Introduction What are you reading?

• Memoirs, resilience, and black women's experiences. 0:00
• Ravae Sinclair and Denise Bolds discuss books they're reading. Denise is reading "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" and "Recovering Black Storytelling and Qualitative Research."
• Denise Bolds shares her interest in storytelling and its importance in preserving cultural heritage.
• Ravae Sinclair shares her thoughts on Jada Pinkett Smith's memoir "Worthy," appreciating her resilience as a black woman and surviving difficult experiences.
• Ravae found the book entertaining and thought-provoking, but lost interest in the last chapter due to its "woowoo" nature.

Doula Skills

• Doula match.net, member directories, and networking. 9:33
• Ravae Sinclair highlights the importance of signing up for directories to attract clients, such as DoulaMatch.net.
• Denise Bolds shares her advocacy for discounted membership fees for BIPOC and Indigenous doulas on Doula Match, as a result of her pandemic-related efforts.
• Denise Bolds advocated for a flag on doula match.net to identify Black birth workers, which Kim James developed and implemented.
• Ravae Sinclair appreciates Denise's advocacy skills.
• Ravae Sinclair suggests using member directories and platforms like Bornbir to connect with other doulas and grow your business.
• Bornbir offers a free directory of families looking for doulas, but requires a monthly subscription to access contact information.
• Doula directories and lead generation strategies. 14:14
• Parents can search for birth workers on various directories, including HelloMeela, Poppy Seed (black-owned), and Boober (focused on breastfeeding).
• Denise Bolds and Ravae Sinclair discuss directories and lead generation strategies for doulas and birth workers, including identifying providers with preferred provider lists and making deals with providers for referrals.
• Bolds and Sinclair also discuss the importance of having business cards ready at births to receive referrals from OBs and midwives.
• Denise Bolds suggests sending a thank-you note or small gift to front desk staff at hospitals, as they play a crucial role in connecting clients with doulas.
• Ravae Sinclair emphasizes the importance of building relationships with complementary practice and beliefs, and getting on the list of preferred providers at hospitals to increase visibility and potential for referrals.
• Doula business growth strategies. 20:40
• Denise Bolds suggests including complete demographics in email footers to make it easy for others to refer businesses.
• Ravae Sinclair agrees, emphasizing the importance of having a professional image and consistent contact information across platforms.
• Ravae Sinclair suggests finding a platform that fits your budget and sticking with it for at least 3-4 months to get clients.
• Ravae Sinclair suggests doulas collaborate with other professionals, such as agencies or other doulas, to build their businesses.
• She also recommends affiliate work, where doulas refer clients to each other and receive a kickback for successful sales.
• Certificate issues in doula training. 27:55
• Denise Bolds and Ravae Sinclair discuss issues with obtaining certificates after completing training for Black birth workers.
• Denise Bolds shares her experience of completing a Spinning Babies training but not receiving her certificate, despite others in the same cohort receiving theirs.
• Ravae Sinclair and Denise Bolds discuss the challenge of obtaining certificates from a national organization, with Denise expressing frustration at the lack of transparency and timeliness in providing certificates.
• Denise Bolds emphasizes the importance of offering contact hours or certificates for training and conferences, citing the growing need for quantifiable proof of doula work for Medicaid and other entities.

Trending Issues or Topics

• Maternity care deserts and hospital closures in the US. 34:52
• Ravae Sinclair discusses rising infant mortality rate and challenges in maternity care.
• Ravae Sinclair and Denise Bolds discuss the closure of labor and delivery (L&D) departments in hospitals, particularly in Alabama, and the impact on families and workers.
• The speakers question why hospitals are not making money despite charging insurance companies for deliveries and suggest alternative birthing options like homebirth midwives and birth centers.
• Ravae Sinclair and Denise Bolds discuss the closure of a hospital in Atlanta, leading to stress and fear among pregnant women and their families regarding the safety and quality of care for their birth experiences.
• The closure of the hospital, which was also the only birth center in the city, has left families scrambling to find alternative care providers, leading to concerns about the reputation and staffing of Grady Hospital, the only other option for high-risk births in the area.
• Doula services in NYC hospitals. 41:57
• Denise Bolds and Ravae Sinclair discuss the challenges of navigating the healthcare system in New York City, particularly for families seeking continuity of care during pregnancy and childbirth.
• Doulas can provide a familiar face and continuity of care for families, bridging the gap between prenatal and postnatal care.
• Ravae Sinclair highlights the importance of identifying pain points for families in the childbirth process, and how doulas can provide continuity and consistency in an otherwise fragmented experience.
• Denise Bolds emphasizes the value of doulas in providing familiarity and enhancing the reputation of medical practices, while also serving as a problem-solver for families in need.

Good Birth Worker News

• Prison doula programs and addressing issues of coercion and rape in the criminal justice system. 47:48
• Ravae Sinclair highlights the PRISM program in Pennsylvania, a prison doula program led by Gerria Coffee that provides support to birthing people in the criminal justice system.
• Ravae praises the program's work in creating a net for those in the underbelly of society and helping women give birth outside of prison, with the goal of reconnecting and bouncing back.
• Ravae Sinclair discusses the prevalence of sexual assault in prisons, including coercive sex and bartering for sexual favors.
• Ravae Sinclair discusses the issue of sexual assault and births in Alabama prisons, highlighting the need for addressing the cultural factors that contribute to these problems.
• Prison policies and baby custody. 54:14
• Ravae Sinclair, a prison guard, was fired after an inmate asked her to take care of her baby.
• Despite the termination, the mother eventually regained her baby, but it was placed in foster care, because the mother needed more time to get herself together.
• Ravae Sinclair highlights need for birth worker support in prison AND within the community for new mothers or caregivers.
• Prison doulas and support for incarcerated women. 59:40
• Denise Bolds shares about predatory behavior by corrections officers towards incarcerated women in New York, with some officers getting women pregnant and facing consequences.
• Doulas and support workers discuss the need for training and support in working with incarcerated individuals, including navigating lockdowns and mental health challenges.
• Doula work in prisons and TV shows. 1:03:08
• Ravae Sinclair and Denise Bolds discuss the challenges of supporting new mothers in the criminal justice system.
• Ravae Sinclair and Denise Bolds discuss the PRISM program and its impact on the community.

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How to find us:

Ravae Sinclair @birthconnections and natlbirthpostpartumpros

Denise Bolds @BoldDoula and @blackwomendovbac

Website: www.doulathatpodcast.com

IG:@doulathatpodcast

Platforms: Apple, Spotify, Stitcher & Google