The Weekly Newsletter for Heart of Houston Birth and Wellness Families and Friends.
It's Black Maternal Health Week
Happy Monday, friends! We hope you all took advantage of this beautiful Houston weather over the weekend. It won't last much longer so get outside and get your vitamin D before the temperatures get unbearable. Today marks the first day of Black Maternal Health Week. This year's theme is Build Towards Liberation Centering Black Mamas, Black Families & Black Systems of Care. I've written a lot about the disparities in care for Black birthing bodies but this week's focus will be on highlighting the ways doulas, midwives and other community advocates are sharing the load and supporting families of color. Check out the various online events throughout the week by following hashtag #BMHW22, our Houston friends at The Shades of Blue Project and national organizations National Birth Equity Collaborative and Black Mamas Matter Alliance.
Over the weekend
We enjoyed the Frame Dance Family Dance Party on Saturday morning. The space was sprinkled with interactive stations for the entire family. Pipe cleaner dancers hung from the ceiling with fishing line and everyone was invited to move and adjust them. Folks were encouraged to write down phrases they remember hearing as children and place them on the left side of the wall. On the right, the things we say to our children now as parents. It was a beautiful representation of how parenting evolves with each generation. The right side of the wall was filled with affirming words and family mottos rooted in love. We danced and laughed with our kiddos in the courtyard of the Montrose Collective then walked to brunch after. I can't wait to see what Lydia and her team come up with as their final piece of art. You still have a chance to join in the fun. Family Dance Party class is free and open to the public the next three Saturdays at 10am. Hope to see more HOH families there this weekend!
Meet Natasha Wright!
Who are you? Hey I am Natasha Wright also known as OhSo, Executive Director and professional Holistic Doula at The Wright Doula Company for almost 5 years. In addition to my birth-work, I am also a Licensed Massage Therapist with particular specialty in Prenatal Massage and Postpartum Recovery.
How do you serve/help the pregnant and postpartum communities? Showing up within my community as a doula, has taken on so many roles and hats to meet the needs of the families. IT is hardly ever just “the one thing” you are called in to assist with or should I say sometimes to provide thorough care you are called into many roles to get it done. Being a Holistic Doula for birth and Postpartum care, means our style of care leans more toward working with the WHOLE person’s health-mental, emotional, spiritual, physical and even environmental- during pre-pregnancy, pregnancy and after birth. Every family is unique and will likely require most of the same things from us: Childbirth education, Labor support, Birth partner support, Meal prep, maternity coaching, Sibling team building, mother-focused postpartum care, infant care assistance, lactation support and sometimes even nannying for your postpartum clients that need you a little longer after they return to work. The roles are as plentiful or simplistic as necessary no matter how you are stretched its all worth it to watch a family mend, grow and thrive through the process.
How did you get into this line of work?I have been in caregiving since I was a child, I was the neighborhood babysitter at 11years! To this day I am still in shock at the trust these moms in my neighborhood had in me. MY love of caring and easing challenges for those who need it was birthed out of caring for my mom, who lost her mom and was a single parent most of my childhood. I became my mom’s in house postpartum/bereavement doula, I took on the tasks that would make her life easier- laundry, cooking, and keeping my elder brother in line lol. That love of service grew into home health for the elderly, from there to Certified Nursing Assistant for over 10years in all departments. In 2018, I was approached by a massage client of mine that said, you should be a doula. A what?!? LOL I had no idea there was title and role for something that felt as easy as breathing for me. Literally signed up the next week or so, nervous but excited, and the rest is HERSTORY!
What you wish everyone knew about your area of expertise?I want everyone to know that I have used all of my experiences in the various roles of my professional and private life to create unifying systems of support for families and those in my life. The Wright Doula Company is the culmination of everything I have ever encountered that impacted me. I call my approach to maternity wellness; Sacred, eclectic, intuitive, instinctive, and effective. All of who I am and what I was called to be shows up in the way I show up in my community. I want anywho comes in contact with me or my team to know that they are seen, necessary, and capable. I seek to empower those on this maternity/life journey by being a powerful and positive representation of what it means to Mother the Shift.
What is most rewarding about your work? The rewards of this work are always the simple and powerful things, I love to know that my clients are happy and thriving unto themselves in their new spaces as parents, partners, and allies. The best thing to get is a past client hits you with a text message about how your words you spoke to her at her craziest times come floating back in when she needed them. What I believe is so cool about this work is that it is rooted in our first knowledge, honestly as a doula I get to reintroduce my community to their soul language. Help them to tap in and stay grounded in themselves in the truth of their purpose whether in birth or in any major transition in life. The greatest gift is knowing you are etched into the legacy of each family; whether your work is big or small in your opinion doesn’t matter you will never be forgotten to them. You are apart of something way bigger.
Tell us about something (or someone) you love. To tell you about someone or something I love, it is truly hard to pick one so I'll make em short. I love my partner who has been with me since the beginning of my entrepreneurial career which is no small feat being a partner to a doula is not for the faint at heart or the needy LOL. The long nights away, the sudden change in plans, the constant emotional rollercoaster we are one as we are processing the weight of the call we answer time and time again. I love you Joscelyn. And to my something I love, The Oh! Wellness Center is my soul baby birthed out of pure love and necessity to have a space for our community to gather, refuel, learn some new things, and empower themselves and others. The Oh! Wellness Center is a multipurpose center located in Richmond TX, that specializes in raw nd radical, purposed and powerful, restorative care and honestly pure fun. Everything about the space is intended to affect you and nourish your interconnectedness. We are the first teachers and I wanted a place that felt like a healing hunt or communal ground where we bring all that we are and all we are not; into this place and emerge from it renewed. It's where you will encounter your soul tribe and we are there for you.
Thank you for all your amazing work, Natasha! Houston families are lucky to have folks like you around to support and uplift them.
Books we LOVE
Our friends the West family, Heather, Brad and Nolan, share their latest finds!
Hello!!
My mom recently purchased a bunch of books by the Moyle Sisters and they have been a big hit! They are very brightly colored and really hold Nolan’s attention. One of them is about the alphabet, one about numbers, and the rest with cute stories. Nolan can’t grasp the words yet but I would say these are great for all ages!
Thanks for sharing, West family. Reading something fun? Share it with our community! Send me your recommendations!
Birthday Bulletin Boards
Upcoming Events
Our calendar will look much fuller when we get into our new space!
Postpartum Support Group Latch Clinic: Wednesday 4/13 10am-12pm on zoom
Postpartum Support Group : Thursday 4/14 in person
Frame Dance Family Dance Party: Saturdays in April 16th 10am 888 Westheimer FREE be reminded of the joy of play and movement with the whole family!
No pregnancy group this weekend.
Pregnancy Group Core Class: New Member Orientation & Where to Begin Sunday 4/23 2-4pm on Zoom. This class is for new HOH clients and Whole Heart Collective Members. We'll cover all the benefits and content included in your membership and share tips on preparing for the 4th trimester right now.
Ongoing Events
Postpartum Support Group: Every Wednesday from 10-12ish and Thursday 9:30-11:30. Zoom link has been sent to all HOH clients and Whole Heart Collective members. Email Jessica if you need more information.
Queer Parent Circle: Second Sunday of every month 3:30-5pm Open to the public!
Birthworkers Circle: Second Sunday of every month starting Jan 2022 time 11am-1:30pm
Various Childbirth Education Curriculums starting soon: Rebel Birth weekly series or weekend intensive,and Bradley Method with Anne Zwicky. Birthing from within.
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