Birth Stories in Color

Legaci Allong shared her planned unassisted, unmedicated, water-lotus birth in which she was supported by her husband, mother, and her other two children. Legaci and her family reside in Toronto, Canada, where many women birth with a midwife at home. Her first two pregnancies led her through a journey of self-discovery and determination. Legaci always wanted to have an unassisted home birth but ha...

We know the statistics for black maternal and infant health. We understand the risks of bringing forth life within black bodies, and the narrative is heavy. As we strive for a change, it's also imperative to have balance, and joy is a part of the resistance. Shannon's experience is full of love, community care, and joy!  As birth workers, we were ecstatic that Shannon would be sharing her experien...

Coach Cass is a relationship coach and author of Princess Zara's Birthday Tradition. A children's character created by Coach Cass to promote diverse representation in mainstream media. Cass and her husband started the journey of conception after some nudging from their family. She started checking for ovulation and taking pregnancy tests regularly. Cass learned a new skillset as most people spend...

Every birth is different, and even with a family with multiple children, each experience is a reminder that nothing is in our control. This was the case for Cassandre and her husband, Dorian. With their first pregnancy and birth, for the most part, everything went as planned. The pregnancy was pretty straightforward, and at 39 weeks, their son was born precisely in the way they envisioned it. With...

This is a story about loss - miscarriage & abortion. Barakah Sahaiel is a multi-faceted artist and birth worker who shared her personal experiences with pregnancy. Barakah was aware of her pregnancy within a week of conception and sought another elective abortion due to the unstable and traumatic relationship with her partner. She saw her provider and was advised that a miscarriage was underway. B...

Moji is originally from Benin, West Africa, with childhood and adult living experiences in the United States and Benin. Living in her family home and having knowledge of family homebirth,Moji never felt fully assimilated into the culture in Florida. Homebirth is a choice. One that requires asking - who will be there, what will I need, when should I be prepared, where will I labor, why am I choosin...

Storytelling is always where the truth lies. It's an authentic account of our experiences - without modification, questions, or uncertainty. Validation that our experience and voice matters. We know what the narrative has been created around black fathers, what they are or aren't doing. What fatherhood has or hasn't meant to them. In our community, though we feel the truth, we know the role black...

After her second birth and feeling like her care provider didn't respect it, she knew she wanted to approach her third differently. She labored at home for as long as possible. When it was time for her to go to the hospital, she made it clear that she wanted space for her and her husband, Chea to labor together. He was a rock for her, understanding the ebb and flow of the process. Encouraging her...

An essential intention of Tonya's life is the ability to live freely. This intention is how she prepared for her birth. Knowing she wanted her husband to have an active role in her support. They utilized the Bradley Birth method of childbirth education, as it as a focus on an unmedicated approach using partners as birthing coaches. Having financial freedom allowed her to build a birth team that ma...

Karabo joins us from South Africa to share her story of courage amid a changing world. She gave birth on April 6th, 2020, during the COVID-19 restrictions, which changed their birth plan so abruptly and drastically that it would alter all of her best-made plans. Karabo had a good pregnancy that encompassed the common discomforts and excitement of growing a new human and a family entail. Working as...

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. Knowing that it was important to get prenatal care still, Tara enrolled for...

This is a story about loss - In memory of Saul Throughout her life, Kimberly was told and thought that as long as you strive to do your best good things would happen to you. So she did that, followed the rules, followed the order of things - got an education, fell in love, got married, and then pregnant. In her mind, there was no reason for her to think that this next phase of her life wouldn't go...

Dasia Gant was proudly serving in the military as her family was starting to grow. Dasia’s expectations of pregnancy challenged her as she was once a stellar athlete who had thought she would continue to be active and work out. But pregnancy took a toll on her body that she was not ready for, although watching herself grow was still a beautiful time for her family. Little did she know that the emo...

Kayla Lucas shared her experiences with both of her sons after she had un-planned inductions. While neither experience was what she expected, she describes them as helping her dig within herself to find a voice to advocate for herself, her strength and determination. Aspects she hopes to encourage others to use in their own birthing experiences. Kayla described being diagnosed with hyperemesis, wh...

Codie describes her pregnancies and births as a full-circle experience. Even before being pregnant, she had always immersed herself in all things birth related. When Codie found out she was pregnant with her first child, she began looking deeper into all of her options about what her experience could be.  A disconnect for Codie was from all the births she had seen, read about, and heard of; these...

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 he...

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 he...

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. From the birth of their son resulting in an emergency c-section, the length of time it took for them to conceive, and Anique ha...

Do you know your birth story - do you know what your parent's experience was like bringing you forth into the world? For many, conversations about our own births occur once we are having our children, possibly much later than that. This episode was special in that our host's Laurel's mother, Lavita, shared her four birth stories. For Lavita, she expresses that all four of her pregnancies were heal...

When asked what image she saw in her mind of her family, Mela replied with, " I am the chief, and I am holding it down." At a young age, she realized how important art was to who she was and her growth. Utilizing that as a creative outlet has not only empowered her but lit the fire in her journey of motherhood. Her birth stories highlight the importance of representation in care and understanding...

Divine Nicholas is well versed in birth work support, not only from the spectrum of which her children were born - birth center to hospital transfer, homebirth, and unassisted births but also in how she has supported families. Her journey as a birth worker began after the birth of her second child, when she trained as a doula with the International Center for Traditional Childbearing (ICTC), under...

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. Danielle had become a certified doula and attended about 20 births in that capacity since her last personal birth. Things had changed, she’d seen a lot in sacred birth spaces. Some u...

Briara considers herself an intense planner. When she became pregnant it was definitely a shock. While it wasn't something she planned for, she immediately felt connected to her son and immersed herself in preparing for parenthood. Briara's birth however shifted in ways she hadn’t prepared for, such as pushing for two hours and delivering her son via a surgical birth. As we listen to her story, we...

Our stories begin at birth. Who we are, and our relationship with our families begins with, our journey in the womb and into the world. Brandy Wells CSW, LISW has taken that knowledge and is not only using it in her work as a social worker but also in her parenting with her husband, Maurice. Brandy shared the pregnancies and births of her three daughters. As you listen, you can connect with the in...

Uriah and her partner Nate found themselves dealing with all the complexities that parenthood can throw at you pretty early in their journey. About a month after starting their relationship, they found out they were expecting. Also, Nate was finishing medical school in Isreal, thus requiring prep for Uriah to travel late in her pregnancy, the need to find a new care provider in Isreal, while also...