, respectful, and equitable maternal health outcomes in America. His passion for systemic change is driven by his love for his wife, Kira, who passed away following the birth of their second child. In April 2016, Kira underwent a routine C-section following an uncomplicated pregnancy. Hours later, she died from internal hemorrhaging despite adamant pleas for help from medical professionals by her husband and loved ones. Her story exemplifies the current crises happening in America: rising rates of maternal mortality and the silencing of Black voices.

After experiencing the unimaginable, Charles harnessed his pain and used it to pursue the highest level of good. He channeled his grief into founding 4Kira4Moms, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving birth outcomes in America. Charles knows childbirth should be empowering and free of fear for all mothers. 4Kira4Moms advocates for improved maternal health policies and regulations, educates about the impact of maternal mortality in our communities, provides support to victims’ loved ones, and approaches maternal mortality as a human rights issue. Mothers are the very framework of our society. They teach us how to love unconditionally and are willing to protect the most vulnerable among us. The loss of even one at the hands of an unjust system robs our country of what it needs most.

Charles has used his voice and story to advocate for change at countless events and media appearances all over the country. He is a board member of March for Moms and serves as Chairman of the Fairness of Injured Patients Act, which seeks to restore the rights of victims of medical negligence in California. Charles has testified twice before Congress and helped pass key legislation including: the Preventing Maternal Death Act of 2018, the Protecting Moms Who Served Act of 2021, and the California Momnibus. He is currently working with Congress to pass the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, an unprecedented set of bills addressing every aspect of the maternal health crisis happening in America. Charles was also honored by Oprah Winfrey on OWNSpotlight’s 2020 fatherhood special entitled, “Honoring our Kings – Celebrating Black Fatherhood.”

In addition to his advocacy work, Charles is busy raising his two beautiful boys, Charles V and Langston, who keep their mothers’ spirit alive powerfully every day.

Learn more about 4Kira4Moms

• 4Kira4Moms
• HR 1318 - Preventing Maternal Death Acts of 2018
• Kira Johnson Act
• Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021

Welcome to the Focus on the Family Series! In the next few episodes, we will explore the ins and outs of family life - how they start, how they grow, what shape they take, etc. The notion of the nuclear family is so yesterday! Listen to each episode and see which elements of family resonate with you, which could not be more different, and which sparked some intrigue! This week: delivery.

You've seen baby delivery in the movies enough to conjure the image - a woman lies on a bed sweating, breathing heavily, yelling obscenities at everyone in the room and refusing to participate the inevitable delivery of the baby. But, not all delivery stories are the same. Listen to this episode where you will hear Melissa & Kerri and their guest expert Dr. Antonia Cotwright answer the following questions (and others) you've always wanted to ask a doctor, a lawyer and a therapist but were afraid to ask:

• How do women prepare for delivery?
• What are factors to consider of someone wants to have a VBAC?
• How can we be advocates for Black maternal health?

Connect with us:

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Twitter

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thehatspodcast@gmail.com

Thank you for listening! We tip our hats to you!

Host's Note: If you prefer to watch this interview, check out the YouTube Video.

This episode features our guest, Zaria Johnson, a graduate of Spelman College and currently a Columbia University grad student, as we discuss discrimination, disparities, and systemic racism in the maternal and medical care of BIPOC birthgivers.

TOPICS COVERED:
- Origins of medical and maternal racism, the use of black slaves used in medical experiments, and the history of why black slave women were considered 'breeders', 'unable to feel pain', 'superhuman', and other discriminatory stereotypes
- How this contributed to today's reality for BIPOC birthgivers, medical trauma,  disproportionate care, distrust of medical professionals, and lasting effects on access inquity, unequal medical care, and lack of prioritization
-  Systemic racism and microaggressions
- BIPOC maternal rights, understanding your autonomy
- Medical/Patient advocates help inform, translate medical jargon, and support
- Doulas - trained birth assistants to advocate during birthing
- Interview your medical team; Trauma-informed care is your medical right
- Pain med management and a preferred plan is protected by policy
- Data collection is helping bring more informed care, greatest access equity, and overall wellbeing programs
- Reproductive justice, Petitions available, Birth trauma counseling/therapy

FURTHER EDUCATION RECOMMENDATIONS::
1. Article  - "How we fail black patients in pain"
2. Book - "Medical Bondage" by Deidre Cooper Owens
3. Book - "It Didn't Start With You" by Mark Wolynn
4. Book - "Killing the Black Body" by Dorothy Roberts
5. Book - "Medical Apartheid" by Harriet A. Washington
6. Book - "What My Bones Know" by Stephanie Foo
7. Kira Johnson Act
8. Momnibus Act
FOR MORE INFO ON ORGANIZATIONS ADVOCATING IN THIS WORK::
1. Mamatoto Village
2. National Birth Equity Collaborative
3. Black Mamas Matter Alliance
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WHERE TO DONATE TO THIS CAUSE:
1. 4Kira4Moms
2. BMMA
3. Mamatoto Village
FOR THOSE SEEKING DOULAS: 
1. National

