#black doulas matter

[lila-rae]

After the unexpected labor I experienced this weekend, now more than ever my wish is for every Black birthing person to be in a position where they can work with a doula.

My doula is an absolute rockstar and I probably would be sitting here a lot more traumatized if she wasn’t by my side from the moment I called her until the early hours of the morning after she’d made sure I was okay both physically and mentally and comfortable.

She brought stew and rice she’d made with her so that I would have a hearty meal to sustain me while I labored. She wiped my tears, encouraged me, advocated for me, and laid out all my options when it became clear my birth plan needed to change. She helped my husband (who honestly deserves his own love letter for his support) with new and better ways he could be there for me. But mostly she never let me believe I couldn’t do it even when I wanted to give up.

(Note: This is a stock photo, not me)

[mars-and-the-theoi]

Low energy Devotional Acts for when you don’t have a lot of energy (or time, or money, etc.) pt. 8

💀Hades/Plouton💀

- listen to a devotional playlist for Him

- learn how to budget if able

- if you have a dog- spend some time with them

- if able volunteer at an animal shelter or volunteer to walk dogs

- if able learn about your ancestors

- learn about death magic and spirit work

- learn about death doulas

- learn about the Underworld or afterlives in general

- listen to ‘dark ambient’ soundscapes

- if able visit a cemetery

- learn about cemetery and graveyard etiquette

- learn about funerary practices throughout time and around the world

- wear black (can be as simple as a hair tie or socks to your whole outfit and even makeup!)

- listen to goth music

- carry some coins on you if able

- do Halloween or gothic themed coloring pages

- learn about the roles of hospice workers, funeral directors, morticians, etc.

- honor deceased loved ones (can be pets, friends, family members, etc. doesn’t matter)

- be kind to spirits and respect* them and the dead (*I know there are some folks who don’t deserve respect in death so obviously you don’t have to respect them this is just a more…in general kind of thing)

🌺Persephone🌺

- if able go on a walk (can be as simple as down the driveway and back up if that’s all you can manage)

- if unable to do that try to sit outside or open a window/door to let some fresh air in and open the blinds/curtains to let some sunlight in

- listen to nature soundscapes

- pick some flowers or get a bouquet for yourself or others

- learn about herbalism

- enjoy some pomegranates, pomegranate juice, or something with pomegranate in it

- listen to a devotional playlist for Her

- if able visit a cemetery

- learn, read, watch stuff about ghosts (yes even those weird ghost hunting shows that come on at like 2 am and make you feel like you’re experiencing a fever dream)

- learn about reincarnation

- be kind to Demeter

- if able donate to or volunteer at a battered women’s shelter and learn about their history and importance

- if able do some baking (especially bread)

- learn about the underworld or afterlives in general

[secularprolifeconspectus]

What are you doing to stop pregnancy related deaths? An American sprinter Bowie died recently because of pregnancy? what can we do to stop it from happening?

We work with orgs like Black Mamas Matter for reproductive justice & birth justice for Black women. People forget that reproductive justice includes birth justice, not just abortion justice. This is also an area of special interest to the folks at Pro-Black Pro-Life and my friend, doula Constance Becker. Some good books to read include Revolutionary Mothering by Paulina Gumb. We also put on "Repro Share Fairs" in DC where we go to Black neighborhoods and educate women on resources available to them, such as Unity Healthcare.

The problem is, while the egregious maternal mortality rate among Black women is a result of systemic barriers, patriarchy, and racism, what justice looks like for each pregnant person is individual. There is no blanket solution.

Here's what killed Tori and her baby: she was giving birth alone. She was underweight. Her blood pressure spiked suddenly and she went into a coma, and she didn't wake up.

My questions for her justice: why was she alone? There is so much stigma against pregnancy in athletes. Was she hiding the pregnancy? Where was the baby's father? Why wasn't anyone checking regularly on a woman who was 8 months pregnant? Where was her support system? Why was she so thin, even for a pro-runner? Why didn't she call anyone when she realized she was in labor? Tori's death is a tragedy, and preventable.

Let me be absolutely clear: abortion would not have solved the problems that lead to her death and the death of her baby. Abortion would have killed her baby and still have left her alone and struggling. It is possible she still would have died of eclampsia in a later pregnancy. Pre-eclampsia is very treatable and preventable without abortion. A D&X abortion at 8 months has a high likelihood of uterine perforation and sepsis.

Black women deserve to have their babies. Had Tori Bowie had timely and adequate maternity care, prenatal care, and a social support system, she and her baby would not have fallen through the cracks.

If you know a pregnant person who is alone in your community, be that support system. Check on them regularly in person. Go with them to their healthcare appointments. Help them find a hospital they trust, or a doula for homebirth. Know where your local pregnancy resources are and how to contact them. Be their advocate. Help them navigate the system.

Help fight the stigma of pregnancy in athletes. Be vocally supportive of pregnant athletes. Get trained in the Billings Method, which many athletes have successfully used to time their pregnancies around their trainings.

