1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:03,840 Speaker 1: Hello Sunshine. 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 2: A vesties today on the bright Side, multi hyphen it 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:10,799 Speaker 2: Elaine Welterroth is here to talk about career pivots, motherhood, 4 00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 2: childbirth support, and so much more. It's Monday, May thirteenth. 5 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 2: I'm Simone Boyce. 6 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:17,240 Speaker 1: And I'm Danielle Robe. 7 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 3: This is the bright Side from Hello Sunshine. 8 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 2: Hi. 9 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:25,239 Speaker 1: Hi, Simone in New York. Simone in the city. 10 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:26,800 Speaker 4: We had a fun night last night. 11 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: Can I tell everyone what you did? 12 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 2: Yeah? 13 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 4: Tell the story. It's fine, So Simone. 14 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 3: So, Simone and I are texting and she's like, I'm 15 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:36,840 Speaker 3: at dinner with two girlfriends. 16 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 1: Do you want to come by. I'm like, yeah, I'm 17 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 1: getting in a taxi right now. 18 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 3: Go to dinner, I meet her, I sit down, I 19 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:46,959 Speaker 3: meet one of the girlfriends, which was Naha, who we've 20 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 3: had on the show, her other girlfriend, Christina, who was 21 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:53,560 Speaker 3: super sweet, and five minutes in, Simone goes, Okay, guys, 22 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 3: I'm really sorry to do this, but I have. 23 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: To go to another drinks. 24 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 4: Here's the thing, and then no, no, no, love me finished. 25 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 3: Then she goes to the bathroom, changes her outfit, puts 26 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 3: on fully different shoes and it's like, see you, guys. 27 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 4: Here's the thing. Okay, I could have handled this better. 28 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:16,119 Speaker 2: However, However, Danielle, the invitation was for you to join 29 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 2: a six thirty dinner. I had already been there for 30 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 2: an hour and a half, we had already gotten the bill, 31 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:23,960 Speaker 2: and I love that you came by, But unfortunately it 32 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:26,399 Speaker 2: was just towards the tail end of the dinner and 33 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 2: right up against my next appointment. 34 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:30,759 Speaker 1: I love this for you, Simon. 35 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 3: In the city is real and I actually got to 36 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 3: sit with your two friends for another hour and a half. 37 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: I was out till ten thirty. 38 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 2: I knew you would be fine. That's why I had 39 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 2: no problem leaving you. I just I let you fly now. 40 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 4: I knew you would be flying fun. It was great. 41 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 4: The city makes me feel so alive. 42 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 2: I don't know about you, but the energy in this city, 43 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 2: the electricity, just the amount of people. 44 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 4: I just I love New York City so much. 45 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: I do too. I'm going to see the Neil Diamond musical. Well, 46 00:01:58,440 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: it's so fun. 47 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 3: I haven't been to a Broadway show in a few years, 48 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 3: so I'm really itching for that. I'm going to see 49 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 3: a bunch of girlfriends, and I'm going to eat a 50 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 3: lot of different cuisine. 51 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 2: Speaking of girlfriends, an iconic Y two K duo is 52 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 2: reuniting for a new reality series. Paras Hilton and Nicole 53 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 2: Ritchie may or may not be bringing back The Simple 54 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 2: Life seventeen years after it ended. 55 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 1: I feel very strongly about this. 56 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 2: So you all remember The Simple Life, right? I mean, 57 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:32,639 Speaker 2: it was a show where Nicole and Paris tried on 58 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:37,639 Speaker 2: different jobs in the country, and it was also problematic 59 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 2: disastrous results. 60 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 4: Why was it problematic in your eyes? 61 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:45,239 Speaker 3: They went to Walmart and were like, ew, it's gross here, 62 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:48,519 Speaker 3: and then they went to Middle America and we're like, ew, 63 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:52,360 Speaker 3: it's grows here. Like, first of all, I'm from Middle America. 64 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:54,800 Speaker 3: Second of all, I do not think it's cute to 65 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 3: pretend to be dumb. They were like spearheading that whole 66 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:03,959 Speaker 3: era of really smart, entrepreneurial, strategic women pretending to be dumb. 67 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 2: Well, honestly, I feel really dumb for what I'm about 68 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:08,919 Speaker 2: to say, because I thought the show was very entertaining, 69 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 2: and my friends and I all watched it and I 70 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:13,359 Speaker 2: had the DVD, and I don't know what to say. 71 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 1: No, I mean, it was really entertaining. 72 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 4: I get it. 73 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 3: But it's interesting to me because Paris has had to 74 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 3: make such a shift because our culture has shifted, and 75 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 3: so she'll go on TV shows. In the past her 76 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:28,480 Speaker 3: lower third like how they introduce her was heiress and 77 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:31,680 Speaker 3: now it's author. And I think that's so indicative of 78 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 3: the shift that we've made in culture because people, specifically 79 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 3: women are no longer accepting any of that behavior, like 80 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 3: we want more from people, and so even she has 81 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 3: had to rise to the occasion. 82 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 2: I mean, she was they were playing a character, though 83 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 2: they were playing characters, and in the same way that 84 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 2: housewives are playing characters on these reality shows. 