DIVES
DIVES INTO THE HISTORY OF BLACK MIDWIVES AND DOULAS IN COLORADO .
A PREGNANT WOMAN USUALLY KNOWS
WHAT SHE WANTS WHEN IT COMES
DOWN TO DELIVERY.
BUT FOR WOMEN OF COLOR, OUR
NEEDS AND WANTS AREN'T ALWAYS
HEARD IN THE HOSPITAL SO BEING
HEARD IS A LIFE SAVING
CONVERSATION THAT EVERY BLACK
PERSON NEEDS TO HAVE WITH A
PROVIDER AND IF THEY'RE NOT
GETTING IT FROM THIS PROVIDER
THEY NEED TO GET IT SOMEWHERE
ELSE.
DEMETRIUS SERIKI IS A LICENSED
MIDWIFE WITH HER OWN CENTER
CALLED A MOTHER'S CHOICE
MIDWIFERY OUT OF COLORADO
SPRINGS.
SHE'S HELPED FAMILIES DURING
THE BIRTHING PROCESS BOTH AT
THEIR OWN HOMES AND IN
THE HOSPITAL.
WE HAVE THE SAME SCHEDULE AS OB
SO EVERY FOUR WEEKS, TWO WEEKS
AND THEN WEEKLY BUT AT THIRTY
SIX WEEKS WE DO A HOME VISIT.
SERIKI BELIEVES WOMEN OF COLOR
ESPECIALLY HAVE HAD A HARD TIME
DURING THE BIRTHING PROCESS
BECAUSE OF A LACK OF RESOURCES
IN EDUCATION.
IT STARTS IF WE CAN TO TEACH
THEM BEFORE THEY'RE PREGNANT.
THEY HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO
THEMSELVES OF EDUCATING
THEMSELVES ON THE PROVIDERS
WHICH THEY MAY CHOOSE TO BE
THEIR PROVIDERS.
THE HISTORY OF BLACK MIDWIFERY
IN THE U.S. TAKES US ALL
THE WAY TO WEST AFRICA.
IN MANY AFRICAN COMMUNITIES,
MIDWIVES NOT ONLY HELPED GIVE
BIRTH BUT ALSO SERVED AS FAMILY
COUNSELORS, BREASTFEEDING
CONSULTANTS AND SO MUCH MORE
BACK AT HOME.
DENVER, COLORADO WAS HOME TO
THE FIRST LICENSED BLACK FEMALE
DOCTOR JUSTIN AFFORD FOR ME
DOCTOR?
IT WAS SHE'S A LEGACY SHE
CREATED GENERATIONAL KNOWLEDGE
TO SEE THE CHILDREN THAT SHE
CAUGHT LAST YEAR WHEN THEY
UNVEILED HER YOURO WAS JUST
LIKE SO MOVING SHE MIGRATED TO
COLORADO IN THE LATE 1980S
AFTER OBTAINING A DEGREE IN
CHICAGO AND BEING DENIED A
LICENSE THERE.
THE OPRESSION THAT SHE RECEIVED
AS A BLACK WOMAN AND BEING A
PROVIDER SHE REALLY BROKE DOWN
BARRIERS BOARD WAS BEST KNOWN
FOR HER OBSTETRICS AND
PEDIATRIC WORK IN DENVER'S FIVE
POINTS COMMUNITY.
SHE WASN'T JUST A PHYSICIAN,
RIGHT?
SHE WAS A COMMUNITY HEALTH
PROVIDER.
SHE PROVIDED CARE FOR AN ENTIRE
COMMUNITY.
DR. JESTINA FORD IS ONE
OF THOUSANDS OF WOMEN WHO'S
BEEN SURPRESSED BECAUSE OF THE
COLOR OF THEIR SKIN.
IT'S A FEELING MANY BLACK WOMEN
FEEL WHILE GIVING BIRTH IN
THE HOSPITAL.
I WAS NOT EXPECTING
THE PUSHBACK THAT I GOT FROM
THE STAFF, ESPECIALLY FROM
THE NURSES.
