Radical Doula

This is a series highlighting folks who identify as Radical Doulas. Are you interested in being part of the series? Go here to provide your responses to the profile questions and I’ll include you!

About Kayla: Currently living in Austin Texas, Kayla is from South Minneapolis, and has attended births in Flores, Guatemala, El Paso, Texas, and Austin Texas. She is a yoga instructor, dancer, slam poet, and a student Midwife. She was raised by a social worker and a community developer in a progressive and segregated city. She spent her earlier years working with poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign, collaborating with Philsbury House in Minneapolis as well as Kensington Welfare Rights Union in Kensington PA. After having had the opportunity to work with different communities in arenas of women’s health such as resource management, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, and sex work she realized she wanted to be able to have more of an affect on women’s reproductive health. After doing her midwifery training in El Paso at Maternidad la Luz in 2012-2013 and attending dozens of clients she moved to Austin for a position at Austin Area Birth Center. She had the opportunity to co-facilitate the Cultural Competency class to the students of MLL Fall 2013. Behind her midwifery training and passion resides her devotion to addressing whiteness/white privilege/racism/oppressive practices in the medical and midwifery world. She is developing herself as an ally and desires to see more white women sharing dialogue about such issues.

What inspired you to become a doula?
Health Disparities.

Why do you identify with the term radical doula?
I identify with the term radical doula because sometimes in the midst of midwives and doulas I feel like my language and passion need to be walking on egg shells. I identify with the term radical doula cause I am a white woman learning what is means to be a white midwife who wanted to become a midwife because of health disparities and the complexities of that identification. I consider myself a radical doula because I am always intersecting race/class/sexual orientation with birth experience because we can not be separated from our political bodies. I consider myself a radical doula because I see blatant racism practiced in all birthing environments I have worked in, in all institutions I have studied midwifery under and among preceptors, students, and myself throughout my pathway to midwifery-which in itself maybe isn’t radical-but realizing anti-racism work is just as important as contributing to decreasing health disparities and advoca ting for safe just birth. I also identify with being a radical doula in that I offer full-spectrum services with a main focus to meet individuals where they are in their reproductive health and offer the support they need with their individual care.

What is your doula philosophy and how does it fit into your broader political beliefs?
My doula/midwifery philosophy is looking at an individual wholely including her life experience, her political, sexual and spiritual identity as well as their desires, and needs so that they are met with the right support to give them the most control they can have over their pregnancy, birth, postpartum, miscarriage, abortion, and reproductive care. My doula/midwifery philosophy are not separate from my broader political beliefs.

What is your favorite thing about being a doula?
To be apart of individuals gaining more control or awareness of their bodies, minds and spirits, practicing anti-oppression work in the reproductive health arena and knowing that along everyone’s lineage there was always a midwife.

If you could change one thing about the experience of pregnancy and birth, what would it be?
Free quality care for all women that need it in the full spectrum arena, and to enforce on-going white privilege conferences specific to midwifery and reproductive health to all white individuals who desire to go into reproductive health.