09 | The Educated Birth - Cheyenne Varner

The Educated Birth provides educational materials for birth workers to help in preparing the families they support. They represent the diverse families within our community while being both inclusive and informative. Cheyenne began The Educated Birth initially out of necessity for her clients. She soon discovered that many other birth workers were craving the need for what she was offering, and with that, she opened The Educated Birth shop.

As the shop has grown, Cheyenne realized there was another need. While sitting in her OBGYN's office, she noticed that many of the magazines lacked diversity. She realized she wanted to create something that would touch families one-on-one providing them with information about pregnancy, birth, and parenthood. Cheyenne explains that "Everyday Birth Magazine is my love letter to the birth world, and also to the world in general. It says, "Whoever you are, you belong here." 

If you would like to connect with Cheyenne for doula support, design, photography or writing work head to her website. To learn more about or purchase your educational materials from The Educated Birth, click here. Interested in purchasing the Everyday Magazine, head over to the website where you can purchase both print and digital copies. 

Resources/Kickstarters: 

Richmond Doula Project | collective of full-spectrum doulas in Richmond, VA

Richmond Doulas | nonprofit organization of independent doulas

Mother May I? | documentary
Consent begins at birth
"I thought I was crazy." One-third of women describe their births as traumatic.  They're also saying they were shamed and silenced afterward when they tried to talk about how they were treated or how they feel.

"I didn't even know I was allowed to say no." This situation is urgent.  Every day, more women and birthing people are failed by a system that hurts and traumatizes them--especially women of color and other marginalized groups.

Original Body of Pain | documentary
For pregnant women facing addiction, recovery is a family affair – rife with judgment, stigma and plenty of obstacles along the way. Original Body of Pain portrays the American opioid epidemic in an immersive, longitudinal fashion, following families stricken by addiction and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome - when babies are born exposed to substances - for over a year of their lives.