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134 | Making Peace with the Unknown - Ivory & Ernest Levert Jr.

For Ivory and Ernest a previous miscarriage had introduced a fear of pregnancy loss that loomed for a while. Their healing has enabled them to share their story with grace and humility. As the pregnancy thrived, Ivory and Ernest began to manage and prepare for childbirth. They hired a ROOTT perinatal support doula to support their pregnancy. They were able to start working with their doula in the critical stages of the first trimester and all the way through labor and immediate postpartum. Ivory always knew she wanted to work with a ROOTT doula and found it helpful to process her feelings and birth plans in the early stages with someone else.

Ivory utilized our podcast to listen to a slew of birth stories to learn what possibilities could present when labor started. An online childbirth education helped them learn even more about expectations and how labor could unfold. Ivory felt empowered with her newly gained knowledge. Ernest graciously shared that he was not emotionally invested in how the pregnancies would go, as he tends to stay in the now. His parenthood journey grew slowly as they got closer to their due date. Ernest started a grieving process of shifting his identity to make space for a new baby. Leaning into the voices of friends that are fathers, he learned to fill the gaps and help with managing stress for Ivory.

When labor started, Ivory texted her doula and Ernest that she was cramping. She wanted to stay active and decided to take a walk and spend some time with her husband at home as she wanted to stay relaxed. Contractions picked up, and they chose to report to the hospital to see how labor was progressing. Labor would go on longer than anticipated, but with the support of Ernest and their doula, Faith, Ivory endured. She gave birth to their daughter and immediately began her breastfeeding journey.

62 | Your Community Midwife - Nikki Helms

Nikki Helms has supported families as either a doula or midwife for over 15 years. Answering the call of family-centered care has led her down the path of wanting to own and open a free-standing birth center in Clairemont, California. Centralized care within the community and directly for the community. While it will be a space of inclusive reproductive health focus, she also envisions it as a community hub. A space offering education, resources, mental health support, donation-based services, and collective support for anything you might need in a particular season of your life — a space full of abundance and accessibility.

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.

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.

33 | Full Circle - Danielle & Ray Jackson

After surprising her husband with their third positive pregnancy test, the Jacksons began to prepare for life as a family of five. They both had learned so much about the birth process from their previous pregnancies. She decided to use her skills and resources to take the lead in a pregnancy that surprised her while caring for her own doula clients. Danielle chose to be supported by her fellow doulas of Restoring Our Own Through Transformation (ROOTT) and birth unmedicated with a midwifery team. Ray had a different vantage point as a father of two and having watched Danielle’s growth as a woman. Ray was grateful to have the support of the doula team for prenatal appointments and home visits. Allowing him to relax and know that Danielle was well taken care of, and she was in good health. Fathers often have unspoken concerns. Needless to say, he garnered a whole new perspective for the work his wife does with other families.

Hospital BirthLaurel GourrierOctober 3, 2019Doula of Color, Partner Support, Village Support, Midwife, Unmedicated BirthComment

22 | Abide - Cessilye R. Smith

What sets Abide apart from other facilities in their area is their focus of care centered in culture humility and addressing systematic racism. All those who volunteer, work or have any contact with families through Abide will find that culture humility/competence and implicit bias is embedded in their training — ensuring that care is easily accessible, holistic, evidence-based and free from judgment. Beyond these facets, co-founders Cessilye and Bethany are the foundation of upholding these standards, requiring each other and their community to have uncomfortable conversations to make the change.

A gem that Cessilye left us to sit with, think on, and process is that "As long as whiteness is the standard, black women will continue to die." Listening to this episode, you can feel the power in the mission of Abide and know that the work they are doing is shifting that narrative for their community!

Community HighlightsLaurel GourrierMarch 12, 2019Midwife, Black Midwives, Doula, Cultural Humility, Birth CenterComment

21 | Birth is Art - Lauren Turner

It was a great learning experience to listen as Lauren shared how her nursing journey with her daughter helped her to heal from past traumas and especially during her postpartum. In times when she was struggling she would reflect and sit in that space with her daughter using that time to anchor herself from what she was feeling. While we emphasize how nursing can be vital for our children it can also be just as pivotal for the birthing person(s).

