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Podcast
The American Midwife Series In this episode Ms. Shafia shares her journey to becoming a midwife and creating ICTC. We begin by exploring her introduction to birth at 16 years old, then move into the inception story of The Traditional Childbearing group located in Roxbury, Massachusetts, which she started with Majeeda Amadadeen (Workneh), eventually journeying…
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Breaking News for Black Owned Doula Training Companies
New Doula Legislation May Impact Your Business Based on federal and state doula legislations that are brewing and passing, Mama Hakima Payne and Shafia Monroe felt the need to bring owners of Black doula training companies together. There is increasing legislation happening at the state and federal level for the advancement and regulation of the…
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Help Black Mothers Get Maternal Care
How We Can Help Black Mothers Get the Maternal Care They Need? In the United States, 700 to 900 women die from pregnancy or childbirth-related causes annually, and approximately 65,000 experience serious, near-fatal complications. Even more sobering, the Center for American Progress (CAP) reports that Black women are three to four times more likely to…
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Collective Power to Save Black Mothers
Black Maternal Health Conference & Training Institute “Collective Power to Save Black Mothers” I was excited to attend the Black Maternal Health Conference & Training Institute on December 6-9, 2018 in Atlanta, GA. Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA) sponsored this conference. And what a dynamic alliance. The conference’s purpose was to advance Black maternal health,…
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Launching Your Birth Work Using A Non-Profit
Creating a Non-Profit for Your Birth Work Thirty-plus years ago, I made the decision to find a way to serve families as a midwife. It was stressful doing birth work and working a traditional job. In my hiring interview, I told the employer that I was a midwife/birth worker; and that I could not predict…
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The Power of Touch: Massage During Labor
Massage and touch can be a powerful and effective tool for helping women during childbirth. The use of massage is not a new concept. The earliest record of massage therapy dates back to 2400 BCE in the Tomb of Akmanthor. It has been indicated that massage was also used in ancient India, China, and Japan (Modern…
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Postpartum Care and Moroccan Mint Tea
On May 4th, I arrived in Tangier, Morocco for the Tribal Sisterhood Retreat. I attended the retreat to learn Moroccan postpartum rituals. I was excited to participate and to learn the wisdom from traditional midwives and elder healers. My life’s work is to heal trauma and bring spirituality back full circle in birth, by connecting…
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The Danger of Preeclampsia
Why Is Preeclampsia Dangerous? Preeclampsia is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality, particularly in the Black community. Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-induced condition that can begin as early as 20 weeks gestation. Science is still seeking both causes and solutions to preeclampsia. “Preeclampsia and eclampsia are part of the spectrum of high blood pressure, or hypertensive, disorders that can occur during…
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Ending Black U.S. Maternal Mortality
Ending Black U.S. Maternal Mortality by Trusting Black Women and responding to their needs. Maternal mortality can be prevented with self-advocacy, and using midwives and doulas, both in hospitals and at home.
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Babies Don’t Cry In Africa
Attending To Baby’s Needs “African Parenting Styles We Like,” expands parenting as a cultural framework and not an individual concept. The US creates parenting guidelines that do not necessarily meet the cultural views or practices of many communities or cultures that parent in America. Comparison In “African Parenting Styles We Like,” African parenting is compared…
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“Women Making History in Portland,” mural at N Interstate and N Harding Ave. Shafia Monroe, top right holding infant.
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