Your BIRTH Partners

Gearing up for a presentation at the Mom and Baby Action Network conference.

We'll be sharing on a panel with the co-authors of our article calling for nurses to recognize their role in stopping obstetric violence. Excited to share with and about our work together and have the panel moderated by the one and only 🙌 this panel is going to be so powerful!!

Shared understanding is so important to make change and move forward. Check out the whole handout in our bio!!

We are so excited by the work Momma's Voices is doing to provide training, support, and opportunities for parents to share their stories!

One of the cornerstones of our education programs is having folks with lives experience share and educate, and they are such powerful narratives and always a highlight for participants 🔥🙌

We welcome this opportunity to provide more support for parents working with our organization and to meet more folks with a story to share!
..and if you're a parent who's shared your story with us in our programs before, get ready for an email coming about this 👀







Reposted We are proud to partner with Your BIRTH Partners' and support their vision for the future of birth care communities around the US can get to a place where diverse opinions, experiences, education, and training are honored & celebrated.

Welcome ✨💗

Exciting news over here at YBP as our childbirth education program centering the perspectives, experiences, and needs of Black families adds a new mentor: Pansay Tayo of Sacred Butterfly Births

We're so looking forward to seeing the impact of Pansay's wisdom and warmth as she continues to offer childbirth education and support programs with our sponsorship.

We know that every family deserves access to childbirth education and providing financial accessibility of resources, mentorship, and support is one aspect towards addressing the racism-driven disparities seen in birth care.

is on our hearts EVERY week. We are grateful for our incredible Imperative instructors who keep this program growing!

Reach out to Pansay via Sacred Butterfly Births to talk more about upcoming classes and get a registration link!

That's it. That's the post.

But really...this is the mindset shift that will make trauma-informed care the foundation of birth care. We need to let go of what we've been told about who is "deserving" of trauma-informed care and offer trauma-informed practices to EVERY person.

We've been having some great conversations in our tauma-informed care trainings we've been leading with birthworkers and clinicians and care workers across the state of Maryland.

This is the takeaway that resonates with folks time and again:

We do not need to reserve trauma-informed care for *certain* people

We do not need to get a disclosure from someone about past trauma to provide it.

We can use these practices and the principles of trauma-informed care to support each individual and meet their needs!

Have you thought about trauma-informed care this way before? If so, what helped you make this mindset shift? If not, what questions do you have?

Thank you for amplifying the concerns that so many birthworkers of color have shared over the last several months.

We have talked a lot about examining our biases over the years-this is an opportunity to reflect and align our actions.

Reposted: Today I call in all birthworkers and organizations that hold power and positionality...

Where within your thousands, and sometimes, millions of followers, is your call out to your community members, your group members, your mentees, your newsletter subscribers, your program and merch buyers, those who adorn your titles, certifications, credentials, badges and sensationalize, share, quote and live by your words within their birthwork identity?

Your influence is known and your reach is far and your impact is great yet the messages of what you stand for have been lost in translation when applied to the lives of the Palestinian people being massacred by genocide. This cannot be.

Let’s reflect back to 2020 when many birthworkers and birthwork organizations wrote anti racism statements, filled DEI board positions, collaborated with, and recorded podcasts with BIPOC birthworkers, some ongoing and lucrative, yet BIPOC birthworkers are being silenced and cancelled when they show up to talk about Palestine, when it should be you, me, everyone and anyone like us. Where is the commitment to anti racism now?

Privileged birthworker silence reinforces that the basic hierarchy of needs of the Palestine people are different to the safety, needs, rights, autonomy, advocacy and physiology of birthing people that you and others like you, strive to support. Birthwork is a free Palestine. A free Palestine is reproductive justice. We don’t get to pick and choose.

Privileged birthworker silence strengthens this disconnect and gives the masses who uphold you, a perceived sense of safety in their continued silence. You are silent so it’s safe for others to remain silent, for had you spoken, your words would have been given weight and would have been rendered of value to be shared.

