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Phase 3 Midwifery Training

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My name is Barbara Vernéus and I was forced to relocate to Brooklyn, NY due to my father getting sick with COVID-19 along with other health issues which has in turn made me his sole care provider,

along with being a single mother to my daughter Glorious-Zoelle .  In light of that I am unable to work due to balancing the needs of my father, motherhood and my apprenticeship as a student midwife which in all honesty makes me an essential worker to the birthing community here in NYC. And due to the COVID-19 crisis, many expecting families are rapidly deciding to give birth at home in a city where women were already 12x more likely to die due to common birth complications when birthing in hospitals; and now add on COVID-19. 

Just to share a bit about my journey into midwifery I moved to Austin, Texas in 2017 to complete Phase 1 towards becoming a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) with MotherBloom Midwifery and Holistic Services midwives. I then, completed my Phase 2 with two midwives in the outskirts of Lancaster, PA.

 And currently doing my Phase 3 in Brooklyn, NY with my mentor Memaniye Cinque of Dyekora Sumda Midwifery Services . (If you looking for a well knowledgeable, well experienced midwife and extremely sweet, please reach out to Memaniye Cinque and tell her Barbara sent you).

Prior to this, my previous employment experiences include 20 years in Human Service and 16 years of birth work/doula experience. In addition, I offered doula services for free to teenage mothers while being employed as a Live-In Advisor at Pathways PA to teenage mothers and mothers-to-be.

I have volunteered overseas in Senegal, West Africa for the African Birth Collective. I have also served women in settings from the public health initiative based out of Boston University from women's groups to church settings.

Looking ahead, it is my desire to continue to serve families in the urban community and overseas, such as in Haiti where my family bloodline is from.

In 2016, I am completed my Master's in Counseling with a concentration in Marriage and Family. My degree in counseling along with becoming a midwife will help me to serve women who have experienced trauma. Grieved by the abuse of women and children and the lack of value of the urban family, I seek to help bring the importance of the family unit while providing the Midwifery Model of Care. 

Each experience I've had  serving families has reinforced my passion and calling. I believe the most impact begins  at the moment of conscious conception and as a midwife we have the opportunity to assist in helping a woman/mother know her virtue, resources and choices for themselves and their baby.

So what is this fundraiser for? Well after birthing my daughter in 2014 I knew right then and there that I had no more excuses preventing me from completing my passion. Having my daughter gave me yet another reason. I am now looking towards the 3rd chapter towards becoming a MIDWIFE by starting my Phase 3 and any other requirements during my time in NYC for the duration of my training. 

What will your donations go towards?

*Personal Protective Equipment
*Cleaning Supply
*Child Care
*Transportation
*Books
*NARM Application Fees
*NARM Online Study Course
*NARM Exam
*Medical equipment
*CPR
*Neonatal Resuscitation Certification
*Cultural Competency CEU
and any acquired expenses that may be considered miscellaneous in order to complete my venture.  

If you can't help monetarily towards my fundraiser, you can help by spreading the word to your closest family and friends by committing to sharing this fundraiser through your social network on a consistent basis (Emails, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, website and/or Blogs.) 

Why becoming a midwife is so special to me? I'm glad you asked! Now more than ever bc of COVID the model of care provided by midwives is extremely important for it is based on the concept that pregnancy and childbirth are normal life events that should be carefully monitored but not interfered with, unless necessary. Midwifery care has been proven to reduce the rate of medical interventions in labor and birth, such as inductions of labor, electronic fetal  monitoring, and episiotomy that may cause harm when used routinely. Midwifery care also reduces the need for a cesarean section. Midwives look to maximize health outcomes using a minimum number of medical interventions. They also address the emotional, psychological, and cultural concerns of women in their childbearing year. The philosophical foundation of midwifery care is based on protecting, supporting, and enhancing the normal process of birth.

The United States has a higher infant mortality rate than any of the other 27 wealthy countries, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control.  A baby born in the U.S. is nearly three times as likely to die during their first year of life as one born in Finland or Japan. That same American baby is about twice as likely to die in her first year as a Spanish or Korean one. And even with the long history of midwifery in the black community, black women currently represent less than 2% of the nation's reported 15,000 midwives. I want to be part of the movement of lowering these rates through midwifery care, particularly within the urban communities where infant death rates are highest. Every woman and baby deserve the best service of care no matter where they come from.

This fundraiser is bigger than me.  So please support me so I may pay it forward and support pregnant individuals, families and support healthy and holistic childrearing. 

 HELP BIRTH FORTH A MIDWIFE!!!

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Donations 

  • Victoria Juste
    • $100 
    • 1 yr
  • Neah Ingram-Monteiro
    • $25 
    • 1 yr
  • Meredith Mance
    • $25 
    • 1 yr
  • Rachel Blake
    • $43 
    • 1 yr
  • Andrea Chung
    • $100 
    • 1 yr
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Organiser

Boon Verneus
Organiser
Brooklyn, NY

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