Birthing on Our Terms: Sustainability, Home Birth & Black Liberation with Nicole JeanBaptiste

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Season 1 | Episode 7

What if birth work and sustainability were two sides of the same powerful coin? In this beautifully bold episode, Nicole JeanBaptiste (co-founder of Sésé, Birthing Freedom)takes us deep into the heart of holistic birth work, community health, and the radical act of care. From the frontline of activism to the sacred spaces of home births, she shares why sustainability isn’t just about the environment—it’s about creating an ecosystem where Black families, birth workers, and traditions thrive.

We talk home births as a viable, informed choice for low-risk parents, the importance of cultural rituals in birthing spaces (yes, dancing to Soca is absolutely part of the process), and the overlooked reality that birth workers need care, too. Through personal stories of triumph and challenge, Nicole reminds us that wellness is a communal act—one that demands we nurture those who nurture us.

HEADS UP: A tech glitch clipped 10 minutes of our convo, but trust—this episode is still packed with love, wisdom, and unapologetic truth. Tap in and let’s reimagine what sustainable birth work really looks like and why it’s especially important to support Black midwives, doulas and prenatal specialists.

MORE ABOUT NICOLE

Nicole, a mother of two, embodies a multifaceted role as a full spectrum community-based doula, lactation counselor, yoga instructor, and oral historian. Her approach is rooted in a calming, culturally informed, and humanistic ethos, providing unwavering support to individuals throughout the childbirth journey.

With ancestry hailing from both the Southern United States and the Caribbean, and firmly based in the Bronx, NY, Nicole is dedicated to elevating the Black experience within the realms of birth and social justice activism. As the co-founder of Seh-SAY, Birthing Freedom, and as a co-founder of Bx (Re)Birth and Progress Collective, she spearheads transformative initiatives such as a community doula program, accessible wellness offerings, and mentorship among others.

“ So many Black midwives are dying prematurely. You know, so many Black doulas are entering this field and within two, three years, they’re like - okay peace, I’ma go back to corporate or do whatever I do because they’re burned out. What’s your ritual specifically after a birth? What’s your ritual leading into a birth to prepare you for this so that you can do this in a sustainable manner in a way that’s not going to tire you out and have you looking back like I can’t do that again.”

— Quote Source