As more expectant parents seek a more personalized, intimate birthing experience, home births and other non-hospital options are becoming an increasingly popular choice. In a recent conversation with licensed midwife Charlie Rae Young and lactation consultant and birth advocate Amanda Ruiz, Tanja Vidovic and Grace Behnke, from the Sustainable Living show, explore the growing trend of home births vs hospital births, the 4th trimester, and other needs experienced by families pre and post birth.
Founded by Charlie, Barefoot Birth and The Community Roots Collective both started with a desire for support and village building. Young sought a different experience for herself and other local mothers. After the over-medicalized birth of her first child, Charlie decided to analyze the current maternity system framework and explore the history of midwifery – and quickly decided it was her calling to “support her community with sustainable holistic midwifery care and caring for the whole family throughout the childbearing process.” Charlie’s hope was to have people see that pregnancy is a normal part of life and the knowledge that in healthy pregnancies most women are often able to deliver at home, unmedicated.
Charlie indicated a definite increase in interest towards more natural birth options and home births over the course of the last fifteen years that she has been involved in birth work. She believes that the benefits of having a caring birth team and access to more holistic care and education, during pregnancy and after, is a huge part of that interest. Young states that whether you choose to birth at home, or have to deliver in a hospital setting, that having “personalized care at births with care providers that are present, lead to better outcomes and better experiences.”
Fast forward to 2015 when inspiration to create the physical space of the Community Roots Collective, came to life. Charlie’s birth clients and their families often expressed desire to connect with one another. “I would see patients throughout the day doing home visits, who expressed that they really wanted to find families who shared the same values,” and she decided, “we need a physical space for you all to meet each other.”
Young and Ruiz describe the Community Roots Collective as “a space for families with shared value systems to connect with one another,” but it has come to be much more than that. It offers a shared experience…”a place to cry, share your worries and frustrations, a place to grieve, and to laugh and grow, together as a community.”
“The Roots,” as it is affectionately known by local families, offers support in many ways including, but not limited to mom groups, play groups, loss support, lactation support and childbirth education. Amanda clarifies that, “we also partner with other organizations, if someone needs further assistance or guidance in making the connections that can help them.” Making those connections and collaborating are the foundation of what Young and Ruiz hope their projects bring to the Tampa Bay community and the families within it.
Looking for a caring birth team or in need of another kind of support? Find what you’re looking for at The Community Roots and Barefoot Birth websites.
If you love what we do on Sustainable Living, don’t forget to tune in every Monday at 11am on WMNF 88.5fm or listen to past episodes in the archives. If you’d like to donate to show your support, head over to the donations page and direct your pledge to the Sustainable Living Show.
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