Posts tagged Doula of Color
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.

Read More
154 | The Other Side - Danielle Miller

In collaboration with Pacify Health, this month’s episodes will focus on the doulas. You’ll hear conversations with four Pacify Doulas, getting a chance to reflect on “ The Other Side” of birth. Today we meet Danielle Miller.

Danielle Miller was an established lactation counselor when the call to birth doula work pulled her in as a change agent supporting Black birthing people. She completed both birth and postpartum training, allowing her to build upon her skills. The first birth she attended felt like such an honor that she couldn’t believe she had waited to become a doula. The love for the work has determined her path, and feels purposeful. Witnessing babies come earthside has demanded she respect the process, not rush and allow.

Introducing virtual support to her practice with the Pacify app has further developed her skills to provide more mental guidance for her clients. Tapping into the ability to reach clients from wherever was uncomfortable but necessary. Now she embraces it as birth can call on mindfulness that connects with the body. Helping mothers and birthing people feel seen and heard during their pregnancy and labor is key to how they feel about their experience.

Danielle has coined the term “Pacify is the uber of doulas.” When her purple app lights up, she knows she’s about to connect with someone and can share information about birth. It provides an extra layer of protection for people not feel alone and helps them find their voice. The convenience of the app for doulas has helped her work/life balance. She is generally up with her newborn at night and has created a life for her family that allows her to support both in-person and virtually while being present at home.

Read More
153 | The Other Side- Zoerina Ledwidge

In collaboration with Pacify Health, this month’s episodes will focus on the doulas. You’ll hear conversations with four Pacify Doulas, getting a chance to reflect on “ The Other Side” of birth. Today we meet Zoerina Ledwidge.

A college assignment captured Zoerina’s attention; it was a report on the maternal mortality rates in the DC area. She took into account the disproportionate findings regarding Black women. The report introduced her to the positive impact of doula support for birth. Zoerina discovered Mamatoto Village, where she was introduced to holistic perinatal care. After training there and attending births; she was instantly hooked. They offered opportunities to shadow experienced doulas at births and that helped build her confidence.

Zoerina balances the new ways of in-person and virtual support while anchoring in a holistic approach to birth. Initially, virtual support was tricky in developing a voice that was not in the birthing room with her first virtual client. There were lapses in communication now she feels like she has been able to get the kinks out. Letting go of her own expectations and allowing her presence alone to be the best thing she can provide for her clients. She helps her clients develop birth wishes instead of birth plans to ease their minds about what they want to happen; allowing them to surrender into the process.

Pacify’s virtual doula app has supported Zoerina’s passion for finding new ways to serve the black community. Because Pacify is available to all people with Medicaid in select states, it provides accessible care for Black people who may not be able to take on the expense. Over 50% of the doulas on the network are Black; culturally affirming and sensitive care is critical. This platform allows Zoerina and other doulas to answer questions that may not be addressed during prenatal visits regarding common discomforts and concerns. Many topics can be addressed during the doula calls; the importance of prenatal care, finding a doctor or midwife they trust, explaining the process of labor and birth, pain management and coping skills, bodily changes, and stress management are just a few.

A few takeaways from Zoerina - get a doula, there is a doula for everyone, and seek lactation support for infant feeding. Lactation consultants support formula feeding and breast/chestfeeding. Pacify offers both!

Read More
152 | The Other Side - Yasmin Baskin

Yasmin had a natural inclination to work with babies at an early age. She thought she would be a gynecologist or pediatrician; the pain of seeing sick children shifted her career plans. She became a teacher instead, and her love for being an educator was helpful when choosing birth work. After training in birth and postpartum work, she included lactation and even explored a path to midwifery.

Working with Pacify has amplified the educational component of her doula experience. She can work with families through the app and can address prenatal questions and concerns. The ability to touch more lives via lactation and doula support through this medium blows her mind. It is not lost on her when she greets a Black or Brown parent who is excited to see someone who looks like them. Acknowledging parents that call Pacify that are Black and using doula support and breastfeeding resources is important to her.

When women have a baby, it may be the only time in their lives that people offer unsolicited help. Yasmin encourages new parents to ask about their family traditions surrounding birth and postpartum and for help with unexpected needs. Many cultures report healing practices about maintaining warmth in the birth giver's body and staying home in the first 40 days after birth. These traditions are major keys to Yasmin’s postpartum practice; she shares them with virtual and in-person clients.

