NATAL
NATAL passes the mic to Black families to hear all about their journey to parenthood in their own words. Our second season follows four parents in rural Mississippi, Iowa and Hawaii as they birth new lives and legacies exactly where they are. Interwoven by narrative interludes, this 10-part story album features the birthworkers, medical professionals and advocates caring for Black rural families at every stage of pregnancy and beyond.
Episodes
Visit www.natalstories.com to learn more about NATAL, access our resource hub, read our community blog, and donate to our production fund.
Follow NATAL on social media:
www.instagram.com/natalstories
www.twitter.com/natalstories
Join our Facebook Community to connect with other parents, birth workers, and advocates:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/natalstories
NATAL is produced by You Had Me at Black and The Woodshaw:
Listen to You Had Me...
Visit www.natalstories.com to learn more about NATAL, access our resource hub, read our community blog, and donate to our production fund.
Follow NATAL on social media:
www.instagram.com/natalstories
www.twitter.com/natalstories
Join our Facebook Community to connect with other parents, birth workers, and advocates:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/natalstories
NATAL is produced by You Had Me at Black and The Woodshaw:
Listen to You Had Me...
Myeshia is a married, 34-year-old cis Black queer woman with a PhD. Two weeks after giving birth to her first child, things take a turn for the worse in a Southern California emergency room.
In this episode we mention:
* California cuts its maternal mortality rate in half
* CA Senator Holly J. Mitchell's bias training bill
* California as a "global reproductive technology hub"
Visit ...
Martina explores the historical roots of modern obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Joia Crear-Perry and Dr. Mimi Niles explain how flaws in medical education and research contribute to the Black birthing crisis.
In this episode we mention: Dr. Joia Crear Perry of the National Birth Equity Collaborative; Dr. Mimi Niles of The Birth Place Lab; and Healing Circle Podcast.
Visit natalstories.com to learn more about NATAL, access our reso...
Facing unplanned pregnancies in their 20s, Mikah and Cecilia's hospital births reveal how access to childbirth education, support systems, and the lack of standardization of care shaped their individual journeys to becoming parents for the first time.
In this episode we mention: Birth Stories in Color podcast, The Depo-Provera shot, and Intrauterine Devices (IUDs)
Follow NATAL on social media: @natalstories
Join our Facebook Community...
In solidarity with the uprisings, and in honor of the countless victims of police and state-sanctioned violence, we are holding off on publishing this week's episode. We'll return Wednesday, June 10.
In this episode we mention three organizations whose work you should support:
Follow NATAL on social media: @natalstories
Join our Facebook Community to connect with other pare...
After trying to conceive for 10 years, Shellie was finally having her dream baby, but the challenges of motherhood slowly evolved into a silent struggle with postpartum depression. Reproductive psychiatrist Dr. Sinmi Bamgbose shares how she's working to expand mental health resources for Black birthing parents.
In this episode we mention:
- Mind Over Melanin Podcast
- Dr. Sinmi Bamgboshe of Cedars Sinai Medical Center
- Postpartum depres...
Today we’re airing a special episode from the Bodies podcast. Their show follows women and non binary folx on their journeys to solve the mysteries of their bodies. In this episode you’ll hear from Kalalea. After more than a decade of suffering, KalaLea discovers that the cause of her painful periods is common for Black women, but far from normal.
In this episode we mention:
Follow NATAL on social media: @...
Marilyn and Yvonne are two parents determined to grow their families. When pregnancy loss disrupts their plans, they turn to their faith. Please note, this episode contains graphic details about miscarriage and stillbirth.
In this episode we mention: Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Sleeping Babies, and Black Millennial Marriage Podcast. For resources for coping with pregnancy loss, visit the Mayo Clinic, CDC, and NATAL Resource Hub. For...
After receiving subpar care with OBGYNs at her local hospital, Brittany pursues pre-natal care with a midwife. In this episode, we explore alternative care models for Black birthing parents, and hear from Demetra Seriki, a midwife in Colorado.
In this episode we mention: Midwives, Birthing Centers, The Business of Being Born Documentary, and Demetra Seriki of A Mother’s Choice Midwifery
Follow NATAL on social media: @natalstories
This week we’re at home with Alexius Hill, a Memphis-based young mother who chose to give birth at home despite her family and friends’ concerns about doing so. We discuss the stigma around home births, and explore the radical work of full-spectrum doulas and the ways they strive to provide quality perinatal support for all birthing parents.
In this episode we mention: Homebirths, and their costs, safety and legality; Positive home ...
In our season finale, Dallas-based mother and doula, Trish, demonstrates what agency from day one looks like for Black birthing parents: Trish shares what inspired her to become a birthworker, as well as the story of her home birth experience, including the phenomenal care she received from her Black midwife and doula. And Congresswoman Alma Adams (D-NC), co-founder of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, tells us why care for Black b...
Welcome to The NATAL Summit! In this bonus episode, birth equity advocates from the non-profit sector to government discuss how they're advancing public narratives, alongside effective data-informed public policies that result in better health outcomes for Black birthing parents.
In this episode you’ll hear from:
- Congresswoman Alma Adams, D-NC (Black Maternal Health Caucus)
- Jamille Fields Allsbrook (Center for American Progress)
- K...
Welcome back to The NATAL Summit! In this bonus episode, medical providers and birthworkers share steps needed to create a more integrated model of care that empowers Black birthing parents and protects the sacredness of the childbirth process.
In this episode you'll hear from:
- Dr. Sinmi Bamgbose (Cedars-Sinai Medical Center)
- Latham Thomas (Mama Glow)
- Dr. Jamila Perritt (Board-certified OBGYN)
- Tanya Smith Johnson (Healthy Mothers ...
Welcome to The NATAL Summit! In this bonus episode, our very own production team offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it means to produce Black stories with dignity and how the team approached the season from a craft perspective. You'll hear from our:
- Editor, Tiara Darnell
- Sound Designer & Engineer, Jessica Jupiter
- Producer, Jhodie Williams
- Co-Hosts, Gabrielle Horton and Martina Abrahams Ilunga
Welcome to The NATAL Summit! In this bonus episode, several parent storytellers from NATAL Season One gathered in a multi-generational conversation about the value of oral traditions, agency, and healing for Black birthing parents. You'll hear from:
- Marilyn Abrahams, Episode Five
- Shellie Blackson, Episode Four
- Trish Jones, Episode Eight
- Moderators: Co-Hosts Martina Abrahams Ilunga & Gabrielle Horton
Share your story on NATAL
We...
Despite how common pregnancy loss is, families often suffer in silence. In honor of Black Maternal Health Week (#BMHW21), we teamed up with NPR’s Life Kit to share stories from parents who have experienced loss, and expert advice about how to support loved ones through grief.
In this episode we mention:
Coming Soon: NATAL heads to rural America for season two.
Hosts Gabrielle Horton and Martina Abrahams Ilunga share what inspired this season. Interwoven between narrative interludes, this 10-part story album highlights the rich traditions and structural challenges that have moved four Black rural parents to birth new life and legacies on their own terms.
Featured guests: Arrianna Planey, PhD and DaLyah Jones.
If you loved learning about Black rural communities, check out this article by DaL...
Eight months pregnant during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shayla and Erick Brown return home to rural Mississippi for a chance to finally get it right.
For transcripts and more, visit natalstories.com. Follow NATAL on Twitter and Instagram.
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