On Saturday, October 5th, and Sunday, October 6th, global maternal health and education platform Mama Glow held their fourth annual Doula Expo, the first and only festival dedicated to empowering birth workers, families, caregivers, and the brands and organizations underpinning their efforts.
Hosted in Williamburg’s newly-constructed, female-founded venue XXV, this past weekend’s Doula Expo stood as a paragon of the space’s commitment to culture, leadership, creativity, and innovation. The event enabled 750 doulas, birthing people, families, caregivers, non-profit organizations, maternal health brands, and leaders to convene for two days of education, advocacy, networking, business development, healing and community building. Among the esteemed guests were Doula Expo emcee, actress, singer, and maternal health advocate Tatyana Ali, Emmy award winning television host Tamron Hall, DJ and filmmaker DJ Va$htie, reproductive justice advocate and historian Deirdre Cooper Owens, New York state Senator Samra G. Brouk, holistic health icon Queen Afua, New York City public advocate Jumaane Williams, Carol’s Daughter founder Lisa Price, and ArtLeadHer founder Mashonda Tifrere.
In addition to the esteemed guests, the Doula Expo boasted a line-up of four presenters chosen out of a competitive applicant pool of over 100 to present their research on the Doula Expo stage—Porsche M. Holland Otunba, Demetrius Geiger, Dr. Lorena V. Rincones Rojas, and Ann Catherine Celi, MD, MPH. The wealth of events went beyond the main stage. In addition to the center stage, the Doula Expo had several spheres of activity—the Mama Glow lounge, the Kate Spade New York lounge, and the incomparable Doula Expo Wellness Park.
Doors opened at 10 AM to DJ Va$htie’s melodic fusion of pop, hip-hop, afro-beats, soul, dancehall, and house music. At 11 AM, attendees joined Mama Glow and Mama Glow Foundation founder and Visiting Assistant Professor of the Practice of Gender and Sexuality Studies Latham Thomas, in an opening ceremony procession to Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman” to officially kick off the event. What followed were opening remarks from Latham Thomas and emcee Tatyana Ali, actress and maternal health activist best known for her role on NBC’s The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. “The theme for this year is reimagining maternal health,” said Latham Thomas. “It’s an opportunity for us to take a multifaceted approach to solution-building and problem solving, and to build community together, and also to think about how we design a system that supports all of us”.
The theme for this year’s Doula Expo was Reimagining Maternal Health. It raises the question of how we can collaborate to create birthing settings and overarching environments that prioritize the well-being of Black birthing individuals, and people belonging to other marginalized populations. As such, the Doula Expo explored the power of optimism and imagination to underscore the futuristic potential of reproductive justice and birth equity. The Doula Expo stands as an assertion from birthing people, doulas, medical professionals, midwives, and others working tirelessly to actualize a liberatory future for women and birthing people in the United States—when it comes to the question of whether we can ensure safe, dignified birthing experiences for women and birthing people in the United States, we will not take no for an answer.
And if that wasn’t already evident, New York State Senator Samra G. Brouk’s community address emphasized the theme. She opened with a poignant story about an alarming moment during her pregnancy, where she found herself concerned about her safety, and that of her baby. Her doula, she expressed, in addition to supporting her with the practicalities, offered longitudinal care that ultimately made the difference for her and daughter. Samra G. Brouk’s words emphasized the core values of the vibrant event—the belief that there is no reason every New Yorker, and every birthing person overall, is not guaranteed an empowering birthing experience.
The Doula Expo not only emphasizes the significance of celebrating the various players shifting the culture of maternity care in the United States, but it also provides avenues for these players to discuss what it takes to get there. Consequently, following Senator Brouk’s invigorating speech were three panels, each discussing a different aspect of the community-centered approach to maternal health and reproductive justice.
Presented by March of Dimes, Building Bridges: Strengthening Doula-Hospital Partnerships for Enhanced Community Care featured Kenda Sutton-El of Birth in Color RVA and Bridgette Jerger of Indian County Healthy Start. Brittney Palmer and Simone Snead, both managers of Mission Programs at March of Dimes moderated the panel discussion, asking questions that covered key themes such as the benefits of collaboration, barriers such as differing philosophies between hospital staff and birth workers, the improved birth outcomes that often accompany doula care, and discussion around expanding hospital partnerships.
