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170 | Building it Better - Esther McCant

Esther McCant, founder and CEO of Metro Mommy Agency, opened up about her five pregnancies, which included a miscarriage that would push her to self-advocate with her medical provider.

Esther’s first pregnancy happened within the first few months of her marriage. Six weeks later, she learned that she had a blighted ovum and her provider prepared her to miscarry. She had the choice to let the ovum pass or go to the hospital for a DNC. She stayed home as long as she could but eventually went to the hospital. Esther recalled the doctor taking quite a while to see her, and when she did she insisted that Esther still needed a DNC even though everything had passed. She felt threatened by the doctor about the potential that she could bleed out. This interaction helped Esther to trust herself. She chose to leave and go home. The grieving process started; she became pregnant again within a few months. The hospital miscarriage experience led her to want to explore other birthing options. Her sister-in-law invited her to her calming water birth; which helped her see a new vision. Esther found a midwife who resonated with her and a doula who could support her choices. The midwife was able to support her in a birthing center. Baby would arrive with a nuchal hand and in the OP position by squatting.

The third pregnancy brought on changes that would impact her nutrition, wellness, and the birthing environment she desired; which included a water birth. Feminine energy filled the birthing space by inviting her sisters-in-law. Her son’s birth was challenging as she had back labor. She regrets not getting chiropractic care and having a doula this time. Postpartum was filled with engaging with other women as opposed to the more isolating experience she had after her first birth. They had moved from Florida to Alabama, and the difference in provider options was vastly different.

When Esther thought she was in labor they made the two-and-a-half-hour trek to Chattanooga to no avail as the baby was not ready. They turned the trip into a babymoon and would make the trip again a couple of days later. Esther and her husband brought the kids along to meet up with her family who would care for them. They didn’t make it there on time due to a flat tire problem. Esther gave birth within 6 hours of leaving their home and although she felt distracted by having the other children there and wondering where her family was. Esther’s Haitian roots welcomed the Haitian bath, teas, and essential oils, and started the restoration process with her mother coming to support her.

When Esther had her fourth son, she was a trained birth doula. She envisioned a waterbirth with her partner, two midwives, and two doulas present. The birth and pregnancy were heavy in dealing with the ongoing race issues in our country and the experiences of Black men and boys. Giving herself space to release those feelings during long labor allowed her to relax in her body and give birth smoothly. Her vision would come true as she delivered her son in a haze of joy.

Birth Center, Community Highlights, Home Birth, Postpartum, WaterbirthLaurel GourrierOctober 16, 2023Doula of Color, Midwifery CareComment

163 | Strength in Vulnerability - Shay Australia

Black & Queer Mama, Shay Australia and her Filipino partner, Paul, took a deep dive into preconception into what pregnancy would look like for him and her clear expectations of his engagement. He was locked in and in agreement with how he wanted to show up. They both made changes during the pregnancy to improve their health, which included smoking cessation and abstaining from alcohol. They made a commitment to be involved with doula and midwifery care. After trying to conceive for a few months without success, they took a break from trying and they found out they were expecting soon after. During their break, Shay attended a doula training and gained a wealth of knowledge that she immediately found helpful.

Deep-growing fears about bringing their baby earthside started to cause anxiety for her. Knowing her baby was safe within her body was assuring. However, the time would come when she would have to manage parenthood in the outside world. They started to develop a birth plan and decide who to invite to their sacred space. Her midwife helped her set the tone and environment that would welcome their child. They started curating a list of people that best fit the space they wanted to create. This exercise made way for uncomfortable conversations with people they loved. Managing conversations about gender identity was critical in creating the family dynamics and open communication they desired. These conversations and challenges with relationships through the pregnancy drastically changed her initial ideas about birth presence. Isolation set in, causing emotional stress but allowed her to center herself and Paul as they stepped into this new chapter together.

Paul and Shay’s labor and delivery experience started after a week of prodromal labor. They were deep in labor land at home until they decided when they could go to the birthing center. The midwife met them at their home to support and monitor her progress. Shortly after their time together, they were ready to transition to the birthing space. Contractions were building as the intensity grew. Shay felt fully supported to trust her body and baby to birth. She reached the point of no return as the baby slipped out quickly. They bonded immediately as their lactation journey began with the newborn crawl.

Shay stands by setting boundaries in life, especially during pregnancy for expectant families. She has created a series of books about motherhood and a birth story journal that helps birthing people process their pregnancy and labor in real-time and as postpartum support.

Birth Center, PostpartumLaurel GourrierJanuary 19, 2023Comment

158 | A Journey of Intentionality - Janelle & Mivon Green

Janelle & Mivon perfectly timed their conception to align with their wedding day. They were able to share their pregnancy with their wedding guests as a sweet surprise.

The early stages of pregnancy were plagued with exhaustion and food aversions. Her midwife reminded her that the work of growing a baby was intense. This allowed Janelle to give herself grace for what she had considered “laziness.” Aligning their spirituality with their birth and parenting goals with the support of a spiritual doula helped them feel ready and calm.