SHELBY URBAN IS A MOTHER, WIFE
AND COLORADO NATIVE WHO HAS HAD
SEVERAL ROLES THAT INCLUDED
DOULA CERTIFIED LACTATION
COUNSELOR, CHILDBIRTH EDUCATOR
ALL THAT SHE OFFERS FROM HER
BUSINESS IN COLORADO
THE SOULFUL MAMA SHE DECIDED TO
BECOME A DOULA BECAUSE OF HER
OWN PREGNANCY AND BIRTHING
EXPERIENCE WHEN HOSPITAL STAFF
WOULDN'T LET MAKE HER OWN
DECISIONS.
MY HUSBAND AND I GO IN, YOU
KNOW,
TOGETHER
TOGETHER AND THE INDUCTION PROCESS STARTS AND AUTOMATICALY ISRC YOU NEED
TO SIGN PAPERWORK TO GET YOUR
EPIDURAL AND I WAS LIKE I'M
BREATHING NATURALLY AND THEY'RE
LIKE YOU'RE READY FOR WHAT
HAPPENS WITH AN INDUCTION.
THIS TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE
CARRIED ON EVEN AFTER SHE HAD
HER BABY AND WAS STRUGGLING
WITH BREASTFEEDING AND WE'RE
JUST TRYING AND TRYING THIS AND
I'LL NEVER FORGET THE LATATION
SUPPORT LOOKED AT ME AND SHE
SAID PEOPLE LIKE YOU ARE LAZY.
SHE LITERALLY TOLD ME BLACK
PEOPLE ARE LAZY AND THEY DO NOT
WANT TO BREASTFEED THEIR BABIES
.
HER EXPERIENCE LED HER TO
BECOME A DULA A DUAL AS A WOMAN
WHO WAS EMPLOYED TO PROVIDE
GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT TO A
PREGNANT WOMAN DURING LABOR,
SHELBY SAYS SHE STRIVES TO
CREATE A SAFE PLACE FOR MOMS
OF COLOR TO BE WHO THEY ARE
WITHOUT HAVING TO EXPLAIN THEIR
PRESENCE.
IDEALLY, YOU KNOW IT'S BEST TO
REACH YOUR DOOR WHEN YOU'RE
WHEN YOU REALIZE THAT CONCEIVED
AND YOU WANT EXTRA SUPPORT.
SO WE GO THROUGH A CONSULTATION
AND THERE IS THE INTERVIEW
PROCESS TO SEE IF WE'RE A GOOD
FIT FOR ONE ANOTHER AND FROM
THEIR SUPPORT AUTOMATICALY
STARTS.
SHELBY IS NOW ONE OF ONLY TWO
BLACK LACTATION COUNSELORS IN
EL PASO COUNTY.
SHE HOPES MORE WOMEN OF COLOR
WILL JOIN THE FIELD BECAUSE
REPRESENTATION IS KEY.
WHEN WE HAVE REPRESENTATION WE
CHANGE THE BIASES AROUND US .
SO WHEN WE SEE BLACK PEOPLE
SHOWING UP AND WE THE BLACK
MOTHERS AND BLACK FATHERS AND
BLACK BIRTHING PEOPLE IN
GENERAL BEING A PART OF THE
WHOLE ENTIRE PROCESS HAVING
THAT COMMUNITY, IT CHANGES WHAT
OUR OUTCOMES CAN BE SOMETIMES
DIMITRI AND SHELBY WORK CLOSELY
TOGETHER.
THEY SAY IT TAKES A VILLAGE
EFFORT TO ENSURE FAMILIES ARE
TAKEN CARE OF.
IT IS A LITERALLTY, A TAGTEAM
AND THEY WORK TOGETHER TO
PROVIDE THE BEST EXPERIENCES
FOR FAMILIES FROM BEGINNING TO
END.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU
HAVE YOUR BABY, WHETHER YOU
HAVE AN BIRTHCENTER A HOME
BIRTH OR HOSPITAL BECAUSE WE'RE
NOT MARRIED TO THE PLACE
OF SERVICE RIGHT.
WE'RE MARRIED TO THE XPERIA AND
THE CARE THAT THESE PREGNANT
PEOPLE RECEIVE REALLY AN
AWESOME STORY, VERY EYE OPENING
THERE, RACHEL, THIS MORNING AND
THIS STORY IS GOING TO BE
POSTED ON THE VOICES OF CHANGE
SECTION ON NGIHT NEWS.COM.
YOU HAVE A STORY THAT YOU