It doesn't have to be this way. We keep us safe.

[villagesmartass]

thoughts on giving birth at home?

I think it’s amazing and also saves a lot of women esp black and brown women because hospitals/American health care is sus and racist af, I do want pain killers if possible but a home water birth would be awesome esp because where I am I’ve heard some hospitals only do c-sections and other hospitals that do both may resort to a c-section very easily , also don’t give you a lot of options of birthing positions, just old school small town limited resource vibes which is scary, but there’s very few midwives and it’s very important no matter what to try to get a doula. I’m down with it long story short if it’s possible for me. I’m trying to either get a doula or good primary physician in Oregon because I’m in norcal

[enchanted-moura]

I like these posts that are like "women were once medicine woman". Its cute but Black women never stopped doing those things. Indigenous women never stopped doing those things. Even in our darkest oppression, there were many Obeah Women, Mambos, Vodouisants, Priestesses, Benzedeiras, Curanderas, Doulas, Mãe-de-santos, Shamans and so on.

We have many many Diaspora traditions from Santeria, Umbanda, Espiritismo, Vodou and so on.

Just being real. We never stopped.

I also have thoughts on people constantly saying ancient magic doesn't matter nor do correspondences because they may be ashamed of their history or feel they can't study healing arts because they can't connect to the ancient world. Sometimes respect and acknowledgement is all that matters. A lot of people lack respect..

[mazzystar24]

I can so clearly picture Buck’s storyline with the death doula leading to him realising she’s only interested in his trauma and then him having a breakdown, because let’s be clear he has been made to feel like he only matters if he’s black,blue, bleeding or dead by his parents since he was a child and after all the progress he made he’s getting with someone who’s main interest with him is knowing all the details about his death???I’m side eyeing the writers because they better not try to make this an actual thing

Someone who has that specific trauma when it comes to his parents, that led to years of reckless behaviour and is JUST unlearning that and processing it in therapy then getting with someone who glorifies his death and his trauma??? That isn’t just unhealthy it’s flat out dangerous to him mentally

Also I swear if anyone tries to give me shit for not liking Natalia with buck I am actually gonna go batshit I’m not saying this cos of buddie or whatever I’m saying this because this is a textbook bad idea (which is an understatement)

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

The fugitive heiress next door: Why Brazil is fascinated by Margarida Bonetti

In this traffic-choked megacity, a grand old house rots on a quiet side street, shoulder-to-shoulder with the luxury high-rises that replaced its grand old neighbors many years ago.

Ferns punch through balustrades gone moldy and black. A thick skin of curling paint peels away, exposing disintegrating concrete walls. Sun and rain course through wounds in the eaves.

On an afternoon not long ago, little boys scrabble atop a stone ledge bordering the sidewalk that has kept the world away during the home’s long, sordid decline. They strain on tiptoes, squinting through gaps in the metal sheets and iron fencing that buttress the wall. They hope to catch even the most fleeting glimpse of the last remaining inhabitant of this creaky relic of a bygone era’s upper classes, a figure who sometimes appears, almost like an illusion, behind stained-glass windows that depict idyllic seascapes and pastoral vistas.

They call her “a bruxa”— the witch.

For more than two decades she has been an object of curiosity in this enclave called Higienópolis, a neighborhood whose name means the city of hygiene or cleanliness. She has ambled for years along its tree-cradled streets, walking her dogs (Ebony and Ivory), with her face obscured by viscous white cream. She could be cordial and unobtrusive but was also prone to outbursts over matters as mundane as city crews trimming branches from trees she liked.

Those who encountered her for the first time could feel pangs of sympathy. Here was a person who lived in squalor.

A neighbor, who works as a doula, instinctively wanted to reach out to the woman, to help her. An inquisitive journalist was also drawn to the woman and her story, in which he originally saw a tale of societal abandonment. Both wanted to know more about her.

What they learned is that she had adark secret.

She’d been hiding in plain view for nearly a quarter-century, a fugitive from American justice, accused in a federal indictment, along with her then-husband, of not paying a servant they brought with them from Brazil, who lived under brutal and physically abusive conditions, essentially enslaved at their home in a Washington, D.C., suburb.

Prosecutors wanted to punish her for the crimes they were sure she committed. The FBI was on the chase. But Margarida Maria Vicente de Azevedo Bonetti got away.

Now, after so many years, the questions about her have answers, and with those answers come a troubling notoriety. All of Brazil is obsessed with her.

Continue reading.

[the-holistic-goddess]

Honoring Black Maternal Health Week: April 11th - April 17th

From April 11th to April 17th, we recognize Black Maternal Health Week, a crucial time to raise awareness about the unique challenges and disparities faced by Black birthing mothers, birthing parents, and their families. This week is especially significant as it begins with the International Day of Maternal Health and Rights on April 11th, highlighting the intersectionality of maternal health and human rights.

