Hello, beautiful people. My name is JaNina, and I am a trained full-spectrum doula. I currently support my community through my own business DoulaMeWright, a local doula agency, Music City Doula, and through a program called Doulas for Everyone, based in Massachusetts. I have been in birth work for three years.
Many people ask me, “What is a doula?” I’m always happy to answer. A doula is a trained professional who serves birthing bodies through their journey of conception, fertility, birth, postpartum, loss and even end of life. There are several types of doulas, including postpartum, loss, death, abortion, gender, and fertility. As a doula, my life experience has been humbling. It brings me so much joy when a family asks me to support them on their journey. I also feel sad when families reach out because they are afraid of their journey. They are afraid of dying, afraid of not being heard or seen, afraid of being bullied or forced to do things that are not good for their bodies. At every opportunity, I do my best to make each family feel as supported as I can.
From the moment of conception, birth families need, want, and deserve good support. Bringing a new life into the world should be a magical time in one’s life, but unfortunately that is not everyone’s experience. Before, during, or after birth, mental health should be taken seriously. “Will I be a good parent?”, “Will my child be healthy?”, and “Will I live to see my child grow up?” are just some of the things that have been asked rhetorically in my travels with families. In those moments, I hold space for each individual. I have learned not to give personal advice, but to refer them to PSI support groups or a therapist with perinatal mental health training to ensure they are properly supported. It is important to me to be an advocate not only in the birth places but also in the community I support, ensuring that all families receive the perinatal mental health support they deserve.
According to emerging research, those who experienced racism in the year before the birth of their baby experienced a higher likelihood of depression and are at increased risk for adverse maternal outcomes. Additionally, “stress from racism and racial discrimination during the perinatal period may contribute to maternal morbidity, including perinatal depression, among Black women.” Black doulas serving Black families can help improve maternal health in pregnancy and postpartum, improving outcomes for both mother and baby.
I can’t speak for everyone, but most would agree that representation is important. As a doula of color, I love seeing and hearing my clients. We want to connect on a deeper level than “just being your doula.” Although I have supported families outside of my race, I still find a way to make a connection. In my experience, clients of color relate to me more, and we connect on a deeper level. Whether it was through music, chats about hair, religion and church, or our experience as a minority, we found a way to bond and instantly become each other’s “bruh” or “sis”. Quoted from a recent article,”Representation allows minorities to feel validated and allows us to express our opinions comfortably. This creates a team environment where ideas are different, perspectives are different and everyone feels valued.”
I believe everyone deserves high-quality care, regardless of race, sexual identity, religion, gender identity, income, and other factors that commonly influence a person’s health care. I see it as my duty to advocate for the families I serve, and I take pride in doing so. I join others who believe that doulas are not made, but born. My natural gift of nurturing and being emotionally present prepared me to be a doula prior to my training. Now, I’m excited to combine the two as I support mothers, birthing people and their bodies, and the entire family during the difficult journey of pregnancy and parenthood.
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Birth work has been a passion of JaNina Wright since her youth. As the eldest of five siblings, she helped her single mother manage childcare tasks such as bottle feeding, diaper changes, baby stimulation, and many other daily tasks. need. Later, JaNina made an intentional commitment to extend support outside of her own family. She has helped many family members navigate the birthing journey by providing physical, emotional, spiritual, and educational support.
JaNina is a trained birth doula through Dona International, Blissful Birthing, and she is currently training to become a Maternal Support Practitioner through BeboMia Inc. As a doula, JaNina’s goal is to empower expectant families as they bring new life into the world, and it is her pleasure to offer them empathy, compassion, education, and a sense of peace throughout the birth process. . JaNina is from Nashville, TN where she serves as treasurer of the Postpartum Support International Board-TN and is a member of the Perinatal Mental Health Alliance for people of color.
Outside of maternity work, JaNina is a certified medical assistant, phlebotomist, and patient service specialist in Nashville, TN. She enjoys volunteering for homeless communities, singing, dancing (especially ballroom and Zumba), and spending quality time with family, friends, and her precious cat, Princess.
