Activating Our Creatrix Power to Reclaim Birth as an Inheritance for Future Generations

"​Ultimately, if we are going to be reclaiming the systems that our people have created, there is no equivalent role called “doula.” That role is wrapped up in mother, grandmother, auntie, sister, cousin, best friend... That is just what was done. There is no word for it because it wasn’t a separate role. It was encapsulated in FAMILY." ~ Aisha Ralph

I am constantly researching something. This week has begun with me reading more about the Grand (granny) midwives of the south... Those who "waited on women" because it was something that they felt God had called them to and taught them how to do as they listened and learned from older women who "caught babies." Women who believed that birth was a spiritual thing as much as it was a physiological thing. Speaking with Aisha Ralph, I knew I was speaking to one who was following a similar path. 

My conversation with Aisha was so rich that by the end I was FULL. Aisha is from Antigua and, as a daughter of the African Diaspora, is mindful of how her actions will impact future generations. There were several instances while I listened to her speak that I knew that she was speaking from beyond herself on behalf of our ancestral mothers, sharing truths that span beyond her years, that are necessary to sustain our families. We need midwives in our generation who can hear and recognize their role in preserving our birth traditions and our lives and African descended people. Aisha is also planning a journey with midwives in Uganda to enrich her personal midwifery journey, which you can support. 

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I am excited to share Aisha with you. She has a beautiful spirit I am sure you will appreciate.

​Topics discussed:
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• Being attracted to birth at a young age
• Considering birth options in Antigua
• Dealing with the medicalization of birth
• Protecting ‘your’ spirit in birth environments
• ​Being holistic vs being compartmentalized
• How you feel about your "divine creative energy"
• Creating legacy as an "ancestral mother"
• Reconsidering a system that is not serving you
• Dealing with cognitive dissonance
• Ensuring our personal autonomy
• Speaking with the elders
• How a generation forgets ritual and tradition
• Allowing ourselves to be empowered to RE-MEMBER
• “Ancestral connections cannot be broken”
• “Doulas” in indigenous cultures
• Universal birth and postpartum practices 
• Answering “the call” of your ancestors
• Embodying our full experiences in birth work
• Ceremonies vs family practices (rituals)
• Birth memories… “a woman never forgets”
• Feeling called to birth? JUST DO IT!

Aisha Tewerat Akua offers this gratitude:

​"To the ones in my ancestral lineage from the beginning of time to present, whose names are not known to me, who were themselves guardians of birth, and in whose footsteps I trod...

To the ones whose memory and legacy live on in the title "Granny Midwife"...
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To my elders in birthwork, especially Jennie Joseph, Makeda Kamara, Debbie Allen, Racha Lawler, and Toni Hill, who have been a huge inspiration and have guided me with their words (most times without even knowing it)...

To my sister midwives, especially Janell, Efe and Tiffany, who have never failed in giving me encouragement and who have been consistent examples of perseverance and strength...
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And to my biggest supporters and cheerleaders, my mother Daphne, my husband Nekia and my best friend Marcella"

Listen to the Podcast:

Here are some ways you can connect with Aisha to learn more about what she is doing:

Support Aisha's journey with midwives in Uganda

Email: nurturingbirth4u@gmail.com
FB Personal: Aisha Taweret Akua
FB Page: Birth Matters