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The Birth Mag

Sustainability

December 16, 2020

sustainable birthwork article

Sustainability.

These days, it almost seems like a buzz word in the birth world. A free download. A hashtag. A commodity, even.

In reality, though, sustainability in birthwork, particularly in the doula-world, means getting to do the work that sets your soul on fire for longer than a few years.

Sustainability means creating a business from which you don’t need to regularly take self-care, or “burnout breaks”. It’s so much more than warm baths, massages, mantras and aromatherapy.

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Midwives and Doulas: The Promise We Make

December 8, 2020

birth photography by natalie broders

What is the #1 reason people hire Doulas and Midwives? Satisfaction with the birth experience. Or, in other words: trauma prevention.

My goal here is to critically look at the role continuity and continuous support play in outcomes for the people we serve, and hopefully avoid pitfalls in the way we structure services that can negatively impact clients. How we can take care of ourselves physically, emotionally and financially, while simultaneously give our clients the care they deserve?

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Self-Care for the Midwife

January 30, 2020

by Raichal Reed A midwife, a patera, a “granny”, and sage-femme are all names for the same person. The name midwife means “with mother” in basic translation. Since before time was recorded there have been people or a person who had the very important job of caring for the pregnant person and their baby. Depending on what country and sometimes what area you research, there are different stories concerning their roles, abilities, and relationships with the community. Coming into current day in the US, these individuals now have roles that extend beyond pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. Before schools and universities, the midwife directly taught and trained their apprentices/assistants/etc. in order for them to work with them and hopefully in their place once they were no longer able. Skills were passed from family to family and generation to generation orally and through practice along with the more skilled midwives.  The first registered midwife in the US was in NY in 1716 and now we have more than 11,000 according to the American Midwifery Certification Board in 2017. This only counts for how many are registered with NARM in regulated states, but some states still do not have regulation or approval and so those midwives work independently and sometimes illegally to make sure that healthy parents and babies survive.   “A midwife does not have off days, and a midwife is always on call” was one of the first things I heard when I became a student midwife. I didn’t understand the heaviness of this statement until months later. During the time of being a student midwife, I am at the beck and call of not only the pregnant individuals but also my preceptor. We have clinic all throughout the week and if we have a birth that interferes then we must schedule them on days that we normally aren’t there for. I learned to keep my phone, my watch, my tablet, and any other device that could always make a noise on loud. Babies come when you are in the shower, they come when you are in church, and even when you are asleep. If you plan to be somewhere then they especially come those days because for some reason, when you are busy, they like to start trouble. Labor and delivery are a wonderful, magical process but it is also one that you have no control over, neither you nor the…

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Podcasts for Birthworkers

September 26, 2019

Looking for some new listening material? Check out a few of these birth, birthwork, and midwifery themed podcasts. The Full-Spectrum Doula Circle Podcast This podcast is an extension of the Full-Spectrum Doula Circle. The podcast started out in the fall of 2018 as a means of improving access to interviews that had previously been done for webinars by the same creator. Since starting, new content has been added also. past interviews include activists, authors, care providers, and more, including Melinda Morales, Indra Lusero, Mishka Terplan, and Renee Bracey Sherman talking about subjects like nonjudgmental support for pregnant teens, abortion doulas, and drug use in pregnancy. Find it on Apple Podcasts and Spreaker. Birth Kweens A doula and midwife teamed up to create this San Diego, CA based birth podcast. While their primary audience seems to be birthing people more than birthworkers, topics like the history of how menstruation has been managed, weight stigma in pregnancy, and nuances of practicing informed consent will likely appeal to both. Episodes include interviews with birth attendants, other birthworkers, and gestational parents sharing their knowledge and experiences. Find this podcast on Stitcher and Apple Podcasts. Masculine Birth Ritual Created by a self identified transmasculine birth parent, this podcast offers exceptional insight into the experiences of queer families, nonbinary folx having babies, and masculine leaning gestational parents. Episodes include topics like trying to conceive as a trans man, buffering the impacts of discrimination, and meeting people where they are. This is one of the few birth podcasts that uses language that acknowledges the broad range of people that become pregnant. This one also has written transcripts available if podcasts aren’t your thing! Dr. Stu’s Podcast Co-hosted by Dr. Stuart Fischbein, MD OB/GYN and Blyss Young, LM CPM, this podcast where the two interview various birthworkers about topics including coercion versus consent, community based birth, breech birth, and more. Find this one on iHeartRadio and Apple Podcasts. Birth Stories in Color Birth Stories in Color is, much like its name suggests, a collection of birth stories from people of color. The concept is based on a combination of the power of storytelling and the need for a space where birth stories that aren’t being heard elsewhere to be shared. Co-hosts Laurel Gourrier and Danielle Jackson are both doulas and reproductive justice advocates who share stories ranging from cesareans to unassisted births, and triumphant, empowering experiences to heartbreaking…

