Birthright

Our Guest: Deidra WashingtonOther Guests: Mike WashingtonEpisode Description: Having a plan for pregnancy and parenting comes in handy. But what happens when things move differently than expected and you have to make adjustments? Deidra Washington and her husband Mike know all about scrapping plan A and finding the beauty in plan B. In this episode, the Florida-based mother and father of two girls get real with Kimberly about facing fears, ditching tradition, and loving hard for the next generation. Grab your tissues because you might find yourself getting teary-eyed listening to this couple’s story of teamwork, family, love, and future-building. Catch up on episode extras from seasons 1 and 2 on BIRTHRIGHT’S YOUTUBE PAGE!Subscribe to be notified of new episode releases every Wednesday! Love Birthright? Leave a rating and review.Get full episode details and transcripts on www.BirthrightPodcast.com Join the movement for equity in birth and breastfeeding by supporting our Patreon account. As a member, you’ll get access to exclusive bonus content, Birthright swag, and more! Follow Kimberly Seals Allers on Twitter on Instagram: @iamKSealsAllersBirthright is funded by the California Health Care Foundation and the Commonwealth Fund.

Episode Description: Narratives are powerful. They can influence policy, shift cultural norms, and drive systemic change. What about the narrative in Black maternal health? How do we shift the mainstream narrative in Black birth and breastfeeding away from doom and gloom and negative statistics to centering joy and possibility? What is needed, who is missing and quite frankly, will the powers in Hollywood ever let us own this narrative? In this episode, Kimberly talks with New York Times best-selling author, award-winning writer and producer, Tonya Lewis Lee, whose most recent work, Aftershock, takes a compelling look at the Black maternal mortality crisis.  About Guest, Tonya Lewis Lee: Tonya Lewis Lee is an award-winning producer, entrepreneur, and advocate for women’s health. She has produced several TV projects including The Watsons Go To Birmingham[7] which Lewis Lee wrote, The Giver, She's Gotta Have It and MONSTER. Back in 2009, Tonya produced Crisis in the Crib, a documentary about the nation’s unconscionable Black infant mortality crisis, centered in Memphis Tennessee. This year, she co-produced Aftershock, now streaming on Hulu, a powerful documentary which follows the stories of two amazing men whose lives are forever changed by Black maternal deaths. Follow @aftershockdoc on Instagram. For more resources, visit www.BirthrightPodcast.comCatch up on episode extras from season 1 and 2 on BIRTHRIGHT’S YOUTUBE PAGE!Subscribe to be notified for new episode releases every Wednesday! Love Birthright? Leave a rating and review.Get full episode details and transcripts on www.BirthrightPodcast.com Follow Kimberly Seals Allers on Twitter on Instagram: @iamKSealsAllersBirthright is funded by the California Health Care Foundation and the Commonwealth Fund.

Our Guests: Roslyn J. Smith, Safiya Rayford, Raena Granberry Therapist: Saleemah McNeil Episode Description: In this first Restoration episode of season 2, reproductive psychotherapist and CEO of Oshun Family Healing, Saleemah McNeil, and host Kimberly Seals Allers gather at SaksWorks Flagship in NYC to provide Black women who’ve experienced medical-related trauma space to heal. The three Black women who joined the conversation virtually include a woman who received racist comments from an OB/GYN. Another who was neglected by her midwife, which resulted in a full-term stillbirth. And a third who had her concerns ignored and lost her baby after a premature delivery. For more resources, visit www.BirthrightPodcast.comCatch up on episode extras from season 1 and 2 on BIRTHRIGHT’S YOUTUBE PAGE!Subscribe to be notified for new episode releases every Wednesday! Love Birthright? Leave a rating and review.Get full episode details and transcripts on www.BirthrightPodcast.comFollow Kimberly Seals Allers on Twitter on Instagram: @iamKSealsAllersBirthright is funded by the California Health Care Foundation and the Commonwealth Fund.

Our Birthing Person: Teddy Atim, Mary Harper HollyOther Guests: Helen ZimbaEpisode Description: This week, we’re examining the stigma against pregnant and birthing people living with HIV and centering the challenges and realities of healthy, joyful births even with a diagnosis. Host Kimberly Seals Allers follows the journeys of two HIV-positive mothers—Teddy, a mother of three living in rural Uganda, and Mary, a mother of one based in Fort Worth, Texas. Find out how both mamas overcame miseducation and judgment in their communities surrounding their HIV status and gave birth to HIV-negative children.Resources/ReferencesTeddy Atim is a mother of three living in Banda, a rural fishing village in the East African country of Uganda. Teddy was diagnosed with HIV while pregnant with her first child. She’s now a mother mentor at mothers2mothers. Mary Harper-Holly, 47, is a divorced mother of one living in Fort Worth, Texas. After giving birth while living with HIV, Mary serves her community as the Founding Director and CEO of Pay It 4-ward Projects, a community-based non-profit organization supporting the unhoused and indigent communities of Dallas and Tarrant Counties. Helen Zimba serves as the HIV Programs Manager at The Afiya Center. She’s also a Full Spectrum Doula at Southern Roots Doula Services, where she supports pregnant and birthing people who are living with HIV and their families. For more resources, visit www.BirthrightPodcast.com Catch up on episode extras from season 1 and 2 on BIRTHRIGHT’S YOUTUBE PAGE!Subscribe to be notified for new episode releases every Wednesday! Love Birthright? Leave a rating and review.Get full episode details and transcripts on www.BirthrightPodcast.com Follow Kimberly Seals Allers on Twitter on Instagram: @iamKSealsAllersBirthright is funded by the California Health Care Foundation and the Commonwealth Fund.

