How to Have the Best Birth Experience Possible—Even in a Pandemic

04/26/21 • 32 min

In this episode we hear from Stasia, a pregnant Black woman who wants to know how to prepare for birth and how to advocate for herself along the way. Zahra chats with Kameelah Phillips, M.D., an ob-gyn and women’s health advocate based in NYC. One of her core interests is health care disparities—and how to help prevent them. Zahra also consults with Latham Thomas, a doula and the founder of Mama Glow who focuses on care along the childbearing continuum. They discuss how to navigate the system as a Black pregnant person and how giving birth looks different during the pandemic.

You can learn more about Dr. Phillips’ work or seek care at www.callawomenshealth.com, and follow her on Instagram @dr.kameelahsays.

You can learn more about Mama Glow and its supportive community at www.mamaglow.com, and follow Latham Thomas on Instagram @glowmaven.

For resources, information, and a variety of articles on Black maternal mortality, visit SELF’s extensive series on the issue. For other related articles, check out:

What It’s Like to Be a Doula Working With Black Pregnant People Right Now

There Are Joyful Black Birth Stories--This New Podcast Is Highlighting Them

I Got the COVID-19 Vaccine While Pregnant—Here's Why

COVID-19 Vaccines Are Safe for Pregnant and Breastfeeding People, According to New Study

Pregnant And Worried About Coronavirus? You’re Not Alone

Some People Are Disclosing Their Pregnancies ‘Early’ Because of the Coronavirus

The Deep Loneliness of Having a Baby in a Pandemic

What It’s Like to Pause Fertility Treatments Because of Coronavirus

How Years of Infertility Prepared Me for Pregnancy During the Coronavirus Crisis

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You can learn more about Dr. Phillips’ work or seek care at www.callawomenshealth.com, and follow her on Instagram @dr.kameelahsays.

You can learn more about Mama Glow and its supportive community at www.mamaglow.com, and follow Latham Thomas on Instagram @glowmaven.

For resources, information, and a variety of articles on Black maternal mortality, visit SELF’s extensive series on the issue. For other related articles, check out:

What It’s Like to Be a Doula Working With Black Pregnant People Right Now

There Are Joyful Black Birth Stories--This New Podcast Is Highlighting Them

I Got the COVID-19 Vaccine While Pregnant—Here's Why

COVID-19 Vaccines Are Safe for Pregnant and Breastfeeding People, According to New Study

Pregnant And Worried About Coronavirus? You’re Not Alone

Some People Are Disclosing Their Pregnancies ‘Early’ Because of the Coronavirus

The Deep Loneliness of Having a Baby in a Pandemic

What It’s Like to Pause Fertility Treatments Because of Coronavirus

How Years of Infertility Prepared Me for Pregnancy During the Coronavirus Crisis

Don’t miss out on new episodes of Checking In on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Apple Podcasts: http://listen.self.com/self-apple

Spotify: http://listen.self.com/self-spotify

Google Podcasts: http://listen.self.com/self-google

Don't forget to sign up for the Checking In newsletter here: https://www.self.com/newsletter/checking-in

If you have a health or wellness question of your own and want a chance to be featured on the podcast, you can submit it here.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Previous Episode

How to Actually Start Meditating

In this episode we hear from Nan, a young woman who is trying to figure out if meditation is right for her. Zahra consults with SELF’s health editor, Carolyn Todd, who has reported extensively on what meditation can and can’t do for your health. Then Zahra speaks with a mindfulness meditation teacher, Kriste Peoples, who walks us through what starting a meditation practice can look like and talks about her work facilitating meditation for people of color.

You can follow Carolyn @CarolynLTodd on Twitter, and read more of her work here: https://www.self.com/contributor/carolyn-todd

You can learn more about Kriste’s many roles on her website: https://kristepeoples.com. And you can follow her on Instagram @kristepeoples.

Here are some meditation apps:

Liberate is a subscription-based meditation app that includes practices and talks designed for the Black community. According to their website, they have curated content from 40+ teachers of color with a diverse background in lineage, perspective, and approach, so that everyone can find a practice in their voice.

Headspace is a subscription-based meditation app with a friendly interface. It helps guide you through meditations, both single mediations and dozens of courses that address anxiety, loneliness, gratitude, and much more.

10 Percent Happier is dedicated to skeptics. You can even connect to a coach that will answer all your questions, and the app has also spun off into a podcast and book you may find helpful.

Here are some SELF articles full of information, tips, and resources:

How to Meditate When You Have No Idea When to Start

The Has Never Been A Better Time to Start Meditating

The 15 Best Meditation Apps, According to People Who Actually Meditate

What Meditation Can -- and Can’t -- Do For Your Health

Don’t miss out on new episodes of Checking In on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Apple Podcasts: http://listen.self.com/self-apple

Spotify: http://listen.self.com/self-spotify

Google Podcasts: http://listen.self.com/self-google

Don't forget to sign up for the Checking In newsletter here: https://www.self.com/newsletter/checking-in

If you have a health or wellness question of your own and want a chance to be featured on the podcast, you can submit it here.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Next Episode

The Healing Powers of Gratitude and Joy, featuring Kristen Bell

In this episode of Checking In, we hear from Jenna, a listener who has a question many of us feel deep down during this time: How can we help ourselves feel better when the world is basically a dumpster fire? Sometimes, adding even just one more thing to your to-do list feels insurmountable. Zahra consults Mariel Buqué, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist and holistic mental health expert based in NYC. She’s been helping her clients adjust to pandemic life stressors, particularly by emphasizing the connection between mind, body, and soul. Dr. Buqué offers some practical tips for incorporating gratitude and joy into your life so that you actually feel better—without veering into toxic positivity. After that, Zahra chats with actor and mental health advocate Kristen Bell, who is also SELF’s May digital cover star. They discuss how to set up a personal toolkit to deal with life in an overwhelming world, why Bell is a big fan of gratitude lists, and how she tries to find contentment in her day-to-day life.

You can learn more about Mariel Buqué’s work here, and you can follow her on Instagram @dr.marielbuque.

You can follow Kristen Bell on Instagram @kristenanniebell and on Twitter @KristenBell. And here’s SELF’s May digital cover, featuring Bell discussing everything from parenting in a pandemic to how her husband, Dax Shepard, helps her cope with anxiety and depression.

For some helpful tips on how to begin a gratitude practice and how to try to find joy even when the world feels pretty awful, check out these articles:

The Healing Powers of Gratitude

4 Small Ways to Practice Gratitude Every Day

Please Celebrate Yourself—Even During a Pandemic

Black Joy Isn’t Frivolous--It’s Necessary

In Praise of Black People Laughing

What Is Resilience, and Can It Help Us Bounce Back From This?

13 Small but Impactful Ways to Cultivate Resilience

And here are some of the resources we mentioned for navigating really tough feelings in a way that goes beyond gratitude and joy:

7 Ways to Find an Actually Affordable Therapist

10 Online Support Groups for Anyone Struggling to Get Through 2020

41 Mental Health Apps That Will Make Life a Little Easier

Don’t miss out on new episodes of Checking In on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.