Month: September 2010

Radical Doula Profiles: Marianne Bullock

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I first met Marianne at a conference a few years back in Western Massachusetts. Her work as a doula with incarcerated folks and her all-around radical politics have been an inspiration to me since then! I’m so happy to be highlighting her as part of this series.

This is a series highlighting folks who identify as Radical Doulas. Are you interested in being part of the series? Email me.

Photo of Marianne, long dark hair. Marianne Bullock is a mama to a wild 3 year old, doula and student who lives in Western Mass. She is Lead Doula with The Prison Birth Project providing full spectrum doula care. The Prison Birth Project is an organization focused on reproductive justice, working to provide support, education and advocacy with women and girls at the intersection of the criminal justice and motherhood. She has been a practicing doula for over 7 years and is currently pursuing a degree in Social Justice & Environmental Studies at a local college.

What inspired you to become a doula?

When I was 18 a good friend of mine got pregnant and decided to have the baby, most of my teen years had focused on supporting my friends through their decisions to NOT be pregnant-I was the friend who would always get the call looking for what the options were and often would be the one at the clinic supporting a friend through an abortion. So this was a totally different angle that I had never considered. I was there when she pushed her baby out in her living room and it totally blew me away, I couldn’t believe that was what birth REALLY looked like, not all the media images I had been brought up on.

What is your doula philosophy and how does it fit into your broader political beliefs?

I believe that all people have the right to family creation, bodily integrity and informed consent. I think being a Doula goes hand in hand with these beliefs, Im able to be an ally and an advocate as well as make really amazing friends . As a reproductive justice activist and feminist I thought I understood many of the intersections and dimensions of barriers that women and mothers face, then I got pregnant at a young(er) age (21) and quickly saw how fast those walls go up and the access gets closed down. Having support throughout the process of becoming a parent made all the difference in my life, and I believe that being a doula is a great balance of praxis for me.

What do you like most about being a doula?

Right now I work with an amazing organization I helped to start “The Prison Birth Project” I most enjoy the movement building work that I get to do behind the wall, basic political/reproductive justice education… and when it comes down to it I really just enjoy sitting around and watching birth videos with a bunch of pregnant people.

If you could change one thing about birth in the US, what would it be?

Ugh one? OK if I could change just one concrete thing, it would be that Midwifery (CPM/LPM) would be legal and recognized by all health insurance in every state. Im really so sick of my friends who don’t have access to money having their babies in hospitals when they don’t need to or want to.

California Governor Schwarzenegger vetoes anti-shackling bill

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Activists in California have been pushing hard to pass a piece of legislation, California Bill AB 1900, that would outlaw the shackling of pregnant incarcerated women in CA prisons.

The bill was particularly good because it also covered shackling during transport to appointments as well as labor and delivery. It had overwhelming support, as most of these bills have had, but Governor Schwarzenegger decided to veto the bill.

It’s a big disappointment, but the good news is there will be a new Governor in California come November and folks can try again.

Read more in this op-ed from one of the advocates of the bill.

Birth work and disability justice

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Disability and disability justice, as it intersects with broader social justice movements and particularly birth work, is something I have been thinking about for a while now, inspired by some amazing disability justice activists that I have come across. (h/t Mia Mingus, for example).

For those of us in the birthwork world (or reproductive justice more broadly) it’s extremely important to keep issues of disability in mind and as part of our practice as doulas. There are many types of disabilities which might impact what kind of birth a person has access to. For example I received an email not too long ago from a person with a mental health issue that required a type of medication.

Because of that mental health issue (and resultant medication) she was finding that she couldn’t go to the local birth center, because simply taking that medication to deal with her mental health issues ruled her out.

One could think of similar issues around access to certain types of birth settings (and even types of birth) for those who have physical disabilities that restrict their movement, or simply just make midwives or birth centers too afraid to provide care for them (because of liability, or ableism, or whatever the reason might be).

We all know that a fundamental problem with birth care today is that only the person with the “healthiest” most “ideal” pregnancy can have access to alternative birth settings and providers.

Continue reading →

New York Abortion Access Fund needs your help

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NYAAF is going broke. NYAAF is one of the many abortion funds around the country that have served as a grassroots safety net for folks of all incomes who can’t afford the abortion procedures they need. NYAAF needs your help. We’re in a recession, which means way more need from folks looking for procedures.

You may be thinking, but I don’t live in New York. Why should I support NYAAF and not my local abortion fund? Well, ideally, you’d support both. But, the women who come to New York City for abortions are from all over the country, because NYC is one of the more permissive states when it comes to abortions and has a wealth of providers (comparatively). So people who need them later in their pregnancy (maybe because they didn’t realize they were pregnant, because they were trying to scrounge up the thousands of dollars to afford the procedure, because they were afraid to tell their partners/friends/parents) have to come to NYC, from all over the country, for their procedures.

Think about it. On top of the procedure costs, there are travel costs as well. Many of these people look to NYAAF for help–they are really a fund that serves folks needing abortions from all over the country.

The other great thing about NYAAF is that it’s volunteer run–which means almost all of what you donate goes straight to the folks who need it. Barely any administrative costs.

That’s where you come in. I just donated $25 to help NYAAF. Can you chip in?

It’s been a tough year for everyone, and especially low-income folks whProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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e health care plans don’t cover the procedures they need (thanks Henry Hyde).

If you’re in NYC, there is a happy hour tonight next week to raise funds. Or if not, you can donate here.

Two Texas volunteer doula programs

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Thanks to the folks who emailed me about volunteer doula programs, we’ve got a few new ones listed!

Project H.A.P.P.Y. in Dallas Texas and Giving Austin Labor Support in Austin Texas.

Check out the resource page for programs around the country (now up to 30 and counting!).

As always if you have ones to add, please email them to me.

A labor day fundraiser: Bringing doula care to low-income folks

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Hi everyone! I’m finally (and a bit reluctantly) back from vacation month. I hope everyone is enjoying the official end of summer this weekend.

Peggy from Open Arms Perinatal Services emailed me about a labor day fundraiser. Open Arms is a volunteer doula group based in the Seattle area that provides doula care (culturally matched!) to low-income folks. One thing that’s great about Open Arms is they pay their doulas the market rate, and the clients are able to access the services free of charge.

While we all volunteer our time, this type of volunteering without income is not accessible for all of us. I appreciate that Open Arms works to provide doula care to low income folks AND understands that not all doulas are able to work for free.

They are fundraising for exactly this–the funds to provide doula care to low-income folks–in honor of labor day.

They’re about $1400 away from their goal of raising enough to provide doula care to five pregnant folks.

Can you chip in in honor of labor day?