Erica Butler, founder, and Sex Educator for Happ E. SexTalk, an education consulting company focused on challenging the media and cultural messages pertaining to female sexuality, body image, and sexual pleasure – specifically the historically negative and hypersexualized images of Black female sexuality. Erica shared her birth story with us, discussed her work and its importance in reproductive health and justice.

She opened up about both of her pregnancies. The first pregnancy was without complications and only mild nausea but eventually led to an emergency surgical birth. Her personal connection to a local doula organization, ROOTT, allowed her and her husband to envision birth with a new lens during her second pregnancy. Despite her best plans and she was met with placenta previa that would lead to a scheduled surgical birth. The delivery went well, but the postpartum experience was met with low blood sugar levels, lactation issues, medical provider issues, and anxiety. Erica and her husband, David, leaned into their own strength and village for support to help them.

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