85 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 4: There's no reality in it. 86 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 1: There's a little bit of reality. You can't totally go 87 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 1: outside of yourself. 88 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 3: You think that, like all those Housewives characters are fully 89 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 3: playing a character. 90 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 2: I mean, maybe there's a kernel of truth in there, 91 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 2: but it's highly produced and so I think that Paris 92 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 2: and Nicole just monetize that side of their personality, like 93 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 2: they enhanced it, they heightened it for the cameras and 94 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 2: they turned it into a character. 95 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 3: If they bring it back, I hope that they do 96 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 3: it really differently and meet culture where it's at now. 97 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:26,600 Speaker 4: I think they will listen, we're all more evolved. 98 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 2: The simple life was a snapshot in time when culture 99 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:33,839 Speaker 2: was very different. I think these two women have grown, 100 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:36,719 Speaker 2: and I think there's a good chance that this new 101 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 2: show will represent that, I don't know. 102 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 1: The Complicated Life. 103 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:43,279 Speaker 3: That's what it will be rebooted as The Complex Life. 104 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:47,679 Speaker 1: Yeah. 105 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:51,599 Speaker 2: All right, after the break, Elaine Welterroth is here to 106 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 2: talk about pivots, motherhood and how we can all join 107 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 2: the fight to improve maternal health. 108 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:09,280 Speaker 3: We have a woman here pushing the culture ball forward. 109 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 3: Elaine Welterroth is a best selling author, a journalist, and 110 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 3: a TV. 111 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 2: Host, And today Elene is here to talk about something 112 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:17,120 Speaker 2: totally new with us. 113 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:17,280 Speaker 4: So. 114 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 2: She recently launched the Birth Fund, a coalition that supports 115 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 2: mothers who want to use midwives during their pregnancy and childbirth, 116 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 2: and she's here to tell us all about it and 117 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 2: how it works. Welcome to the bright Side, Elaine. 118 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 4: Thank you ladies for having me. How are you? 119 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 3: We are so good. We're really happy to have you here. 120 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 3: You are sunshine. Oh, I could say the same thing 121 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 3: about you guys. Thank you, thank you, thank you. 122 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 4: Elene. 123 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 2: I can't wait to dig into mom's stuff with you, 124 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:47,479 Speaker 2: because I feel so much overlap with the journey that 125 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:50,640 Speaker 2: I've gone on as a mother, and from what I 126 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 2: know about your journey as a mom. So let's start 127 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 2: with your pregnancy journey and how your experience as a 128 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:00,640 Speaker 2: pregnant woman as a mother led you to the creation 129 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:01,480 Speaker 2: of this fund. 130 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 5: I will say I always imagined i'd be a mom 131 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 5: one day. I have a great relationship with my mom. 132 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:11,160 Speaker 5: I love babies, but I am a career woman and 133 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 5: I was not planning on getting pregnant when I got pregnant, 134 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 5: and so it was a big surprise, and there was 135 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 5: a lot to learn really quickly, and I had just 136 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,279 Speaker 5: moved to LA in the pandemic, didn't have a doctor, 137 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 5: had to, you know, go out there and find an 138 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:27,040 Speaker 5: obg yn. 139 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 4: But I thought, how hard could it be? And ultimately. 140 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 5: That process of finding a doctor who much a doctor 141 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 5: that I felt comfortable with, who I felt listened to me, 142 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 5: who I felt really was invested and cared, and even 143 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 5: just someone that made me feel respected, was so much 144 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 5: harder than I thought. You know, I have referrals from 145 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:49,719 Speaker 5: really great people. It was very clear to me going 146 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 5: through this journey of dating doctors and experiencing the brokenness 147 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 5: of this maternal health care system, exactly how women, even 148 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 5: women like me, fall through the cracks, and it was 149 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:05,479 Speaker 5: one of the most vulnerable experiences of my life. It 150 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 5: was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. 151 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 5: I had, you know, bad experience after bad experience. 152 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 3: Elaine, I know you've worked in journalism and in women's 153 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 3: spaces for years. How aware were you of the problems 154 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 3: with maternal health care in the US before you became 155 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 3: pregnant yourself. 156 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 5: You know, as a journalist, I was aware of the 157 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 5: maternal health crisis in a peripheral sense, like I think 158 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:31,000 Speaker 5: a lot of us are. We hear these scary stats, 159 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:33,640 Speaker 5: but somehow I think we live under this misconception that 160 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 5: it doesn't those stats don't apply to us. 161 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 4: The more I was experiencing this. 162 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 5: The more I recognize that this is this is reflective 163 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 5: of a system that's much more broken than I had realized. 