Birthworker silence is violence
Unchecked birthworker privilege is violence
Own what you need to do to end your silence

Gratitude post!

We've been pretty quiet on social media this year and that's in large part because so much writing effort has been happening trying to bring these conversations we've had on the podcast or at conferences or in IG stories into academic or "scholarly" journals.

We see the traction building in perinatal care. We know people are ready to flip the script and challenge hospital cultural norms to provide better care. AND we know that so many decisions makers need to see *published* work to believe in something. So, we'll keep pushing on this front.

This image is a snippet of a table we created documenting 56 articles we reviewed and synthesized to call out and make it easier for clinicians to recognize the way some of our routine care practices harm the people we're trying to care for. This type of work is emotionally draining and would be incredibly lonely to do by oneself.

To the best co-authors: thank you for taking the time to prioritize this with me against a tight end of year deadline and create a really powerful call out of the culture of

Keep your fingers crossed with us that it'll be coming to a nursing journal near you in early 2024 🤞

ID: a long skinny table in black and white is diagonal across a grey background with illegible words split into rows and columns. Bubble text on top reads "thanks for jumping on the ride, Mandy, Paula, and Cristen {tags}" and "56 articles was...a lot. However, grateful to see so much global scholarship in the last few years calling out obstetric violence"

Amazing FREE training is coming for anyone who cares for pregnant, birthing, or postpartum people in MARYLAND!

We are diving into trauma-informed care throughout the perinatal period with powerful case studies facilitated by and The Birth Nurse

Great opportunity to examine your practice and connect with other Maryland birthworkers who are excited for and working towards a trauma-informed standard of care! We would love to see a great mix of community-based and clinical care providers coming together for this. No matter your role, you're welcome! Students too!

THREE dates to choose from-don't miss it! Share with a friend so you can process it together 😊

Find more details to register: https://marylandpatientsafety.org/perinatal/

ID: Teal background with white text reads "Calling Maryland Birthworkers!" and a purple arrow points to a flyer sharing about an event called "The Power of Cultivating Trauma-Informed Relationships: How Birth Workers can Use Trauma-Informed Strategies to Improve Perinatal Outcomes". The events are Free, Virtual, and Open to All Birthworkers in Maryland. The program overview is provided with the 3 learning objectives to: Appreciate the evidence on screening for trauma and universal trauma-informed care, Integrate foundational principles to foster a trauma-informed practice, and Advocate with birthing clients to improve perinatal outcomes. It is sponsored by a grant from the Maryland Department of Health in conjunction with the University of Maryland School of Nursing and Maryland Patient Safety Center. Three training dates are provided on Jan 11, 2024 8-10am, Jan 29, 2024 4-6pm, and Feb 23, 2024 12-2p.

I really enjoyed creating this presentation and chatting through our identity as nurses.

Can't wait to chat with attendees about it 👏

Don't miss the deets to register!

Reposted Let's explore the role of labour and delivery nurses and their significant impact on patient care! Learn from Maggie Runyon, MSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM during "Not Handmaiden or Hero: The Impact of Nursing Identity on Nurse-Patient Relationship and Care"! 
 
This presentation is part of our GOLD Learning Labour & Delivery Online Symposium 2023. Kicking off on October 16, this event brings together 9 expert speakers with the most up-to-date research and recommendations. 
 
For all the details and to register, click the link in our bio, visit GOLDLearning.com, or send us a message! 
 
#

Thank you

That's it. That's the post.

Ps that goes the same for all of the rest of us involved in birthwork 👀

Breaking news: this article is out and, if I don't say so myself it is 🔥🔥🔥

This is a callout because I am a nurse and because I believe in the power of nurses to lead change.

We can do so much more to prevent and

This is the culmination of so many conversations and texts and IG stories with & pulling all the pieces together to decide how to understand our complicity and inspire nurses to take action to change our current birth care practices.

