Homecoming Podcast

Our co-host Chae Pounds just had a baby this March 2021! Chae and her husband Mensa tell us the story of Masara Mensah who was born at home. Chae is a mother of 4 and an apprentice midwife in New Orleans who also works with Birthmark Doula Collective. Mensa is a father, recording artist, school teacher, and an advocate of homebirth. Their story addresses iron-deficiency anemia in pregnancy, planning an unassisted birth also known as a family birth, prodromal labor, the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on postpartum, a postpartum "soup diet" and how even when birth is normal we can become anxious or overwhelmed by what's happening.

Isis and Chae interview Talise and her husband Arsalaan (formerly known as Deron). All 6 of their children were born at home including their surprise breech twins! Talise Xavier, of Atlanta, Georgia, is a wife, mother of six, author, and homemaker. Talise uses her birth experiences and expertise to help empower other women as a Natural pregnancy, Breastfeeding, and Postpartum care advocate. Her mission is to encourage women to birth their way, re-normalize natural homebirth, and educate women about their pregnancy and birthing options. Talise’s book,  “Home is Where The Birth Is: The Stories of my 6 Homebirths and How You Can Do it Too [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1704081637/ref=cm_sw_r_pi_dp_Kj58FbH73S5GR],” is now available for purchase on Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1704081637/ref=cm_sw_r_pi_dp_Kj58FbH73S5GR]. Get in Touch with Talise Facebook: Talise Homebirth Queen [https://www.facebook.com/talisehomebirth.queen/] Instagram: @TaliseTheHomebirthQueen [https://www.instagram.com/talisethehomebirthqueen/] Email: talisemotherofsix@gmail.com [talisemotherofsix@gmail.com]

TRIGGER WARNING: Mention of miscarriage, abortion, D&C and blood loss. This episode features Ellenie Cruz. Ellenie’s homebirth story is special because it centers her miscarriage which she frames not as a pregnancy loss but rather a gain. Through her experience, Ellenie saw the impact and importance of community and of birth work. She also recognizes that birthing people who experience miscarriage still require postpartum care!  Ellenie is a New Orleans-based educator, artist, poet, doula, student midwife, herbalist, and reiki master. She promotes ancestral practices to heal self, family, and community. Ellenie is the founder of Ascencion Art, the organizer of the NOLA herb gathering, and the Atabey School of Cultural Healing where she teaches herbalism classes to self-identified BIPOC. Follow her @asc3nsion_art [https://www.instagram.com/asc3nsion_art/] and @oshunsgarden [https://www.instagram.com/oshunsgarden/]

Isis and Chae interview Dr. Dana-Ain Davis who discusses her book Reproductive Injustice [https://www.amazon.com/Reproductive-Injustice-Pregnancy-Premature-Anthropologies/dp/1479853577], as well as how medicalized childbirth is an extension of slavery, how racism is a risk factor for all Black birthing people, and why we need more radical birth workers.

In this Season 3 premiere episode, Isis and Chae interview Nubia Martin a Black midwife based in Yonkers, NY. Nubia is the proud mother of 5 -- two daughters and three sons. Her first 2 babies were born in the hospital. And her last 3 were born at home with midwives. After seeing a need in her community, Nubia has actively worked to fill that need by providing necessary childbirth education, lactation support, and now midwifery care to a population that has been historically disenfranchised and to this day still feels the effects of segregation and racial health disparities. Her organization, Birth from the Earth, Inc., activates and engages the community through perinatal education, comprehensive trainings, inclusion, and holistic care. For more information please visit her website [https://birthfromtheearth.vpweb.com/] and follow her on instagram @birthfromtheearth [https://www.instagram.com/birthfromtheearth/]. Art of Birthing [https://birthfromtheearth.vpweb.com/] Reproductive Injustice: Racism, Pregnancy, and Premature Birth by Dana-Ain Davis [https://nyupress.org/9781479853571/reproductive-injustice/]