Our Birthing Person: Leslie FicklingOther Guests: Chanel Stryker-Boykin, Doula; Paul Ryan, CEO of Just A Baby; “Dave,” anonymous donorEpisode Description: Society puts a stigma on Black single mothers, stereotyping and devaluing them. But what happens when you become a single mother by choice and choose sperm donation as your pathway to parenthood? This week’s guest, Leslie, used an app, a cup and a Black male donor she met in person to get the baby she so wanted. In this insightful conversation, Leslie takes host Kimberly Seals Allers on a lesser-told journey of reaching Black motherhood in a less traditional way, but still ultimately finding her joy.  For Resources/References, visit www.BirthrightPodcast.comCatch up on episode extras from season 1 and 2 on BIRTHRIGHT’S YOUTUBE PAGE!Subscribe to be notified for new episode releases every Wednesday! Love Birthright? Leave a rating and review. Get full episode details and transcripts on www.BirthrightPodcast.comFollow Kimberly Seals Allers on Twitter on Instagram: @iamKSealsAllersBirthright is funded by the California Health Care Foundation and the Commonwealth Fund.

What is our birthright? This is the question that host, Kimberly Seals Allers, asks every guest at the conclusion of every episode. And the answers have varied from inspirational, tear jerking, compelling and raw. Enjoy this compilation of our team's favorite answers to, What is our birthright? Whatever it is, we're reclaiming it one story at a time. Resources/ReferencesLearn more about having a safe and empowered birth by downloading the free ebook: Birth with Irth: A Mini-Manual to Pregnancy and Childbirth for Black PeopleGet full episode details and transcripts (posted by midday) on www.BirthrightPodcast.com New episodes are released every other Wednesday!Subscribe now! Follow Kimberly Seals Allers on Twitter on Instagram: @iamKSealsAllers Birthright is funded by the California Health Care Foundation.

Our Birthing Person: Aquarius WatkinsOther Guests: Dr. Joy Baker, M.D., OB/GYNEpisode Description: While rural communities around the country—like LaGrange, Georgia—are battling limited maternity care access, mothers like Aquarius Watkins, are still striving for joyful birth experiences. With the help of a local Black OB/GYN, here’s how Aquarius advocated for herself and manifested her dream birth. Come join host Kimberly Seals Allers as she travels into the community south of Atlanta where mothers and perinatal physicians are working together to center joy and healing. Aquarius Watkins is a 30-year-old stay at home mom in LaGrange, Georgia; a rural community about one hour south of Atlanta. Born and raised in LaGrange, Aquarius gave birth to her first baby in her hometown with the support of a local OB/GYN.Dr. Joy Baker is a board certified obstetrician and gynecologist in her hometown of LaGrange, Georgia. After completing her medical school and residency training at Morehouse School of Medicine and Grady Health System, she worked in urban and rural communities for 10 years. In 2019, she became one of the first OB/GYNs to earn special certification in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders, as well as treatment of addiction in pregnancy. Today, she supports birthing people at Weststar West Georgia Medical Center. IG handle: @deliveringjoymdChanel Stryker-Boykin is the owner of In Joie's Arms Birth Doula Services, LLC, and a Holistic Labor Support Specialist (Doula), Placenta Encapsulation Specialist, and a Community Childbirth and Lactation Educator in the Metro Atlanta area.For Resources/References, visit www.BirthrightPodcast.comCatch up on episode extras from season 1 and 2 on BIRTHRIGHT’S YOUTUBE PAGE!Subscribe to be notified for new episode releases every Wednesday! Love Birthright? Leave a rating and review. Get full episode details and transcripts on www.BirthrightPodcast.com Follow Kimberly Seals Allers on Twitter on Instagram: @iamKSealsAllersBirthright is funded by the California Health Care Foundation and the Commonwealth Fund.

Our Birthing Person: Christina ElmoreOther Guests: Kimberly Durdin, LM, CPM, IBCLCIn this week’s episode, Christina Elmore, actor (Twenties, HBO’s Insecure) and mother of two, takes us to her second birth for a ride through her expectations, fears, and A-ha moments as she found Black birthing joy in Los Angeles. In a hopeful and hilarious conversation with host Kimberly, along with insightful commentary from her midwife, we also explore how Hollywood (including her role as Condola) is helping rewrite the narrative of Black motherhood.