I know it's hard to see how our "standard care" causes trauma for so many birthing people.

I know we are exhausted from working in a system that often shows us little love in return.

I know we don't want birth to be like this.

I know we want better for our patients.

I know we want better for ourselves.

I know we can create better care together, & , far and wide.

Here's to a

Really excited to be sharing about this topic and diving in with other birth nurses!

This topic had come together after so many conversations with friends and colleagues and exploring our identities, biases, and relationships with patients through the podcast. I can't wait!

Reposted Join us at the GOLD Learning Labour & Delivery Online Symposium 2023 with Maggie Runyon , MSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM! 
 
"Not Handmaiden or Hero: The Impact of Nursing Identity on Nurse-Patient Relationship and Care" connects you to important insights into nursing and the role of nurses. We'll be covering the history of nursing, the impact of saviorism on nurse-patient relationships, how to develop advocacy and autonomy, and more! 
 
This symposium connects you to 9 hours of accredited education from expert speakers beginning October 16.  
 
For all the details and to register, click the link in our bio, visit www.GOLDLearning.com, or send us a message!    
    

So...a few months back we posted about rest and then we took some social media rest ourselves!

It felt good to be able to focus on other deep work, but we missed connecting with you!

When advocacy work often feels heavy, there are so many uplifting moments along the way. We'd love to focus on that today 🤩

Let us know:

What is bringing you JOY right now?

An activity?

A community?

A book?

A relationship?

A place?

ID: Joy question overlaid on purple and teal botanical outline on grey background with YBP floral logo.

GIVEAWAY ALERT! Soooo very excited to see this book published!

Baby Making for Everybody is here!!

A huge congrats and thank you to Ray Refuge Midwifery & Marea Restore Midwifery for creating and sharing this guide with us. Look at this beautiful book. I am so excited to have a copy in my hands and to see the care that has gone into crafting this book to be inclusive, warm, and informational.

This is an incredible resource for q***r people looking to grow their families and for the care providers looking to walk alongside them on this journey.

Drop a comment below and share one thing you're excited to learn more about for a chance to win! Random winner will be drawn at the end of the weekend.

And if you're too excited to wait, click here to purchase: https://www.babymakingforeverybody.com/

ID: Giveaway in large white letters with picture of book cover with title, and colorful drawings of q***r families. IG author tags on blue-grey background with a teal swoop on the right and the YBP circular logo with succulents.

Wow! Just wrapping up an incredible time of connecting and learning with perinatal advocates all over the country at the conference.

An honor to share a stage with .momma & as they shared about the experiences of families and the IMPERATIVE of accessible, equitable childbirth education! We are so excited to watch this program continue to grow. We just supported our 100th family 🙌

The four of us shared hours and hours of conversation around birth, life, death, spirituality, growing, and learning. So grateful for the community! ❤️

Ending this with a reflection on a slide shared by as we consider all that is going on in the world, the cost of it, and how we are stepping forward to care for each other through it!

One week from today! Don't miss out on the chance to register for this FREE conference "Centering the Role of Nurses and Midwives in Address the Black Maternal Health Crisis" from Black Maternal Health Conference

Details right here: https://www.accelevents.com/e/bmhc2023

Throwing it back to last season with this gem from the inimitable Sacred Butterfly Births

Thank you, Pansay for demonstrating the power of authenticity in connecting with clients to support them.

We aren't meant to be saviors and we don't have to have it all figured out to show up and hold space and collectively navigate the human experience.

How do you feel being vulnerable with clients?

Is it hard or unnatural?

Is this something you've developed in your own practice?

ID: picture of Pansay looking strongly at camera on left. Text next to photo: On the power of vulnerability and receiving client feedback: "one of the main reasons why I chose you is because you do not pretend to be perfect." ~Pansay Tayo, Doula & Spirtual Ritualist
Ep 72 at bottom and in bottom right corner Your BIRTH Partners circular logo with name in purple & teal with various succulents in bottom right of circle on blue-grey background

YBP is thrilled to be sharing more about our Imperative program at this year's !