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Finding Connection Through Resistance

September 19, 2019

by Aliena “Ali” Davis, DC She was born in 1941 and died in 2013. Into those 71 years, she packed more life experiences than most could fit into three lifetimes. In all honesty, she is still influencing the world in a way that makes her unforgettable, mischievous grin surface readily in my mind. In fact, it’s her influence in large part that brought about the reason for this article. She proudly bore the title of my “Gramma” – although we had no blood relation, she was more a part of my family and my life than most who did share a blood relation, and continues to be even in her absence more present than some who are still physically present. As a child, I would marvel at her fascinating, and at times erratic, speech. Later I would learn that she had lived with mental illness in a time that was even less kind to people with mental illnesses than our own time currently is. In my battles with my own mind, I reflect on her experiences with awe and gratitude, drawing inspiration to tackle the next project, protest, and sometimes just the next day, as the reality often is for those of us who share this strange life companion. My teen and early adult years were filled with late night calls with my nocturnal Gramma, listening to her stories of resistance during the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s and her impassioned hopes and visions for racial equity. When I began to struggle academically, she was there, with the smile, encouragement, and advice that eventually leads us to the topic of this article. One day, in a moment of frustration, I expressed to her how difficult it was to quiet my anxiety and ask questions during class when I needed to. With a knowing look in her eyes, she said “Oh, honey. Look, if you have a question in class, just ask. Chances are that if you have that question, someone else has the same question and is just hoping someone else will ask!” While this conversation took place with the high school version of me, it is the exact perspective that led to the creation of an inclusive birth workers group in one of the largest conservative counties in Texas. In late 2016, I was a new business owner and I had brought my passion for racial equity, LGBTQIA+ equality, reproductive justice,…

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Babies Are Not Pizzas: An Interview With Rebecca Dekker

September 17, 2019

The Birth Mag connected with Rebecca Dekker, PhD, RN of Evidence Based Birth regarding her new book, Babies Are Not Pizzas, in which she shares her own birth experiences. We got the chance to ask her a bit about her journey in writing the book, experiences with birth before having children of her own, and thoughts about how the birth community can do better. Babies Are Not Pizzas is available now here! After years of sharing research through Evidence Based Birth, what inspired you to write about your own story? Rebecca Dekker: So, I’ve shared little snippets here and there. Most people know that I had a first traumatic birth where I was separated from my baby for hours, followed by an empowering birth several years later with a midwife who provided evidence based care. But for the most part, I kept my personal experiences to myself. For example, I did not talk publicly about how my traumatic birth occurred at the academic medical center associated with my own university, where I worked as an assistant professor. I didn’t talk about how I hired an underground midwife, how I had two home births, how I was afraid to go to the hospital for an induction at “42+4” weeks because I knew some of the nurses didn’t like me or my blog, how so many women were experiencing racism and obstetric violence in my home town. The nightmarish stories from doulas and parents in my town just seemed never ending. I poured out all my frustration into the Evidence Based Birth® blog—spending all my spare time reading research, analyzing research, and writing about it for the public. Then there came a tipping point, about 4 years into my blogging journey, when I had to decide—was I going to leave the security of a paycheck and do EBB full-time? Or was I going to continue working for an institution that had indicated they would censor me if I tried to speak up, and that was using pressure, coercion, and force to make women give birth on their backs, in stirrups? I ended up leaving my faculty job, and it was one of the hardest decisions of my life. It was also one of the best decisions of my life. Two years later, after leaving my job, I had begun writing a book. It was meant to be a “Guide to Childbirth,” all…

