Doula Stories

Season Finale

(Recorded in the fall of 2021, released in Jan 2022) Ajira and Keelia wrap up the season by sharing what they've been up to, and recommending their favorite birth/reproductive justice-related podcasts and resources. If you want to follow along on Ajira's or Keelia's personal journeys or learn more about their offerings, you can find Ajira @ajira on IG or on their website (www.ajiradarch.com [http://www.ajiradarch.com]), and Keelia is @doulakeelia on IG and their website is doulakeelia.com Ajira & Keelia's favorite podcasts (in no particular order): - Birthright, hosted by Kimberley Seals Allers: birthrightpodcast.com - Masculine Birth Ritual, hosted by Grover Wehman-Brown: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/masculine-birth-ritual/id1435005594 - BirthBruja, hosted by Eri Guajardo-Johnson: https://www.birthbruja.com/birth-bruja-podcast.html - Birth Stories in Color, hosted by Laurel Gourrier and Danielle Jackson: https://www.birthstoriesincolor.com/ - Sisters in Loss, hosted by Erica McAfee: sistersinloss.com All feature BIPOC birthworkers being amazing. Some use gendered language. If you want more doula stories, check out Romper's Doula Diaries available on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RompersDoulaDiaries/ Instagram accounts to follow for more amaazing BIPOC birthworkers and decolonizing birthwork (in no particular order): @sumistouch @queerbirthworker @birthbruja @bipocaspiringmidwives @theblackdoula @doctor_midwife Also check out the Irth app: "The only app where you can find prenatal, birthing, postpartum and pediatric reviews of care from other Black and brown women. The #1 “Yelp-like” platform for the pregnancy and new motherhood journey, made by and for people of color. Search doctor and hospital reviews from your community! Leave a review today to help inform and protect others!" Learn more at https://irthapp.com/ or download the app on iPhone or Android. Special thanks again to Cameron Sharpe, Chris Alder, Tali Perelman, and Alyssa Codamon.

When Your Client Is a Survivor of Sexual Assault

Eri Guajardo Johnson (she/they) and Micaela McHenry (or Mickey, she/her/ella) share the inspiring story of what it was like for them to support a fellow Indigenous person through their empowering birth experience. With Eri as birth consultant for survivors of trauma, and Micaela in the doula role, the two worked together and witnessed the healing power of birth and community for their client. Eri Guajardo Johnson is a queer, bi-racial birthworker, rape crisis peer counselor, holistic wellness coach, community organizer, and host of the Birth Bruja Podcast. They are based on unceded Anishinaabe and Potawatomi land, in what is now known as the metro Detroit area of Michigan. If you'd like to connect with Eri, you can follow them on Instagram at @birthbruja or visit their website, birthbruja.com Micaela McHenry is a mixed Indigenous full spectrum doula. Her focus is on BIPOC birthing people and Indigenous traditions from her direct lineages (she carries both Native American and Native Mexican ancestry) and birth-centered activism. Her life goal is to make a positive impact in her community and the families she works with by focusing deeply on the decolonization of wellness spaces. She is based on unceded Anishnaabe and Potawatomi land, in what is now known as the metro Detroit area of Michigan. If you'd like to connect with Micaela or learn more about her, you can follow her on Instagram @bossa_novaaa, and her website sageandrebozos.com You can follow the Doula Stories podcast on Facebook or Instagram @DoulaStories or learn more on their website, doulastories.com

When You Support Clients in-Person, and by Changing the System

Often the support we provide as birthworkers is only part of the picture. Most of the time our clients need support from the healthcare system, not just from their designated support person. In this episode, Ari Stoeffler (they/them) shares three short stories about the ways they've provided individual support and systemic support in abortion care, and in gender affirming hormone therapy. Episode transcript available at DoulaStories.com Resources that Ari recommends are the following: for those in the local Boston area, you can learn more about the Boston Abortion Support Collective at bostonabortionsupportcollective.org For abortion-related resources, Ari recommends the National Network of Abortion Funds (abortionfunds.org), the National Abortion Federation (prochoice.org), and Planned Parenthood (plannedparenthood.org). You cannect with Ari on facebook at facebook.com/ari.stoeffler (their name will show up as Arami Tessa). You can follow the Doula Stories podcast on Facebook or Instagram @DoulaStories or learn more at DoulaStories.com ID: Ari is smiling outdoors with a flower tucked behind their ear. Overlayed on the photo are captions for the audio: "Ari: People were able to come in and get the care that they needed in a way that was more proactive. The intention of what we created was to make sure that we recognized the gap in care and addressed it in a way that both allowed the patient to be seen by the people that they needed to be seen by, but also did not negatively impact every other patient. And I think that's really where the system stuff gets hard, is like: how do you do this sustainably so that every person who needs to be seen can be seen without taking away resources? And so that was the challenge, was figuring out how to add a resource, and support patients, and also make sure that the clinic was being supported as well. Keelia: Right."

When You're in the Birth Room Trying to Hold in a Laugh, or a Fart

From body fluid spills to cringey moments with clients, Ajira and Keelia share several short stories about funny happenings in the birth room from their own and other birthworkers' experiences. A huge thank you, again, to everyone who submitted a short story. You can follow the Doula Stories podcast on Facebook @DoulaStoriesPodcast or on Instagram @DoulaStories You can also learn more and find episode transcripts on their website: doulastories.com [http://doulastories.com/]

When Your Postpartum Clients Need to Talk About Politics

Divya Kumar (she/her) shares about providing support to a group of new parents in the lead up and aftermath of the 2016 presidential election. After noticing that the group shared fears around raising children during a tumultuous political season, Divya created a space where the families could support each other with those concerns alongside asking for advice about bottles and naps. While holding space for those conversations, though, Divya felt her own vulnerabilities arise as a BIPOC, and learned how to show up for her clients while also showing up for herself. Divya is a therapist based in unceded Massachusett land, in what is now known as Boston, MA. If you'd like to connect with Divya, you can follow her on Instagram at @bothbrownand_ Resources that Divya recommends to both parents and doulas are Postpartum Support International which you can access at postpartum.net, and the Perinatal Mental Health Alliance for People of Color which you can learn more about at pmhapoc.org You can follow the Doula Stories podcast on Facebook or Instagram @DoulaStories or learn more on their website, doulastories.com