Thanks to Denise Bolds Baby, Please & .Momma on IG for repping Evidence Based Birth and the in their communities and in this presentation! We are so excited to share takeaways from our program, lessons learned, and resources for countering and promoting Black joy in birth.

There's still time to join us and National Perinatal Association in Chapel Hill...let us know if you'll be there and drop by our exhibitor booth to connect!

All the details to register here: npaconference.org

This we're highlighting the work of Regina Jackson & Saira Rao, founders of Race2Dinner to decenter whiteness in conversations about women's and reproductive rights.

White folks, go grab your *FREE* copy from Third Eye Books Accessories & Gifts LLC Black Indie bookstore: https://tinyurl.com/7nckz37z

This one is so powerful.

Thank you, for the call-out and steps for how to walk through this process.

This episode includes a lot of vulnerability and hard truths about how white supremacy and white birthworkers have shaped the face of birth in the US.

Allison invites us all to turn in to understand ourselves, our biases, and our motivations for doing this work so we can create change.

Acknowledge.
Forgive.
Commit.

What does this bring up for you?

ID: white and teal background with purple highlighted text, which reads "Many of us have resistance to doing inner work and understanding how we have been complicit in and benefited from oppressive systems, but it's achievable:
1st: Acknowledge the need to do it, And we have to be willing to acknowledge our vulnerability.
2nd: forgive ourself for things that we have not done as well as we could, and for things that we could not control.
3rd: commit to Identifying what we can take ownership of and what we can be responsible for changing."
From Allison Tate,Birth Companion in episode 71 of Your BIRTH Partners podcast.

The Maryland Patient Safety Center has some great offerings coming up over the next few months!

Check them out to learn more about Safe Nurse Staffing, Enhancing Safe Care, Perinatal Med Safety Risks, Fetal Monitoring Safety, & Documentation Tips.

To see more details and register: https://my.mtr.cool/gmwagykgrm

ID: flyer from the Maryland Patient Safety Center advertising their five upcoming perinatal learning opportunities on a teal background.

This remains one of my favorite interviews. I appreciate Dr Cody Miller Pyke and her perspective on what holds us back from making progress in perinatal care outcomes.

How do you advocate?

What's the best way for you to use your voice to create change?

Does it look like being at the bedside?
Are you writing letters to representatives?
Do you provide education to prepare birthing families to self - advocate?
Are you marching for change and protesting when necessary?

There are so many ways for us to come together as a team to advocate for inclusive, collaborative perinatal communities rooted in autonomy, respect, and equity.

👇 let us know how you're focusing your advocacy lately.

ID: picture of Cody on right. Text next to photo: I think one of the best things we can do as a community is stop gate keeping what's the right kind of advocacy. Support each other and not fight about what's the better way to advocate so long as we're all on the same page as to what we're advocating for.~Dr Cody Miller Pyke, Attorney, Physician, & Bio-Ethicist
Ep 70 at bottom and in bottom right corner Your BIRTH Partners circular logo with name in purple & teal with various succulents in bottom right of circle on blue-grey backgrou nd

A few months ago the March of Dimes released their updated report on Maternity Care Deserts, and other areas where there are inadequate providers and facilities to care for birthing people.

This is a powerful portend for the direction of perinatal care.

Flip through to see the changes that have come over the last few years.

Looking for a topic to bring up to your representatives to improve perinatal care? Check out the fourth slide for recommended talking points!