164 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 5: And I kind of put my journalistic hat on and 165 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 5: I dug in. I started understanding that you know, yes, 166 00:07:52,760 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 5: black women are dying at three or four times the 167 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:58,800 Speaker 5: rate of white women during and after childbirth, but fifty 168 00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 5: percent of American mothers label their births as traumatic, and 169 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 5: in the richest country in the world, that's not normal. 170 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 4: It shouldn't be that way. 171 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 5: And then as I dug deeper, I learned that eighty 172 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 5: percent of these maternal deaths are preventable. I learned that 173 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 5: in other high income countries, there is a default birth 174 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:26,440 Speaker 5: model called midwif free that is contributing to much better 175 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 5: birth outcomes. And yet in most places in this country, 176 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:32,679 Speaker 5: mid with free care isn't covered by insurance, and it 177 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 5: isn't accessible, and there are so many birth care deserts 178 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:38,199 Speaker 5: in this country. So it made me start to go 179 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:42,240 Speaker 5: down this path of like, if we know these maternal 180 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 5: deaths are preventable, and if we know that there are 181 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:50,079 Speaker 5: solutions like midw free care, why are we not rallying 182 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:53,520 Speaker 5: resources to make midw free more accessible? Why are we 183 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:56,680 Speaker 5: not talking about this issue more? You know, to me, 184 00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 5: there's nothing more important than keeping mothers alive, especially in 185 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:05,079 Speaker 5: a country at a time when we are forcing more 186 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 5: women into motherhood before they're ready and therefore into a 187 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 5: broken maternal healthcare system. We know it's going to result 188 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:17,400 Speaker 5: in a surge of maternal mortality. And as a storyteller, 189 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 5: as somebody with a platform, as somebody with a great 190 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:23,760 Speaker 5: network of mothers who are kick ass, bad ass, like 191 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 5: get it done, make it happen type of women. I'm like, 192 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 5: if we were focused on fixing this problem, we could 193 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:31,080 Speaker 5: move the needle in our lifetime. 194 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:32,280 Speaker 4: So let's get to work. 195 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 5: And really that's kind of the sort of fix it 196 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:37,840 Speaker 5: spirit that gave birth to Birth Fund. 197 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:40,920 Speaker 2: Okay, so you officially launched the Birth Fund last month 198 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 2: and you count Serena Williams, Chrissy Teagan, Kelly Roland, Ashley 199 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:47,720 Speaker 2: Graham among your founding funders. It's a coalition that supports 200 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:50,319 Speaker 2: American families who can't afford the out of pocket costs 201 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 2: of Midwiffrey tell us more about how it works. 202 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 5: We pair midwives with families who are seeking out that 203 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:00,040 Speaker 5: support but can't afford it. And so we are leaning 204 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:03,560 Speaker 5: into the midwives in our network who know their communities 205 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 5: and their needs better than we do. And we basically 206 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:08,319 Speaker 5: put out a call to them and said, you know, here, 207 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:10,320 Speaker 5: here's what we are offering. 208 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:11,559 Speaker 4: Can you find. 209 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 5: People in your community who want access to your care? 210 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 5: And a number of them were on these sort of 211 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:19,959 Speaker 5: financial wait lists, like they just they couldn't afford it, 212 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 5: but they were already approved for the care. And so 213 00:10:23,559 --> 00:10:26,720 Speaker 5: those women were nominated by their midwives in the community 214 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:31,080 Speaker 5: and they applied through our intake form. And we are 215 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 5: working with an incredible organization called the Victoria Project, which 216 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 5: has been doing work like this for the last four 217 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:41,360 Speaker 5: years since twenty twenty, focused on southern California only, and 218 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 5: they've been giving out grants to women to help support 219 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:48,400 Speaker 5: their birth choices and cover those flaws. And I was 220 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 5: so inspired by that organization that I asked them if 221 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:53,439 Speaker 5: they wanted to work together. So we're taking kind of 222 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:56,760 Speaker 5: their mission and taking it nationwide. So I call out 223 00:10:56,800 --> 00:10:59,080 Speaker 5: these organizations because we could not do the work that 224 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:02,079 Speaker 5: we do every day with us out them, and Birth 225 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:04,199 Speaker 5: Fund is a coalition. 226 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:06,760 Speaker 4: We are not here to solve this crisis on our own. 227 00:11:06,760 --> 00:11:09,040 Speaker 5: We know that we can't, but we are here to 228 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 5: bring together the most effective organizations that have been doing 229 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 5: this work for years in the shadows. We're here to 230 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:18,320 Speaker 5: bring them into the light and really really lift up 231 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 5: the families and the birthing people and the birth workers 232 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:24,120 Speaker 5: who are doing God's work every single day and frankly 233 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:28,079 Speaker 5: not in a sustainable way. And it's the most rewarding 234 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:29,760 Speaker 5: work of my career to date. 235 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:33,280 Speaker 1: How much does it cost to have a midwife. 236 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:36,599 Speaker 5: That is a great question, and it really depends on 237 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:40,400 Speaker 5: where you live. But the price can range from anywhere 238 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 5: between four thousand dollars to over ten thousand dollars and 239 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 5: it's an out of pocket cost for most people. 