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5 Places To Find Inclusive Birthworker Training In 2019

September 3, 2019

1.) Long Beach Birthworkers of Color Collective The Long Beach Birthworkers of Color Collective is based is Long Beach, CA, and offers people of color (POC) only doula training. They teach full spectrum support, and are unapologetically trans, queer, and POC centered. According to their website, in training they “discuss birthwork as activism, trauma informed care, birth disparities, how to support pregnant people through all pregnancy outcomes, inclusive language, and so much more.” A limited number of scholarships are available, and donations from allies to help provide said scholarships are welcome. Their next training is being held in October, so hurry and sign up by emailing them at POCDoulaTraining@gmail.com if you’re interested! 2.) Birth Advocacy Doula Trainings Birth Advocacy Doula Trainings offers online courses teaching doula skills including supporting trans and queer birth and lactation, trauma informed care, supporting loss, and the realities of racial disparities in health outcomes relating to birth. The online courses include ongoing support as you work through the course with the rest of your cohort, and business training in addition to labor support skills. The course description states a goal of creating “a supportive, close-knit and radical community of doulas that are advocates, activist and change makers.” The next scheduled course can be enrolled in here. 3.) Cornerstone Doula Trainings Cornerstone Doula Trainings teaches courses for aspiring birth and postpartum doulas, as well as teaching business skills for birthworkers and a course specifically about support trans and gender nonconforming people who are giving birth. They offer courses that are open to the general public, as well as trainings specifically for birthworkers of color. Courses are offered in both Oakland, CA and Portland, OR. Topics covered in their trainings include trauma informed care, and the effects of systematic racism on birth outcomes. You can sign up for one of their courses here. 4.) Ancient Song Doula Services Ancient Song Doula Services teaches full spectrum doula support for both birth and the postpartum period. According to their website, the trainings they offer are “focused on the ‘whole’ and not just its parts and seeing birth as a human right incorporating an intersectional lens that encompasses reproductive and birth justice framework into our trainings centered on communities of color and pregnant and parenting individuals.” The associated doula service offers standard doula support, as well as bereavement doula support, and prison doula services. Ancient Song puts a focus on…

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Dear Birth Workers: Please Take Up Space

September 1, 2019

by Emily Souder, MA, MSW, LCSW-C The birthing people are calling, and you must go. Yes, you must. And while you’re there, and after you go, where are you? In those moments of sheer exhaustion, and of utter joy at having witnessed a new life entering the world, and after the deep, cutting grief of something heartbreaking. Where are you? You are the keeper of the birth stories. You are the out-of-the-spotlight witness. And here’s what’s easy to forget: you have a story too. Everything you bring with you, and everything you leave with counts. There is a story of what you’ve seen, both on this day and all the days before. It weaves together to create who you are, capable and knowing, standing before a family that relies on you to guide them through a transition that will leave them forever changed. Your story is both about you and not about you, but ultimately it all folds up together in a package that you carry. Something I’ve noticed from hanging out inside the birth community as a therapist and as a coach is that midwives and doulas, and most birth workers in general hesitate to take up space for themselves. They are so unbelievably skilled at holding space for others and creating a container in which their clients can make powerful transitions, and yet when it comes to giving themselves the same treatment, there is often an imbalance. On one hand, this makes complete sense. Taking care of others is why people choose to enter the field of birth work, in part. There is a drive to make things different, maybe even magical, but ultimately to allow the experience to flow as the birthing person and family wishes. This is deep, purposeful work. On the other hand, for people so knowledgeable about nurturing to not take time for self-care is a bit puzzling. But as we know, knowing what to do or how to do it doesn’t create a behavior! Somehow, it’s hard for us to set self-love boundaries and claim that space as necessary and vital. It’s okay, and so essential, to give yourself permission to love yourself deeply. Ultimately, it gives permission for your client families to do the same. Loving yourself consistently and with compassion takes practice. We’re not always going to get it right, but we’re going to have opportunities to try again and again.…

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thebirthmag

Happy new year! 2020 was rough on the Birth Mag cr Happy new year! 2020 was rough on the Birth Mag crew, and we know it was for many of you as well. This turned out to be a terrible year to launch a new magazine project, but it's over, and we're moving forward.

