I have decided to start a blog about all things birth and female health related. So I guess you should know a little bit about me! I have worked as a doula, child birth educator, and peer lactation consultant for over six years. I am a mother of three, 1 c-section, 1 VBAC @ a birth center, and 1 HBAC where I caught my own baby as he came out! (more on those stories later) I also work as a special educator and am very interested in the correlation between birth practices and the rising incidences of disabilities.
I am a practicing Muslim and there is a really is not much written from an Islamic perspective as a birth worker and I really wanted to change that. I am also an African-American and I’m not seeing enough written about the large health disparities with black babies in this country! Even correcting for education and socio-economic status, black babies die 2-3X more than their white counterparts. The United States is ranked 60th (further down from 50th!) in maternal mortality. We are just one of eight countries to see a RISE in maternal mortality. We are triple the rate of the U.K. (who use a midwifery based system). See this great summative article on the topic. All these issues, plus the fact there is always so much more that I want to share with my clients that I can fit in our monthly visits! 🙂 This blog is going to be a little bit of everything… I hope you come along for the ride and enjoy!