240 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:49,439 Speaker 4: There's different types of midwives. 241 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:52,440 Speaker 5: There's midwives that work in the hospital and then there's 242 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 5: midwives who work outside of the hospital system. We're supporting 243 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:59,160 Speaker 5: the midwives who work outside of the hospital system because 244 00:11:59,559 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 5: those are the ones who are often not covered by 245 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:04,920 Speaker 5: insurance and those ones who are able to practice mid 246 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 5: with frecare, by the way, which is a holistic form 247 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:15,080 Speaker 5: of maternal healthcare that addresses your mind, body's spirit. They 248 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 5: spend an hour with you versus the fifteen minutes that 249 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 5: you'll get in the hospital. They come to you, and 250 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:24,400 Speaker 5: when a midwife is working outside of the hospital, they 251 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:27,960 Speaker 5: are in charge of that process and they can make 252 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:32,000 Speaker 5: sure that you're getting the kind of holistic care that 253 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:34,800 Speaker 5: really is patient centric. That is what midw free is 254 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:37,920 Speaker 5: all about. Midw free that is in the hospital. You know, 255 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:40,240 Speaker 5: it's part of a medical system, right, so it can 256 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:43,520 Speaker 5: look a little bit different, and so we are committed 257 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:47,120 Speaker 5: to covering the cost of care for families in need 258 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:51,679 Speaker 5: who are seeking mid with freecare as a means of 259 00:12:51,760 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 5: saving themselves. They are seeking out this care outside of 260 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:58,080 Speaker 5: the hospital because it's what makes them feel safer, because 261 00:12:58,200 --> 00:12:59,960 Speaker 5: it is proving to have a better outcome. 262 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:02,880 Speaker 1: I think this is such a systemic issue. 263 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:06,600 Speaker 3: I remember reading one or two of the pieces that 264 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:10,800 Speaker 3: you wrote in twenty twenty and twenty twenty one on 265 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:14,640 Speaker 3: this topic. I know you've been thinking about it for 266 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 3: years and thinking what can I do to make this better? 267 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: One? Why is midwiffery the answer? And also I'm so 268 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:24,720 Speaker 1: curious as. 269 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 3: To what people, individuals, communities that are interesting and helping 270 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 3: can really do too. 271 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:31,880 Speaker 4: Yeah. 272 00:13:31,920 --> 00:13:35,480 Speaker 5: Well, what I'll say is, Danielle, You're no different than 273 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:38,680 Speaker 5: I was before I had a baby. I had never 274 00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:43,360 Speaker 5: heard of midwiffery before having this child has expanded my 275 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:48,480 Speaker 5: purview on what's important in my work in ways I 276 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 5: could have never anticipated. 277 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:51,640 Speaker 4: I didn't know what a midwife was. 278 00:13:51,679 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 5: Like most women in this country, It's not our default 279 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:57,360 Speaker 5: model of care, right and if we do, if we 280 00:13:57,440 --> 00:13:59,720 Speaker 5: have heard of it, we sort of associate it with 281 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:02,960 Speaker 5: like maybe a witch doctor or you know, we think 282 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,720 Speaker 5: of them as like some unskilled, unsafe or less, lesser 283 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:11,200 Speaker 5: safe option to a medical doctor. Right, Like, there's a 284 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:14,880 Speaker 5: lot of misconceptions about midwiffree in this country, which is 285 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:19,120 Speaker 5: part of why we want to reintroduce midwiffree and reframe 286 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:21,880 Speaker 5: it and redefine it for a new generation of parents. 287 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 4: You know, we're not. 288 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:26,880 Speaker 5: Here to push midwiffree and out of hospital births on 289 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:30,600 Speaker 5: families across this country. What we're trying to do is 290 00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:34,600 Speaker 5: illuminate the choice, you know, when we are in a 291 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 5: maternal health crisis. So if you are a family that 292 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 5: is not getting the care that you need, you should 293 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:47,120 Speaker 5: be armed with a sense of agency about what other 294 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 5: choices you have. And we are lifting up this alternative 295 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:56,320 Speaker 5: choice that has saved lives, that is helping women not 296 00:14:56,440 --> 00:15:00,600 Speaker 5: just survive birth, but helping them thrive through birth. I 297 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:09,000 Speaker 5: personally divested and pivoted to midw Freecare because I struck 298 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:11,760 Speaker 5: out I was not getting the kind of care and 299 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:15,280 Speaker 5: support and attention that I needed, and I found it 300 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 5: in midw free Care. I didn't even know this model 301 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 5: of care was accessible, was available, was a thing like 302 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:23,680 Speaker 5: so many women, And I think that's why we end 303 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:29,000 Speaker 5: up staying in situations and dynamics with doctors that are 304 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:34,240 Speaker 5: frankly belittling, that are intimidating, that forced us to give 305 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 5: up our power, that put us in dangerous situations sometimes. 306 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 5: And it's not to say that I'm anti doctor. Nobody 307 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:44,920 Speaker 5: involved with Birth Fund is anti doctor like I. You know, 308 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:47,040 Speaker 5: I intended to give birth with a doctor. I just 309 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:51,280 Speaker 5: unfortunately couldn't find one. So I felt so empowered by 310 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:55,240 Speaker 5: this decision that I could make for myself for my baby. 311 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 4: That put me back. 312 00:15:57,240 --> 00:16:00,560 Speaker 5: In a feeling of being empowered over my body and 313 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:02,200 Speaker 5: over what we were going to do to bring this 314 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:05,160 Speaker 5: child into the world. And I had the most beautiful 315 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 5: birth experience beyond what I could have imagined. 