What's next then? First and foremost, the next print issue is coming! Look for a sneak peek of the upcoming cover next week. We are also settling in to a more consistent release of digital content going forward. 

We are so thankful for everyone who has hung in there with us through the tumultuous ride that was 2020, and look forward to bringing you so much more in 2021!

#thebirthmag #birthwork #birthworkers #midwifery #doulalife
New on the website this week, from Dr. Ali Davis, New on the website this week, from Dr. Ali Davis, DC (@dr_ali_thechiro ): 

"Someone you know is LGBTQIA+, possibly even someone you love.
If you’ve been in practice for any length of time, chances are you have LGBTQIA+ clients.
Even if you don’t know which ones they are.
Even if you practice in a small rural town.
Even if you think your practice serves a 'different' niche of clientele."

Read the full article at www.thebirthmag.com 

#inclusivecare #inclusionmatters #lgbtqia #lgbtqbirthmatters #queerparents #thebirthmag #birthworkforall
Repost of a snippet of a live from @maytethewombdo Repost of a snippet of a live from @maytethewombdoula and @mujer_dela_tierra discussing violence in American midwifery. You can find the full length video over on Mayte's page, and I strongly encourage everyone, especially white midwives, to go watch it. There's some excellent explanation of differences between traditional midwifery (specifically parteras) and modern midwifery as typical in the USA, and the ways bias impacts care. Warning: this is a hard conversation and does include talk about loss of a baby.
New this week on the website, some thoughts from @ New this week on the website, some thoughts from @doula_barb of @birth_fort_worth on sustainable birthwork practices, because we all know that burnout is real.

"Sustainability.

These days, it almost seems like a buzz word in the birth world. A free download. A hashtag. A commodity, even.

In reality, though, sustainability in birthwork, particularly in the doula-world, means getting to do the work that sets your soul on fire for longer than a few years.

Sustainability means creating a business from which you don’t need to regularly take self-care, or 'burnout breaks'. It’s so much more than warm baths, massages, mantras and aromatherapy.

It’s understanding that you have value. It’s understanding that it’s ok to charge whatever it takes to make you feel GOOD about walking out the door and leaving your life behind for an unknown amount of time. It’s about business models and contracts. It’s about boundaries."

Read the entire article on www.thebirthmag.com (link in bio).

#birthwork #birthworkers #doulalife #midwifery #birthsupport #thebirthmag
New on TheBirthMag.com this week from Juli Tilsner New on TheBirthMag.com this week from Juli Tilsner (@midwifejuli.cornerstone ): 
"Continuity of care and continuous labor support are intertwined as one of the most difficult aspects of birth work.  They can lead to severe burnout and limit our income when we don’t have partnerships or backups available. We can easily justify taking more clients in a month than we know we should, making these exceptions because we tell ourselves 'they need us' and saying no breaks our hearts. Most of us have broken our own number of clients per month rule, maybe more than once. Maybe it turned out OK, possibly not."

Read the full article on the website. Link in bio!

Photo by @natbro.photo

#doula #doulalife #doulaservices #midwife #midwifery #midwifelife #birthwork #birthworkers #birthsupport
New on the website this week: Raichal Reed (@mcdon New on the website this week: Raichal Reed (@mcdonald_herbalist ) shares some information about waterbirth and Covid-19. 

"According to the CDC, 'There is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread to humans through the use of pools and hot tubs. Proper operation, maintenance, and disinfection of pools and hot tubs should remove or inactive the virus that causes COVID-19'. All rules that currently stand for a birthing person to be able to be in the pool (no fever, respiratory issues, etc.) should stay the same so that those who are sick in general are not in the water. Infections and how they spread vary and because there is no current documentation as to every way a person can contract the COVID-19 it is important to have proper personal protective equipment with each birthing person. Currently the CDC has not found any traces of COVID-19 in any municipal water systems, but they have not properly studied well water so their research is to be determined."

You can read more on TheBirthMag.com! Link in bio.

