​Dear Fellow Birth Workers,

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I write this letter with deep gratitude and reverence for the sacred work you do. As doulas, midwives, lactation professionals, healers, and caretakers of life’s most powerful transitions, you stand at the heart of one of our most ancient and vital traditions—protecting and nurturing the journey of birth.

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Your work does more than provide support through labor. You carry the wisdom of generations. You pass on ancestral knowledge—of touch, breath, herbs, ritual, rest, nourishment, and care—that has protected our communities for centuries. In a world that too often separates us from our cultural roots, you are the keepers of memory and the bridges to our future.

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By honoring and integrating cultural traditions into perinatal care, we affirm that our practices are not just professional—they are powerful tools for healing, connection, and survival. They address the deep disparities in maternal health, especially for Black, Brown, Indigenous, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ communities, who continue to face systemic harm. Our traditions offer not only care, but resilience and resistance.

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The importance of your role cannot be overstated. In your hands is the potential to improve outcomes, restore trust, and hold space for every birthing person to be seen, heard, and honored. When you show up, you are rewriting a legacy of injustice with each act of support, advocacy, and compassion.

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Keep holding this sacred ground. You are not alone. We are in this together—reviving what was nearly lost and building what is still possible.

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In solidarity and gratitude,

 

Jada Metcalf
For the Generations Before Us and Those Yet to Come