316 00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:12,320 Speaker 3: I have heard from friends that midwives are more open 317 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 3: to different birthing positions that can help moms get the 318 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:18,480 Speaker 3: baby out. With a midwife, did you give birth on 319 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:20,520 Speaker 3: your back like we're used to seeing in the traditional 320 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:23,280 Speaker 3: hospital setting or did you give birth vertically? 321 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:24,200 Speaker 1: Were you standing up? 322 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:28,520 Speaker 5: This is a very kind of basic, simple visual that 323 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:32,320 Speaker 5: opened my eyes and my mind to giving birth with 324 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:36,120 Speaker 5: a midwife when I was very skeptical, like I was 325 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 5: very close minded at first, I thought that, you know, 326 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:40,800 Speaker 5: just to be safe, I'm going to give birth in 327 00:16:40,840 --> 00:16:44,000 Speaker 5: the hospital with a doctor. But when I one of 328 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 5: my best friends had a home birth. Two of my 329 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:48,760 Speaker 5: best friends actually had a home birth. And one of 330 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:51,920 Speaker 5: my best friends said to me, Elaine, let's just put 331 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:54,920 Speaker 5: it like this, if you were trying to push a 332 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 5: bawling ball out of your body, would you rather be 333 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:04,399 Speaker 5: laying on your back pushing against gravity or would you 334 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:08,280 Speaker 5: rather be upright in a squad pushing it down? 335 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:09,640 Speaker 4: I said, well, when. 336 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:12,080 Speaker 5: You put like that, I mean, there's literally no question 337 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:14,600 Speaker 5: I would rather be upright working with gravity to get 338 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:16,400 Speaker 5: that thing out of me as fast as possible. 339 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:18,520 Speaker 4: And when it's. 340 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:22,920 Speaker 5: Those kinds of little aha moments, those little revelations where 341 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:25,639 Speaker 5: you start to think, wait a minute, why have I 342 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:29,160 Speaker 5: been conditioned to think that giving birth in this one 343 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:33,399 Speaker 5: way is the only big way, is the superior way. 344 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:38,280 Speaker 5: So once you start to understand and unravel like everything 345 00:17:38,359 --> 00:17:40,960 Speaker 5: that we've been taught is normal about birth, and start 346 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:44,040 Speaker 5: to realize there's holes in this there's holes in these theories, 347 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:49,080 Speaker 5: and they're not necessarily advantageous or favoring the mother or 348 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 5: the child. And so for me, that was the beginning 349 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:56,720 Speaker 5: of a revelation. You know, I really never thought that 350 00:17:56,760 --> 00:17:59,919 Speaker 5: deeply about birth for birth fun, we are lifting up 351 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 5: mid with fred as one solution. 352 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:07,760 Speaker 4: There are many solutions. This is a complex issue. 353 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:09,920 Speaker 5: But we will not get anywhere if we don't start somewhere, 354 00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:12,200 Speaker 5: and so we are starting with middle break care. 355 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:14,320 Speaker 2: We have to take a quick break, but when we 356 00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:16,960 Speaker 2: come back, we're getting into the joys of motherhood. 357 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:26,920 Speaker 4: Stay with us. We're back with Elaine Welterroth. 358 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 2: Y'all, I really appreciate that you're presenting this as one 359 00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:36,159 Speaker 2: solution to a really multifaceted issue, because I don't know 360 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:38,600 Speaker 2: about you. When I saw what Serena Williams went through 361 00:18:38,600 --> 00:18:40,880 Speaker 2: with her birth, that was a huge wake up call 362 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:43,360 Speaker 2: for me. And I got pregnant shortly after that, and 363 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 2: that her experience where she was almost she almost died 364 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:52,439 Speaker 2: giving birth to her daughter blood clot right, yeah, yeah, yeah, 365 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 2: And so that really opened my eyes and made me 366 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:57,840 Speaker 2: be more intentional about the care that I sought and 367 00:18:57,880 --> 00:18:59,120 Speaker 2: the doctors that I sought out. 368 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 4: So I actually did have a hospital birth. 369 00:19:01,359 --> 00:19:05,560 Speaker 2: I had two hospital births, and I loved it. I 370 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:08,840 Speaker 2: had an amazing experience. I felt so safe and so 371 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:12,239 Speaker 2: cared for. But it was because I sought out a 372 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:17,639 Speaker 2: black doctor. I found a black female doctor, and I 373 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:20,760 Speaker 2: knew that I wanted to have someone who saw me 374 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 2: and understood the black maternal health crisis and understood my fears. 375 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 2: So I also want to shout out all the incredible 376 00:19:31,119 --> 00:19:36,119 Speaker 2: black obgi ns out there who are working tirelessly to 377 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:39,240 Speaker 2: make sure that these outcomes improve in hospitals. 378 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 5: I'm so glad that you had that experience. I am 379 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:47,320 Speaker 5: so glad that there are incredible obgyans out there who 380 00:19:47,359 --> 00:19:52,320 Speaker 5: have a heart for caring for mothers and who understand 381 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 5: the fears that we're walking in with, especially black moms. 382 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:56,920 Speaker 4: So I think it's important to lift up. 383 00:19:56,880 --> 00:20:01,880 Speaker 5: Those positive, joyful birth experiences inside the hospital and outside 384 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:04,320 Speaker 5: the hospital. But I think what this work is about, 385 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 5: it's about hope, it's about joy. It's about lifting up 386 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:11,200 Speaker 5: positive birth experiences so that we know going into birth 387 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:13,879 Speaker 5: what even to dream for, like what to wish for? 388 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:16,120 Speaker 4: You know, what is the vision to have in our mind. 389 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:19,040 Speaker 5: We don't want the visions