Desiree'
Hidden Talent: I can eat 10 lbs of crab legs by myself
Bio: Desireé is a writer, full circle doula, and Level II Reiki practitioner whose research is focused on reproductive justice, mass incarceration, and the intersections of state-sanctioned violence & Black motherhood. She synergizes activism, advocacy, scholarship, and energetic healing as the owner of Divinely Aligned Holistic Health and Healing and founder of the Gulf Coast Doula Coalition. She has a master's in Sociology, and in her free time, she enjoys reading and raunchy tv.
Posts By: Desiree' A
Doulas Holding it Down in H-Town
Doulas are non-clinical support people offering physical, emotional, and informational assistance to birthing people and their families. We have been foundational to birthing, reproductive justice movements, and society as a whole since the beginning of time. The public has become more familiar with doula care in recent years, a large part due to the exponential growth as a byproduct of coronavirus lockdowns and the way that affected the birthing landscape. More people than ever sought out doulas, midwives, and other birth work professionals to help support them when hospitals were inaccessible, unsafe, or incredibly restrictive. Houston is home to a rich and budding doula community. Texas’ worsening maternal mortality rates, especially in Harris County, is indicative of a great need for further support. However, we often hear about how much… Read more »
Black Maternal and Mental Health
The Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee (MMMRC) recently released their biennial report on pregnancy-related deaths in the state. Consistent with national trends, the maternal mortality rate for Black women and birthing people in Texas is 2-3 times higher than that of our non-Black counterparts. Studies for maternal mortality use various measurements, with similar yet differing language to analyze maternal deaths. Below are common terms used to calculate maternal mortality: The Texas MMMRC has its own method of measuring maternal mortality utilizing an “enhanced four-step case identification method to identify cases of pregnancy-associated death.” This practice aggregates the number of maternal deaths indicated with death certificates matched with birth and/or fetal deaths and records that have been reviewed for any indication of pregnancy or miscarriage for unmatched records. This… Read more »