#waterbirth #birthduringcovid19
#midwifery #birthsupport
#birthwork #bornin2020
The lactation issue is out! We had an abundance of The lactation issue is out! We had an abundance of delays, but they have now all been mailed. If you've been waiting on this issue, keep an eye on your mailbox, because it is on the way!
Community led, community based. The Birth Mag is l Community led, community based. The Birth Mag is looking for new submissions! Are you a birth worker? Are you interested in helping your fellow birth workers learn and grow to be more inclusive and educated on the issues birthing people are facing today? We want to hear from you! Compensation starts at $35 for any article that is used. Please e-mail us at thebirthmag@gmail.com for more information or to submit an article.
#Repost @thevaginachronicles
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There is so much to learn from this week. So much to give and receive. .
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This list is not an extensive and in no particular order but it is some of the HARD and persistent work that we must do. .
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Black people breastfeed. Even when we tell you no after you’ve asked 15 times if we want formula. Even when we are afraid of what it looks like and how we can continue It. Even when we see how you look at our breasts not understanding how different they can be. Even when we must figure out breastfeeding complexities by ourself. Even when we had to do it for you, before we could do it for our own children. .
.
WE BREASTFEED!
#Repost @blkbfingweek • • • • • • HAPP #Repost @blkbfingweek
• • • • • •
HAPPY BLACK BREASTFEEDING WEEK! 🤩

By our histories and by the truths we know from living, our possibilities are greater than any imagination. 

For all the days that have felt hopeless, we invite you to enter a period of nourishment to revive.

Where there has been loss, grief and uncertainty, our restoration is key to being present and imagining healthy futures. 

And all through #BBW20, we reclaim our time, lives and families. 

Let’s gooooooo! 

#ReviveRestoreReclaim #blackbreastfeedingweek

Artist: Andrea Pippins @andreapippins
#Repost @storkandcradleclasses • • • • • #Repost @storkandcradleclasses
• • • • • •
New York, New York

Today starts Native Breastfeeding Week. Here are some native breastfeeding facts you should know.

-“The mission of the Native Breastfeeding Week community is to reflect the diversity of native breast-feeding experiences and to encourage and uplift visibility of native breast-feeding experiences”
-“this community also helps to address the inequality and injustice of indigenous mothers and their abilities to practice their roles in accordance to the tribal communities they dissent from”
-American Indian and American Native rates of breastfeeding initiation is 73% versus the national average of 83%.
-Formula supplementation is high (97%) for mothers who didn’t initiate.
-many native mother’s insurance doesn’t cover donor milk which could greatly benefit infants.
-many native women lack breastfeeding support because of social and cultural norms.

Facts are from @ja_lyonhawk article posted at illusa.org 2019

Please visit Native Breastfeeding Week’s Facebook Page for info about the virtual events you can support this week. ❤️

#indigenousbreastfeeding #indigenouswomen #americanindian 
#nativebreastfeedingweek #blackibclc #ibclc #doulasupport #doulas #blackmidwives #midwives #breastfeedingsupport #storkandcradle
#Repost @taprootdoula • • • • • • Blac #Repost @taprootdoula
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Black Maternal Health Week is EVERY week •
•
Art @designedbydg •
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The best way I’ve improved my ability to care for black parents is to listen to them. But before I could learn to listen, I had to commit to the LIFELONG task of confronting my biases against them. I must also commit over and over to the a promise that I would confront bias and racism I witness in my colleagues, providers, leadership and institution. This involves being brave, frank and unapologetic, and well-versed in the mechanisms for reporting abusive and problematic  behavior, even in situations with an imbalance of power (nurse v. physician, etc.) Anti-blackness is the default in our culture. As healthcare workers if we don’t intentionally, diligently, and sustainably work to confront and destroy our biases, these biases WILL lead to black birthing people and babies’ harm and death.
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Every birth worker - doctor, nurse, doula, midwife - needs to invest in an anti-racism training - @rebirthequity ~ @theblackdoula ~ @shishi.rose ~ @abide_women are some leaders who receive compensation to help you confront your biases against black birthing people. Anti-racism training is not CULTURAL COMPETENCY TRAINING. Cultural competency training is required by most employers, it’s been around for a while, and it doesn’t change s#%^.
•
Follow 
@blackmamasmatter @4kira4moms to keep up to date on ways you can learn more and legislation that is working towards the goal of protecting black parents and babies from medical racism that causes harm.

#blackmamasmatter #maternalmortality #blackmaternalhealthweek
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