that we've been we've inherited 390 00:20:19,119 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 5: from media and you know. 391 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:23,800 Speaker 4: Hollywood, which depicts birth as like this. 392 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:28,960 Speaker 2: Wild emergency, the water breaks, the panic ensues, like it's 393 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:33,240 Speaker 2: just for alarm fire like it's just crazy. I'm so 394 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:35,600 Speaker 2: aligned with you on that, Elaine, Like, I think that 395 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 2: we really do need to highlight these incredibly positive, joyful 396 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:43,359 Speaker 2: birth stories because motherhood is so joyful and I'm always 397 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:47,520 Speaker 2: reticent to paint a picture of motherhood that is overly 398 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:51,720 Speaker 2: dark or like negative, because I want people to know 399 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:54,280 Speaker 2: how amazing it is to bring another human being into 400 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:54,760 Speaker 2: this world. 401 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:58,679 Speaker 5: I find motherhood to be the most fun thing I've 402 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:02,800 Speaker 5: ever done. Yes, Wow, it is so much fun. And 403 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:05,440 Speaker 5: I wish people talked more about how fun it is. Yes, 404 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:08,479 Speaker 5: me too, just hear about like how hard it is. 405 00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:13,120 Speaker 5: I'm like, I've actually found more balance through motherhood than 406 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:16,359 Speaker 5: I ever had in my life, like work. Life balance 407 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:18,399 Speaker 5: came after having a baby, because now I have a 408 00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:22,760 Speaker 5: physical reminder of what's more important, like you, and it 409 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:25,679 Speaker 5: forces me to stop and to pay attention to not 410 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:28,080 Speaker 5: just what he needs, but what I need. I never 411 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 5: even engaged with real self care until I became pregnant 412 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:33,560 Speaker 5: because I was like, oh, I need to be good 413 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:37,240 Speaker 5: for someone else. There is so much to say about 414 00:21:37,359 --> 00:21:42,040 Speaker 5: motherhood that is absolutely amazing. And that's why when I 415 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:43,920 Speaker 5: learned about this, I was like, wait a minute, why 416 00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:46,720 Speaker 5: aren't we only talking about this through this like grim 417 00:21:46,960 --> 00:21:50,680 Speaker 5: lens of scary statistics and sad stories. Guys, I had 418 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:56,080 Speaker 5: the most empowered, joyful, meditative birth experience, and I want 419 00:21:56,119 --> 00:22:01,200 Speaker 5: thought for more women who wanted right and women who don't, 420 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:03,360 Speaker 5: who want the epidural, who want the hospital birth? 421 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:03,640 Speaker 3: Girl? 422 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:07,720 Speaker 4: Boom, do you that was me? I was like, give 423 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:08,600 Speaker 4: me all the drugs. 424 00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:11,240 Speaker 5: Bo Like I was that girl too, by the way, 425 00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 5: Like I got turned out by my midwife. Okay, I 426 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:17,560 Speaker 5: didn't decide to have a home birth until thirty six weeks, which, 427 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:19,919 Speaker 5: as you know, is at the very eleventh hour. I 428 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:23,040 Speaker 5: was like, I literally was like, I love you, midwife. 429 00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:26,800 Speaker 5: Shout out to Kimberly Jrden and Allegra Hill. They are 430 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:29,679 Speaker 5: two incredible black midwives who are the co founders of 431 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 5: Kindred Space, LA, the only black owned birthing center in 432 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:34,120 Speaker 5: all of southern California. 433 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:35,200 Speaker 4: I want to shout them out. 434 00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:37,560 Speaker 5: But they took such good care of me, you guys 435 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:40,440 Speaker 5: that I was like, you know, I really love. 436 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:41,399 Speaker 4: This care that you're giving me. 437 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:44,080 Speaker 5: But is there just any way that you could just 438 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 5: like sneak some epidural just a little drop? 439 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:49,960 Speaker 4: Yeah? Can you just can we just if you could. 440 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:52,199 Speaker 5: Tell me that you could give me some epidural, I 441 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 5: will sign up today. And they're like, you know, that's 442 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:57,399 Speaker 5: the kind of the whole thing with natural birth and 443 00:22:57,520 --> 00:22:59,879 Speaker 5: home birth is like you won't have access to it, 444 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:00,719 Speaker 5: you know. 445 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:02,520 Speaker 4: Like that was the hardest thing for me to swallow 446 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:03,800 Speaker 4: because I was that girly. 447 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:06,960 Speaker 5: I was like, I'm looking for the epidural, you know, 448 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:09,960 Speaker 5: but I just didn't want everything that came with the epidural. 449 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:12,520 Speaker 4: I didn't want like the hospital's rules. 450 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:14,080 Speaker 5: And I didn't want to have to be upright if 451 00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:16,080 Speaker 5: I didn't want to be it. I didn't want needles 452 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:18,400 Speaker 5: in my arm when I'm trying to be as zen 453 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:20,920 Speaker 5: as possible for my body to expand and push out 454 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:22,480 Speaker 5: this bowling ball of a baby. 455 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:26,440 Speaker 2: And so on that note, let's focus on the solutions here. 456 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:28,960 Speaker 2: Walk us through how the fund works. How do you 457 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:32,480 Speaker 2: connect with the women who need the services, how do 458 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:34,920 Speaker 2: you find them, and then what do you provide for them? 459 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:40,320 Speaker 5: So Birth Fund is really singularly committed to covering the 460 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:43,119 Speaker 5: cost of midwi free care for all the families in 461 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:46,760 Speaker 5: our network. And I'll tell you, like the best part 462 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:49,600 Speaker 5: of the phone calls of meeting our families. Is this 463 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:52,359 Speaker 5: part like where we go, but wait, there's more, and 464 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:56,120 Speaker 5: we get to tell them what else comes with participating 465 00:23:56,119 --> 00:23:59,920 Speaker 5: in birth funds. So Sofar is coming in and investing actual, 466 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:02,240 Speaker 5: real dollars. 