Get Listed in the Sista Midwife Directory. I believe that parents are empowered when they come into care with a midwife because she views them as a unique family. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Nicole Deggins CNM, MSN, MPH, is a certified nurse midwife, birth advocate, and community educator with over 25 years of maternal child health experience. Since moving to Texas in June 2016 she conducted the first ever Black Breastfeeding Week event in Dallas, TX in 2016. You know, you have to talk to God like hes your friend, thats how you pray. I was a single mother and as a birth and postpartum Doula, I just could not envision my life as a midwife. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. It broke my heart to hear of all the loss these families had experienced. After Emancipation, African-American midwives, often known as Granny Midwives, continued to work with both black and white women in rural and remote parts of the South. Margaret Charles Smith (September 12, 1906November 12, 2004) was an African-American midwife who became known for her extraordinary skill over a long career. Book a Consultation If you are interested in meeting for a comprehensive 1 hour consultation please fill out and submit the contact form or call the office at 323-404-4022. As a student midwife, she studied the art, science, and history of the field while honing critical skills at the accompanying high-volume birth center. Black Midwives we should know: Past, Present & Futuristic. This was the case with Amanda Carey Carter, a fourth-generation midwife who delivered both black and white babies in the rural Piedmont region of Virginia from the 1950s to the 1980s. We may overlook the benefits of having a prepared maternity ward staffed with licensed doctors and nurses today, but these vital tools and personnel were not (and in many remote rural locations still arent) available to everyone. From family planning to prenatal care to that special moment when you bring your baby home, our CNMs are here for you when you want a personalized, hands-on approach to your care. We serve women through prenatal care, labor and birth support, breastfeeding support, postpartum care, well-woman care, and well-newborn care to help them achieve healthy pregnancies and births through Midwife permit issued to Amanda Carter,November 2, 1955 Some of these women have gone on to become MDs, nurses, midwives (hospital and in-home) and public health professionals. WebSista Midwife Productions is a birth advocacy, training and consulting agency. Washington, D.C. 20015 USA, A NEW NONPROFIT VOICE FOR THE LOUDEST SILENCE. As a doula, her primary responsibility was to offer techniques to ease the laboring process as well as be source of emotional and moral support. WebThe History of the African American Midwife The historical role of the African American midwife was one of hope and health; whose expertise helped define cultural perceptions Centuries later, during the early to mid-20th century, African American midwives continued practicing midwifery in rural Southern communities, even as hospital doctors and physicians replaced most midwives in Northern communities. However, many women still continue to seek out the help of a registered Midwife or Doula regardless of the location of their planned birth. OUR RESPONSE TO THE BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH CRISIS: African American women are 3 times more likely to die of causes related to pregnancy. I have also placed the link for you to read more about them. Find out more here. Meet 7 Black Midwives Working To Make Birth Better For Us, Black women are 3-4x more likely to die from childbirth, Black infants are 2.2x more likely to die, midwifery used to be a part of everyday life, 4 Simple Things You Can Do To Have A Better Hospital Birth, Extended Breastfeeding: 13 Black Women On Why They Breastfed Beyond 1 Year, 5 Reasons Why Every Birthing Person Needs A Doula, Black Breastfeeding Resources From Moms Whove Been There, Done That, The Thoughts You Have After A Miscarriage, How My Traumatic Birth Experience Changed Me, Choosing Homeschooling and Unschooling Over Hybrid and Remote Learning (Video), Interior Designer Randall Jones on Rebuilding Her Village Before Baby, Overdue: Finally, A Pregnancy Guide Made for Us, Doula Vs. Midwife? All three of her children were born at home in water, post due date and they have attended well over 280 births either carried on her back or sitting at her side. I am studying to become a midwife at Frontier Nursing University. And then there are a group of women who are working with pregnant people in their communities to give them the empowered birth experiences they deserve and that should be their right: Im talking about Black midwives and doulas. The NBDA connects Black (BIPOC) birthing families with Black (BIPOC) Doulas nationwide. I feel that my upbringing as third-culture kid living overseas, my experience serving a Somali friend during her pregnancy and birth here in the U.S., and then my own births while living in Guam and Puerto Rico, have made me extremely sensitive to the fact that religious, traditional, and cultural beliefs greatly influence maternal and infant well-being. And if you didnt know despite a long We know the problem, but whats being done about it? Maude Callenwas a nurse-midwife in the South Carolina Low country for over 60 years. In response to fears stoked by the home birth movement of the 1970s and the need for dedicated emotional support, many expectant mothers turned to Doulas, leading to their popularization in the 1980s. In a speech delivered at Longwood University in the early 1980s, Carter remarked proudly at maintaining the license she acquired in 