Baltimore Community Doula

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The 2020 Women’s Unity March is less than a week away! That means it’s time to introduce our speakers. Meet our first speaker: Andrea N. Williams-Muhammad.

For the last twenty years, Andrea N. Williams-Muhammad has dedicated her energy and passion to educating, empowering and supporting families on their birth journey. Her experience has fostered a renewed passion for exposing how birth disparities contribute to the overall mental and physical wellbeing of mothers and their children long after the postpartum period and its impact on the community. She believes the birth and postpartum services offered by birth professionals such as doulas and midwives are greatly underutilized, especially in communities and populations with the highest infant mortality rates.

Born and raised in Baltimore, MD, this wife and mother of four looks beyond the statistics and sees joy and success in a city learning to redefine itself. She is currently sits on the Community Advisory Board of the B'more for Healthy Babies. Andrea is also the Co-Chair for the Reproductive Health Equity Alliance of Maryland and a National Collaborator on the Policy Working Group for the ‘Black Mamas Matter Alliance.’

Follow Andrea on her social media:

Twitter: ,

Instagram:

Facebook:

The 2020 Women’s Unity March is less than a week away! That means it’s time to introduce our speakers. Meet our first speaker: Andrea N. Williams-Muhammad.

For the last twenty years, Andrea N. Williams-Muhammad has dedicated her energy and passion to educating, empowering and supporting families on their birth journey. Her experience has fostered a renewed passion for exposing how birth disparities contribute to the overall mental and physical wellbeing of mothers and their children long after the postpartum period and its impact on the community. She believes the birth and postpartum services offered by birth professionals such as doulas and midwives are greatly underutilized, especially in communities and populations with the highest infant mortality rates.

Born and raised in Baltimore, MD, this wife and mother of four looks beyond the statistics and sees joy and success in a city learning to redefine itself. She is currently sits on the Community Advisory Board of the B'more for Healthy Babies. Andrea is also the Co-Chair for the Reproductive Health Equity Alliance of Maryland and a National Collaborator on the Policy Working Group for the ‘Black Mamas Matter Alliance.’

Follow Andrea on her social media:

Twitter: ,

Instagram:

Facebook:

Are you a doula or Perinatal Community Health Worker (PCHW)? Do you know any doulas or PCHWs? The Public Justice Center, in partnership with the Reproductive Health Equity Alliance of Maryland (RHEAM), is currently running a survey to gather information on how you provide care in Maryland as we explore the possibility of Maryland Medicaid reimbursement for doula care.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PWGNBZP

Day #3 in

Who knew, who this little girl would one day become. Lord knows, I didn't and I'm still evolving.

Day Three- Understanding Silence

From a young child, I found joy just being in my room reading, writing or watching television. It was then, I learned the art of silence- when I could literally just tune the world out and silence the voices. The voices of fear and doubt. That voice that told me I wasn't pretty or good enough.

Somewhere this November Child lost her armor and sting over the first forty-nine years.
Allowing me to question my voice, doubting my place in the world. Not fully understanding, my voice and place does not diminish another; and learning to remove myself from those who hear my voice or believe my presence in this world is insignificant to their own.

I am at the point in my life, when I can say no one knows me, but God; because I am on a journey to learn and understand myself.

I am fully embracing:

*Silence is golden
*I am not responsible for the image you have created of me in your mind
*Be still

Accepting new families, in Baltimore City.

• • • • • •
Molly Altman: This was the first study to describe how provider power influences how women of color receive information and how they are given (or not given) opportunity to understand their experience and be involved in decision-making during pregnancy and birth.” Our members are 🔥🔥🔥

Comment with a 🧡 to recognize their great work 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Read more:
https://pretermbirthca.ucsf.edu/news/new-study-information-and-power-women-colors-experiences-interacting-health-care-providers?fbclid=IwAR03RPZu_rzg4xb3tcFC66sFBXDrmT2cDdw5wrqdvfh3LIX1q8O4majnGnI

A few weeks ago, I and other advocates from Baltimore had the opportunity to share our experiences and insights into the disparities in black maternal health and how we can improve outcomes with at his Charles Country Roundtable.




@ Charles County, Maryland

Thank you for setting off my week.

is accepting new birthing families in Baltimore City.

Enough said...

Learning this lesson, embracing every aspect of this journey.