467 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:02,640 Speaker 4: In these families. 468 00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:05,840 Speaker 5: Each of our families are getting ten thousand dollars as 469 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:09,600 Speaker 5: a gift from so By to open up what's called 470 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:12,760 Speaker 5: a newborn vault, and they're being paired with a financial 471 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:14,960 Speaker 5: advisor who's going to sit down with them and help 472 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:18,760 Speaker 5: them pan out their famili's financial future. And one other 473 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:22,400 Speaker 5: resource I'll share is we've partnered with the Postpartums Support 474 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:27,800 Speaker 5: International organization, which is incredible. They offer mental and emotional 475 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:30,160 Speaker 5: support to families in the postpartum stage. 476 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:32,560 Speaker 4: So you have access to. 477 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:36,520 Speaker 5: A peer to peer network of moms who have recovered 478 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:42,680 Speaker 5: from really serious a range of mood disorders, which can 479 00:24:42,800 --> 00:24:46,959 Speaker 5: affect a lot of families in that postpartum stage, especially 480 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:48,760 Speaker 5: when you don't have the support that you need. We're 481 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 5: creating this kind of a wrap around care program for 482 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:55,240 Speaker 5: our families that we really hope will become a model 483 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:59,120 Speaker 5: for the government and for other private companies to say, 484 00:24:59,160 --> 00:25:00,879 Speaker 5: you know what we can do that we can do 485 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:04,800 Speaker 5: better for families who are bringing new life into this world. 486 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:06,560 Speaker 4: So this is just the beginning. 487 00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:09,160 Speaker 5: We're in our first cohort, but there's so much more 488 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:11,239 Speaker 5: work to do, but we're really we feel really good 489 00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:13,920 Speaker 5: about how about how strong was starting. 490 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:16,399 Speaker 2: I know the Birth Fund is just starting out, but 491 00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:18,360 Speaker 2: tell us about the women you've helped so far. 492 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:19,440 Speaker 4: Do you have any updates? 493 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:22,560 Speaker 5: We had our first birth. Don't make me cry, you guys. 494 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 5: We've had a lot of happy tears in the last 495 00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:27,360 Speaker 5: week in December. I had this idea for Birth Fund, 496 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:30,280 Speaker 5: but I sort of started in baby steps and I 497 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:33,159 Speaker 5: started with no pun intended. I started just like an 498 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:36,720 Speaker 5: ig fundraiser. On my birthday, I felt so indebted to 499 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:39,800 Speaker 5: my midwives that I was just like, for my birthday, 500 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 5: all I want to do is pay it forward and 501 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:44,639 Speaker 5: cover the class of care for another family in my community. 502 00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:48,080 Speaker 5: To have access is kind of transformative mid with free 503 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:50,720 Speaker 5: care that I had. And so I put it out 504 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:53,159 Speaker 5: there on Instagram and a fundraiser, and I was like, 505 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:55,800 Speaker 5: if anybody wants to join me, here's the link. I 506 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,480 Speaker 5: went off and enjoyed my birthday, and then I came 507 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:02,119 Speaker 5: back and found out that we had exceeded our goal. 508 00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:07,080 Speaker 5: And raised enough money in under sixteen hours to cover 509 00:26:07,119 --> 00:26:09,080 Speaker 5: the cost of care for not one family, but two. 510 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:13,080 Speaker 5: And that just was the proof of concept and the 511 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:16,080 Speaker 5: affirmation that I needed. That was sort of the genesis 512 00:26:16,119 --> 00:26:19,159 Speaker 5: of Birth Fund. So one of those moms gave birth 513 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:23,080 Speaker 5: last week and it's just like the most gratifying work 514 00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:26,080 Speaker 5: I've ever done in my life. And by the end 515 00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:28,160 Speaker 5: of the year, we'll have a number of babies birth 516 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:29,480 Speaker 5: through the Birth Fund. 517 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:34,160 Speaker 3: For any woman who is pregnant, thinking about getting pregnant, 518 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:37,760 Speaker 3: visualizing a family in the future, what do you want 519 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:40,720 Speaker 3: to say to her? 520 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:44,080 Speaker 5: Oh my gosh, this question makes me emotional. But what 521 00:26:44,119 --> 00:26:49,119 Speaker 5: I would say is trust your body. Trust your body, Mama. 522 00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:52,920 Speaker 5: You were built to do this. And when I say 523 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:55,960 Speaker 5: trust your body, I also mean trust when it doesn't 524 00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:56,440 Speaker 5: feel right. 525 00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:01,600 Speaker 4: Your body is your protector. Your body is full. 526 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:06,240 Speaker 5: Of wisdom, and so you deserve the care that feels good, 527 00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:08,159 Speaker 5: the kind of care that feels good, and if it 528 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:13,200 Speaker 5: doesn't feel good, it's not care. And so keep fighting 529 00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 5: for the best for yourself and for your baby, because 530 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:20,160 Speaker 5: you deserve it, and it's available to you, and there's 531 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:22,520 Speaker 5: also resources available to you to help you get that. 532 00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:27,520 Speaker 2: Carry user knowledge is power. Learn it all to your research, 533 00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:30,320 Speaker 2: ask your questions. I think, know all the choices, know 534 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:31,240 Speaker 2: all the Yeah, it's. 535 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:33,320 Speaker 3: Nice to hear what your choices are and then make 536 00:27:33,359 --> 00:27:36,160 Speaker 3: the right one for you. Yeah, exactly, And you're getting 537 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:38,679 Speaker 3: the conversation started, which I think is one of the 538 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:40,320 Speaker 3: most important parts of this. 539 00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:43,520 Speaker 4: Thank you so much, Elaine. Thank you for having this 540 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:44,399 Speaker 4: conversation with me. 541 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:46,760 Speaker 5: I can't tell you like we should be talking about 542 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:48,919 Speaker 5: this more so, thank you for taking on this topic, 543 00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:52,240 Speaker 5: and and thank you for sharing your story too. I 544 00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:55,560 Speaker 5: think it's so important to hear like really positive, joyful 545 00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:58,560 Speaker 5: hospital bird stories, just as much as it's important to hear, 546 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:03,000 Speaker 5: you know, joyful births that are happening outside Plastica as well. 547 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:05,160 Speaker 1: Yes, thanks Elaine, Thanks. 