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.
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EBB 206 - Evidence on Perineal Tears and the Importance of Avoiding Episiotomy with EBB Founder, Dr. Rebecca Dekker
EBB 205 - End of Year Wrap Up (2021) with Team EBB
EBB 204 - Refuting the Spread of Misinformation Online About COVID with Board Certified Physician, Dr. Stacy De-Lin
EBB 202 - A Fast First-Time Birth Experience with EBB Childbirth Class Graduate, Hailey Grachico
EBB 201 - Bridging the Gap Between Evidence and Human Rights with Perinatal Nurse and Nurse Educator, Paula Richards
EBB 200 - Taking a Stand Against White Supremacy and Creating Solidarity in Birth Work with EBB Founder, Dr. Rebecca Dekker
EBB 199 - Writing about Racism's Effects on Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes with EBB Research Associate, Ihotu Ali
EBB 198 - Evidence on Eating and Drinking During Labor
EBB 197 - Addressing Perinatal Mental Health for Communities of Color with the co-founders of the Perinatal Mental Health Alliance for People of Color, Divya Kumar, Jabina Coleman, and Desirée Israel
EBB 196 - Pelvic Biomechanics and Movement in Labor with Brittany Sharpe McCollum
EBB 195 - Grief and Healing Through Pregnancy and Infant Loss with Full Spectrum Doula, Rose Rankin
EBB 194 - Nutrition and Real Food in Pregnancy with Lily Nichols, RDN
EBB 193 - Evidence on Essential Oils during Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum
EBB 192 - Raising Awareness and Advocacy for Sickle Cell Anemia Families with Advocate and Intuitive Womb Worker, Carissa Hunter
EBB 191 - Cultural Awareness in Birth and Postpartum Work with Community Doula and EBB Instructor, Marnellie Bishop
EBB 190 - Updated Evidence on Big Babies
EBB 189 - Why Black Lactation Matters and the Importance of Black Breastfeeding Week with IBCLC, Janiya Mitnaul Williams
EBB 188 - Birthing a Posterior-Positioned Baby with EBB Childbirth Class parent, Kathryn Remivasan
EBB 187 - Advocacy for Postpartum Medicaid Extension Coverage with Dr. Monica McLemore and Dr. Jamila K. Taylor
EBB 186 - A Positive Pregnancy and Birth Outcome with Multiple High-Risk Labels with EBB Childbirth Class Parent, Angela Jones
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