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Shaunté is our third Eddy Rose Scholar for Black Birthworkers, and we are so thrilled to be supporting this future Midwife. Her passion for Midwifery and her commitment to her community is truly inspiring, and we are eager for you to get to know her a little more!

1.  How did your journey lead you to decide to become a midwife? 

Ever since I was a kid, I had a liking to helping people. I’m the eldest of four children and cared for all of my younger siblings. What led me to become a midwife was my love for kids and appreciation for women and their bodies. Midwives particularly sparked my interest due to the midwifery model of care. Birthing with a midwife is far more personal, intimate, and rewarding. I love how they connect with the mothers and make each pregnancy journey unique to the patient on a more personal level. I feel as if midwives have a more caring and connected approach to their patients, spend more time understanding them, and become an additional support system.  

I was always intrigued with the birthing process, especially after encountering the difficult birth of my baby sister when I was 14 years old. Watching her come into this world and surviving being born a little over 2lbs was remarkable. I grew a deep admiration midwives who attend births, as it can be life threatening for the mother or baby. Experiencing my mother flat-lining and coming back to life after a complicated cesarean-section due to placenta previa was such a traumatizing experience, yet also made me feel that I have a purpose in helping women of color just like myself. 

 

2. Who are some of the biggest influences in your life? 

My grandmother is my biggest influence. From attending my school plays, to taking me to health fairs, to handing me brochures on pregnancy, my grandmother is always there to cheer me on and support whatever it is I choose to take on in life. From an adolescent, it was my grandmother who taught me basic skills such as taking blood pressure, reading a thermometer, checking blood sugar levels etc. Little did I know I'd be using these same tools she taught me, to help her after her diagnosis of breast cancer. I was able to attend to her basic needs whenever she felt sick, especially after chemotherapy. Following her reconstructive surgery, I helped change her gauzes, leakage tubes, and dressed her scars with proper antiseptics and made her feel as comfortable as possible. Throughout my years as a young adult to now, I've had first hand experience with women's health because of my grandmother, my breast cancer survivor, my hero.  

My other influence is God. I grew up in church. My grandmother made sure my siblings and I attended every Sunday. My faith is what keeps me going and gives me the drive and ambition to do all things and conquer the unthinkable. I would not be the woman I am today without God and my grandmother. 

 

3. How do you see your role as a birth worker supporting equity for maternal health? 

Upon graduating as a midwife, I plan on gaining as much experience as I can in the field working in a hospital that has been using midwives for an extensive period of time and building a name for myself. I ultimately see myself opening a home-birth business, catering to all women and especially welcoming women of the BIPOC community.  

I believe that the work doesn’t stop. If you want to see change, you have to make change! Black women are 3 times more likely to die in childbirth in comparison to white women. To more fully understand the maternal mortality issue amongst black women, it is important to address the root of the problem, health inequity and institutional racism, which I plan to highlight in future qualitative research. I’m currently working as a birth/postpartum doula advocating for mothers in the tri-state area. Birth work is my life. I was born to do this, and I will continue to use my education and experience to make a difference. 

 

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