Her doula journey continues to unfold; Yasmin is grateful to add her time with Pacify as priceless work. She feels supported by the team and valued as they provide a consumer-driven service and a space for doulas to make a difference for new parents and for their work to be deemed necessary.

Read More
151 | The Other Side - Lare Ngofa

In collaboration with Pacify Health, this month’s episodes will focus on the doulas. You’ll hear conversations with four Pacify Doulas, getting a chance to reflect on “ The Other Side” of birth. Today we meet Lare Ngofa.

Free-Spirited, science-loving Lare is a birth and postpartum doula who entered the birth worker world when she caught her baby cousin at age 16. She deepened her knowledge of holistic pregnancy care through education and family conversations, but she waited to move forward in the work as she wanted to explore other avenues.

While working through her career choices, her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Lare shifted gears to care for her and her autistic brothers. Unfortunately, treatment would not heal Lare’s mother as she passed away after a brief hospice stay. Lare refocused her intentions on what family and work would look like; as she managed the waves of grief. Lare finally trained as a doula with the support of her cousin and has developed a practice that features intuitive and holistic care in the Los Angeles area.

Supporting families in-person and virtually allows Lare and other birth workers to be accessible to families who want their services. Doulas spend a lot of time educating families on their options and encouraging them to give birth without fear. Lare found that her clients teach her new techniques and advice as well. One client taught her the value of a focal point in the birthing space and reminded her that she told her, ”Surrender or be dragged; surrender to this process or be dragged through it.” The connection between doulas, birth givers, and new parents can vary based on personalities and individual needs. This unique relationship helps build trust and confidence for birth and the subsequent parenting journey. Doulas can only take credit for the role required of them and how they show up in sacred spaces.

Choosing to connect and open up about our experiences and concerns about pregnancy and birth is developed by taking the first step of reaching out to a known resource. Every call will not be a deep and emotional conversation, but every call is a human connection. Working with Pacify has added value to Lare’s doula practice; she is now accessible to people who may not be within her reach financially or geographically.

Read More
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.

Read More
132 | Trusting the Surrender ~ Aureyl Pitts-Thomas

Having had a chemical pregnancy before, Aureyl held onto a lot of fear about her health and its correlation to how this pregnancy would continue. Not feeling supported by her care provider, she reached out to two of her dear friends who also happened to be doulas at the time with the local doula organization Restoring Our Own Through Transformation (ROOTT). This additional layer of support gave her the tools to switch to a new care provider that was perfect for her family. Her doula also guided her in managing her hyperemesis gravidarum diagnosis. In a conversation with her doula, she realized that she had to address the fear she had about her body. Her doula explained that she couldn't "operate in both." She had to be either affirming that she was truly capable or sit alongside the fear. Aureyl realized she had to do the work and shared from then that her pregnancy and birth would have a theme of continued surrender - surrendering to her body, words, and thoughts about what her experience should be.

On Sept. 13th, 2020, around midnight, Aureyl went to the bathroom and noticed some fluid with a pink tinge. Having done in-depth prep with her doula about what to expect when labor began, Aureyl was pretty confident her waters had broken. She informed her doula, her family, and care provider and went back to bed to try and rest. The following day with the support of her doula, they tried to help labor progress with movement, continued to monitor the amount of fluid she was losing (as she had a small leak), along with her temperature and baby's heartbeat. After 24 hours of this routine, they decided to head to the hospital. The hospital birth team informed Aureyl she would need to get a cervical check to confirm that her waters had broken and how her body was progressing. This check was extremely painful for her, and after hearing that she was only 1cm dilated, she expressed feeling a sense of deep discouragement, and the tinges of distrust of her body began rising again. Discussing options with her birth team, she decided to rest, and as she continued to move through her birth, the trust of surrendering she had put in her pregnancy would still ring true.

Aureyl had to ask herself to surrender to the shifts of her birth; this included the support of Pitocin to help her progress. The guidance from her doctor in getting an epidural to ease her distress with cervical checks and the later part of her labor was supportive. And ultimately, meeting her baby on Sept. 15th through a surgical birth was what was aligned for them. Reflecting on her experience, Aureyl indicates that she could be at peace with each of those decisions as they were all made on her terms. And she looks back on her experience in awe of how beautiful it was for her.

