Help Us Build a Birth & Community Center

My name is Aiyana Davison and I am a Certified Nurse Midwife in Southern California. I have been a midwife for about 6 years and within birthwork for over 10 years.

 

In 2007, while in the midst of nursing school and with the strong desire to become a midwife, I drafted plans for a birth center. At this point in my life, I had never stepped foot in one but it was heavy on my heart. As the vision grew, I included in my drafts various modalities of healing that would help birthing people through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, as well as overall health, and building their families-- thus building and sustaining our community. My plans included a space for birth and recovery, a place for receiving prenatal care and gynecology care, areas for clients, families, and community members to exercise, rooms for group discussion and education, designated locations for individual therapy (mental health, physical therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, massage therapy, lactation support, and more), as well as and common areas for folks to connect with one another.

 

This dream seemed bigger than anything I could understand and it wasn't until the last few years that I could actually see this beginning to manifest.

 

Many of you have asked 'where can I donate?' and for a long time I had no place to provide. Well, here is one way. Building a birth center is a phenomenal task and I would be nothing without my  community to support.

I have come to realize that I cannot do this alone. In order for a Birth Center to survive and provide services, the finances MUST be a part. So, if you feel so called you can share a financial gift here. If you feel called but cannot financially commit, feel free to share with someone you believe can.

 

Riverside, CA has a special place in my heart. I am originally from the east coast but have lived in the Inland Empire for the last 15+ years. It has become apparent, with requests from current and former patients/clients, friends, family, and strangers on the internet that the need for a birth center here is strong. What is even more pressing on my heart is the call to serve our most vulnerable populations, specifically Black and Brown people, who are dying in childbirth and the postpartum timeframe at an alarming rate. If you have not looked at this data, please search for Black Maternal Morbidity and Mortality rates -- you too may be shocked to discover what is happening to folks within our community.

 

I envision this center as a source of hope and light for the community and surrounding areas. California has a handful of birth centers and nationally there are about 384 freestanding birth centers within 37 states. These are facilities outside of the hospital system that are still a part of healthcare but offer much more autonomy and individual decision making with a focus on holistic clinical support. Not everyone will have the ability to have their child(ren) at a birth center, but what I do want to ensure is that additional services like lactation and mental health support will be available to the vast majority of birthers and their families.

 

The funds raised here will help with cost of start up, supplies, equipment, and supportive staff. It will also be a place where we can help some folks who do not have the resources to cover their expenses at the center.

 

I could say so much more and you probably will hear it all as I begin this journey. But for now, thank you for supporting a Black midwife who wants to see her community thrive and to be a small part of the change in Black & Brown Maternal (birthing) Health.

 

Your support means the world to me and it will mean so much to the families who will have the ability to birth in a safe and supportive space. You are helping me step in the direction of my dreams and supporting our future. I am so grateful for whatever you can donate. It truly takes a village.