Listen in to part 1 of this 2 part conversation as Sabia Wade shares how the mix of birth, trauma, anti-racism, and advocacy has brought purpose and drives Sabia's mission for equity, autonomy, and justice for every body and the revolutionary projects she is up to. Together Michelle and Sabia discuss the importance of being your full self as a birth worker and remembering to openly focus on the spaces that fill you with joy. They explore the shifts that are happening within the birth community, why it is a disservice to...
Listen in to part 1 of this 2 part conversation as Sabia Wade shares how the mix of birth, trauma, anti-racism, and advocacy has brought purpose and drives Sabia's mission for equity, autonomy, and justice for every body and the revolutionary projects she is up to. Together Michelle and Sabia discuss the importance of being your full self as a birth worker and remembering to openly focus on the spaces that fill you with joy. They explore the shifts that are happening within the birth community, why it is a disservice to those we serve if we avoid harder conversations, the reality that everyone deserves to be seen, and why trusting relationships are paramount to affecting change.
"Really what I like is birthing new aspects of people. Really what I like is holding space for people. Really what I like is celebrating and being present for the good and bad. ... I try to put it out there to be my full self so that people can come to me as their full selves and know that I can hold that space because I, too, am a full person."—Sabia Wade
About Sabia C. Wade:
Sabia is a radical doula, educator, doula business coach, reproductive justice advocate, and somatic practitioner in training that is elevating the voices and experiences of marginalized communities. Sabia embraces the role as a liberator of self by equity, autonomy, and justice for every body!
In 2015, Sabia's doula journey began as a volunteer doula with The Prison Birth Project. In the role as a volunteer doula, Sabia assisted incarcerated and formerly incarcerated parents, as well as parents in recovery for two years. In these two years, Sabia gained knowledge not only about birth but also about topics such as obstetric violence, the Black maternal crisis, and reproductive justice. That experience has been the foundation of who Sabia is, all that Sabia does, and who Sabia is becoming.
In 2018, Sabia founded the nonprofit organization, For The Village, a community doula program that provides free and low-cost doula services to underrepresented communities. They are currently partnered with Project Concern International and Birth Roots Birth Center to better outcomes for Black birthing people in San Diego, CA.
Sabia's experience and knowledge inspired the creation of the Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings (BADT) in 2019. The goals of BADT are bringing necessary education to birth workers seeking to go beyond the standard doula role and into advocacy for the underrepresented and increase accessibility to BADT by creating an online platform, as well as providing affordable options to participating birth workers.
In 2020, Sabia officially started the training to become a Somatic Experience Practitioner with the Somatic Experience Trauma Institute (SETI) after embodying the practice into her own life for about two years, and is now a proud member of the board of directors for SETI.
Connect with Sabia C. Wade:
Websites: https://theblackdoula.com/, https://www.badoulatrainings.org/
Facebook: @doulasabia, @birthingadvocacy
Instagram: @theblackdoula, @birthingadvocacy
Connect with Michelle Smith:
Website: BirthEaseServices.com
Facebook: Birth Ease, The Birth Ease Podcast, Birth Ease Baby Loss Support
Instagram: @birtheasemichellesmith, @birtheaselossssupport
YouTube: Birth Ease
LinkedIn: Birth Ease Michelle Smith
Show: Birth Ease