Read More
131 | Unplanned Homebirth - Erica Maddox

Joining us for her second birth story share, Erica Maddox came back with a whole new set of skills as an experienced birth worker, allowing her to show up for herself in a way that helped her create an experience that helped her heal. Erica was a teen mom when she experienced early delivery with her first child. Twelve years later, she would deliver her son early, but she prepared herself for that happening, as she asked to have her cervix measured throughout the pregnancy. Awareness and preparation proved to be critical components of having the birth she wanted.

Labor would be intense and quick, but it was familiar, and Erica had called her sister to the home as she made preparations for her oldest child, whom she hadn’t planned for, to be there. Erica was intentional about not shifting the plan or boundaries with her daughter in which she had not prepared for that role. She and the baby went to the hospital, accompanied by her sister. Erica shared that she had delivered the baby at home and was coming to be checked out. The hospital staff greeted them with lots of questions and astonishment. They were ready to start their protocols, but Erica made them pause and advocated to maintain their bonding time. They relaxed a bit once they knew she was a birth worker. Her self-advocacy allowed her to maintain a gentle transition of environment for her and her newborn.

In the spirit of intentionality, Erica created a plan for her postpartum care to protect her mental and physical health. Building a healthy support system has been the key to developing a healthy family structure for their family. Removing the superwoman persona and allowing her world to shift and change as needed with grace is proving to be the best practice.

Read More
124 | Embracing Motherhood - Derikka Vaughans

Starting her first day of nursing school, Derikka Vaughans was surprised to find out that she had also started her journey through motherhood. She would take medical leave from school during her first trimester as navigating being sick and family stress would leave her a bit overwhelmed. Derikka expresses that, in full transparency, "I didn't get a chance to fully embrace pregnancy in the first trimester." and that with limited resources for women of color in her community, "I didn't really know what to expect from the experience." The most prep she had done was planning her baby shower.

So when Derikka started having mild contractions, she just attributed them to having gas. Her mom suggested to her that they could be contractions, and they should begin timing then. Throughout her labor, Derikka had to make shifts to her birth plan but reflected that an integral part of her story was when she was trying to decide about pain management. She had hoped to have an unmedicated birth, and it would be her dad who would allow her to find her voice and do what felt best for her at the moment. Speaking with him over the phone, Derikka explains that he spoke life into her, affirming her and her decisions. For her, she feels that if she had had more support like her dad's on her birth team, many things would have gone differently and that it wasn't until after the birth of her son that she felt educated about birth. She is now using her experience and knowledge to support other families in her community of Montgomery, Alabama, as a birth and postpartum doula.

Read More
115 | Intuitive Solitude - Lauren Collins

Dr. Lauren Collins, a chiropractor, and birthworker tapped into the wisdom and experiences of the families she's supported over the years and empowered her during her homebirth. A birth that was peaceful, intense, and also faster than expected.

The day her labor started, she started to busy herself but again felt led to rest. She eventually became restless and began to move through her contractions. Lauren's doula and husband helped her with position changes and comfort measures. She utilized her home to her advantage to maintain a relaxed state of mind. Allowing is a state of mind that releases our minds from overworking so the body can work during labor according to its design. Her son would come much faster than expected for a first-time birthing parent. The birth team was not there yet as she was "pushy." Realizing her midwife would not make it in time to catch, Lauren tapped into her connection with her son. She said, "Ok, we just have to figure this out now." Her doula Facetimed the midwife to provide virtual support as Lauren successfully delivered her son into her arms in the shower. Lauren credits her preparation with her birthing team and some of the books she read during pregnancy for how she managed her labor despite not marking the typical milestones that she has seen in labors. Allowing space for solitude was vital in keeping her labor moving forward organically.

The difficulty in healing was more challenging for Lauren than the birth itself, partly due to her expectations. Learning to rely on other people as she healed proved to be an important opportunity to learn to give herself permission to seek support. Birth teams are critical to the success and overall positive experience of labor. Access to out-of-hospital birth has some obstacles, but whatever is in your power to control, build your team to meet those needs.

