Many of the youth in Circle of Mamas, a six-week childbirth preparation circle by Mobile Midwife, are from Black and Latino communities where babies die at higher rates. These communities also have powerful legacies and herstories of midwifery. The Circle of Mamas program brings this nurturing care and wisdom back into our communities by exposing teen mothers (ages 13-19) in the Miami-Dade public school system to the midwifery model of care through popular education, storytelling, “know your rights” training and doula support. We share culturally centered health care information, including birth options and breastfeeding, in respectful, nonjudgmental language with pregnant teens, using role-play and interactive discussion. Through Circle of Mamas, young mothers receive sisterhood and support in their choices as they prepare for their rite of passage into motherhood, not only positively impacting racial health disparities, but also planting a seed to spread the word into our communities about midwifery care.
We held a session in Spring of 2012, and look forward our sessions in Fall 2012 and Spring of 2013. You can support our work through your contributions here.