We’re a growing movement ya’ll

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It’s been almost four years since I entered into the world of blogging, and almost six since I became a doula and a birth activist.

And you know what? We’re a seriously expanding movement.

It’s been absolutely amazing to watch. Since starting this blog to try and connect with other radically-minded, pro-choice, activist doulas, since collaborating with Mary and Lauren on the seeds of what have become a flourishing Doula Project in NYC, from writing this first article about some of the pioneers of the abortion doula movement.

So much has changed in such a short time.

Let’s break it down:

First of all, the birth activist movement is blowing up. We’ve got doulas coming out of our ears, amazing fired up midwives and birth activists pushing for better access to midwifery care, improved policies in hospitals, insurance coverage of midwives and home birth and doulas. We’ve got parents around the country waking up to the bad state of birth in the US, and trying to change it. We’ve got a movement of folks trying to eradicate the inhumane practice of shackling incarcerated women. We’ve got prison doula projects, volunteer doula projects, all sorts of birth activism.

Then we’ve got this amazing community of “full spectrum” doulas–folks like you and me who have a radical intersectional view of their doula work, who want to support folks in every phase of pregnancy: birth, abortion, adoption, miscarriage, even other basic reproductive health services like colposcopy.

Thanks to the amazing work of the Doula Project NYC, there are doula projects popping up around the country–in at least 4 other cities and counting.

A lot of the folks involved in this movement have been doulas for a long time, and are now expanding their services. But many of them, like me, are young, childless activists (many from the reproductive justice movement) who have been called to doula work because of this amazing intersectional stuff happening. How rad is that? I had someone tell me at an event recently–I thought all doulas were hippy earth mamas with long flowing skirts, until I met you. We’re queerer than ever before, more diverse than ever before.

We’re changing the face of birth activism every single day.

Laurel Ripple Carpenter from Cuntastic (and one of the first Radical Doula Profiles) just launched a social networking site for all of these amazing doulas, the Full Spectrum Doula Network. Check it out. Join, connect with other bad-ass doulas like yourself and let’s keep this movement growing.

I feel blessed to be a part of this amazing new wave of activism. From profiling all the amazing doulas on this blog, to helping to found the Doula Project in NYC, to coming back to the project (yay!) after years away and getting to be part of the work of a full spectrum doula again, it’s amazing to be here and to work with all of you.

So let’s keep this work going ya’ll. For serious.

Radical Doula Profiles: Brandi Jorgenson

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

Brandi, smiling with red hair and christmas tree in the background

About Brandi:

I have spent my life around children and families, as a nanny, a daycare provider, and friend. I decided to go down the path of becoming a Doula because I feel that the birth of a child is a truly magical and wonderful process that should be celebrated and enjoyed. I wanted to offer my strength and wisdom to those who need and want it. My Site http://www.birthingservice.com and email Brandi@birthingservice.com.

What inspired you to become a doula?

In all my work with children and families it seemed the common emotion that kept coming up was how stressful, crazy and out of control the moms felt in labor, I wanted to find a way to help. Then i discovered DONA and started my path.

Why do you identify with the term radical doula?

Because I do things differently than most, I came from a very birth positive place in Oregon to a very medical birth place in Iowa and I still want to maintain the care and respect that all mothers deserve.

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

I believe that a woman should be able to birth where ever she chooses, when ever she chooses, and with whom she chooses. Birth is magical and wonderful, and as a doula it is my goal to help establish and keep that positive energy.

What is your favorite thing about being a doula?

The emotional aspect, the range of motions a woman feels during the processes of pregnancy, labor, and birth is truly amazing.

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

I would make birth in the US, more family centric, the family the father and mother should be free to do there own thing and have all the support they need to achieve their wishes.

Happy Coming Out Day!

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Happy National Coming Out Day!