1952. Jamaa Birth Village provides culturally-congruent traditional Midwifery care for Saint Louis area families. Sista Midwife Productions provides online and in-person workshops and training. Now, only 10% of U.S. births involve midwives, far behind other industrialized countries, where midwives participate in half or more of all deliveries, according to ScienceDaily. She started a solo private practice childbirth education and professional labor support (doula) service. It is estimated that she delivered over 3,000 babies in her career, and she offered additional services to families such as assistance in cooking, cleaning, childminding, laundering, and helping new parents file official forms and birth certificates. Best Maternity Hospital 2022 I love that the women I serve go on to become advocates and a community resource for the community as well. You know, you have to talk to God like hes your friend, thats how you pray. Sista Midwife Productions is a birth advocacy organization based in New Orleans, LA. She serves as the midwifery, Her goal is to ensure that women have access to community-based midwifery. ", Article: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Breastfeeding. Your generous donation will help fund our mission. Unfortunately, this change was mostly fueled by general medical practitioners whose inadequate obstetric education, general lack of hygiene, and unsafe delivery practices created high maternal mortality rates. 3651 Peachtree Pkwy Ste. Reducing racial inequity in maternal health needs to advance beyond weathering and listening to Black women. This still of Martha Butler Sapp laying with her newborn baby was taken from the 1953 black and white documentary film, "All My babies.". These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Slave owners used these medical practitioners to ensure the health of their reproducing enslaved women and their newborn infants to expand their labor force. African American midwives could receive as little as two to three dollars in payment for each Early African American midwives were important members of their community, even among enslaved individuals. The uniform dress worn by midwife Amanda Carey Carter. She is a dedicated leader, mentor, and consultant and actively supports efforts to increase the numbers of African American midwives, doulas, and birth advocates. I am eternally grateful that the universe choose me to be doing this amazing work. Untitled (All My Babies Portrait) This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. MISSION: To reclaim our ancestral and traditional wisdoms while elevating consciousness before, during and after pregnancy by creating sacred space, offering nurturing quality care, information, education, support and training to our families and community for healing, informed decision making, optimal outcomes, empowerment, culturally reflective, trusteed care; ultimately to THRIVE. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. They would get their prenatal care from the clinic (which ran once a week). WebWhat I love most about being a midwife is taking care of the wonderful women and families in my community. I want to be an active advocate for culturally-sensitive maternity care here in the U.S., and around the globe, by training future midwives in countries [with fewer resources] to be leaders and critical players in reducing maternal and infant mortality in their homeland. Untitled (Among Colleagues) Today, Midwives are trained healthcare providers who operate both at birthing centers, hospitals, and private residences to care for and support healthy mothers and newborns before, after, and during childbirth. She moved to the United States in 1989 and began a journey that has culminated in the formation of an innovative maternal child healthcare system, markedly improving birth outcomes for women in Central Florida. Early childhood development | Hearing screenings, To learn more about Mona click on her photo. 3068 Forest Ln. She attended births in various settings, principally in the hospitals, where I not only provided labor support but also served as an advocate for the mother and family against unnecessary medical interventions and towards safeguarding the birth and postpartum plan. Promoting the successful Free Friday program, inspired by Florida licensed midwife, mentor and friend, Jennie Joseph. Unlike doulas, midwives provide full-spectrum care for women throughout pregnancy and birth. Want to work with Nicole? Jamaa birth village will host the birthing justice film screening on april 15th. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". But, as a doula, I got tired of seeing and hearing the lies mothers were being told in the normal institutional setting. After my own amazing water birth at home with true midwives, I knew that this was my calling. Sista Midwife Productions neither endorses nor promotes any individuals businesses or Partnerships listed in our directory. In March of 2015, she received the Lillian Mobley Community Service Award for her commitment to serving the community- and missed her presentation while midwifing at a birth! The purpose of the project was to educate Black families about infant mortality. Due to the COVID Pandemic, we are not accepting walk-ins of any kind. Search our directoryfor FREEand get connected!! I love advocating for women and educating women, families, and communities. We're purchasing a new location that will provide low-risk birthing people who don't have a support system at home, the opportunity to give birth, rest and heal in a safe & sacred space, while being nourished and cared for by experts in their community who look like them. 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