The second panel touched on the unique role of advocacy in improving health outcomes for Black birthing people. Presented by Carol’s Daughter, Centering Community Advocacy in Black Maternal Health featured voices across various spheres: Dr. Tsion Ketema, OB/GYN; Lisa Price, Founder of Carol’s Daughter, and Stephanie Etienne, Midwife, Herbalist, and Filmmaker of Listen to Me Documentary. Our very own Latham Thomas moderated the panel discussion, where she covered the topics of grassroots organizing and efforts, the significance of culturally and structurally competent care, care access, and potential policy and legislative changes.
Jamia Wilson, Vice President and Executive Editor at Penguin Random House moderated the panel that followed. Aptly entitled, Birthing Freedom: The Role of Birth Workers in the Reproductive Justice Movement, the panel convened to define and discuss the core principles of the reproductive justice movement. Danielle Rodriguez, the Georgia Coordinator of SisterSong; Shanti Moore, Birth Justice Coordinator of SisterSong; and Chanel Stryker, Birth Justice Care Fund Coordinator of SisterSong took the Doula Expo stage to talk access expansion, policy and systemic change, and the championing component of doula work.
At 1 PM, the event shifted gears from panel discussions to a showcase of presentations and cozy fireside chats. The first chosen presenter, Porsche M. Holland Otunba is a maternal health advocate, birthworker coach, and facilitator of the ACTT curriculum through the Black Coalition for Safe Motherhood. Her presentation, titled ACTT for Safe Motherhood: Claim Your Space, Trust Your Body & Tell Your Story, touched on the principles of the ACTT framework and the results of its implementation.
In the endeavor to support the livelihoods of birthing people overall, the Doula Expo fiercely concerns itself with the issues facing them. This manifested as a fireside chat presented by the Preeclampsia Foundation, entitled Advocating for Preeclampsia: A Doula Centered Approach to Enhancing Education and Support for Better Health Outcomes. Trashuan Powell, Take 10 Ambassador at the Preeclampsia Foundation and Laney Poye, Director of Communications and Engagement at the Preeclampsia Foundation, convened to discuss the role of doulas in improving awareness and care for preeclampsia. The conversation highlighted the importance of integrating doulas into maternal health teams to provide better education, emotional support, and advocacy for pregnant individuals at risk of or experiencing preeclampsia. It also emphasized how doulas can empower patients by helping them recognize early warning signs, facilitating communication with healthcare providers, and ensuring timely interventions to improve outcomes for both mothers and babies.
After a break, Queen Afua, Holistic Health Expert and Wellness Coach graced the Doula Expo stage with her captivating presence and an empowering keynote speech, Reclaiming Your Womb Wellness: Embracing Sacred Feminine Practices to Support Optimal Wellbeing. Queen Afua highlighted the importance of reconnecting with the sacred feminine through holistic practices to enhance womb health and overall well-being, and leaning into ancient wisdom and healing traditions such as womb meditation and energy work to nurture physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness. Through her compelling charisma and commanding language, Queen Afua encouraged women to honor their bodies, address menstrual and reproductive health issues with natural approaches, and reclaim empowerment by embracing these sacred, intuitive practices.
Upholding the theme of empowerment, day one of the Doula Expo ended with a series of panel discussions and fireside chats that honored a dimension of personal and collective advocacy. Presented by CVS Health, the panel discussion Shared Decision-Making in Maternal Health: Empowering Birthing Families Through Collaborative and Informed Choice touched on the role of shared decision making and informed choices in supporting optimal maternal health. Mama Glow Founder Latham Thomas once again took the Doula Expo stage to moderate the discussion, where Dr. Joy A. Cooper, MD MSc and Founder of Our Culture Care; Jabina G. Coleman, LCSW, IBCLC; and Kanika Harris, PhD, MPH and President of the National Association to Advance Black Birth delved into the role of advocacy, education, and support systems in fostering trust between healthcare providers and families for better maternal outcomes. Shortly after the panel, attendees watched a trailer screening of Listen to Me, a film produced in part by Kanika Harris.
