Shafia Monroe sees the need to increase minority infant survival and
breastfeeding rates in the African-American community.
Judy
http://www.blackmidwives.org/
http://www.mothering.com/articles/pregnancy_birth/midwives_doulas/legacy-of-
black-midwives.html
http://tinyurl.com/22rven
The Legacy of Black Midwives
By Zelie Pollon
Issue 144 - September/October 2007
Shafia Monroe was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, and as a
teenager she wanted to be a veterinarian. Then, when she was 15, her mother
died, and Monroe was sent to live with a Muslim woman who happened to be
pregnant. Monroe became fascinated with the woman's process, and human
health and birth soon began to override her interest in animal care. She
wanted to know everything about birth, and so was given the book Williams
Obstetrics, and told to study it in case the expectant mother couldn't get
to the hospital in time for her delivery.1 That year, Monroe dropped out of
high school to continue to learn about birth while living with her Muslim
friend. At 17, she told her father that she wanted to go to Africa to learn
to be an obstetrician. Instead, he convinced her to go back to school and
look into midwifery. Suddenly, Monroe's path began to be revealed to her.
[snip]
In 1982, the first of Monroe's seven children was born, with a Jewish
midwife in attendance-at that time, there were no black midwives in Boston.
It was obvious to Monroe there was a need to be filled, and she decided to
create a network for black women. The result, the International Center for
Traditional Childbearing (ICTC), was incorporated in 1991, in Portland,
Oregon.
***********************************************
Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome
|
