Fall Birth Worker Convening 2023

401-229-9225

wwwurbanperinatal.org

info@urbanperinatal.org

FIRST ANNUAL

Fall Birth Worker Convening Urban Perinatal Education Center Camp Aldersgate Scituate, Rhode Island

Urban Perinatal Education Center The mission of Urban Perinatal Education is to create a space for perinatal equity through three lenses: culturally congruent care and community, supporting equity in care, and building a workforce for change. Our focus is to create a safe space of perinatal care for those adversely affected by intentional, long-standing, systematic, and institutional adverse perinatal health outcomes among the Black and BIPOC communities.

Our mission aligns with the embodiment of authentic restoration of Black and BIPOC health, wellness, and welfare over their reproductive rights, choices, and culture. By creating a space of restorative healing and learning, we are deliberate in our mission to promote health equity and promotion.

Camp Aldersgate The Urban Perinatal Education Center collaborated with Camp Aldersgate Retreat in Scituate, RI for the 2.5 day professional and personal development workshops, while furthering connections with community from the Fall Birth Worker Convening. Camp Aldersgate land existed at a crossroads of the Nipmuc and Narragansett territories, holding historical significance in the intersection of these indigenous lands. Nearby Chepachet, initially established by the Winsor, Burlingame, Owens, Irons, Waterman, and Steere families, grew throughout early American history. The land camp that currently resides, later came under the ownership of Grace Episcopal Church in Providence.

Keesler Gomes, CPE, MCHS, NCS

Quatia Osorio, SPM, CPE The team of the Urban Perinatal Education Center: Quatia Osorio, Founding Executive Director, Keesler Gomes, Programs Manager and Lia Artis Intern Perinatal Coordinator, arrived early afternoon to set up rooms, tables, and get registration set up for the evening.

The supportive volunteers of the Urban Perinatal Education Center Fall Birth Worker Convening 2023: Amahri Marigny, Aereis Marigny, Taina Marigny, Atrik Pineda, Edouardo Latortue, Carolyn Belisle, Katie Barret, and Doris De Los Santos.

Lia Artis, BS, IBCLC

An Early Gathering of Community We arrived on the campus Friday afternoon to begin setting up for an evening of connection and networking. The volunteers and team quickly ushered participants to their spaces. The team at Camp Aldersgate helped set up the Great Hall fireplace.

The documentary for the evening Born Free: Birth in America addressed the rising cost of birth in the United States and the increasing maternal mortality rate.

A Day of Learning and Connections Registration began early for a healthy community gathering of nourishment and our first activity of the day - body movement and breathwork. Our community welcomed attendees and our workshop/session facilitators as they came in on a holiday weekend to participate. Thank you, Katie B. from Blue Cross Blue Shield RI, who was our early start volunteer. Thank you to Ed and Marlene for their volunteer support, too.

Many of our attendees were eager to connect and learn including the new cohort doula graduates of October 2023, business owners, and hospital personnel who wanted to connect and build with the community. We are grateful to our young volunteer college students from Rhode Island College, New England Institute of Technology, Brown University, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Care , Education, & Self-Awareness

Care , Education, & Self-Awareness Facilitator Kunal D. (she/her), from Facilitate Change LLC, held a 2-hour session on Restorative Healing and Radical Justice. One of the challenges of the emerging Certified Perinatal Doula workforce and other community-based-led birth workers is the inability of collective participation in restorative healing.

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Facilitator Maya (they/them) held a one hour session on Abortion/Miscarriage/Loss Doula Support. They shared the Rhode Island Abortion Doula information and addressed this reproductive justice cornerstone that affects many birthing people. Doulas provide support regardless of how birth ends and we know that having supportive care is foundational to recovery and care.

Arlo held a workshop on the education of Cannabis in Perinatal Care as it pertains to the physiological body and the legalities in oppressive barriers for families seeking a holistic alternative to care such as harm reduction options.

While recreational cannabis is legal in RI, there are legal ramifications, such as charges of child abuse and negligence with expecting parents. The lack of this awareness can lead to many families being unprepared for child protective service involvement without their knowledge or ability to navigate within their childbirth rights. We are still awaiting equitable policies to treat cannabis as tobacco use when it comes to how to provide cessation.

