“All of the midwives that I met each had their version of being called.” 

Brittney, a Black mom who’s had two traumatic C-sections in the hospital, doesn’t know exactly what kind of care she wants for her third pregnancy – until she meets Florida midwife Kim Homer. 

Host Kaytura Felix, MD, traces the journey that brought these women to midwifery, and how their stories shaped her ongoing research into the Black maternal health crisis. 

Deep Care is committed to the Beloved Birth 50 By 50 goal: By the year 2050, 50% of babies in the US will come into the world through the care of midwives. (www.belovedbirth50by50.org)

FEATURED MIDWIFE

Kimberley Homer is a Florida Licensed Midwife (LM), Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC), Childbirth Educator, Yoni Steam Facilitator, Fitness Instructor, and more. Learn more about midwife Kim from her site: https://www.crowningmidwifery.com and follow midwife Kim on instagram @crowningmidwifery

Interested in having a Black birth care provider in your birth plan? Here are some resources to find one in your area. All sourced from Sista Midwife Productions:

• https://blackmidwifedirectory.com/
• https://www.blackdouladirectory.com/

Deep Care is a production of the Black Birthing Futures Project. The show is made by Kaytura Felix, Camara Aaron, Gabrielle Horton, Sally Beauvais, and Brier Evans, with support from Maria Jose Owens-Fajardo, Jay Mawuli, Kimberly Pothemont, Alejandro McGhee, Chinmayee Balachandra, Warner Meadows, Olivia House, Julie Quiroz, Allegra Hill, and Daniel Badí Rinaldi for Newfruit Media. 

Follow us on instagram at @BlackBirthingFutures for more on our exploration of community birth and Black Community Midwifery. 

As promised! Learn more about the different types of midwives here: https://blackbirthingfutures.com/the-deep-care-podcast/episode-list/e1-show-notes/

Transcript and research bibliography available at https://blackbirthingfutures.com/the-deep-care-podcast/episode-list/e1-show-notes/

Our team at Deep Care values the voices of the midwives and clients we feature. Our goal is to amplify their voices and inform and empower listeners about their birthing options. Consider leaving a review or comment to share your thoughts or your own experiences.

A new podcast about the Black community midwives transforming Black families and futures across the US. Hosted by researcher and mother Dr. Kaytura Felix. Coming April 13th. 

“What I do know, is that it’s going to take all of us.” 

Kaytura invites us to dream. After witnessing the potential of community midwifery, she imagines a future world in the year 2050 where the Black maternal health crisis is over and where Black birthing is safe and joyful. She asks: how do we get from this present to that future?   

Deep Care is committed to the Beloved Birth 50 By 50 goal: By the year 2050, 50% of babies in the US will come into the world through the care of midwives. www.belovedbirth50by50.org

FEATURED MIDWIVES

Asasiya Wilson, CPM, LM, is a Licensed and Certified Professional Midwife serving birthing families throughout Philadelphia, Miami, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica. Learn more about midwife Asasiya from her site: https://thepeoplesmidwife.com. And follow midwife Asasiya on instagram @thepeoplesmidwife

Ezinne Dawson, LM, CPM, is a community doula, yoni steam facilitator, and licensed Certified Professional Midwife supporting families in Oahu, Hawaii. Learn more about midwife Ezinne from her site: https://goodmotherbirthing.com . And follow midwife Ezinne on instagram @goodmotherbirthing

Interested in having a Black birth care provider in your birth plan? Here are some resources to find one in your area. All sourced from Sista Midwife Productions:

• https://blackmidwifedirectory.com
• https://www.blackdouladirectory.com

Deep Care is a production of the Black Birthing Futures Project. The show is made by Kaytura Felix, Camara Aaron, Gabrielle Horton, Sally Beauvais, and Brier Evans, with support from Maria Jose Owens-Fajardo, Jay Mawuli, Kimberly Pothemont, Alejandro McGhee, Chinmayee Balachandra, Warner Meadows, Olivia House, Julie Quiroz, Allegra Hill, and Daniel Badí Rinaldi for Newfruit Media. 

Follow us on instagram at @BlackBirthingFutures for more on our exploration of community birth and Black Community Midwifery. 

This episode’s title is a nod to the famed literature “The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales,” by Virgina Hamilton. This collection of stories detail a fantasy about enslaved people who used ancient magic words to fly to freedom and is a moving tribute to those who couldn’t escape, relying on imagination and storytelling to feel free.

Keep up with Joya on Instagram: @joyas.lil.yoga

Transcript and research bibliography available at https://blackbirthingfutures.com/the-deep-care-podcast/episode-list/e1-show-notes.

