We are so excited to celebrate Nikita Johnson! Nikita is an Apprentice Midwife, Labor and Delivery Surgical Technologist, Patient Care Technician, and Certified Nursing Assistant with doula support skills.
She is the owner of DMV Birth Doulas! DMV Birth Doulas was formed to be an informative expert resource within the community while addressing the disparities relevant to Family Planning, Childbirth, Pre & Post Operation, and Postpartum Transition.
There is so many amazing things you are doing within our Baltimore, DMV area! What started your passion to become a doula?
I’m excited you said “Passion”. I worked on Labor & Delivery as an Obstetrics Surgical Technologist assisting doctors and midwives in vaginal births, cesarean births, and other intervention including neonatal resuscitation. I did this for about 6.5 years before becoming a doula. I knew it was time for a change in career paths once I realized the medical model of care was failing our black birthing folks. It was very common for a first time parent to come in for an induction and leave with a cesarean scar. We would sometimes perform about 8-9 cesarean sections in a 12 hour shift because of “Failure to progress” or Fetal distress” which is a risk of induction. I began to do my own research and advocate for these parents and of course the doctors and staff didn’t like it. I was reprimanded and told because it was not a apart of my job description I could not advocate and offer information as a labor support person. From that point forward, I was unhappy with being in that particular hospital environment. I didn’t feel safe, so I knew the patients weren’t safe either. Before becoming a doula, I knew what they were and was very familiar with them. I sat my family down and expressed my goals and I left my job to pursue my self-employed career. I formed DMV Birth Doulas, so that we can offer support based upon the disparities our parents face within the DMV. My agency is different because we all have labor and delivery medical background and we’re able to take those skills and apply them to our doula support. My passion for childbirth is undeniable.
We are so happy that your family is supporting your goals! Going from doula to midwife is a dream for many birth nerds! What pushed you into the direction? Did you always have the drive to become a midwife?
My family is big on continuing education, so I always knew I wanted to further my education and work in the field of Maternal Infant Health. At one point, I wanted to be an OB/GYN but I knew I would not be able to have the relationships with my patients that I desired. I like to explain, and educate thoroughly. I probably would be fired for not moving fast enough during prenatal visits. A good friend of mines who is now the Assistant Director of DMV Birth Doulas, said to me “You should be a midwife, you would be so awesome”. I knew that to be true! I truly love being a doula. I will very likely keep my doula practice, but my true calling is to be a midwifery provider. I offer support to my clients beyond a level of a doula. I’m asking about nutrition, sleep, hydration, reviewing and explaining results to my clients and that’s because these things are not usually discussed thoroughly with patients. They are simply told to take an iron pill because of low iron, but they aren’t told what causes it and the negative effects it can have on a pregnancy and postpartum recovery.
Having representation within the birth space is so important for people of color. We don’t always hear the behind the scenes work. What are some of the challenges you are currently facing as a midwife student?
Some challenges I face as a student midwife is not being able to find a midwife preceptor. For as hurtful as it is for me to say this, but midwives in the DMV are very “clicky” . That’s a narrative I can’t agree with because I’m a very independent person and following the crowd is something I never did. I continue to do my school work, attend class, and pray that god will send me the right preceptor. I will start the process of reaching out to midwives in October 2021. I am prepared for some push back but I will never give up!! If there are any midwifery preceptors in the DMV available to take on a student, I would love to work with you not only through preceptor-ship, but with my doula clients looking for home births with trusted midwives.
How can we support your journey? We are currently going strong on Instagram dmvbirthdoulas. Feel free to visit our website.