ID: Thread of 3 images.
1. Teal background with blue-grey film reel on left Research Spotlight and a purple arrow saying to swipe through for highlights. Title of article "2022 Maternity Care Deserts Report" from with picture of the first page of the article.
2. Picture of map with maternity care deserts highlighted. A large stripe noted down the center of the US, as well as sporadically throughout the country.
3. Quoted excerpts:
Areas where there is low or no access affect up to 6.9 million women and almost 500,000 births across the U.S.
This includes a five percent increase in counties that have less maternity access since 2020.
In maternity care deserts alone, approximately 2.2 million women of childbearing age and almost 150,000 babies are affected.
There’s a two percent increase in counties that are maternity care deserts since our 2020 report. That’s 1,119 counties and an additional 15,933 women with no maternity care.
4. Quoted excerpts:
POLICY SOLUTIONS THEY RECOMMEND:
Passing Medicaid postpartum extension from 60 days to 12 months to give moms and babies critical support during the fourth trimester
Expanding telehealth services to bridge gaps in health care, especially obstetric services where none exist and costs are considerable
Accounting for areas of chronic disease as contributors to maternity care deserts
Strengthen network adequacy requirements for health care plans made available through Affordable Care Act
Join us in advocating now to get better access to health care for moms and babies today!

Will we see you at NPA's Conference in April? The theme is all about perinatal care and how we can lead with equity.

So excited for this team to present and share more about our Imperative program led by .momma

We had 60 families in this program in 2022 and we can't wait to share lessons learned and the impact it has had. Looking to see at least that many folks again this year!

Looking forward to watching up on stage at NPA too! Promises to be a rich learning experience.

Artwork created by the incredible .

ID: Teal background with white bold italic text reading: Coming to the National Perinatal Association Conference in April! The Imperative of Equitable, Accessible Childbirth Education for Black and Brown Families. Image shows multiple pregnant and postpartum people gathered together in conversation, some are holding babies. Text highlights birthing people and bubble captions around them read "you deserve to be heard and respected." "you are in charge." "you have many care options."

Words of wisdom from Anna

Anyone else out there resonate with this? Any folks who've recognized they had some savior vibes and they're working through them? My hand is raised with you!

This is so prevalent in birthwork and this conversation with Anna is powerful-would love to know how you've learned to separate support from saving! How do you recognize if you're crossing a line? Do you feel it in your body or hear it in your words?

ID: picture of Anna smiling with her chin resting on her hand on left. Text next to photo: You support clients, you don't save them. Folks can and do center themselves within their work, and then it's not client-centered, it's about your ego Anna, Radical Birthworker & Community Organizer
Ep 69 at bottom and in bottom right corner Your BIRTH Partners circular logo with name in purple & teal with various succulents in bottom right of circle on blue-grey background

This is such a powerful article. Content warning: drawing of obstetric violence.

Really appreciate the body mapping framework for opening up awareness of our body and allowing a method of understanding what happened during birth and an opportunity to reprocess.

It is crushing how common the feeling of the birthing person being the last priority in the birth space is...

The final image is an example of what was created with each participant. It is intense and painful and unfortunately representative of so many people's birth experiences.

Have you seen or used body mapping as a means of processing birth experiences?

ID: Thread of 3 images.
1. Teal background with blue-grey film reel on left Research Spotlight and a purple arrow saying to swipe through for highlights. Title of article "Breaking the silence about obstetric violence:
Body mapping women’s narratives of respect, disrespect and abuse during childbirth in Bihar, India" from Kaveri Mayra, Jane Sandall, Zoë Matthews and Sabu S. Padmadas with picture of the first page of the article.
2. Quoted excerpts: "Medical interventions were prioritized over women's comfort, dignity, and choice.

Women reported being the last priority in the birthing environment.

Our study predominantly reports bad touch, because most of the types of touch women reported during childbirth was uninvited, unconsented, and traumatizing."

3. Quoted excerpts: "This study makes an important contribution through the birthing maps, a participatory and culturally appropriate visual arts method that is useful for accurately portraying women's respectful and disrespectful births, and helps women break their silence about obstetric violence and express what they want in terms of respectful maternity care."

4. Study figure shows woman in a starfish pose on an OR table. She has written on it phrases of how she felt pinned to different body parts, including "No one told anything, they just blindfolded me." & "They were treating me like a doll, doing whatever with me..."