Early Opportunities to Address Infant Mortality and Morbidity in RI. Rhode Island Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) Paulette led an informative and educational workshop supporting lactating and breastfeeding birthing people and educated them about common issues that may discourage or deter breastfeeding for families. She addressed common issues such as inappropriate flange feedings, hunger cues, and nipple care.

The Kids Count Racial Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Maternal, Infant, and Young Children’s Health in Rhode Island report states, “All 50 states have passed legislation that provides mothers with the explicit right to breastfeed in all public or private places. Since 2015, Rhode Island law has prohibited job discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions and requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for workers for conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth, including breastfeeding. Other barriers to supporting breastfeeding include accessibility and accommodations for lactation in the workplace and community.”

The United States Breastfeeding Committee recent report states, “A recent CDC study of over 3 million U.S. births found that ever breastfeeding is associated with a 26% reduction in the odds of post-perinatal (between 7-364 days) infant death. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends infants be exclusively breastfed for about six months with continued breastfeeding while introducing complementary foods for two years or beyond.

Unfortunately, barriers to establishing and maintaining the breastfeeding relationship are persistent and pervasive in the United States, and only a small proportion of dyads meet these recommendations.”

Agroterra Birth, Certified Professional Midwife, Lisa workshop focuses on the role, scope, and practice of a Community Midwife. She shared her tools and resources for those seeking a safe, low-risk homebirth option.

Rhode Island holds all three Licensed Midwifery designations for practice in RI, but only CPM is exclusively trained in out-of-hospital birth settings like birth centers and home birth.

Commonwealth Fund report, How Expanding the Role of Midwives in U.S. Health Care Could Help Address the Maternal Health Crisis, states, “Midwives could provide 80 percent of essential maternal care around the world and potentially avert 41 percent of maternal deaths, 39 percent of neonatal deaths, and 26 percent of stillbirths.”

Getting to the Root of it - Policy and Pelvic Floor

Amy from Roots Specialty held a special session on the pelvic floor and provided awareness on the expected changes in bodies for those who work with pregnant families consistently. She provided physiological and anatomical education through demonstrations and exercises that could alleviate common pregnant body challenges.

Her teaching offered basic education around the structure and purpose of the pelvic floor, as well as maintenance and care both in the prenatal and postpartum periods.

Senator Mack held a session on policy and advocacy.

She addressed the governmental process before policies can become legislatively made into bills and the power of community voice. While this was an information session, many of our birth workers were ready to address some hopeful policies coming forth in 2024 that intersects with their collective effort from environmental justice, housing reform, and affordable care for children.

Postpartum Mental Health

Triad doulas Perennial Perinatal LLC, Splash of a Doula, LLC, and With Grace LLC owners Tara, Aaliyah, and Nicole, led the group in establishing a community postpartum support group. They have been leading theirs for a few months held at a local community library.

They shared that their postpartum group session participants continued to show up and realized it was a very packed session by the end of the day. Shay, a Certified Babywearing Educator, was able to provide information about supporting families with babywearing, a cultural tradition of care for both baby and birthing persons. She reviewed different styles of wraps, structures, safety, and appropriate use.

Elyse W., a trained Ayurvedic nutrition coach, shared her nutrition plans for perinatal clients when providing them with nourishing recommendations. During the postpartum period, she supports families to encourage healthy food for the body and mind during recovery. In addition to leading prenatal yoga sessions, Elyse is an actively practicing doula who provides her nutrition and meal planning as an ala carte service to clients who hire her. Rest and nourishment are core staples in a healthy recover from the birthing process.

Resources and Radical Rest

The Binder of Care Jenn F, well known as Fantasia, has the most comprehensive evidence-based power-packed doula care and resource binder for families known in Rhode Island. Multiple copies of this binder have been on many families’ tables over the past several years as a reference guide and go-to for families who are seeking education, healthy recipes, guided practices, and safe tips/tricks to care for themselves and their little ones. The newer doulas were all excited to dive into this treasure trove of knowledge.