Our team at Deep Care values the voices of the midwives and clients we feature. Our goal is to amplify their voices and inform and empower listeners about their birthing options. Consider leaving a review or comment to share your thoughts or your own experiences.

“Her care for me bonded us for life.”

Newborn babies need a lot of care, and so do new parents. Kaytura dives into life after birth, and how Black community midwives hold families during the postpartum period, a time when support systems tend to fall apart and conventional medical care often falls short.

Deep Care is committed to the Beloved Birth 50 By 50 goal: By the year 2050, 50% of babies in the US will come into the world through the care of midwives. (www.belovedbirth50by50.org)

FEATURED MIDWIFE

Kim Onile, CPM, JD, is a Licensed Certified Professional Midwife, Licensed Direct Entry Midwife (LDEM), lawyer, and doula now based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Learn more about midwife Kim from her site: https://www.kimberlyonilemidwife.com. And follow midwife Kim on instagram @midwife_kim_onile

Interested in having a Black birth care provider in your birth plan? Here are some resources to find one in your area. All sourced from Sista Midwife Productions:

• https://blackmidwifedirectory.com/
• https://www.blackdouladirectory.com/

Deep Care is a production of the Black Birthing Futures Project. The show is made by Kaytura Felix, Camara Aaron, Gabrielle Horton, Sally Beauvais, and Brier Evans, with support from Maria Jose Owens-Fajardo, Jay Mawuli, Kimberly Pothemont, Alejandro McGhee, Chinmayee Balachandra, Warner Meadows, Olivia House, Julie Quiroz, Allegra Hill, and Daniel Badí Rinaldi for Newfruit Media. 

Follow us on instagram at @BlackBirthingFutures for more on our exploration of community birth and Black Community Midwifery. 

Keep up with Joya on Instagram: @joyas.lil.yoga 

Transcript and research bibliography available at https://blackbirthingfutures.com/the-deep-care-podcast/episode-list/e1-show-notes/

Our team at Deep Care values the voices of the midwives and clients we feature. Our goal is to amplify their voices and inform and empower listeners about their birthing options. Consider leaving a review or comment to share your thoughts or your own experiences.

“ …there’s a baby about to be born.” 

WD and Brittney’s pregnancies have different outcomes, but their midwives support them both through every step, delivering care they didn’t know they needed. Kaytura takes us inside the world of home labor and delivery, exploring how Black community midwives like Kim Onile in Missouri and Kim Homer in Florida show up for their clients when they give birth, and when pregnancy ends in loss.

Deep Care is committed to the Beloved Birth 50 By 50 goal: By the year 2050, 50% of babies in the US will come into the world through the care of midwives. (www.belovedbirth50by50.org)

FEATURED MIDWIFE

Kimberley Homer is a Florida Licensed Midwife (LM), Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC), Childbirth Educator, Yoni Steam Facilitator, Fitness Instructor, and more. Learn more about midwife Kim from her site: https://www.crowningmidwifery.com. And follow midwife Kim on instagram @crowningmidwifery

Kim Onile, CPM, JD, is a Licensed Certified Professional Midwife, Licensed Direct Entry Midwife (LDEM), lawyer, and doula based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Learn more about midwife Kim from her site: https://www.kimberlyonilemidwife.com/ and follow midwife Kim on instagram @midwife_kim_onile

Interested in having a Black birth care provider in your birth plan? Here are some resources to find one in your area. All sourced from Sista Midwife Productions:

• https://blackmidwifedirectory.com/
• https://www.blackdouladirectory.com/

Deep Care is a production of the Black Birthing Futures Project. The show is made by Kaytura Felix, Camara Aaron, Gabrielle Horton, Sally Beauvais, and Brier Evans, with support from Maria Jose Owens-Fajardo, Jay Mawuli, Kimberly Pothemont, Alejandro McGhee, Chinmayee Balachandra, Warner Meadows, Olivia House, Julie Quiroz, Allegra Hill, and Daniel Badí Rinaldi for Newfruit Media. 

Follow us on instagram at @BlackBirthingFutures for more on our exploration of community birth and Black Community Midwifery. 

Transcript and research bibliography available at (https://blackbirthingfutures.com/the-deep-care-podcast/episode-list/e1-show-notes/).

Our team at Deep Care values the voices of the midwives and clients we feature. Our goal is to amplify their voices and inform and empower listeners about their birthing options. Consider leaving a review or comment to share your thoughts or your own experiences.

“Black midwifery is a saving grace to Black mothers.”

