In this episode, Sakina shared her experiences and insights on overcoming barriers to midwife reimbursement and delivering transformative care. She emphasized the importance of personalized mentorship, cultural responsiveness, and dismantling structures of oppression in maternal health care. We also discussed the challenges of accessing midwife care in the US, particularly in North Carolina, and argued for an integrated system that respects midwives and provides equal reimbursement rates to fix the US healthcare system.

Sakina O’Uhuru is a dedicated midwife with over 30 years of experience in the field of midwifery. She has an unwavering commitment to birth justice and believes in improving and enhancing the lives of women whose voices often go unheard, particularly within marginalized communities. Sakina is a published author and founder of the non -profit called “A Women’s Way” which is a community-based organization whose mission is to offer women, people, families, health information and training, aimed at improving both Infant and Maternal health within African American Communities. She offers personalized mentorship for aspiring midwives who are looking to take their skills and practice to the next level through her “A Wombman’s Way Warrior Midwife Training.”

Today’s episode includes a discussion of the following topics:

• Barriers to midwifery care and their impact on maternal mortality.

• Midwife care costs, insurance coverage, and ideal healthcare system.

• Midwife reimbursement and legal requirements in New York and other states.

• Challenges faced by midwives, including control and politics, and the importance of empathy and humility in their work. 

• Midwifery challenges, overcoming obstacles, and cultural sensitivity.

Episode Notes and Resources:

https://www.gentlespiritbirth.com/

https://www.awombmanswaywarriormidwifetraining.com/

A Journey to Birth (Sakina’s book) 

Support Mama Needs a Moment! Become a patron through our Mama Needs a Moment Patreon.

HER Circle by HER Health Collective

---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/herhealthcollective/support