about jacinta

Hi there! I am a Black, non-binary mother to a very sociable tiny human. I’m deeply in love with learning, ancestral healing technologies, and most sci-fi media.

Why I chose to be a birthworker?

I was introduced to birth work at the beginning of my massage therapist career. A then client said, “you would be a good doula”.

I definitely looked into it for all of 2 days and then brushed it off. Years later, after reflecting on my pregnancy & birth experiences, I realized that I needed a doula myself & the spark was rekindled. While I did have a partner and family around I didn’t feel supported or validated, especially by my OB and their office. Through joining Facebook groups and downloading those social pregnancy tracking apps—- I realized that my experiences were far more common than I had assumed.

The more I learned about doulas, and what they do; the more I was exposed to reproductive injustices. I was introduced to evidence that racism and unchecked biases of gender, physical abilities, and socioeconomic status heavily affect birth outcomes for Black and Indigenous people - who are most impacted.

And with that, I decided to try to be a part of the movement of change in some way. I actively strive to be inclusive and welcoming with my care, because all people & our intersections deserve kindness, respect, and dignity.

Why is my work ancestrally led?

During the very first birth I attended as a birthworker, I caught the baby. After a period of reflection on my behavior at that birth, I realized that my actions were distinctly not my own. I was tapping into ancestral knowledge to guide the birthing person, baby, and myself through the situation. I found, and continue to find, that what works best in my practice is trusting Spirit, my client, and myself.

I also incorporate the collective Grand Midwife ancestors because they did this work. They trusted, listened to, and sustained communities of people through their reproductive journeys. To me, I can not walk this path without acknowledging that their footprints, their work - is what formed the road. I can not learn midwifery skills, without acknowledging how they were doubted, interviewed, quizzed, and held to intangible standards because they didn’t obtain the skill in books written by a white man. I can not pursue a career in midwifery without acknowledging that Grand Midwives had to defend their right to support birthing people against racist laws and redlining.

“One of the darkest moments in US history was the systematic eradication of the African American midwife from her community, resulting in a legacy of birth injustices.”

- Shafia M. Monroe, DEM, CDT, MPH