Hi! I’m Zahra, SELF magazine’s interim editor in chief and the host of our wellness advice podcast, Checking In. In this week’s episode, we’re diving into a conversation about pregnancy and childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve been dealing with this pandemic for over a year. And, thanks to the COVID-19 vaccines, some aspects of life are looking up these days. But it doesn’t mean everything is suddenly safe or “back to normal.” That’s especially true when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth.
This week, our listener question is from Stasia, a Black mom-to-be in her third trimester. Stasia is rightfully wondering about many aspects of her pregnancy and also the birth experience she has on the horizon. Like: How can she advocate for herself during pregnancy and delivery? What’s the best way to incorporate her husband into the advocacy process? How does she figure out what her birth plan might look like? And would a doula be helpful with any—or all—of this?
As Stasia points out, a very important aspect of these considerations is the fact that she’s a Black woman. Pregnancy and birth can be especially fraught and dangerous for Black people, as SELF has covered extensively. But through a mix of preparation, luck, and other factors, it is possible to have a joyful birth as a Black person, even amid a pandemic that’s disproportionately harming our community. So I set out to learn what Stasia—and pregnant people of all races—can do in an attempt to have the best possible birth experience right now.
To get some answers, I first spoke with Kameelah Phillips, M.D., an ob-gyn and women’s health advocate based in New York City. One of her core interests is health care disparities—and how to help prevent them. I also chatted with Latham Thomas, a doula and the founder of Mama Glow, a maternity education initiative and doula training program.
Hearing from both an ob-gyn and a doula was illuminating. Together, Thomas and Dr. Phillips explore the benefits of the type of care they offer, what birth looks like at this point in the pandemic, how to advocate for yourself during pregnancy and birth (especially if you’re Black), and how Stasia can navigate all the feelings that can come with being a Black pregnant person right now.
New episodes of “Checking In” come out every Monday. Listen to this week’s episode above, and get more episodes of “Checking In” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Latham Thomas is a doula who focuses on care along the childbearing continuum and the founder of Mama Glow. You can learn more about Mama Glow and its supportive community here, and follow Latham Thomas on Instagram @glowmaven.
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