The Home Birth Files: Part II
At the time of writing this, I came across the story of Dr. Janell Green Smith. She was a Certified Nurse Midwife, Doctor of Nursing Practice, Black maternal health advocate, wife, and new mother who died during childbirth. She devoted her career to protecting birthing people. She understood the system. And still, it failed her. Stories like hers are a reminder of the broken system that Black women are forced to exist in, and bring life into this world in, regardless of education, access, and expertise.
After that first OBGYN appointment, I knew I needed something different. I wanted a provider who listened and understood my concerns as a Black woman navigating pregnancy in this country. And I wanted to give birth in the safety of my home.
So I started researching home birth midwives in New York. On every train ride, I would type “home birth midwives in New York” into Google and read whatever came up. Websites, reviews, anything. Just absorbing everything I could find.
The process felt overwhelming at first. Giving birth at home is definitely not the norm, and there were moments when I wondered if wanting a home birth was even realistic. It took me more than a month, but I found Dr. Heather Findletar Hines, founder of One Love Midwifery. On her website, it mentioned that she founded her practice “to confront healthcare racism and maternal mortality in the United States,” and it felt like kismet.
During our consultation, she was warm but direct, which I appreciated immediately. We asked her about everything: her training, her approach to prenatal care, how she handled emergencies, the equipment she brought to births, what labor looked like in her care, and of course, the cost, because home birth is not free.
By the time I was 16 weeks pregnant, I had my first appointment with Heather and Noelle, One Love’s birth assistant, and it felt completely different. What stood out most was how she made space for both information and intuition. She wanted to know how I felt and what I worried about. I never felt rushed or dismissed. And we chose affirmation cards at the end of the appointment (something we did at the end of each appointment). I left feeling like my pregnancy was finally in the hands of someone who actually saw me.