When it comes to star-studded appearances, the above events touched the tip of the iceberg. Following the panel was a fireside chat, where Jumaane Williams, Public Advocate of the City of New York and his wife India Sneed-Williams, Esq, spoke on their pregnancy and birthing experiences. Moderated by Actress and Maternal Health Advocate Taranasha Wallace, Navigating the Unseen Battles: Our Journey Into Parenthood and Advocacy emphasized the importance of advocacy in seeking proper care and support for both parents and growing infants. Jumaane Williams and India Sneed-Williams highlighted the emotional and psychological toll of parenthood’s unseen battles and encouraged attendees to speak up, seek resources, and build community as they navigate their own journeys.
The Doula Expo allows attendees to embrace each other in community through both grieving and celebration. Day one’s final fireside chat enabled people to lean into the latter. In Champions for Change: Celebrating the Legacy, Impact, and Future of Black Midwives, Doula Expo emcee, actress, maternal health advocate and Baby Yams Founder Tatyana Ali spoke with Latham Thomas about the role of midwives in upholding the principles of reproductive justice through time.
Around 4:10 PM, another chosen presenter, Ann Catherine Celi, MD, MPH, an internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, spoke to the Doula Expo audience. Her presentation, Patient Feedback on an Educational Tool After Hypertensive Pregnancy, honed in on a study that examined the utility, acceptability, and feasibility of a discussion guide and knowledge retention in postpartum hypertensive patients. The discussion guide aimed to educate patients and arm them with the tools to engage in their care.
The purposes of her presentation were multidimensional. In addition to speaking to the utility and acceptability of the guide for ethnically, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse patients, Celi looked to gain feedback from the United States’ vibrant workforce of doulas and other birthworkers to enhance its efficacy.
Reimagining maternity care requires a look to the past, and a nod to the future. Day one’s jam-packed programming ended with a panel of vibrant, young individuals working in various fields to actualize better realities for birthing people everywhere. Moderated by Janice Gassam Asare, Ph.D and Founder of BWG Business Solutions, LLC, the panel Shaping the Future: Innovation and Emerging Trends in Black Maternal Health consisted of Ijeoma Uche, MPH, UC Davis Medical Student and Co-Founder of Birth by Us, Bintou Diarra, MS2 and Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School, and Lauren Elliot, PhD and Founder of Candlelit Care. Together, the three delved into the importance of leveraging nascent trends to underscore the significance of tailored solutions in the fight to establish optimal maternal health, especially among Black mothers and birthing people.
Doula Expo – Day 2
The second day of the Doula Expo carried forward the atmosphere of creativity and collaboration. To start, founder Latham Thomas and reproductive justice advocate and historian Deirdre Cooper Owens, PhD collaborated to explore the profound contributions of Black women in shaping the medical field, focusing on their enduring legacy of healing, advocacy, and resilience. Titled Healing Through History: The Legacy of Black Women in Medicine, the chat highlighted historical figures who broke barriers in healthcare and examined the struggles and triumphs of contemporary Black women in medicine. It emphasized the importance of acknowledging and honoring this legacy while addressing ongoing racial and gender disparities in healthcare. Together, the two called for continued advocacy, mentorship, and community support to ensure future generations of Black women thrive in medical careers, embodying a rich tradition of healing and empowerment.
In keeping with a focus on the sphere of medicine, the Doula Expo audience heard from various professionals in Nourished: Holistic Solutions for Targeted Prenatal Nutrition to Support Maternal and Fetal Health, a panel presented by Perelel Health. This was Perelel Health’s first appearance at the Doula Expo, where founder Latham Thomas sits on the expert panel. Joined by Latham Thomas, Victoria Thain Gioia, MBA, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Perelel, and Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN and Founder of Maya Feller Nutrition, Les Alfred and Founder of Balanced Black Girl asked a series of questions touching on the significance of tailored prenatal care and nutrition.
At noon, programming shifted to the overarching theme of community-based solutions. The abstract presentation Advancing Community-Driven Solutions: The Black Birthing Initiative’s Model for Maternal Health Equity highlighted a comprehensive approach to addressing maternal health disparities. Led by Demetrius Geiger, Program Manager of Equity and Impact at Creating Healthier Communities, and Adelaide “Adele” Appiah, Director of Programs at Creating Healthier Communities, the presentation emphasized the importance of community-driven models in promoting equitable healthcare solutions. The presentation showcased the Black Birthing Initiative as a blueprint for empowering local communities to advocate for better maternal care, improve access to resources, and create culturally responsive support systems.