Read More
100 |Prepare and Let Go - Leslie Lissant & Caryn Fields

Leslie had started preparing for parenthood by learning as much as she could and discovered many pathways for birth, parenting, and creating a home environment that would be different from her own life experience. She had learned about homebirth in college and kept the knowledge in her mind until she and her husband, Carvens, were expecting their own child. They hired Caryn as additional support but found that she would be there for unexpected aspects of pregnancy. She found herself vulnerable and needing reassurance as she managed pregnancy during a pandemic and racial unrest in our country.

Leslie sought grounding and joy through the uncertainties of the environment. When her labor ensued, she committed to her affirmations, breathing, and leaning into her support. Learning to surrender to that space and moment allowed her to power through. And birth her baby into her arms. Leslie refers to her birth experience as a “posture of gratitude.”

Read More
80 | The Moment of Surrender - Marissa Msefya

Hiring a doula is the part of Marissa's journey that set in motion building her dream birth team. Speaking with her doula and getting educated about her birth options, she would switch from her OBGYN to a midwife at eight months of her pregnancy. After discovering alarming rates for surgical births and episiotomies, she knew switching to midwifery care was more aligned with her and her husband's birth plan.

Marissa attributes her birth team for really guiding her in the moments when she thought she couldn't do it. Her doula and husband continuously reminded her of her strength, and her midwife was talking her through her options. Whenever there might be a shift from her birth plan, she always made sure to check back in with Marissa and her husband about what they wanted to do. With that support, eight hours after arriving at the hospital, Marrissa and her husband met their daughter.

In postpartum, their community support would be just as vital as their birth team. Navigating the newborn parenting fog, Marissa relied heavily on the check-ins, meal drop-offs, and any other filled request. And as things arose with breastfeeding, her doula, birth coach, and lactation consultant were always there with advice. Marissa is grateful to have a community to lean on and in every step of the way.

Read More
61 | Blooming Mamas Wellness - Bianca Marie

With a relatively easy pregnancy, six weeks before her EDD, she didn't automatically think the cramping she was feeling, and an abnormal gush of water was her being in labor. Throughout the next couple of days, she went about her routine but did schedule an appointment with her OB to ensure all was well. Her doctor instructed her that her day would be taking a turn during her visit, and it was best she head to the hospital. At the hospital, Bianca and her husband were shocked to find that not only did her water break at some point, and she was 5cm dilated.

Throughout the day, they found the staff supportive and receptive to her fiance being a strong advocate for Bianca. It wasn't until the shift change, and when they decided to move forward with an Epidural, that care began to shift. Bianca and her fiance started feeling rushed by the nurses, and a lack of attention to details. During the placement of her epidural, the tech created a chaotic situation. That not only caused stress and fear for Bianca and her fiance but was overly dismissive of the harm they caused and the effects that had for the rest of Bianca's birth.

Her story is a reminder of the sacredness of birth. That those who have the honor to be a part of that space treat it with respect it deserves. No matter how many births as birth workers, support systems, and care providers we have attended or supported, each one is new for each family. It is a privilege to hold space for them because your birth is an experience you carry for a lifetime!

Read More
60 | The Power of Trust - Nicole Bailey

When submitting her story, Nicole was concerned that she wouldn't have "enough" to share. That her story would be unrelatable to others, but of course, that's not the case! Nicole had been apprehensive about being a parent and knew from the beginning that she would need to prepare herself not only physically, but also mentally and spiritually. Prep began with creating a birthing team that could support her fully. She immersed herself in birth videos and birth. She continued with her active lifestyle and took extra precaution and care by seeing a Chiropracter to ensure her body and baby were in alignment. Nicole also relied heavily on affirmations, whenever fear or distractions would come up she would affirm aloud that her baby knew what to do, she knew what to do, and they both were going to be able to do this together.

Labor began on Mother's day - and the word that arose for Nicole in describing her story was "surreal." Throughout, there was a deep connection to what her baby needed. Almost like a pull, "I felt like I was somewhere trying to retrieve my baby." After laboring at home for 10 hours, she felt an intense urge that her baby was ready to come and arrived at the hospital at 9 cm dilated. Nicole would stay tapped into her connectedness and intuition until her baby was earthside in 3 pushes.

Read More
44 | Birthed From the Heart - Tara Clifton

Tara found out she was pregnant during her sophomore year of college and immediately was met with shame. Coming from a family that wasn't fond of her experience and attending a predominantly white Christian college, she spent most of her pregnancy in isolation, not talking about it and shutting herself into her dorm room.The dismissal of her journey also showed up during the birth of her daughter. Her doctor and nurses ignored her wishes and were forceful in their approach, resulting in Tara's explaining a traumatic birth experience.

