Meet Thomecia Busby

Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomecia Busby.

Hi Thomecia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a Professional Dancing Doula! I actually prefer the terms Birth Keeper or Holistic Labor Assistant. I began my professional training in Birth work right before quarantine hit. As I was pursuing my dance career in Los Angeles, CA, quarantine shut down everything! At that time, I began to Nanny full-time. I’ve nannied for six years and I’ve taught dance to children for the last ten years. My love for teaching. healing, and supporting the Black community grew immensely. (One day, I plan on owning and operating an Arts School in my hometown for the Black community)

Doing birth work professionally made me realize I’ve been doing this work throughout my life. Most of my friends have children, for the last ten years, I have assisted them during pregnancy, postpartum, and infant lost. I would take my friends down to social security to find housing and resources, I always come home to help take care of my nieces and nephews (I have a loving Godson as well), and I supported my friend with premature twins, which ended in one of the babies transitioning. Knowing the trauma my friends and close family members faced in the hospitals, once I learned about the term Midwife and Doula, I had to learn more!

I started my training virtually with Sumayyah Franklin, a native to West Oakland, CA. Did I mention I’m originally from the Bay Area! She’s a well-known Midwife providing Doula training to Black people. Doula is the Greek work for “female slave,” hence why most of us have began reclaiming the name. A Midwife is hired for medical care and to deliver the baby. A Labor assistant (Doula) is hired to support the birthing parent and partner physically & emotionally, as well as advocate for them in the medical world!

Fast forward, I relocated from LA to ATL, continued nannying and training. I reconnected with a college mate, who allowed me to join her birth team! I helped her prenatal sessions, mediation, diet, breathing and more. I assisted her bringing her beautiful baby girl earthside in her own home. Magickal!

Once I joined the Atlanta Doula Collective, I began attracting more clients and learning more skills. I now provide mediation, herbal healing, sound bowl therapy, prenatal yoga movement, yoni steaming, breastfeeding assistance, and pure spiritual alignment for my clients. Each couple is different, every labor is transforming, and the love is pure. Always remind my clients, “it’s your birth, your choice.”

Each day I serve my community, educating and advocating for Black parents to have beautiful births and healthy babies. I see the fight! I see the racism in the hospital walls and the lack of knowledge from the providers (and not all of them are white). It hurts! The war on Black people is real! The movement must continue.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Whew, chile! I mean, who has been down a smooth road before? Lol. Life is full of lessons and roadblocks. Are we talking what have I overcome throughout my life, or just on this journey to becoming a Birth worker. Let me keep it simple, lol. Right before moving to LA, I experienced a bad heartbreak, knew what depression felt like for the first time ever, losing about twenty pounds, and began to have a spiritual awakening. I packed up and decided to follow my dreams! Moved to LA with my last two checks and spent the first couple of weeks living in different airbnb(s), sometimes my car Baby Mocha. 🙂 I connected with a cousin on my mom’s side of the family, who so happen to be a dancer in LA as well. Stayed with her until I couldn’t anymore, then crossed paths with an older white woman who needed an in-home housekeeper.

While living there, I drove for Uber and Doordash to help pay for bills and dance classes. For two years, I revamped my look, trained my butt off, and began booking jobs. Once quarantine hit, CA shut ALL THE WAY DOWN. No jobs, no bookings, no outside, nothing. I once again packed up and shipped my life off to Atlanta. Once moving here, my dance career became stagnant due to nannying and working with pregnant moms. I wanted to make sure I remained safe for my clients; meanwhile, Atlanta was wide open! I found it hard to balance birth work and a dance career. Building a Healing brand, oh right, my business is called Higher Healing. Uplifting and elevating the healing in my people. I currently find myself pouring into my clients and my community physically and emotionally & still finding myself “making ends meet.” I am very grateful for my work, but it’s a long road in adulthood! I strive to find a way to help my people as well as nourish myself and elevate financially.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’ve been training in dance since I was two years old. I’ve been a cheerleader (captain multiple times), as well as been on a step team. I’ve danced for Spice Official, Tiwa Savage, Da Baby, Amber Rose, Moniece, and more. I liiivveee for performing on live stage, but love a dope music video! I’ve trained in hip hop, heels, vogue, afro, you name it. I am also a bomb poet and would love to present my rapping skills one day. 🙂

I currently practice herbal medicine and energy healing. I work with herbs to help people mentally, physically, medically, and spiritually. Creating herbal tea blends, bath blends, and yoni blends. I host meditation sessions for solos and groups, working on chakra alignment and stagnant energy. I’m excited to see where the spirits guide me. I’ve recently began working on Higher Healing products, making Elderberry, healing body oils, medical tinctures, and more. I just want to see my people live long!

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Wow, it’s crazy because I often tell people I feel like I’ve suppressed a lot of my childhood (I’m starting therapy soon). I enjoyed family movie day, we would go with our parents, take in hella snacks, and sneak into a second movie.

I love dancing in the talent shows with my friends and recreating choreography from popular music videos! I also think growing up in CA is amazing in itself. The diversity, the beaches, the culture, west side is the best side.

Contact Info:

• Email: higherhealing.mi@gmail.com
• Website: https://www.higherhealing.info/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/higherhealingxo/
  https://www.instagram.com/mimihunnayy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thomecia
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeciaaaBoo/status

Image Credits:
Alan Kimara Dixon Zarianna Busby Tracy Hang Quinton Lover Tracy Hang