Beyond nursing, another avenue that Lauren has used to process and heal is through her art. Inspired by the births of her close friends, she felt moved to get back to her art. Using it as a vessel of storytelling and reflection for them. Lauren has always loved art, but now she’s found a new love for her craft as she's painting black women in the way she has always wanted to paint them!

19 | The Power Within - Alyestal Thomas

There are many emotions that pregnancy and birth can elicit from us. For Alyestal an emotion that covered her pregnancy was fear, fear of dying during childbirth. Her preparation, husband and midwife supported her in her birth. Specifically, in the moments when her birth plan shifted, and she needed an episiotomy and vacuum assistance. Because she had prepared in trusting her body and being flexible, Alyestal explains that she found her power through her daughter’s birth and continues as she navigates postpartum.

Hospital Birth, Postpartum, InternationalLaurel GourrierJanuary 12, 2019Midwife, Episiotomy, Vaccum Assistance, Identity, Spoken WordComment

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

14 | Led by Intuition - Kimberly Fayton

Two things we learned from Kimberly, there is power in your intuition and normalizing birth for older siblings! During the birth of the new baby, her children went about their regular routines but were always welcomed to join her as she labored throughout the house. We love that after the birth of her daughter, Kimberly sons, snuggled next to her on the living room couch and just observed her postpartum care and their new sister. Taking it all in, for them, this is birth, at home surrounded in love!

Home Birth, UnassistedLaurel GourrierSeptember 1, 2018Unassisted, Fast Birth, Midwife, Hypnobabies, Bradley MethodComment

13 | Dropping Expectations - Lara Alsoudani Weeks

While her pregnancy and birth were healthy and easy to navigate, postpartum required more of Lara. She fell easily into her routine before baby but soon realized that she was starting to feel the weight of this new transition. Lara sought out support from her midwife and realized that what she was experiencing was affecting not only her relationship with Alfredo but also her bond with her daughter Layla. Lara got serious about her journey with postpartum depression and acquired professional help. She notes that it's on ongoing, she still has flare-ups, yet the most important and valuable thing for her is recognizing the time when she needs extra support and honoring that!

Waterbirth, PostpartumLaurel GourrierJuly 22, 2018Postpartum Depression, MidwifeComment

12 | Birth & The Art of Mindfulness - Laurel Gourrier

Parenthood as a whole has this way of requiring you to surrender. Surrendering to the unknown, knowing though, that it's going to be a beautiful journey. When Laurel was finally able to yield she describes her son's birth as transformative for her relationship with herself mentally and physically. Many people claim birth to be a rebirth for the birthing person; her story is a reflection of that.

11 | Being Present - Simone Toomer

As you listen to Simone's story, you realize that even when we prepare to the fullest extent, pregnancy and birth can still cause anxiety. As a doula, Simone had to remind herself to get out of her head constantly. Trusting the process of birth and being entirely in touch with her body and baby. The day that her son was born, she did that, as she states, her knowledge and experience couldn't prep her for everything yet when she was present in what was happening "she felt labor, she felt the birth" of her son.

Home BirthLaurel GourrierJune 24, 2018Midwife, Doula, Postpartum Planning, BreastfeedingComment

10 | Not so by the Book Mommy - Isabella Otarola

There were many aspects of her birth that Isabella expected. However, the speed at which her son arrived, caught her and her husband by surprise! Soon after her water broke, contractions began coming fast and fierce. She explains that when her midwife arrived, she looked at both her and her husband and told them she could feel the baby's head. Isabella followed the intuition of her body and birthed her son in their bedroom, squatting with the support of her husband.

Home BirthLaurel GourrierMay 14, 2018Midwife, Doula, Fast Birth, BreastfeedingComment

07 | Birthing Magic - Chae Pounds

Birth plans/preferences can be a key component of birth prep, and while they keep us on track to make sure our birth stories represent our choices, they often change following the lead of labor. Chae and her husband didn't let these changes shift their focus or silence their voices. They made sure that when their birth plan changed, they still felt in charge and empowered in their decisions.

Home BirthLaurel GourrierMarch 18, 2018Breech, Midwife, home birth transfer, Postpartum Planning

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