Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracie Collins.
Tracie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I founded the National Black Doulas Association on October 25th, 2017. I wanted to provide a professional Black Doula Directory that also focused on educational and economic development. With the National Black Doulas Association, we also to help bring light to the Black Maternal Death rate in America. According to the CDC, Black and Brown’s women are 5x more likely to die from preventable childbirth related causes. There still is institutional racism embedded within Western Medicine.
I wanted to provide a platform where Black birthing families and find trained Black Doulas and holistic professionals during what is purposed to be a joyous time in their life.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I am very proud to say that the road has been a smooth one. There was a need for something like this. We have grown to over 30k supporters on our social media platforms. We have nearly 100 national members. We have also formed some great national allies.
We’d love to hear more about your organization.
Tracie began her career in the Birth Doula field in 2000 after her second child was born. She has attended over 1500+ births with families birthing in hospitals, birth centers, and home births throughout the SF Bay Area & beyond.
In 2002 Tracie completed Elizabeth Davis’ Heart ‘N’ Hands Midwifery Incentives Program. Upon completion, Tracie was the only student from that class to be selected as an Apprentice Midwife for Sacred Body Midwifery in San Francisco. There she learns the practical skills of midwifery. In 2003 Tracie became one of two midwives in the SF Bay Area to service women of color. Besides, Tracie has studied and received her degree in culinary arts. Having seen the effects of an improper diet, Tracie offers a level of understanding around a woman’s nutritional habits and the need for her birthing body; which benefits her baby. She has designed menu’s within her scope, to assist mothers in their everyday life. Just a touch of making things easier for mom as she prepared for the birth of her baby. Tracie diligently studies and educates herself on the benefits of proper nutritional intake and every growing effect on the body. She strives to eat an alkaline, plant-based diet daily along with proper hydration through live foods.
Due to her vast experience and educational background, Tracie has developed a method to help prepare the mother’s body for more efficient labor through proper prenatal nutrition and more. Does she combine this with laboring positions, techniques and an extensive knowledge base of the overall birth process that doctors, nurses and other birthing professionals asking what’s her secret is?
With the Tracie Enis Applied Method (T.E.A.M) women are experiencing fast, natural, more efficient labors at a record number. through the care of Tracie and her team. Tracie combines her intensive birthing expertise, knowledge and background along with her culinary degree from Le Cordon Bleu.
As a 20 year leading industry expert in and around the process of birth, and the founder of the National Black Doulas Association, she now specializes in coaching birth professionals on how to properly structure and grow their business, as a Doula Business Strategist. Tracie also is launching the NBDA Magazine in the Spring of 2020.
The National Black Doulas Association has grown rapidly and has become a leading force for Black Doula Education with a heavy business entrepreneurial acumen and sustainability.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.blackdoulas.org
- Email: hello@blackdoulas.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nationalblackdoulas/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NBDA.ORG/?epa=SEARCH_BOX
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackDoulas
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