Hi everyone!,

I'm a full spectrum doula and student midwife here in Southeastern WI and notice that one of the challenges that we have in our state, is a lack of access to Certified Professional Midwifery Education. As a birth worker and mom, I have witnessed and experienced what it's like to feel unheard, experience provider bias, systemic racism and the desire to want a more close relationship with my health team.

With the Midwifery model of care, It's relationship based and pregnant people are seen as part of their own health team. Our state is graciously growing in the doula model of care but doulas are seeing more requests from the community to have home births over hospital births. The reason being is because pregnant persons experience a more sacred environment with less interventions. 

In addition to this, doulas, because of our birth work experiences, are wanting to become more educated to be able to provide midwifery care and support. The barrier has been obtaining access to Certified Professional Midwifery Education.  

Please see the Petition below to Milwaukee and Madison Area Technical College, and sign to show your support! 

With love & Gratitude,

-Lakeeta Watts

 

Petition To: Milwaukee & Madison Area Technical College

              The background to this petition is as follows:

To create more access to Affordable Midwifery Education for Communities of Color in Milwaukee and Madison, WI.

Supporting Factors: 

History 

·      2016 -year Wisconsin acquired its first black Certified Professional Midwife. 

·      To follow, Wisconsin acquired its first Afro Latina Certified Professional Midwife. 

Statistics 

·      Wisconsin Department of Health Services states that During 2006-2010, the PRMR in Wisconsin was 5.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to the U.S. ratio of 16.0. Though Wisconsin routinely reports a lower PRMR than the nation, the disparity between Black and White women in Wisconsin is greater. During 2006-2010, the PRMR among non-Hispanic Black women was 5.0 times the PRMR among non-Hispanic White women in Wisconsin. During the same period, the PRMR among non-Hispanic Black women in the U.S. was 3.2 times that among non-Hispanic White women. 

 

·      The Highest rates of Black and Brown families are in Milwaukee and Madison Wisconsin.

 Reality 

·      The Closest school affordable by financial aid from Milwaukee with a Certified Professional Midwifery Program is approx. 2 hours 20min. 

 

·      The closest school affordable by financial aid from Madison with a Certified Professional Midwifery Program is approx. 1-hour 15min. 

 

·      In communities of color, transportation is a privilege, and even if you have a vehicle of your own, 70+ miles may not be attainable given the condition of the car.

 

 Lived Experiences 

·      Many women of color are uncomfortable when going to a medical provider to support their pregnancy due to these factors:

 

o   Provider Bias 

o   Systemic Racism 

o   Feeling Unheard

o   Lack of Knowledge of Birth Rights 

o   Systemic Barriers 

o   Social Determinants of Health

 

While birth work services are amazingly on the rise across the state of Wisconsin, Birth workers of color are gaining an even greater interest in becoming Certified Professional Midwives due to the experiences they've had both personally and professionally. Birth workers have witnessed and experienced racism firsthand, vicarious trauma due to the instances they've seen within health systems involving their clients and a raised level of advocacy for their families to uplift their voices in perinatal care. Birth workers are turning to online training to obtain access to education that will help shape their community.

 Bringing a Certified Professional midwifery Program to Milwaukee & Madison Area Technical College, will influence the rates of provider/client/patient relationships, medication adherence, knowledge of birth rights, commitment to healthcare directives and create a sense of wholesome ownership of one's healthcare within their own perinatal care. 

Please accept this petition signed by me, a black mother of 5, full spectrum doula and student midwife and Sabrina Foulks-Thomas, the first black midwife in the state of Wisconsin, and the many supporters across Milwaukee and Madison Counties and in our entire state of Wisconsin, in support of this prospective program.

 

 Signed, 

Lakeeta Watts & Sabrina Foulks-Thomas

Lakeeta Watts, CHW, CLS, FSHD,CPES, STMW

Sabrina Foulks-Thomas, CPM,LM,IBCLC, CPES