After preparing for months through education, optimizing their physical health, and mental preparation, labor started one night, as it often does. A quiet moment of solitude brought Janelle gently into labor land as she practiced her breathing and tracked her contractions in the darkness. Eventually, they made it to the birthing center to determine progress and the next steps. Mivon, Janelle, and her mom started to create a peaceful environment and managed consistent contractions, and progressed through early labor. Time passed, and Janelle fell back into solitude when space allowed. During a heart rate check, the midwife captured a heart deceleration, and the baby's heart recovered quickly. More time passed, but her dilation had not changed, accompanied by another heart deceleration. The difficult conversation about the possibility of a hospital transfer was necessary. The midwife felt confident that the baby was ok and encouraged movement. Mivon and Janelle’s mother started to feel uncertain about their plans to stay at the birthing center. Janelle felt the shifts in the room. She trusted her intuition and stuck to the plan, and trusted in the midwife and Janelle. Prayer and shifting through position changes led to active labor and no more decelerations. Mivon’s hands would be the first to touch Baby Zara as Janelle pushed her out. Skin-to-skin started immediately with Janelle as they welcomed their child and the flood of emotions that would ensue.

Baby Zara would come earthside on her late uncle’s birthday, making her entry a blessing and a tribute. The term labor is fitting as the work for her to get here was intentional and intense.

Birth Center, PostpartumLaurel GourrierDecember 1, 2022Midwifery Care, Birth Preparation, Spiritual DoulaComment

139 | Birth Beyond the Status Quo - Ashlee Johnson

Ashlee Johnson's passion for birthwork grew from her first pregnancy and childbirth. She would bring forth life three times with a dedicated birth team. She welcomed being pregnant and can recall the first pregnancy as an enjoyable time despite hearing so many negative stories that people felt compelled to share with her. It would be a chance encounter, during her first pregnancy, with one woman that listened to her birth preferences and encouraged her to go for it. She let that affirmation set within her and committed to honoring her own plans.

This foundation would serve her throughout the births of her other two children. Ashlee and her husband prepared by attending birth classes and feeling fully supported in a birth center and homebirth care. She describes her births as amazing because she felt educated, had a positive attitude, and had a birth team that met her expectations. In the early postpartum days, breastfeeding was challenging due to latch issues. Yet, Having set up a solid support system, she overcame the learning curves, focused on her healing, and addressed her postpartum depression. For Ashlee, preparation is vital, expressing that no matter if birth plans shift, if you've prepared, you're in a better position to steer things your way.

135 | The Impact of Village: Rebirth of the Mother - Dr. Vernette Kountz

With many stories to share, Dr. Vernette reflected with us on her most recent birth, her seven-month-old son Hudson. Understanding her birth experience with him began way before now. At sixteen, she got pregnant; however, her family was adamant that the choice to be made was termination. This decision would include a deep grieving process but set the stage for the subsequent important choices in her life. When she got pregnant again at 20, her mindset was clear; she was keeping this baby, the beginning process of finding her voice, especially in her womb.

Dr. Vernette had always known she had a calling to surrogacy, even before the birth of her first son - because she had "took life from her womb," she "wanted to give life." Working with a surrogacy agency, she was clear about the parameters of her surrogacy journey; staying clear about them allowed her to build an authentic relationship with the fathers of the twins. Upon meeting each other, they all immediately aligned, and in building a relationship that felt true for the three of them, she is still involved in the girl's life, with periodic calls and check-ins. Most notably, her surrogacy journey was the turning point for her about being intentional in setting intentions for the journey of carrying and birthing life. So in September 2020, when she became pregnant with her son Hudson she had a solid template to work from in building her birth team and navigating her pregnancy and birth.

Her birth team included her doula, birth photographer, three black midwives, and a friend serving as a maternal figure (filling the space of her mother and godmother who had passed). She shared the sentiment with all of them that she needed "to be mothered" for this journey. Throughout the birth, they did this, a moment that she recalls vividly is laboring in the birth pool, and whenever she reached out for support or comfort, there was always someone there. That support gave her the freedom to listen to her body - laboring on the toilet, utilizing movement, and when she felt the need to push, doing it without hesitation. Following the guidance of her midwife, she took a deep breath and pushed Hudson out. The final push to a birthing journey free of limitations!

96 | Surrendering to the Process - Chanel Hogue

When pregnant with her second child, the physical aspects of the journey were familiar. Still, Chanel knew to prepare herself for the unfamiliar fully, and she would need to educate herself and build a birth team that she could trust, which would fully support her in moving forward with a VBAC. And while moving through those parts, she would also find that her personal healing would be just as important, this pregnancy being a light for that and teaching her patience and the power of releasing control.

Since her son had arrived early, Chanel was convinced that she would have the same experience for this pregnancy. At 41 weeks and one day, Chanel was starting to feel challenged mentally, but contractions would start developing some consistency, and she took that time to rest and move throughout her day. Their doula supported them in the early shifts and then transitioning to the birth center as things intensified. The birth centered provided Chanel with a sense of peace. Feeling like the "center of attention," which made her "feel covered, and protected and safe." A pivotal moment she expresses during her birth was as she was shifting into transition, feeling fatigued she took to solitude in the shower. She was spending an intimate moment in prayer with God, asking and reflecting on strength to continue. The moment she recalls fully surrendering - her baby arriving soon after.