Black Maternal Health Week shines a spotlight on the alarming disparities in maternal health outcomes experienced by Black mothers and birthing parents. Despite advances in medical care, Black women are disproportionately affected by pregnancy-related complications and have significantly higher rates of maternal mortality compared to their white counterparts. Black infants also face higher rates of mortality and morbidity, highlighting systemic inequities in access to quality healthcare and support.

It is unacceptable that in the United States, Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. These disparities persist regardless of socioeconomic status, education level, or access to healthcare. Structural racism, bias, and unequal treatment within the healthcare system contribute to these disparities, perpetuating a cycle of inequity and injustice.

During Black Maternal Health Week, we stand in solidarity with Black mothers, and birthing parents, families, and communities, and we amplify their voices in calling for action. We demand policies and programs that prioritize maternal health equity, address systemic barriers to care, and center the experiences and needs of Black birthing individuals. We advocate for culturally competent care, access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare, and support for maternal mental health.

As we observe Black Maternal Health Week, let's continue to take action to address the disparities in maternal health outcomes. Let's educate ourselves and our communities about the root causes of these disparities and the importance of advocating for change. Let's support organizations and initiatives that work to improve Black maternal health and empower birthing parents to navigate the healthcare system with dignity and respect. If we work together, we can create a future where every mother and family receives the care and support they deserve, regardless of their race or ethnicity.

Organizations that we can support or promote to our Black Communities for assistance:

- Black Mamas Matter Alliance

- Black Women's Health Imperative

- National Birth Equity Collaborative

- Sista Midwife Productions

- National Black Doulas Association

- SisterSong

- The Shades of Blue Project

- Mamatoto Village

- Black Birth Justice

- Loveland Foundation

- Every Mother Counts

- Momology Maternal Wellness Club

- Sisters in Loss

- Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings

Dr. Deilen Michelle Villegas, Ph.D., DNM- Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner, Traumatic Stress Expert, Trauma Recovery and Behavioral Health Specialist, Certified Holistic Doula

[qcsupermom]

Black Moms STILL don't Trust Hospitals

Everyone: What does a doula actually do during a birth: Me: In my last birth I squeezed her upper hips to open her pelvis & used a woven scarf to shake her hips. helped her lie on her side,sit on a birthing ball, walk the hallways & use the shower& tub.

“Birth is a rite of passage of women. Their journey should be honored, their rights should be fiercely protected, and their stories should be shared.” — Marcie Macari Maternal health is more likely to be a matter of life or death for African American women, who often navigate a lack of medical access during pregnancy. Charlotte doula Kelle Pressley talks about her work delivering healthy babies…

[boujeefeet]

Liquid Gold aka breast milk should definitely be considered as one of the wonders of the world. In addition to all of the wonderful things we are already aware that breast milk does, it has recently been proven that breast milk helps baby tell time and develop a circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is the internal timekeeper we all have that helps our bodies distinguish between night and day.

Milk in the morning tends to have 3x more cortisol than evening milk. Cortisol is a hormone that promotes alertness. Melatonin, which I’m sure most of us have heard of, can barely be detected in this milk as melatonin helps sleep and digestion and is more prevalent in evening milk. Melatonin levels rise and peaks around 12am.

As of now researchers are unaware of how mistimed milk affects the baby as this discovery is new. In the past, milk was given to the baby at the time it was produced. Now days over 85% of moms have pumped milk at some point in time. But from the sound of things mistimed milk could cause sleeping and digestion issues. Giving a baby a bottle of morning milk in the evening, may be the equivalent of cutting the lights on right before bedtime. But this can easily be corrected by either feeding baby directly from the breast OR labeling expressed milk with the date AND time it was pumped.

Hope this post was informative! Thank you for tuning in!

Don’t forget to like, comment and share ❣️

[pro-birth]

All week I have been sharing with you the disparities in birth outcomes for black women. Thankfully, there is a solution: providing more access to midwives and other birth workers who have statistically shown to reduce mortality rates and trauma related to birth. One way to help with this is to fund the education and training of black midwives and birth workers, so that they can provide needed care to their community. Click the link to learn more!

[musical-chick-13]

Hello, all! I’d like to draw everyone’s attention to the National Black Doulas Association.

Racism pervades the medical industry, and this organization is committed to connecting black families with trained individuals to help with births, postpartum support, fertility, and sexual health. You can donate or, if you are an interested persona of color, apply to become a doula yourself (there is even a scholarship available for the latter option)!

(All embedded links take you to the relevant page once you click on them.)

[merskrat]

A lot of doulas are not qualified to help a woman through pregnancy. Most of the programs are not regulated by the state. One program I looked at was six weeks with two classes a week, each one hour. Another program I looked at was literally one class. A singular class in one day. Please be careful.

If you're Black and pregnant, Dove is currently giving out grants for doula services

[goodblacknews]

(via THIS WAY FORWARD: Community-Based Solutions for the African-American Childbirth Crisis)

[ssddandme]

Why Black Lives Matter. With so much going on in the world over the last couple of months, it has been hard to keep up with what I feel I should be writing about.