After her past experiences with healthcare, Joya never imagined she’d find herself at the center of a community that would support her throughout her entire pregnancy. Kaytura visits the Black-owned birth center that made it all possible – Kindred Space LA, where group visits and collaborative care are expanding the reach of midwifery. 

Deep Care is committed to the Beloved Birth 50 By 50 goal: By the year 2050, 50% of babies in the US will come into the world through the care of midwives. (www.belovedbirth50by50.org)

FEATURED MIDWIVES

Kimberly Durdin, LM, CPM, is a Licensed Midwife, Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Childbirth Educator and Doula Trainer. Alongside her friend and fellow midwife, Allegra Hill, Kimberly is the co-owner and co-founder of Kindred Space LA— one of the few Los Angeles’s Black-owned birth centers. Learn more about Kindred Space LA: https://www.kindredspacela.com/ . And follow midwife Kimberly on instagram @kimberlydurdin

Allegra Hill, LM, is a Licensed Midwife, Certified Professional Midwife and Lactation Consultant. Hill and Durdin are co-founders and co-owners of Kindred Space LA—Los Angeles’s only Black-owned birth center. Learn more about Kindred Space LA: https://www.kindredspacela.com/ and follow midwife Allegra on instagram @allegba_legba

Interested in having a Black birth care provider in your birth plan? Here are some resources to find one in your area. All sourced from Sista Midwife Productions:

• https://blackmidwifedirectory.com/
• https://www.blackdouladirectory.com/

Deep Care is a production of the Black Birthing Futures Project. The show is made by Kaytura Felix, Camara Aaron, Gabrielle Horton, Sally Beauvais, and Brier Evans, with support from Maria Jose Owens-Fajardo, Jay Mawuli, Kimberly Pothemont, Alejandro McGhee, Chinmayee Balachandra, Warner Meadows, Olivia House, Julie Quiroz, Allegra Hill, and Daniel Badí Rinaldi for Newfruit Media. 

Follow us on instagram at @BlackBirthingFutures for more on our exploration of community birth and Black Community Midwifery. 

Kindred Space LA is a Black-owned birth center based in Los Angeles. Visit their site here: https://www.kindredspacela.com/ . They’ve recently opened Kindred Space AV, their second location in Lancaster, CA. 

Transcript and research bibliography available at (https://blackbirthingfutures.com/the-deep-care-podcast/episode-list/e1-show-notes/).

Our team at Deep Care values the voices of the midwives and clients we feature. Our goal is to amplify their voices and inform and empower listeners about their birthing options. Consider leaving a review or comment to share your thoughts or your own experiences.

“Midwives, They’re coming back.”

Kaytura takes us inside a prenatal home visit in Jacksonville with midwife Kim Homer and her client Monica to explore the unique ways Black community midwives care for their families.

Plus, how Kim’s early birthwork years put her on a path to practicing in maternity care deserts across North Florida. 

Deep Care is committed to the Beloved Birth 50 By 50 goal: By the year 2050, 50% of babies in the US will come into the world through the care of midwives. (www.belovedbirth50by50.org)

FEATURED MIDWIFE

Kimberley Homer is a Florida Licensed Midwife (LM), Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC), Childbirth Educator, Yoni Steam Facilitator, Fitness Instructor, and more. Learn more about midwife Kim from her site: https://www.crowningmidwifery.com. And follow midwife Kim on instagram @crowningmidwifery

Interested in having a Black birth care provider in your birth plan? Here are some resources to find one in your area. All sourced from Sista Midwife Productions:

• https://blackmidwifedirectory.com
• https://www.blackdouladirectory.com

Deep Care is a production of the Black Birthing Futures Project. The show is made by Kaytura Felix, Camara Aaron, Gabrielle Horton, Sally Beauvais, and Brier Evans, with support from Maria Jose Owens-Fajardo, Jay Mawuli, Kimberly Pothemont, Alejandro McGhee, Chinmayee Balachandra, Warner Meadows, Olivia House, Julie Quiroz, Allegra Hill, and Daniel Badí Rinaldi for Newfruit Media. 

Follow us on instagram at @BlackBirthingFutures for more on our exploration of community birth and Black Community Midwifery. 

Keep up with Monica on her socials:

• TikTok: @TheDorseys
• Instagram: @TheDorseys

Watch the first home appointment with Monica and midwife Kim: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8hyY512

Transcript and research bibliography available at (https://blackbirthingfutures.com/the-deep-care-podcast/episode-list/e1-show-notes).

Our team at Deep Care values the voices of the midwives and clients we feature. Our goal is to amplify their voices and inform and empower listeners about their birthing options. Consider leaving a review or comment to share your thoughts or your own experiences.