At the Doula Expo, the goal is to go beyond models of maternity care that center survival through childbirth alone. With this in mind, the event consisted of an expert panel entitled The Invisible Load of Motherhood: Uncovering the Postpartum Challenges and Enhancing Support. Sharifa Murdock, Chief Impact Officer of Kith, took the Doula Expo stage to ask Tina Cartwright of Rebranding Motherhood, Lauren Berty, That Twin Mama, and Laura Otton, LCSW, PMH-C of Therapy for Motherhood a series of questions aimed at unveiling the struggles associated with the postpartum period, and strategies for ensuring high-quality care for new parents.
After a brief keynote address on car seat safety by Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician Instructor Kelly Murphy, Tamara Hunter, LPC, DMT moderated a panel discussion on one of the prevalent, yet hidden struggles associated with pregnancy and childbirth—loss. Elizabeth O’Donnell, Founder & CEO of Aaliyah in Action, Marjorie Vail, Director of Outreach at Push for Empowered Pregnancy, and JoAn Monsplair, LCSW-C, Full Spectrum Doula, assembled to discuss the challenges of pregnancy loss and their concomitants in Navigating Unspeakable Grief: Supporting Families Through Pregnancy and Infant Loss. Additionally, they delved into modes and avenues of support.
Following a brief break was the final chosen abstract presentation. Dr. Lorena V. Rincones Rojas, took the stage on Saturday to offer a glimpse of what a world led by the principles of the Doula Expo could look like. Her presentation, titled Implementation of a Doula-delivered Intervention for Mental Health (MH) and Cardiovascular (CV) Risk Reduction in the Postpartum (PP) period, stood as an evaluation of LivingHealthy for Moms (LHM), an evidence-based, holistic, doula-delivered intervention to address critical gaps in postpartum care, and the lack of rigorous evaluation of doula-care programs, to prevent cardiovascular and mental health disorders.
Playing on the topic of community-centered solutions, Leona Hariharan, Programs and Partnerships Coordinator at Mama Glow moderated the panel discussion Lessons from the Field: Advocating for Maternal Health and Building Effective Coalitions, which consisted of a line-up of advocates who exemplify the theme. Jennifer Gonzalez, Health Leads Maternal Health Program Associate, Doula, and NYCDA co-lead; Meshawn Siddiq, MPH, Deputy Director of New Orleans Health Department; and Mary Powel-Thomas, Director of Healthy Start Brooklyn and the Citywide Doula Initiative assembled to discuss their strategies for working alongside like minded individuals to actuate long lasting change.
The second to last event on the Doula Expo stage, Monuments to Motherhood: Reflections on the Art of Caregiving, was a conversation between artist and activist Molly Gochman, and founder of ArtLeadHer Mashonda Tifrere. Together, the two spoke on their personal experiences with regards to personal and communal care.
And finally, Sunday’s final event left attendees on an optimistic and equally beautifying note. The fireside chat Embracing the Transition: Navigating the Challenges of New Motherhood with Confidence featured Tamron Hall, an Emmy Award-winning television host and journalist, alongside Latham Thomas, founder of Mama Glow and the Mama Glow Foundation. The discussion focused on the complexities and adjustments that come with new motherhood, emphasizing the need for confidence, support, and self-care during this transformative period. Hall shared her personal experiences and insights, while Thomas provided valuable resources and strategies to help new mothers embrace their journeys. Together, they highlighted the importance of community and connection in overcoming challenges and celebrating the joys of motherhood.
As the Doula Expo came to a close, a sense of renewed hope and commitment to reimagining maternal health filled the air. The event not only underscored the critical role of birthworkers in improving maternal health outcomes but also celebrated the power of community in driving systemic and structural change. With innovative ideas and collaborative spirit, the Doula Expo showcased tangible steps to a future where every birthing person has access to equitable, compassionate care. The conversations sparked on the Doula Expo stage and among the attendees in between culture-shifting events remind us that while challenges remain, the path forward is bright, with dedicated advocates working tirelessly to reshape maternal health for generations to come. Much like years past, the events of the Doula Expo stand as a reminder that the future of maternal health is bold, inclusive, and full of possibility.