Trauma Survivorhood is hosted by Sara Miley, CTRC-A, IFS - an IFS-informed certified trauma recovery coach with her own private practice called Full Circle Wellspring LLC. For one-to-one coaching, IFS guidance, classes, and more - visit: www.fullcirclewellspring.com

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© 2024 Trauma Survivorhood with Sara Miley and Full Circle Wellspring LLC

In this episode we talk with EBB Instructor Leslie Greene, about doula advocacy and empowering families through the EBB Childbirth education class.
 
Leslie Greene, pronouns, she/her, is a birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator, baby wearing consultant and Evidence Based Birth Instructor and founder of Peridot Births. Leslie's work reflects her passion for birth justice, and she has a special interest in supporting Black and brown birthing families and members of the LBGTQIA+ community. Leslie is also the mom of a rising first grader and loves to spend her time with her adopted Shih Tzu and tabby kitten when not working.
 
We talk about the importance of doula advocacy. Leslie talks about her personal journey to becoming a childbirth educator and a doula, as a form of activism to address the Black maternal health crisis in American. She describes how to step into the birthing space as a collaborative advocate to center the parent's experience for their birth. 
 
Content Warning: discussion of the murder of George Floyd, maternal mortality for African Americans, Black maternal health crisis, systemic racism, politics, obstetric violence, racism, forced cervical exams, perineal massage with baby shampoo, poverty, substance use, teen pregnancy, lack of prenatal care, colonization, slavery, and the COVID-19 pandemic

Resources:

Listen to EBB 218 – The Evidence on Perineal Massage during Labor with Dr. Rebecca Dekker here
 
Check out and follow all of Leslie’s work:
o   Leslie’s Evidence Based Childbirth Education site can be found here
o   Leslie’s Doula Services can be found here
o   Follow Leslie’s work on Instagram here

Go to our YouTube channel to see video versions of the episode listed above!!

For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com.

Find us on: 

• TikTok
• Instagram
• Pinterest

Ready to get involved? 

• Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) here 
• Find an EBB Instructor here 
• Click here to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class.

In this week’s episode, I'm going to cover the “2022 A Year in Review” and reflect on all the projects and research we accomplished at Evidence Based Birth®. I share my favorite projects and podcast episodes from this year; the top five most downloaded episodes in 2022; and discuss the research recap on the four updated Signature Articles:
o   Signature Article on the Evidence on Birthing Positions
o   Signature Article on the Evidence on Eating and Drinking in Labor
o   Signature Article on the Evidence on IV fluids
o   Signature Article on the Evidence on Freidman’s Curve and Failure to Progress + 1-page handout on Debunking Pelvic Shapes
 
Thanks for tuning in and supporting Evidence Based Birth® in 2022! Because of you we were able to surpass over 4 million downloads –putting us in the top 5 percent of all podcasts! Thank you for helping us to uplift birth workers and empower families with evidence-based knowledge.
 
Content Warning: abortion & medical interventions

Resouces:

Find the updated Signature Article on the Evidence on Birthing Positions here

Listen to the associated Podcast episodes on Birthing Positions:

• 196 – Pelvic Biomechanics and Movement in Labor with Brittany Sharpe McCollum
• 221- Evidence on Birthing Positions and Tried-and-True Midwifery Practices for Protecting the Perineum
• 241- The Updated Evidence on Birthing Positions

Find the updated Signature Article on the Evidence on Eating and Drinking in Labor here

Listen to the associated Podcast episodes on Eating and Drinking:

• 198 & 233 – Updates on Eating During Labor

Fina the updated Signature Article on the Evidence on IV fluids here

Listen to the associated Podcast episodes on IV fluids:

• 235 – Evidence on IV Fluids with Dr. Rebecca Dekker
• 208 – Advocating for Your Rights in Birth with EBB Childbirth Class Graduation Cheyanne Saenz
• 104 – The Evidence on Saline Locks

Find the updated Signature Article on the Evidence on Freidman’s Curve and Failure to Progress here

Listen to the associated Podcast episodes on Failure to Progress:

• 224 – Failure to Progress or Failure to Wait with Ihotu Ali, Erin Wilson, and Rebecca Dekker
• 196 – Pelvic Biomechanics and Movement in Labor with Brittany Sharpe McCollum
• 75 – Birth in Twilight Sleep – the Experiences of Rebecca’s Mom

Debunking Pelvic Shapes Handout and the Abortion Research guide can be found here.

