A modest condo centrally located in Colorado Springs is rich in colors, yet it has a soft accent of tranquil waters and cool Caribbean breezes. The atmosphere is filled with the aroma of peppermint, eucalyptus, and lavender. Every picture hung represent the beauty of maternal strength and courage. The rooms are clean and pristine for everyone to enjoy.
In this place, you will find a young Black woman who greets each visitor with a hug. Her hospitality is warm and gracious, offering food and drinks to those who enter. Her energy is contagious and her smile brings comfort to those who are worried and burdensome.
In this place, no one is turned away, all are welcomed with love and light. The days are long here, bustling with the pitter patter of tiny feet, the sounds of an unborn baby's heart beat. In this place, a listening ear comes first and the clinical decisions are second. In this place, home visits are common, herbal remedies recommended and holistic health is embraced. No preconceived judgment passed, no shamming, however, what you will find is a sacred space where all are welcome.
If you call this place after hours you are not greeted by a stranger, you get to hear the sweet voice of this woman. Listening intently to what you have to say, never rushing you off the phone. Sometimes, her response is simple, "I'm on my way". Arriving at your home, calm as the morning sun, wearing a simple fresh pair of scrubs, her signature hoop earrings, a name tag and clogs. When she enters the room she does not speak, instead she kneels at the bedside and waits for permission. The conversation ebbs and flows between each contraction, she is gentle, observant, a guardian of this sacred space. Quietly she looks around the room and greets each witness with a hug and smile and prepares for the special delivery. There is little lighting, soft music and rhythmic audible sounds coming from the mother to be. She makes no announcements, simple whispering words of encouragement as this precious being transitions from utero to hearthside. Who is she, one might ask, well she is the URBAN MIDWIFE!
Does this seem like an episode of Call The Midwife? Perhaps, you have never heard of a midwife in modern day society. Maybe your mother or grandmother was born into the hands of a midwife? Have you ever considered that birth leaves a physiological imprint on the newborn and mother? Have you ever considered the way you are born does matter? Did you know that the urban midwife is not a mythical clinician, she is well trained, well educated, well organized and mature. She is a visionary, a revolutionist and an activist for women worldwide. Some may call her a dreamer, however, she can see what they cannot. She is not afraid to address mainstream critics, constantly fighting to bring recognition and solutions to the African American maternal fetal death rates. Working alongside mothers, families and alleys to bring fourth an opportunity to improve birth outcomes. She is the urban midwife.
Over the next few months we will introduce to you our very own urban midwife. We will provide answers to the questions posted in this article, evaluate the need for her accessibility, review birth outcomes and put to bed the many folk tales and superstitions that surround the history of midwifery.
In this place, you will find a young Black woman who greets each visitor with a hug. Her hospitality is warm and gracious, offering food and drinks to those who enter. Her energy is contagious and her smile brings comfort to those who are worried and burdensome.
In this place, no one is turned away, all are welcomed with love and light. The days are long here, bustling with the pitter patter of tiny feet, the sounds of an unborn baby's heart beat. In this place, a listening ear comes first and the clinical decisions are second. In this place, home visits are common, herbal remedies recommended and holistic health is embraced. No preconceived judgment passed, no shamming, however, what you will find is a sacred space where all are welcome.
If you call this place after hours you are not greeted by a stranger, you get to hear the sweet voice of this woman. Listening intently to what you have to say, never rushing you off the phone. Sometimes, her response is simple, "I'm on my way". Arriving at your home, calm as the morning sun, wearing a simple fresh pair of scrubs, her signature hoop earrings, a name tag and clogs. When she enters the room she does not speak, instead she kneels at the bedside and waits for permission. The conversation ebbs and flows between each contraction, she is gentle, observant, a guardian of this sacred space. Quietly she looks around the room and greets each witness with a hug and smile and prepares for the special delivery. There is little lighting, soft music and rhythmic audible sounds coming from the mother to be. She makes no announcements, simple whispering words of encouragement as this precious being transitions from utero to hearthside. Who is she, one might ask, well she is the URBAN MIDWIFE!
Does this seem like an episode of Call The Midwife? Perhaps, you have never heard of a midwife in modern day society. Maybe your mother or grandmother was born into the hands of a midwife? Have you ever considered that birth leaves a physiological imprint on the newborn and mother? Have you ever considered the way you are born does matter? Did you know that the urban midwife is not a mythical clinician, she is well trained, well educated, well organized and mature. She is a visionary, a revolutionist and an activist for women worldwide. Some may call her a dreamer, however, she can see what they cannot. She is not afraid to address mainstream critics, constantly fighting to bring recognition and solutions to the African American maternal fetal death rates. Working alongside mothers, families and alleys to bring fourth an opportunity to improve birth outcomes. She is the urban midwife.
Over the next few months we will introduce to you our very own urban midwife. We will provide answers to the questions posted in this article, evaluate the need for her accessibility, review birth outcomes and put to bed the many folk tales and superstitions that surround the history of midwifery.
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