Make Natural Birth possible

As a wombman of color it is not expected nor recognized that natural labor and breastfeeding are ideal for our babies entry into the world. In the research that i have done i have come across the upsetting truth that black moms are treated like second hand patients instead of birthing mommies. Many of us are not given the resources through health insurance to be informed about labor and breastfeeding. Especially not in a way that is a true expression of beauty but rather this tumultuous thing that happens to us. In which case as wombmen of color we experience long exhausting labors that are often at fault of death and cesarian births. I do not want to be one of these cases. I view nesting, birth, and breastfeeding as this very deep metaphysical experience between mom, daddy, and seedling. I believe it should be a natural flow of happenings rather than this hospitalized occurrence. The expectation that birth is scary and an exhausting screaming match of rude invasion upon mom and baby is not the experience i hope for her to meet the world for the first time. My dream is for this ceremony of new life to be at a birthing center under midwifery practice, with my mother as my doula, and my Andrew as the fathers hands receiving his baby from the womb. Fortunate that i am an artist but Unfortunately that artist generally do not have insurance policies that may offer this practice as a choice rather than the forced “hospitalized back lying rip my baby from me medicated labor of terror”. I am on pregnancy Insurance which covers all major hospital bills but it is does not support the use of midwives or doulas. Therefore it will cost me about 2500$ to afford to give birth this way. Now i could choose to have a homebirth without any experienced help except my mother ; but the benefit of the birthing centers are that in the case of emergency a doctor is near to proceed only in a necessary special circumstance. I am putting up this GoFundMe to ask for my village of friends any family to help me make this dream come true. As an artist your work comes as you take it and although i have full support from my employers they do not have maternity leave policies to pay me while i am not working. So with that being said because i wish to breastfeed my baby and i want to continue with my career i am asking for my village to also give towards my bed rest time. This is also so my Andrew doesn’t make all of his time into work time but he too may experience the beginnings of the new life we created together. This ceremony of new life feels very special to me and Andrew. To give a seedling the opportunity to see the world for the beauty is has rather than the societal constructs we have created seems like the most valuable gift i could ever award this precious little life. I hope you can open your hearts to help us make this possible. Black moms are capable of natural birth and most certainly able of breastfeeding. I believe in us and i hope you do too!