Cultivating Community & Nurturing Birth Work, Naturalie

To My Community,

In a world where maternal care for Black and Indigenous women is often a matter of life and death, the higher mortality rates in these communities highlight the urgent need for birth workers who truly understand our experiences and needs. Having our own people represented in the workforce offering holistic, culturally aligned birth and post-natal care is critical.

My name is Natalie Reid, and I’m asking for your support to continue honouring my soul’s mission: nurturing and empowering my community through birth work.

With nearly two dozen births locally between 2014 and 2017 of hands-on experience as a birth worker, alongside my work in culture, arts, wellness, and youth development, I have long sought a community of traditional midwives and birth workers to deepen my practice. After years on and off, I’ve finally found that opportunity in the Sumi’s Touch Immersion, a training and initiation, specifically for people of African descent, led by traditional midwife Sumyyah Franklin. This immersion in Ghana from December 1-10, 2024, will combine the practical and sacred aspects of birth work, offering integration and embodiment for those of us who are called to serve.

I have trained as a doula, midwife’s assistant, prenatal massage therapist, and am attuned to Reiki Level 1 and aromatherapy. Through my business, Naturalie Relax, I’ve been providing wellness services—including massage, herbal infusions, and birth work—to my community for over 12 years. I also lead The Plant Allies, a consulting entity that curates wellness experiences and events. Together, these ventures have allowed me to serve over a dozen families in Jamaica—whether virtually, at home, or in hospitals. But I know that to truly support Black and Indigenous women in their birthing journeys, more is needed. That’s why this immersion is so important.

Saving the World, One Womb at a Time

I aim to continue empowering women to find their voices during the critical moments of childbirth—helping to prevent the tragedies we’ve seen for far too long: the unnecessary loss of Black and Indigenous mothers and babies, and the health complications that follow due to lack of proper care. I believe deeply in sharing this knowledge to ensure more women in our community experience empowered, healing birth processes.

This movement is about more than birth. It’s about empowering women to reclaim their bodies, break generational cycles, and heal through traditional, ancestral practices. To do this work effectively, I’ll need to upskill, learning from Black and Indigenous birth workers who carry the wisdom and technology of our ancestors.

My tagline, “Breathe Easy,” is both a call to action and a reminder to relax the body, loosen the jaw, and breathe deeply. It’s how we anchor ourselves in the process of healing and transformation.

I am asking for your support in helping me attend this life-changing immersion in Ghana as a step towards serving my community more fully and to share this knowledge with others.

If you are unable to donate, please, share the campaign. Your contribution will not only support me—it will empower an entire community to heal and thrive.

The funds donated go directly to this Immersion / Training, Travel expenses and ground logistics during my stay in Ghana.

Thank you for taking the time to read my call for support in this labour of love.

Breathe Easy,

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Naturalie.