Freedom and the Seed

04/22/2025

Yay for human milk!!

April 22 is Earth Day! 🌎
Human milk remains the ultimate natural renewable resource and is one way to create a healthier planet.

Do you have an earth-friendly breastfeeding or pumping/storage tip to share?

According to the U.S. Surgeon General, "Although breastfeeding requires mothers to consume a small amount of additional calories, it generally requires no containers, no paper, no fuel to prepare, and no transportation to deliver, and it reduces the carbon footprint by saving precious global resources and energy." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK52687/

[Image: Photo of a cherry tree branch against the background of the sky. Text: Happy Earth Day. Human milk is a natural, renewable food that acts as a complete source of babies’ nutrition for about the first six months of life--no packaging required.]

04/18/2025

Did you know you can still purchase all the herbal love from Cleckner com

04/17/2025

Join me in supporting by helping them reach their fundraising goal at blackmamasmatter.org/donate. With your investment, we will be able to share the challenges impacting Black birthing people, celebrate innovation of Black-led models of holistic maternal and reproductive health care, as well as amplify the voices of Black Mamas to shift the narrative to center our joy, activism, and creativity.

04/16/2025

Developing a culturally responsive and congruent workforce is critical—one that understands systemic racism, addresses bias, and provides person-centered, respectful, and affirming care for Black women and birthing people. BMHW25 highlights the need for sustainable solutions —ensuring Black Mamas receive high-quality care at every stage, from preconception to
postpartum.

By investing in workforce development, healthcare systems can ensure that ALL Black Mamas have access to high-quality care throughout the perinatal and reproductive health continuum.
This includes preconception care, prenatal care, labor and delivery, postpartum care, and family planning services.

04/15/2025

Advancing collective action highlights the essential role of collaboration between Black-led organizations, advocates, and communities to lead advocacy efforts, shape policies, and amplify solutions. This week underscores the necessity of Unity and the Power of Community to create a future where Black Mamas, families, and communities Thrive!

BMHW25 celebrates the leadership and expertise of Black community-based organizations as the foundation for advancing equity and ensuring transformative, sustainable improvements in Black Maternal Health.

04/14/2025

This , we are claiming the right to live and thrive despite racism, poverty, and
structural policies that affect our access to quality and equitable reproductive health care. We
are incorporating the frameworks of human rights, social justice, and feminist theories of
intersectionality into our activism, outreach, and scholarship. This
, support us and in the movement
for better maternal, reproductive and birth outcomes for Black Mamas.

MATERNAL MORTALITY & PREGNANCY RELATED-DEATH
In 2023, the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black women was 50.3 deaths
per 100,000 live births, nearly 3.5 times the rate for non-Hispanic White women.
(Source: CDC, 2025).
In the U.S., Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related
cause than White women. CDC notes that more than 80% of pregnancy related deaths
are preventable ( CDC, 2024).

01/15/2025

Lorna Magnolia is THE BEST!!

Oooh baby baby!! Labor ready massage can be done once you’re cleared by your midwife or ob, ideally as close to your estimated due date as possible. We use clary sage essential oil, meditative practices, and acupressure points to send safety signals to your body and your baby. Letting them know that now is this time and you are ready. 4/5 pregnant people who come to me for labor ready massage see signs of labor begin within 24-48 hours. It’s my favorite sessions to do. Send me a message to get on the schedule! Spread the word and let people know they can avoid medical induction and unnecessary intervention early on.

06/02/2023

01/04/2023

Big News!!! FATS and Tempe Birth Center are merging into one!! This FB page will stay alive but all the latest news and events will migrate over to Tempe Birth Center. Keep up to date on all the latest haps by liking Tempe Birth Center's page here on FB and following us on Insta . You can also sign up for our very infrequent news letters @ www.tempebirthcenter.com at the very top of the page! Much love and thank you for all the years of FATS support and love!!

Tempe Birth Center is a midwife-owned, inclusive, client-centered birth center offering holistic midwifery, informed decision making, pregnancy care, water birth, and well-woman care to the greater Phoenix area.

08/28/2022

Have you heard the statistics about the breastfeeding disparity? Curious about how you can get involved? Check out these 4 ways to support Black breastfeeding families and commit to taking action today!

07/24/2022

Yes. We must tell the truth!!

♥️ “What if we told women the truth about birth
We’d have to tell them that contractions will probably be more than “surges” or “sensations.”

That they’ll probably rock your f✨cking world and leave you begging for salvation as you clutch the edge of the tub or the hospital linens

That your gentle breathing exercises and your Spotify soundtrack will be left in the dust as you sweat and pant and sway and swear your way through it

That you’ll trip harder than any mushroom you ever did in college and vomit with the same ferocity and travel to places deep within yourself that you didn’t know existed. That you’ll float above your body and simultaneously be trapped in it with an intensity you’ve never tasted

And in that intensity, in the sweating and the swearing and the swaying and the vomiting and the endless hours of contractions crashing down upon you
You’ll find your strength
You’ll find a resilience you’ve never known
You’ll find the power you need for the journey of motherhood ahead

In the messy humanity of it all
You’ll find that you are holy
A portal to the divine
Capable of indescribable miracles
A vessel of sacred life

What if we told women the truth about birth?
We’d have to tell them they are capable of anything
Worthy of being treated like goddesses
Made to walk through the flames
Surf the tidal waves
Dive into the underworld
And come out alive

Not unscathed
Not unchanged
But whole
And healed
And ready to take on the world

If we told women the truth about birth
We’d have to admit that we’ve lied about everything else
And that they are more powerful
More fierce
More capable
More beautiful
Than we’ve ever let on.

If we told the truth about birth?
We’d shatter the world.”

Spirit Y Sol

07/21/2022

Hey FATS Families! Come play with your midwife this Saturday!!! Come eat pancake, play with water and bubbles and foam, bounce in a bounce house and support Tempe Birth Center in the process! Of course we will not turn any one away at the door, but it to get a count, please get your tickets TODAY!!

Family Fun TBC Fundraiser! Come eat pancakes and play with other families who support community midwives and community birth!