Xian Brooks (he/him) is a public health professional from Louisville, Kentucky, where he is a community-based birth doula and a Master of Science in Nursing student. Xian completed his Bachelor's of Science in Public Health Education at North Carolina Central University and his Master's of Public Health in Community and Behavioral Health at the University of Colorado. Over time, Xian has accumulated a lot of experience in queer, trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming reproductive health education. Xian's training has equipped him to understand the root causes of perinatal death rates among Black individuals, especially how race, gender, sexual orientation, and class are not mutually exclusive when it comes to health disparities. Xian's lived experience recognizes that health disparities are more than just numbers on a page. Xian is currently working towards becoming a nurse-midwife because representation in healthcare is extremely important to Xian. He firmly believes it is necessary to overcome negative health outcomes and revolutionize healthcare.
We talk about what inspired Xian to dive into the work of community and behavioral health as well as his journey as a nurse-midwife. We also discuss what intersectional birth work looks like and the importance to amplify the need to create safe perinatal spaces for queer, trans, and BIPOC birthing bodies.
Content warning: We mention transphobia, misgendering, deadnaming, racism, police violence, and birth trauma.
RESOURCES:
Learn more about Xian Brooks and The Dandy Doula here. Follow The Dandy Doula on Facebook and Instagram.
Hoyert DL. Maternal mortality rates in the United States, 2019. NCHS Health E-Stats. 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc:103855.
Hunter, L., McMahon, E., Graves, B., Wooten, A., Kriebs, J., Pickett, E., Tanner, T., Garcia, R., Apatov, N., Burkman, R., Hodges, K., & Bright, C. (2019). (rep.). 2019 Demographic Report (p. 1). Linthicum, Maryland: American Midwifery Certification Board.
Loewenberg Weisband, Y., Klebanoff, M., Gallo, M. F., Shoben, A., & Norris, A. H. (2018). Birth outcomes of women using a midwife versus women using a physician for prenatal care. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 63(4), 399–409. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.12750
Taffe MA, Gilpin NW. Racial inequity in grant funding from the US National Institutes of Health. Elife. 2021;10:e65697. Published 2021 Jan 18. doi:10.7554/eLife.65697.
Tikkanen, R., Gunja, M. Z., FitzGerald, M., & Zephyrin, L. (2020). Maternal mortality and maternity care in the United States compared to 10 other developed countries. Issue briefs, Commonwealth Fund.
For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/EvidenceBasedBirth/ ), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ebbirth/), and Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/ebbirth/). Ready to get involved? Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/become-pro-member/). Find an EBB Instructor here (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/find-an-instructor-parents/), and click here (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/childbirth-class/) to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class.
EBB 262 - Advocacy During Birth and a Navigating a Hospital Stay for Newborn Jaundice with Emily Chandler and Taylor Washburn, EBB Childbirth Class Graduates
EBB 261 - Ask Me Anything about Group B Strep
EBB 260 - Midwifery, Community Birth Work, and Plant Medicine in Louisiana with Ms. Divine Bailey-Nicholas, the Founder of Divine Birth Wisdom
EBB 259 - Cross-Cultural Experiences in Childbirth with Ruth Greene, Doula and Co-owner of Having a Baby in China Consulting Services
EBB 258 - A Hospital Waterbirth Story with Cord Avulsion featuring EBB Childbirth Class Graduate, Samantha Reisz, PhD.
EBB 257 - The Updated Evidence on Group B Strep: Part 2
EBB 256 - Top 3 Recommendations for Preventing Pelvic Floor Dysfunction after Birth with Dr. Sarah Duvall, Founder of Core Exercise Solutions
EBB 255 - Teaching Girls What They Need to Know About Their Bodies with Laurisa Paul, RN, EBB Pro Member and Founder of Girls Who Know.
EBB 254 - Evidence on Group B Strep in Pregnancy
EBB 253 - Preparing for a 38-week Labor Induction due to Intrauterine Growth Restriction with Leah Bergman, EBB Childbirth Class Graduate
EBB 252 - A Candid Conversation about Doula Advocacy with Doula and EBB Instructor Leslie Greene
Replay - EBB 166 The Experience of a Powerful and Miraculous Birth with Brooklynn and Hoang Pham
EBB 251 - Naseema McElroy, Founder of Financially Intentional, Shares her Courageous Story of Speaking up as a Labor and Delivery Nurse
EBB 250 - 2022 Year in Review with Dr. Rebecca Dekker
EBB 249 - The Joys and Challenges of Surrogacy with EBB Instructor Doula Scarlett Lynsky
EBB 248 - Processing a Cesarean while Planning for a VBAC with EBB Childbirth Class Graduate Jencie Richtman
EBB 247 - Transition from Hospital Midwifery to a Home Birth Practice with Aiyana Davison, CNM, WHNP and Founder of The Vagina Chronicles.
EBB 246 - Debunking Infant Food Reactivity Myths with Dr. Trill Paullin, Molecular Biologist and Founder of Free to Feed
EBB 245 - Evidence on Pitocin Augmentation, Epidurals, Cesarean
EBB 244 - Evidence on Artificial Rupture of Membranes, Assisted Vaginal Delivery, and Internal Monitoring
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