“Birth is universal”: why learning from other cultures is an essential part of the maternal health revolution

What do Western countries have to learn about birth from cultures that experience devastatingly high rates of infant mortality?

Content warning: extensive discussion of infant loss

Charlotte Brielle has worked in countries including Tanzania, South Africa, and Ecuador, where she has encountered tragically high rates of infant mortality due to lack of resources. Yet, she believes that the West has so much to learn about birth practices, rituals, and traditions from these cultures. She persuasively makes the case that the whole of society stands to benefit from better supporting women through the physical, emotional, and social transitions of matrescence – the process of becoming a mother.

Time stamps:

3:10 – Charlotte’s journey to becoming a birth worker

4:21 – Charlotte’s experience at a birth clinic in Tanzania: birth, death, and cultural perspective

12:12 – The need for better tools to support families through perinatal loss

25:58 – How supporting moms can change the whole of society for the better

34:35 – Upcoming Wombs of the World summit in Berlin, Germany, bringing together birth workers from around the world

38:17 – Other ways to work with Wombs of the World

To learn more about the 501(c)(3) public charity Global Doula Project, and how we support birth and death doulas, visit:

www.globaldoulaproject.org

To learn more about Charlotte’s organization, Wombs of the World, and how they empower birth workers around the world by bringing knowledge from diverse birth cultures, visit:

https://www.wombsoftheworld.com/

To learn more about the upcoming summit in Berlin, visit:

https://www.wombsoftheworld.com/summit

Follow Global Doula Project on Instagram and LinkedIn @globaldoulaproject

Follow Wombs of the World on Instagram and LinkedIn @wombsoftheworld