The Community Birth Center

03/12/2018

Thanks for the continued support of TCBC. As a reminder... we are now Crimson Fig Midwifery and in order to stay up to date on our happenings you need to like/follow our new page - as eventually this one will be closed down. Thanks!

02/13/2018

Friends! Only a few of you have liked my NEW Crimson Fig page. If you are seeing this... you are linked to the old page! Please search Crimson Fig, like us, and stay in the loop!

02/02/2018

Addiction doesn't discriminate.

Becca Braren, a Crimson Fig client (and long-time friend) is making a groundbreaking documentary about the unknown causes and little known cures - and she needs community support!!

Please take 2 minutes to check out her trailer at www.thecomedownfilm.com. Then share it, give feedback, get involved, and support a sister in speaking truth to an industry that profits on keeping people sick.

"Compassion and kindness are not carrots to dangle in front of a suffering person... they are the medicine that heals them." Becca Braren

Only 10% of Americans who need addiction treatment get it, and less than 5% of those experience any measurable recovery under the current model.

11/02/2017

Take a listen and follow our new page Crimson Fig Midwifery!

Host Jenn Stanley and Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors are joined by Black midwives Racha Tahani Lawler and Debbie Allen to discuss racism in health care and midwifery, and what it means to provide maternity care and support to communities who need it the most.

10/18/2017

Like our new page ! https://www.facebook.com/crimsonfigmidwifery/

We provide homebirth, waterbirth and midwifery services in the Los Angeles area and worldwide.

07/22/2016

We love our clients. Thank you for the support and appreciation.

07/08/2016

The painting pictured here, Sheila Na Gig, was lent to The Community Birth Center in central Los Angeles and hung on its walls from it's opening day until it recently had to close. The artist, Katie Jenkins McCall painted it to encourage the mamas that entered about what they are capable of (baby is born persistent posterior in the image, with a blissful smile on the mother's face).
With the closing of the Birth Center, the painting has returned to Katie's possession. She is now offering it to the highest bidder with 100% of funds raised going to assist the practitioners that used to serve at The Community Birth Center (award winning midwife Racha Tahani Lawler: http://lacommunitybirth.com/our-staff/ and her assistants) as they continue to serve home birth families in the Los Angeles area, specifically women of color and families that don't typically have access to traditional midwifery care.
To bid and support this great work, simply click on the photo and enter your bid in the comments pertaining to the photo. Bidding will end at 6pm pacific time on July 14th. Winner is responsible for shipping the painting from Los Angeles or for picking it up.
Sheila na Gig is approximately 5 feet by 4 feet and is painted in oil on board. It is unframed.
Please share with other birth workers and birth worker groups who may be interested.

06/03/2016

Letter To The Community:

Dear Community,

I want to thank the incredible families that have allowed me to be present at both the births & difficult transitions of their babies. After almost 15 years of midwifery, I have experienced many powerful, life affirming births. So many of these births have been through the lighting rod that is The Community Birth Center!

The outpouring of support over the (almost) 5 years keeping mothers, babies, and families SAFE while conceiving/being pregnant/loss/birthing/postpartum has been awe inspiring. ONE on-call midwife, 4 wonderfully supportive licensed midwives, over 10 student midwives of color, and volunteers could not have done this work for THIS long without the support of friends, family, and often times complete strangers.

It is with tearful regret, that the season of our beloved lighting rod of a Birth Center has come to an end. Too often, clients did not make their payments, sometimes YEARS after their births. Too often those that could afford our full fee took advantage of our sliding scale. Many promised payment and just…didn’t. We are unable to sustain the Birth Center under these circumstances. We are most saddened to see the end of “Community FREE Fridays,” a donation of time and commitment by midwives, student midwives and lovely volunteers.

Long before the The Community Birth Center, serving community was my motivation. I will ALWAYS challenge social norms. I will ALWAYS be part of changing the narrative around birth for descendants of Africans. Our birth statistics and our lives will forever and always be my priority!

I look forward to providing more intimate midwifery care for very special families. Interviews and intakes will continue, the process will be only slightly different. Prenatals will be more intimate and specially tailored to each client. My hours will be more flexible. Homebirth and waterbirth in Los Angeles County will continue. In addition, I will return to taking clients outside the United States on a case by case basis. Postpartum visits will be similar to my “baby midwife” days –with ceremony, delicious homemade food, infant feeding support, breastmilk donation, home visits with a pediatrician, and overall MORE care!

The conception, pregnancy, and birth of The Community Birth Center was always a painfully quiet, but regal struggle. It’s now time for me, Racha Tahani Lawler, CPM, LM to stand in my new place in midwifery. Which is a beautiful, exciting, and sacred place, rich with African traditions. A place so protected and ancient, only elder midwives could put me here, and to them everyday I am thankful.

💜R.

http://lacommunitybirth.com/

06/02/2016

Today community came together to celebrate Sr. Supervised Student Midwife Tanya Smith-Johnson, M.S. as she transitions into the final stage to becoming a Certified Professional Midwife & California Licensed Midwife! Many THANKS to all of the beautiful messages, gifts and those that were able to come on such short notice. As one of Tanya's teachers I am proud to watch her go out and serve the birth world. She has supported families through not only birth, but also death. She has managed complicated births and "easy" births. She has watched our healthcare system flat out fail people of color over and over. She has fought by my side to make it right, and on her own with her work as president of CFAM. Wishing you brilliance & excellence out in the midwifery world Tanya, they've been warned. 😉 💜

-Racha

06/01/2016

The most INCREDIBLE birth story of 2016.. Yet😏.

05/27/2016

We had our jet packs on today between attending the Birthing Justice Summit and a lovely home visit with our 3x repeat client whom we love so much. Their last birth happened under this grand avocado tree house. Isn't it lovely?
Just a day in the life.