Free Public Webinars:

• Spring Webinar: Failure to Wait
• Fall Webinar: Evidence on Pitocin

Rebecca’s Favorite Projects:

• Protecting the Perineum Series
  • 221 – Evidence on Birthing Positions and Tried-and-True Midwifery Practice for Protecting the Perineum
  • 218 – The Evidence on Perineal Massage During Labor with Dr. Rebecca Dekker
  • 216 – The Evidence on Perineal Massage for Preventing Tears in Childbirth with Dr. Rebecca Dekker
  • 206 – Evidence on Perineal Tears and the Importance of Avoiding Episiotomy with EBB Founder, Dr. Rebecca Dekker

• Abortion Research Guide
  • 240: Top Five Most Surprising Findings from the EBB Abortion Research Guide with Dr. Dekker & Doctoral Candidate Tyler Jean Dukes

• Reproductive Justice
• 217 – Disability Justice in Birth and Parenting with Stefanie Lyn Kaufman-Mthimkhulu
• 234 – Tackling Fatphobia in Lactation with Kristin Cavuto
• 243 – Importance of Kick Counting for Preventing Stillbirth with Stephaney Moody, Health Equity Ambassador of Count the Kicks
• 227 – Amplifying the Need for Intersectional Birth Support for QTBIPOC Birthing People with Xian Brooks of the Dandy Doula
• 238 – Black Fatherhood and Fighting Anti-Black Racism with Brandon Diggs Williams, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
• 228 – Uplifting Radicalized Birth Work with Anna, The Pocket Doula
• 229 – Evidence on Doulas: Community-Based Models, the Pandemic and Reimbursement with the Research Team

Most downloaded Episodes in 2022

• #5 - 235 – Evidence on IV Fluids with Dr. Rebecca Dekker
• #4 – 222 – Navigating Induction and Pregnancy at 35+ with EBB Instrutor and Birth Fusion Founder, Jennifer Anderson
• #3 - 224 – Failure to Progress or Failure to Wait with Ihotu Ali, Erin Wilson, and Rebecca Dekker
• #2 - 221 – Evidence on Birthing Positions and Tried-and-True Midwifery Practice for Protecting the Perineum
• #1 – 241 – The Updated Evidence on Birthing Positions

Watch Bringin’ in Da Spirit Trailer here

Listen to Team EBB’s 2022 Spotify Playlist here

This episode of The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast is all about the realities of black maternal health here in the US, and what we can do to spark change!

I actually put this podcast out last year, but I wanted to re-release it this week in honor of Black Maternal Health Week 2022.

To spark any kind of change surrounding racism in healthcare (and specifically in black maternal health), I truly believe that awareness is the first step.

Overwhelmed by the amount of pregnancy info out there?

CLICK HERE to get helpful and supportive tips, info, and resources from an L&D nurse sent straight to your inbox every week, and never sort through search results again!

Have an even better birth!

CLICK HERE to learn more about our online birth classes that will help you feel prepared and in control - no matter how you deliver.

And be sure to follow @mommy.labornurse on Instagram to join our community of over half a million for education, tips, and solidarity on all things pregnancy, birth, and postpartum!

Rebyrth's Cydney Tucker and Imani Byers

Welcome to  the rePRO Film Podcast series, hosted by Asha Dahya. If you haven’t already, sign up to the rePRO Periodical by heading to reprofilm.org where every month you will receive an email packed with repro goodies including this podcast interview, links to articles to keep you up to speed on the latest repro news, the link to watch the short film we are about to discuss, and of course some organizations you should be supporting right now. So let’s get into today’s interview and this month’s theme, Black Maternal Health. February is Black History Month in the United States, and we can’t talk about both the past and present of this country without looking at the pivotal role Black women have played in maternal healthcare and reproductive rights, and also the way Black women and Black bodies have been impacted. From the history of forced sterilization (which still happens in prisons today), to the very present problem of rising maternal mortality rates disproportionately impacting Black mothers, there is a reason why Reproductive Justice, a movement founded by Black women leaders in the 90’s, should be front and center in the larger effort for bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom today. And we will be discussing this.

Imani Byers is a full spectrum doula providing services in Atlanta & Savannah GA. She has a Masters in Public Health and Social Work and is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) in the State of Georgia. Imani is also a Certified Yoga Instructor, and placenta encapsulation specialist. As shared in the film and on her website, Imani answered the call to birth work as a descendant of birth attendants, and to date has assisted over 30 families on their individual journeys, since starting her business during the height of COVID. 

Be sure to listen all the way through to take note of some important action items toward the end. Now that we have all that housekeeping out of the way, please meet my guests!

If you haven’t already, subscribe to our monthly newsletter where you will get each episode of the pod straight to your inbox. Learn more at reprofilm.org or at @reprofilm The rePROFilm Podcast is executive produced by mamafilm. Looking forward to bringing you our next conversation!