There is a meme right now on Facebook to post your “Coming Out Anthem” in honor of National Coming Out Day. This isn’t my current anthem, but it was one of the first songs that I heard when I was starting on my coming out path…

It’s important for those of us who are safe and able to be out and proud when we can, because we know it makes things better for those who come after us.

I am out in my writing, online, and in life, mostly because as a gender non-conforming person I might as well have a rainbow tattoed on my forehead.

But that’s a choice I can make because I’m independent and supported by my community.

Not all of us have that choice, which is why we celebrate days like this.

It reminds us that coming out is a privilege, one that we hope will be afforded to everyone, everywhere, one day.

New article at The Frisky on the benefits of doulas

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I have an article up over at The Frisky (tagline: Life. Love. Stars. Style) about being a doula.

I don’t love the framing of it (it’s for a column called “Girl Talk”). A big part of why I started this blog was to talk about queer and gender issues in the birth community–something we’ve got a long way to go on. But I also believe in the mission of talking about doulas to all sorts of audiences, particularly ones who might not know about us. So there you go.

Here is an excerpt:

Usually, when I tell people that I’m a doula I get two questions. The first: How do you spell that? And the second: Isn’t that like a midwife?

The concept of doula, at least in the way I use it, is relatively new. The word itself comes from ancient Greek, meaning “helper” or “woman slave,” but it’s been adopted in the last 40 or so years to refer to someone who provides support to women during pregnancy and childbirth. The support a doula provides ranges from emotional cheerleading to massages and acupressure to aromatherapy and meditation. It runs a wide gamut of all things non-pharmacological, a unique service for women giving birth mostly in hospitals.

Read the rest over at The Frisky.

Radical Doula Profiles: Kristen Treat

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

Kristen with baby in black and white

Kristen Treat, is a childbirth educator, labor doula and postpartum support. In addition to her birth work she is also a certified school counselor and an adjunct graduate professor. She is active with the local La Leche League and works to empower all women to birth on their own terms. She is the mother of three children, three year old twin boys and a one year old daughter. She is known locally as the ‘Baby Lady’ a running joke that evolved into her business name ‘The Omaha Baby Lady.’

http://www.omahababylady.com

http://www.facebook.com/omahadoula

twitter @omahababylady

What inspired you to become a doula?

I was first a scared pregnant mama. I was terrified of birth and scared that my twin pregnancy would result in disaster. Therefore I was grateful my doctor suggested a cesarean birth. Two years later after much soul searching and research I chose another path for the birth of my daughter. After my empowering natural VBAC I knew need a way to harnass my newfound passion for birth. I began teaching childbirth classes and was saddened by how some of my students were being treated or worse that some couldn’t find a doula based on their birth situations and decided that no matter what every women deserved the right to have the birth of her choice and I was going to support her!

Why do you identify with the term radical doula?

In many ways I don’t think how I doula is all that radical. I simply support all women in the birth of their choice, with the partner of their choice, in the place of their choice. If a woman is giving birth, I will support her, period.

I often hear from clients that other doulas refused to work with them due to their doctor, their birth history, their sexual orientation, religious beliefs etc. I guess what makes me ‘radical’ is I simply cannot imagine ever telling a woman that she doesn’t deserve my support in her birth.

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

As a doula I believe that every woman has the right to birth in whatever manner she wants. She should have the rights to make her own choices not encumbered by scare tactics, while being presented with evidence based information to help give her information to make these choices. Whatever choices she makes are hers to make and they deserve to be supported. Politically I support the right of a woman to give birth where ever and with whomever she chooses, I do not believe the state has any role in a women’s birth issues.

What is your favorite thing about being a doula?

Hearing that moment of empowerment in a woman as she truly realizes that not only can she do it, but that she IS doing it and that soon her baby will be in her arms. That moment is a true life changing moment in that woman’s life and to get to glimpse it is just magic.

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

Just one? That every woman in America had a doula, serving as an advocate to help navigate the murky waters of maternity care and help be their guide during the prenatal stages setting the stage for their personal best birth.

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.