52 | Birthing Love - Coach Cass

Learning all they could to help plan for their child's birth was very important for Cass and her husband. Yet they felt that when their questions and concerns were brought to their care provider, they were either ignored or dismissed. Her provider's attitude toward her wanting to explore traditional birthing methods against the usual hospital protocols proved to be a deciding factor in the shift of her care. Making a tough decision, at 33 weeks, Cass and her husband transferred their care to a midwife. Their plan shifted to a birthing center that allowed her to create an environment and team that met the needs of her birth vision. Cass focused on how important it was to sit with her midwife, go through her transferred records, how much it meant to her to be heard, and have her time-honored. Join us and listen in for an empowering story of controlling what you can, educating yourself, and building your birth dream team.

40 | Paving a New Way: Against the Grain - Codie Elaine Oliver

Codie describes her pregnancies and births as a full-circle experience. With their first child Codie and Tommy had planned to birth in a birth center, a turn of events would have them shifting to have a home birth, supported by midwife Heather Schwartz and student midwife Kim Durdin. As we know, birth plans change, and Codie went from a homebirth to a transfer to a hospital with an epidural and a c-section.

While she was ecstatic to have a healthy baby and be a mother, a thought that did linger in the back of her mind was that those who said this would be her story were right. When she found out, she was pregnant the second time, and with twins, there was a mix of excitement but also fear that she wouldn't be able to have a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean). From the beginning, she was intentional about her support and ultimately built an empowering birth team, with care providers who supported her in trusting and believing herself to do that.

35 | The Strength of a Mother - Mela Murder

When asked what image she saw in her mind of her family, Mela replied with, " I am the chief, and I am holding it down." Her birth stories highlight the importance of representation in care and understanding your rights as a patient.

During her first pregnancy, Mela was supported by midwives and planned to have her baby at the birth center. As with many of our birth stories, her plans shifted. After going into spontaneous labor and arriving at the hospital, she learned that there was meconium (a baby's first poop). The doctors informed her that because of this, they were giving her 24 hours to deliver her baby, and would need to start her on Pitocin to help her labor progress faster. What stands out to Mela, is that she didn't know what was happening throughout her experience, including never consenting to the episiotomy she was given. Her second pregnancy allowed her to connect the dots from her first, and she prepared to have a birth led by her voice. Mela has found strength in her journey and story, those experiences have given her the tools to be the mother she is today, and to support other mothers to feel empowered as well.

24 | Her Holistic Path - Olivyah Bowens

Olivyah Bowens two pregnancies and births were very different. With her first child, her circumstances didn't allow for her to prepare or truly connect to her pregnancy. Understanding the impact that it had on her birth, as she found out she was pregnant with her second child Olivyah became a sponge, soaking up all the information she could find. She expressed that the gathering of information was transformative for her, even leading her to become a doula.

It was wonderful to explore with Olivyah some aspects of parenthood preparation that sometimes go without focus. The mission behind her support of families and what she shares is the role of the mind-body connection. We currently live in a space where medical culture isn't valuing the power this connection possesses — realizing that it is essential that we discuss the role food and nutrition play in our pregnancy, birth and postpartum. That the most crucial preparation we do for birth starts in the mind, accepting and releasing the fear that we incapable of sitting in our strength.

20 | Futuristic Midwife - Barbara Verneus

Becoming pregnant with her daughter was a surprise for Barbara. Throughout her pregnancy, birth and postpartum, the community was a vital part of uplifting and supporting her. She discusses that during her pregnancy she was depressed, yet her community called her home and surrounded her in love. At her birth, her church family gave her shoulders to lean on and continued that support as she navigated the postpartum transition. That experience pushed her to keep being a doula and into becoming a midwife.

As we learned from speaking with her, there are only 2% of black midwives in the birth world. Taking that information and combining it with the fact that black women have higher rates of maternal mortality than their white counterparts it highlights why this statistic must change! One way we as a community can help with that change is providing our student midwives with sustainable access to resources. Barbara hopes that by 2020 she will be a midwife and we are here for it!

17 | Standing in the Truth of Birth - Myra Barnes

Last month we were invited by the Birthmark Doula Collective to bring our podcast on the road and attend their first Black Birth Matters conference. It indeed was a day of empowerment and healing. During the conference, we set up a mini recording studio and invited attendees to come and share their birth stories. In doing so we met Myra Barnes, and she allowed us to hold space for her experience.

Myra's story was an accurate reflection of the conference. It highlighted the power in healing ourselves. Especially for women of color. When we can tap into the work (whatever that may look like) in making ourselves better, we can heal while adding in stopping cycles of trauma. To do that, we have to be ok with being vulnerable and transparent with our friends, our families and ourselves. Myra said it best, "I'm hoping that we can do a better job of supporting each other to be better givers of life. Better leaders and advocates, especially for ourselves in a world where we have been conditioned to be silent."

Birth Center, PostpartumLaurel GourrierNovember 19, 2018Healing, Midwife, Trauma, Birth ConferenceComment

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