Intentions for Radical Rest & Reset Our Sistar Soraya traveled from Massachusetts to host an intentional radical rest and reset in her Birth Worker’s Mental Health Support Group session. Attendees who came from this session exclaimed how restorative, necessary, and timely this session was for them. The emotional reprieve was evident on their faces and resonated within their physical body. Together each participant practiced holding space for rest and inner appreciation for the work each of us are doing in the birth worker field and acknowledging our amazing sacrifices.

Therapy and Therapies

Herbalist Tammy showed us how to properly prepare herbal teas and what teas are beneficial to our healing. Adding a tea infusion is self-care and a healing modality she recommends we should incorporate as we move through the stress of birth work. Many herbal teas have different characteristics that can aid in rest, restoration, and nourishment. The tea blends were purchased from Farmacy Herbs located in Providence, RI.

Wilmaris, of Begin Again LLC, held a session on ways to help your clients locate a Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder specific therapist. She provided resources, checklists, and navigation tips. Her talk included other resources to help families, such as the crisis hotline and Postpartum Support International, which has online groups managed by volunteer therapists.

Our Community Vendors

Thank you to our vendors who showed up, as many of us did a little holiday shopping and gleaned inspiration.

Thank you to Family Home Visiting, Kelly Russell, who provided RI Dept of Health materials for us to share with families.

Thank you Blue Cross Blue Shield of RI for the donation of hand sanitizers, gloves, and bags to carry our purchases.

An Ending and Beginning We want to thank everyone who participated and joined us on this weekend. We look forward to all of your survey sessions and evaluations to plan for next year.

Our raffle finalists: Majestic Natal LLC, Blooming Moon LLC, Dar a Luz, and Our Nest/Nuestro Nido LLC were excited to receive their basket of care and to celebrate themselves and the work they are committed to providing families. Thank you Keesler for putting together these lovely baskets.

Thank you, Blooming Moon LLC, Niurka for the beautiful gift of sunshine in all the flowers you shared with everyone during the Convening.

Testimonials Why did you attend this convening?

To build community and learn Collection, community, offer workshop

To grow and learn Community and learning opportunities

I led a workshop and wanted to learn from others!

Also great to be space with other birthworkers and related folk.

To network and build community

For learning, connection, bonding, processing and enjoyment

Do you have any suggestions or feedback about future sessions and/or workshops you would like to learn about regarding Fall Birth Worker Convening in RI? There were so many awesome options that it made it really hard to choose which sessions to attend! - Sara C. of SacredPause LLC The workshops and ideas were amazing. My only regret was that too many interesting topics were being offered at the same time. Akua of Caring in Color LLC. Twins, Big body Women care/breast feeding, LGBTQ- trans . Monika C. Would love to participate again. Rachelle Two days of workshops to allow us to attend more sessions // having to choose only 1 of 5 during each time slot was tricky!

Amy S. of Roots Specialty This was a really good facility. The selection of workshops was good and hard to choose! Paulette B. PLEASE do this again. This was a wonderful opportunity to learn things and network with other birth workers. Very much appreciate all the work that was put into this event. Jenn F.

401-229-9225

www.urbanperinatal.org

info@urbanperinatal.org

Thank You We would like to thank the Rhode Island Foundation for the funding support for this Convening.

The fact remains Black and BIPOC birth workers, if not all, have been subject to adverse outcomes due to pervasive racism, discrimination, bias, and oppression. While providing a necessary workforce counter to poor outcomes of perinatal care, they are experiencing similar oppression. Our Black and BIPOC birth workers are carrying the allostatic load, stress, and burden of being a recipient of harmful injustice while maintaining the support system for others to navigate their own health welfare, equity, and promotion.

One of the many challenges is the high burnout of Black and BIPOC-identifying birth worker providers as it is not only physically demanding but emotionally depleting.

Secondly, the challenge around navigating for their own assistance to maintain their well-being to be present for others. The continuation of the perpetual selfless giver, yet we know this leads to physiological health issues later due to the inability to access relevant and just support.

Finally, learning new modalities in cultural grounding to support their restitution in balance within their demanding livelihood in a way that is sufficient to support their needs, fulfilled them to continue the work.

We are grateful for this time to connect and rest.

401-229-9225

jwww.urbanperinatal.org

info@urbanperinatal.org