Birth Justice
Our work of reclaiming the village begins with birth justice. The Red Birth Green Doula Collective and our lactation support professionals are here to support the growing families of our community through pregnancy, labor and birth, and postpartum. We build client relationships based on trust and work to eliminate barriers to care. We believe everyone who wants a doula deserves one, regardless of background or ability to pay.
Birth Justice programming includes workshops and meetups for young families – like free, drop-in, professional breastfeeding support at the Baby Café and our popular Village Playdates.
Support for young families is crucial for building community and reclaiming the village. Check our program calendar for more information.
Red Birth Green (RBG) was founded as the Rootead Doula Collective in 2016 as a way to address Black infant mortality with community care and principles of traditional healing practices. Equitable access and care for all is and has always been our driving mission.
Red Birth Green
We believe in the principle of Sankofa, which teaches us that we must remember our past to move forward in the future. Our birthwork philosophy combines traditional healing practices and collectivism with a modern standard of care.
We meet our clients where they are, without judgment or opinion. Your lived experiences are important and valuable, and we will always trust your judgment. This is your body and your birth; our goal is to empower all families to advocate for themselves through shared knowledge and connections.
See how we work together with our clients by viewing our Birth Doula Contract.
What Do RBG Doulas Do?
• Call, text, and meet with you to get to know you, find out how you’re doing, and answer your questions.
• Make themselves available for the month around your due date so they can come to your birth to support you.
• Stay in touch with you postpartum to help you access support you deserve.
• Remind you of your strengths so you can overcome the trials of pregnancy, childbirth, and early parenthood.
• Remain nonjudgmental and unbiased in every interaction so you feel safe and truly cared for.
Stephanie
Hello, my name is Stephanie. I am a birth and postpartum doula at Rootead and facilitate workshops throughout the community on topics relating to Maternal Child Health. While I love being in the homes of clients & promoting their rest and recovery, my passion for education, birth justice, and self-advocacy skills is weaved throughout everything I do. I have been a part of the birth world for the past 5 years and hope to be for many more years as I continue my education to be a Certified Professional Midwife.
Kijah (Ki-yah)
My name is Kijah and I am a DONA and Rootead trained doula, passionate about birthing justice and empowering people and their communities through pregnancy and postpartum. I became a doula because I believe that the role of support during such a unique time in a persons life, is sacred and needed.
Chéree
I have been with Red Birth Green since 2018. My passion lies within achieving equity. I have decades of experience in addressing racial equity and I am a certified racial healing practitioner. I love advocating for women of color and birth justice in my role as a certified doula.
Emily
I believe every birthing person deserves to have a doula by their side, and I am so honored to be initiated into this sacred work through Red Birth Green. I strongly believe in supporting empowered and peaceful pregnancy, birth, and postpartum times for families, and I feel extremely grateful to be allowed space in these most tender moments.
Evelyn
I absolutely love being a Doula. I am unconditional and non-judgmental with a passionate desire of being a Doula. I believe in helping women to have a safe, memorable and empowering birth. I believe every woman should have the opportunity to have a Doula and no woman should have to birth alone.
Taijah
Taijah's journey into the world of birth support began with a deeply transformative birth experience. Motivated by the desire to ensure that all birthing individuals feel safe, empowered, loved, cared for, seen, and heard throughout their entire journey, she embarked on the path to become a birth doula through DONA International in April 2022. In her role as a doula, Taijah embodies a supportive, calm, compassionate, empathetic, and nonjudgmental presence. Rejecting the notion that birth is something to fear, she finds joy in collaborating with clients and their families, guiding them to embrace their inherent "birthing power" through education, openness, and meaningful conversation.
Beyond her doula work, Taijah treasures moments spent with her family, indulges in reading and journaling, takes nature walks, and finds solace in bathing her crystals in the moonlight.
Sandra
My name is Sandra and I’m a birth and postpartum Doula at Rootead. I love helping and giving all the support I can to our clients. I believe everyone should have a Doula through their pregnancy journey, they should get all the support as possible. I’m very passionate about my job and I feel very blessed when I get to help and support someone.
Lauren
Hi, my name is Lauren. I’m a DONA trained birth doula at Rootead. I love serving my community and helping families. I’m passionate about Birth Justice and advocating for my client’s needs. I’m honored that I can be part of such a special moment.
Kalamazoo Baby Café at Rootead
Our weekly Kalamazoo Baby Café at Rootead is a new initiative in our community, dedicated to providing a safe and nurturing space for chest- and breastfeeding individuals to access professional assistance free of charge, receive unwavering support, and gain access to invaluable resources essential for the success of their journeys. We understand the significance of supporting individuals and their infants during this crucial stage of life, and our mission is to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels empowered and supported.
The Baby Café is a walk-in parent support group with lactation professionals present to provide support for baby feeding. This free service is available in partnership with Bronson Health Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Interested in becoming a Doula?
Thank you for your interest in Rootead’s Doula Program. Please fill out the Interest Form below to receive more information on future cohort trainings.
Rootead is proud to be a Perinatal Safe Spot!
A Perinatal Safe Spot is a physical or virtual space, or both – a place where women and families can safely connect and find support.
A Perinatal Safe Spot is also a place to utilize the four tenets of The JJ Way® model of care which enable ANYBODY who cares to make a positive difference in a pregnant or parenting woman’s life.
The tenets are to provide ACCESS, CONNECTIONS, KNOWLEDGE and EMPOWERMENT in order to increase the opportunities for a positive birth outcome.
Obodo (Oh-Bow-Doe) is a revolutionary initiative in perinatal care. Based in the heart of Kalamazoo, we use a culturally-relevant, communal approach to providing the access, connections, and knowledge that allow our clients to feel empowered in their reproductive choices.
Services
- Pregnancy Testing
- Fertility Education
- Lactation Counseling
- Full-Spectrum Doula Care
- Pregnancy Release Care
- Perinatal Health Assessments
- Nurse Consultations
- Community Resource Hub
- Parenting Groups
- Natural Living Education
- Early Childhood Enrichment
