3.2 Unpacking Medical and Obstetric Racism with Dr. Dana-Ain Davis

10/30/20 • 60 min

Isis and Chae interview Dr. Dana-Ain Davis who discusses her book Reproductive Injustice, as well as how medicalized childbirth is an extension of slavery, how racism is a risk factor for all Black birthing people, and why we need more radical birth workers.

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3.1 Answering the Call of Midwifery with Nubia Martin

In this Season 3 premiere episode, Isis and Chae interview Nubia Martin a Black midwife based in Yonkers, NY. Nubia is the proud mother of 5 -- two daughters and three sons. Her first 2 babies were born in the hospital. And her last 3 were born at home with midwives. After seeing a need in her community, Nubia has actively worked to fill that need by providing necessary childbirth education, lactation support, and now midwifery care to a population that has been historically disenfranchised and to this day still feels the effects of segregation and racial health disparities. Her organization, Birth from the Earth, Inc., activates and engages the community through perinatal education, comprehensive trainings, inclusion, and holistic care. For more information please visit her website and follow her on instagram @birthfromtheearth.

Art of Birthing

Reproductive Injustice: Racism, Pregnancy, and Premature Birth by Dana-Ain Davis

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3.3 Giving Birth to a Spirit: Miscarriage as Homebirth with Ellenie Cruz

TRIGGER WARNING: Mention of miscarriage, abortion, D&C and blood loss. This episode features Ellenie Cruz. Ellenie’s homebirth story is special because it centers her miscarriage which she frames not as a pregnancy loss but rather a gain. Through her experience, Ellenie saw the impact and importance of community and of birth work. She also recognizes that birthing people who experience miscarriage still require postpartum care! Ellenie is a New Orleans-based educator, artist, poet, doula, student midwife, herbalist, and reiki master. She promotes ancestral practices to heal self, family, and community. Ellenie is the founder of Ascencion Art, the organizer of the NOLA herb gathering, and the Atabey School of Cultural Healing where she teaches herbalism classes to self-identified BIPOC. Follow her @asc3nsion_art and @oshunsgarden