EP 180: Midwifery as Salve, Ancestral, and Community Care with Racha Tahani Lawler Queen

In this episode, Kimberly and Racha discuss Gather Grounded Midwifery, a midwifery practice and birth home created by Racha. They also discuss Racha's generational influence to midwifery care, how she ended up in Virginia as a California native, and how the pandemic impacted midwives in particular. They also discuss the rich and complicated history of Black midwifery and how it tends to entire communities. The link to contribute to Gather Grounded Midwifery to help this Black owned birthing home provide the resources and services can be found below!

Bio

Racha Tahani Lawler Queen is a Black homebirth mama, wife, and midwife of 20 years. She is the CEO and owner of Gather Grounded Midwifery, a Black-owned and operated birthing home and center in the Musqueam Territory / Richmond, Virginia. Opening this Spring 2023, Gather Grounded Midwifery is a safe and welcoming place where Black, Brown, Indigenous, and queer families are prioritized. The birthing home features two birthing suites, where our very own can receive pregnancy, birth and postpartum care in a unique retreat space, nestled in a predominantly Black neighborhood. Gather Grounded Midwifery has a goal to provide families with a sacred place to receive prenatal care, labor amongst 100-year-old pine trees, birth in and out of water, and receive postpartum care that's in alignment with their individual, Ancestral and spiritual practices. We will also support and partner with Black businesses that prioritize the healing and protection of Black birthers and families. Find the GoFundMe link below to contribute to this important space.

What She Shares:

–Impact of pandemic on midwives and home births

–How and why Racha relocated to Richmond, Virginia from LA to create a birthing home

–Black midwifery history and community care

–The impact of a birthing home on a community

What You'll Hear:

–How Racha from CA ended up in Richmond, Virginia

–Midwifery services and birthing home in Virginia for Black and Brown families

–Taking a break from birth work to grow

–Racist real estate practices while finding birth home

–Impact of pandemic on midwives

–Background in environmental health and safety and disaster preparedness

–Hospital turning away home-birth transfers during pandemic

–Advocating for community midwives

–EMTs refusing to service

–Midwives and birth workers quitting after pandemic-induced trauma

–Black Farm Studio House in LA county, non-profit

–Non-profit relocated to Richmond

–Importance of midwifery in community care

–Making midwife ancestors and grandmothers proud

–Eradication of Black midwifery in previous centuries

–Midwives regaining acknowledgement as intimate healthcare profession

–Legacy of great, great grandmother was town midwife

–Providing safe care in homes during pandemic

–Midwifery as more than prenatal visits

–Providing care during so many unknowns

–Wider possibilities for midwives in Virginia

–Birthing home honors Black midwives elder for rest and care

–Prioritizing Black and Brown birth

–Birth home will be opening by March

–GoFundMe: "Support a Black-owned Operating Birthing Home"

–Crowd-funding for $50,000 for an operating home

Resources

Website: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-a-black-owned-operated-birthing-home

IG: @gathergroundedmidwifery