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The "Dada Zuri" Sisterhood - "Beautiful Sister"
We are a dedicated, and compassionate group of Doulas and Perinatal Health Advocates who love to incorporate the wisdom and cultural healing practices of our ancestors into our care, while providing culturally relevant and evidenced based services. Our training teaches us that, “We come to the people as the people because we are the people”. Our ultimate goal is to hold space for all families no matter where they are in their childbearing year, phase or process, while reducing racial disparities in perinatal outcomes.
Why are our doulas trained so much longer than most other Doulas in the community?
Because we know that after just 3-4 days of training, it can be challenging to navigate all of the complexities that often come with supporting families in undervalued and underrepresented communities, who are living with the weight of historical and generational traumas, while navigating institutional racism and all of the social determinants of their health, which can all influence their reproductive choices, options, and outcomes. Our Doulas are trained to be proficient in understanding the implications of pregnancy from conception through to birth to postpartum, and many things in between such as nutrition, lactation, toxic relationships, abuse & trauma, breastfeeding, grief & loss, and much, much more through several training units. Overall, our unique training prepares our doulas to support families in many environments and through a wide range of circumstances even beyond the Full Spectrum expectation of doulas, to becoming an Earth’s Natural Touch: Birth Care & Beyond Interdisciplinary Doula (sm).
We also love to spend time together supporting each other through the training program and our individual lives as a circle of support. It can be difficult to do this work, which often comes with carrying a heavy load. But we work to ensure that no one of us has to carry it alone. The educational and support systems we have built within are key components of our program.
If you are interested in our Doula Skills: Beyond the Basics Program or any of our other professional Trainings, please visit our “ Professional Trainings Page here for details.
Doula servies
Click here to learn more about what Doula services Earth's Natural Touch: Birth Care & Beyond offers.
These ENT Featured Interdisciplinary Doulas are dedicated to the advancement of our mission and have committed to supporting it in the best ways possible through their individual and collective efforts. These Featured Interdisciplinary Doulas see the value in the African Proverb, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Together we can make great changes. They have each completed all of the Interdisciplinary Doula Program requirements, and maintain their certifications. In this ever advancing world of birth, it is extremely important to stay up to date on new research and development, and to stay connected to the community. Our Featured Doulas work in teams to accomplish this. They all continue to learn and sharpen their skills by participating in our internal continuing education opportunities, study groups, and upholding our Codes of Conduct, Professional Ethics, Confidentiality and Standards. They work together to support each other with client cases, confidential peer review, community care, and more. Each Doula is unique in their own way, and they all come from various backgrounds, education, and life experiences. Yet, they have all come together for one common cause… Better Birth Outcomes. Our Community of Doulas and Perinatal Health Advocates feel fortunate to have each other. These doulas may benefit from our internal funding for educational scholarships, client referrals and more. These are our Doulas who work with all of our private-pay clients, and clients that are connected to us through our program partners, agencies, and other organizations.
Mama Amadoma Bediako has been in the field of birth work since the late 1970’s. She has served her community as a Traditional Midwife, Childbirth Educator, Lactation Professional, Massage Instructor, Birth Assistant, Doula and more while supporting families who are birthing in hospitals, at birth centers, and at home. She served as a member of the New York City Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee and has supported many community based programs in Tanzania, and throughout the United States training doulas and midwives. Amadoma has contributed to the richness of the Earth’s Natural Touch: Birth Care & Beyond Interdisciplinary Doula Program since its inception, and has supported our founder, SciHonor Devotion since the early 2000’s when they began working together in an organization they co-founded with others, Sistas for Better Birth, in New York City. We are forever grateful to have her.
SciHonor Devotion
SciHonor Devotion started in the field of birth in the year 1999 when she became pregnant with her first child. That experience set her on her lifelong path of supporting other women and families through their process and training others to do the same. By 2004, she had trained and certified as a Labor Doula, Postpartum Doula, and Childbirth Educator. Over the years, she trained as a Home birth Midwife Assistant, Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC), Maternal Child Health Specialist (JJ Way), and has received multiple other training and certifications from many organizations in various disciplines. SciHonor has completed the Advanced Midwifery Program at WomanCraft Midwifery in Amherst, Massachusetts taught by Beth Anne Moonstone. Through this course, her research focus was on… How Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders are Recognized, Identified and Managed, and how they are supported both medically and socially in people who identify as being “of African Descent”. SciHonor is currently a Senior Midwifery Student studying to support families during the perinatal year who are planning to birth in out of hospital settings.
Through the years, SciHonor has taught about women’s reproductive health including fertility challenges, womb ailments, pregnancy, positive parenting and more in women’s shelters, birthing centers, and for private clients. SciHonor is a published writer and has been called to speak at colleges, universities and other venues on the historical and present-day impacts on perinatal experiences of Black families and their birth outcomes. SciHonor created the Earth’s Natural Touch: Birth Care & Beyond – Doulas Skills: Beyond the Basics Program to ensure that there were competent and racially/culturally diverse Doulas and Perinatal Health Advocates supporting families. Her team of Doulas is well equipped to support families through their birthing journeys. SciHonor Devotion was awarded the 2020 Lem & June Birth Pro Award for Best Black Birth Professional Trainer.