548 00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:05,800 Speaker 4: Thanks ladies. 549 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:11,879 Speaker 3: Elaine Walterroth is the founder of the Birth Fund, a 550 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:14,560 Speaker 3: best selling author, a journalist, and a mom. 551 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:17,360 Speaker 2: For more information on the Birth Fund, you can check 552 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:22,320 Speaker 2: out birthfund dot com. 553 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:27,080 Speaker 3: You know, so many of our conversations revolve around feminism 554 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:30,199 Speaker 3: and the women's movement, and one of the things that 555 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:32,639 Speaker 3: I always take away is that so much of feminism 556 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:36,359 Speaker 3: is just about choice, and so I appreciate that Elaine 557 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:40,280 Speaker 3: is bringing a conversation to the table about choice in 558 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:45,640 Speaker 3: delivery and pregnancy. People don't really talk about midwiffery all 559 00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:48,240 Speaker 3: that much. I hear about it in LA a little bit, 560 00:28:48,320 --> 00:28:51,800 Speaker 3: but you know, it's sort of even though she said 561 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:55,560 Speaker 3: it's a it's an old practice, it's sort of new 562 00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:57,720 Speaker 3: age in our culture right now, and I like that 563 00:28:57,760 --> 00:28:59,040 Speaker 3: she's bringing it to the forefront. 564 00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:03,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, learned a lot during that interview. I didn't quite 565 00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:08,480 Speaker 2: think about the fact that midwiffery gave way to this 566 00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:12,960 Speaker 2: whole industry of childbirth, and I think that's just something 567 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:15,920 Speaker 2: that's really important to consider when you're thinking about having 568 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:21,960 Speaker 2: a family. And I definitely factored in the industrialized element 569 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:26,160 Speaker 2: of medicine and hospitals whenever I was planning my birth. 570 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:30,320 Speaker 2: And again, we just keep coming back to this idea 571 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:34,360 Speaker 2: of knowledge is empowerment, and the more that you know 572 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:37,200 Speaker 2: about the situation that you're stepping into, the more that 573 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:39,400 Speaker 2: you know about your options and your choices, like you 574 00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:43,960 Speaker 2: just said, that's when we can really feel empowered to 575 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:45,160 Speaker 2: make the best decisions. 576 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:49,000 Speaker 3: I also loved when you talked about the joy of motherhood, 577 00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:52,040 Speaker 3: because I really do hear people talk about how hard 578 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:55,440 Speaker 3: it is and I'm sure that's incredibly true. Yeah, but 579 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 3: you had two birds. You love giving birth. 580 00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:03,240 Speaker 2: I love giving I know that's controversial, but I absolutely 581 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:05,520 Speaker 2: love it. I would be a surrogate if I didn't 582 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 2: hate being pregnant so much. But I think it's I 583 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:12,520 Speaker 2: think it's so important to talk about positive birth stories. 584 00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 2: We can't go around just only talking about the negative, 585 00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:18,960 Speaker 2: really scary stories. Like we know that those exist, but 586 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:22,680 Speaker 2: like we have to be mindful of showing the other 587 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:26,680 Speaker 2: side and that you can have this really peaceful, yet 588 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:32,640 Speaker 2: challenging but incredibly spiritual and transcendent and transformative birth. And 589 00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:35,720 Speaker 2: that's what I experienced, all thanks to having an incredible 590 00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:38,720 Speaker 2: doctor who really saw me and listened to me and 591 00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:40,000 Speaker 2: my fears and my concerns. 592 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:48,000 Speaker 4: Well, that's it for today's show, y'all. 593 00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:51,960 Speaker 2: Tomorrow, we're talking with actor Melissa Joan Hart. Do we 594 00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:55,120 Speaker 2: even need to elaborate on her credits? I mean, she 595 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:58,840 Speaker 2: needs no introduction, but Clarisa explains it all. Sabrina drive 596 00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:02,840 Speaker 2: me crazy. I mean, we have major MJH nostalgia And 597 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:05,360 Speaker 2: she's going to join us to reflect on her illustrious 598 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:08,240 Speaker 2: career and her recent move into stand up comedy and directing. 599 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:12,360 Speaker 3: We cannot wait for that. She's such a huge part 600 00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:13,080 Speaker 3: of our childhood. 601 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:13,920 Speaker 4: She really is. 602 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:15,320 Speaker 1: Okay, well, don't miss it. 603 00:31:15,400 --> 00:31:17,920 Speaker 3: Meet us back here tomorrow, and thank you all so 604 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:23,680 Speaker 3: much for listening and hanging out with us. Listen and 605 00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:26,960 Speaker 3: follow the bright Side on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 606 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:28,760 Speaker 3: or wherever you get your podcasts. 607 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:31,520 Speaker 2: I'm Simone Boyce. You can find me at Simone Voice 608 00:31:31,640 --> 00:31:33,000 Speaker 2: on Instagram and TikTok. 609 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:35,680 Speaker 3: I'm Danielle Robe on Instagram and TikTok. 610 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:46,800 Speaker 1: That's ro Ba y. Stay on the bright Side.