42. Keelie’s Story! Black Maternal Health Week!

This week, you will hear Keelie’s story. As we recognise Black Maternal Health Week, this is a time to confront the realities faced by Black women and birthing people and to have honest conversations about what must change, especially here in the UK. Keelie is an ED&I midwife and the founder of Nya Birth Collective, a consultancy dedicated to tackling racial inequalities faced by global majority women and birthing people accessing maternity care in the UK. Her journey into this work started early, even as a student midwife, where she could already see the gaps, the disparities, and the urgent need for change. She didn’t just notice it, she challenged it. Questioning the syllabus, confronting lecturers, and often being left without clear answers, Keelie was already pushing for accountability from the very beginning. She is a dedicated advocate who isn’t afraid to challenge systems. Keelie doesn’t mince her words, she speaks with clarity, honesty, and purpose, making complex and often uncomfortable truths accessible to everyone. What makes her voice so powerful is that she backs everything up with facts. This isn’t just opinion, this is the lived reality of the UK maternity system being brought to light. Although Keelie has not experienced baby loss herself, she is a single mum to her son and has made it her mission to improve outcomes for those who have. She works tirelessly to ensure people receive the support, care, and dignity they deserve. In this episode, we talk about the realities faced by people from the global majority every single day, and how Keelie is actively working to challenge and change those experiences, whether that’s through her role as an ED&I midwife, her consultancy work with trusts and individuals, or speaking at conferences, including at Parliament. Her passion is undeniable, her dedication is inspiring, and her impact is already being felt, from student midwives right through to system-level change. And I, for one, am incredibly grateful for the work she is doing. If you’d like to connect with Keelie or learn more about her work, you can reach her via email at info@nyabirthcollective.com, or follow her on Instagram @midwifekeelie and @nyabirthcollective. So please join us.