I am community, I am a healer, I am hood, honest & real. My journey as a doula began long before I knew what that word meant. I've always questioned everything and stood for myself in spaces where I wasn't seen or heard. I had to learn how and unfortunately that happens way to often in healthcare.
Meet Shalonda Curtis
I am a Black mom of 3 with 3 very different birth experiences. What influenced those experience, were perceived race, ethnicity, language, economic status, age, insurance, marital status & personal knowledge. As I got older, wiser and hip to the health industrial complex what I once thought was just speaking up was actual advocacy. As a T.R.A.P. Doula my goal is share that knowledge with others so they are empowered to advocate for themselves and their family.
While everyone is focused on shifting the system and educating the providers, who is supporting the conditioned system shift within ourselves? While birth should be joyful and peaceful let's be 100% real, it doesn't happen that way for all of us, especially for Black and Brown families. We often don't know our rights are being violated! We require individual care & respect .
Connecting and building family with birthers in my community is who I am. We need to shift how we see ourselves in the system and not settle for below bare minimum treatment, is why I do it. Offering support, education and guidance, is how I do it. As the founder and T.R.A.P. Doula, the shift & education within gave me the backbone to command better treatment often times without saying a word for myself and my clients.