Feeling a sense of loss from who she was before her baby, both physically and how she could live her life, Tara is clear that she suffered from postpartum depression. After an incident, Tara knew a change needed to happen. In a Facebook mother's group, she began sharing her story, finding that she wasn't alone in her experience and that others connected with her. She shared more, hoping that by doing so, others wouldn't go through the same thing, but she also found healing in sharing.

We leave every episode with lessons, and Tara's were;

  • "Don't allow your truth to be silenced because it makes other people uncomfortable." - Tara Clifton

  • The importance and value of community birth workers with similar lived experiences working under a lens of reproductive justice.

As we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and the tighter lens of racism, the lessons learned from Tara's are even more important!

Read More
38 & 39 | Reimagining the Village - Tayo Mbande & Toni Taylor

The saying goes, "it takes a village to raise a child" - hearing Tayo and her mother share Tayo's birth experience not only affirms this but reveals it takes a village to birth a mother.

Tayo knew for her third pregnancy and birth; she was going to need to facilitate her experience with intense intention. From her previous births, birthing at a hospital was not an option, so with the support of her mother and husband, she prepared to have a family homebirth, absent of a midwife. Yet, this pregnancy was opposite from her others, and there was a point where she thought her homebirth wouldn't come to fruition. Tayo relied heavily on her mother for support throughout her earlier births. This time around, her mother pushed for Tayo and her husband to create a stronger bond they could depend on and believe in each other as a support unit.

Reimagining her village, she let herself to be fully loved and cared for, throughout the pregnancy, her birth, and at the beginning of her postpartum and still currently. Everyone showing up for her makes her show up for herself.

Tayo and Toni have a beautiful bond; they have now created a space to support and uplift the families in their community in that same sacred love. The Chicago Birth Collective is the village, a collective of birth workers, healers, and wellness practitioners serving and healing Black families across Chicago.

Read More
37 | Bringer of Light - Anique & Ali Russell

The theme of this year's Black Maternal Health Week is, Centering Black Mamas: The Right to Live and Thrive - we feel that Anique and Ali's birth story aligns beautifully. When they found out they were pregnant, Anique and Ali wanted this birth experience to be different. They became intentional about their preparation. Researching birth outcomes for black women, being clear on Anique's health, receiving support from a black care provider, and support from a black doula. That intentionality provided them the tools and confidence to find power in their voices and their family's story.

"Our daughter's name means Bringer of Light. During my second pregnancy, I gained peace with my birthing process. I learned so much information regarding black maternal health, what it means to have a doula, my body, and a wonderful breastfeeding journey thus far! I feel I have a light that I am ready to pass on to other mama's!!" - Anique

Read More
34 | A Restorative Journey in Motherhood and Birthwork - Divine Nicholas

Being a foundation of support rooted in the Southern Tradition of healing is etched throughout Divine's family. Her 6-week in-person and online workshop Grandma's Hands Pregnancy and Postpartum Herbs & Nutrition in the Southern Tradition is a reflection of that. It is an ethnobotany course based in the folk, historical healing traditions of the South and particularly Black Southern Midwives. A modality of healing that focused on how we feel about sickness, where do we think it comes from, and focused on healing the whole person. 

Divine's support and teachings are intended to be a reminder to the community - a reminder that we have the tools for our healing. She reminds us that to hold onto those tools and traditions; we must pass these on. Sharing our stories creates a connection and lineage to do so.

Read More
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.

Read More
26 & 27 | I Am a Parent ~ HunterDae Little-Goodridge

HunterDae describes themselves as a black, queer, non-binary, fat proud parent. This is who they are, and these identities are important to their existence and interactions with the world around them.

When HunterDae became pregnant with their twins, it was a spiritual awakening. They realized they had received double the blessing and were now carrying three hearts. What their care provide saw was an individual that was checking off all the boxes for a high-risk pregnancy. This narrative continued into HunterDae's birth story.

As you listen to their story, you realize how imperative it is that when we are caring for individuals through their parenthood journeys that we acknowledge their lived experience. Care cannot be a one size fits all, and it has to come from a place of understanding the whole person.

Read More