Birth HERstory Blog
Celebrating the HERstory of Black women in BIRTH in the 21st Century
|
|
8/25/2019
The Comedic Legend of the Black Breastfeeding Champion in Chicago Who Had an AFRICAN ROAR"You can never, ever, ever be excellent and comfortable. Excellence and comfort do not equate. If you think [that by] being comfortable, excellence is gonna come... Honey, I'm telling you, you'll never be great."
|
This conversation is a long time coming, but with the commencement of Black Breastfeeding Week during this last week of August, I thought it a perfect time to introduce people to one of the greatest influences I ever had in the area of lactation. There are few who have made the impact that Rebecca Jackson-Artis did in lactation in the Chicago area while she was involved in birth culture. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find anyone involved in birth in Chicagoland during the beginning of this decade who did not know her or was not influenced by her work or her words.
I mentioned her words for a reason. Anyone who knows Rebecca knows that she has never been one to mince her words. In other words, "She said what she said..." Rebecca has always taken a no non-sense approach to anything she does. Expect extreme candidness throughout this interview. She is also a comedian, so if you are easily offended by words or context, brace yourself. |
Disclaimer:
Rebecca discusses various aspects of her life and experiences with much candor. Please read the topics that will be discussed. These interviews are not censored or edited.
Topics discussed:
Rebecca offers this gratitude:
My great-grandmother Lue Kelly-Johnson, my grandmother Verna Johnson Turner, my mother Antoinette Rogers Jackson, my doula Isabelle Flegel, my midwives Kathleen Harmon and Sarah Simmons, TLC's A Baby Story and Birth Center, Dr. Alan Colon, PhD, and the African-centered community of women and men who honor the womb. |
Connect with Rebecca and learn about her newest endeavors:
Email: rebeccajacksonartis@gmail.com Website: www.rebeccajacksonartis.com Twitter: @rebeccajackart Instagram: @rebejackart LinkedIn: Rebecca Jackson-Artis YouTube: Rebecca Jackson-Artis Facebook: Black Becky Speaks Facebook: Totally Becky Facebook: The Rebecca Show |
6/25/2019
Topics discussed:
DeLynn shared these words of gratitude:
"Words cannot fully express how grateful I am for my Midwife Lynda Hitchcock that transitioned (passed away) in 2007. I birthed 3 out of 10 of my children with her in the comfort of my home. I loved every moment of my home birth experiences. Lynda was the first woman to teach me that giving birth to my baby WAS NOT A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. She taught me that most women would have safe and beautiful birthing experiences if the mother was in a preferred, comfortable, and supportive environment. |
Get in touch with DeLynn Hudson:
|
Christy Willis aka ¨Doula Mom¨ and I knew each other years before either of us committed ourselves to birth work, while we were both primarily focusing on homeschooling our children. Since that time, she has birthed several new humans into the world and we have had the opportunity to partner together to offer birth and postpartum services.
I have always been impressed with Christy as a mother and wife, still I have become even more impressed with her as I watch her expand her influence in birth culture and fill in the gaps she is observing in the care that is provided to birthing women and the doulas who serve them. She has developed a Virtual Doula Course for doulas desiring to extend their reach and ability to support women during the childbearing year via technology. Additionally, Christy has designed a Doula Business Journal that allows doulas to manage the unique challenges they face as birth workers and set goals for their businesses. |
In this blogpost, Christy is sharing her birth stories. She has very dynamic birth stories - from the hospital to a driveway to the comfort of her own home. And I believe they will provide additional insights for those who are seeking to know more about how to navigate their birth options.
Topics Discussed:
|
You can connect with Doula Mom to learn about her upcoming workshops and the work she is doing. She also has a Facebook group.
Phone: 7088725695
Email: Doulamom24@gmail.com Website: https://doulabusiness.weebly.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doulasformoula Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doula_moula/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/doulasformoula Facebook Group: Doula-Moula |
What are YOU waiting for to start learning about how to care for women during the childbearing year? Whether you are considering a career in birthwork, want to learn to help your family and friends or desire to be a resource for your community, "10 THINGS" is your starting place! Learn from from a Black historical perspective... learn from "someone who looks like you"... STOP WAITING... START LEARNING RIGHT NOW! |
In other words, "She said what she said..." When we help Birth HERstories we are acknowledging the BLACK BIRTH RENAISSANCE that is happening around the world! When we share our stories, practices, or traditions from women of African descent in America, we help preserve Black Birth HERstory. It is our responsibility as descendants of African women who were trafficked to the U.S. to hold their stories and know their practices, so that we are able to continue their tradition of being self-reliant and self-sustaining as communities of Black women. |
My work is informed by my background – experiences, expertise, exposure, education & environment – as a woman, mother, wife, sister, educator, researcher, scholar, advocate, birth ally and legacy builder. #IAmTheAnswer #WeSaveOurselves
(Please note that the information shared on this blog is for information purposes only. Pregnant women should consult their PCP before following any practices found within the Birth HERstory Series Blog.)
December 2022
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
February 2018
April 2017
All African Women BirthHERstory Black Midwives Black Women Breastfeeding DrDoula Home Birth Postpartum Pregnancy