Hi all,

My name is Leah, I am a first year midwifery student with experience as a nurse, doula, and birth assistant, and certified lactation specialist. I have worked in the birth center, hospital, and home setting. I am collecting funds to cover the cost of midwifery school. I finished the RN-BSN program in May 2023 and started a CNM program three months later.

Grad school is demanding and costly. Many midwifery students cannot work full time due to (unpaid) clinical requirements and heavy course load. Initially, I was working full time during the first semester, however, experiencing hyperemesis gravidarum during my current pregnancy caused me to resign. Now I attend home births as a midwife assistant when able to.

Why support a Black midwife?

Midwifery care was stripped from black elders in the U.S. and across the Caribbean. Since the transition from birthing at home to primarily delivering in the hospital, systemic barriers have been placed to keep minority individuals from taking back the career which would significantly decrease maternal and infant mortality, morbidity, and birth trauma. Only 7% of certified midwives are Black. This is in alignment with structural barriers placed against racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S.

The overall state of maternal health in this country is poor and there is an ongoing Black maternal health crisis that community birth workers have been fighting for several years. After feeling defeated and helpless in several settings, I decided my next move in the fight to improve reproductive health is to become an independent provider. I believe in the midwifery model of care which is why I intend to practice full scope midwifery in the community setting.

Any funds are appreciated and will contribute to the making of a future midwife.

Fund Allocation



Tuition: 6 x 4,000 = 24,000

Books/ Professional Memberships/Malpractice Insurance = Approximately 500/yr