In Arizona, Birth Workers Of Color Fight For More Access
It's been almost 15 years, but for Lakisa Muhammad, it's still hard to look back on all that went wrong with her daughter's delivery.
She expected a fulfilling experience — an all-natural water birth with a midwife by her side. But in the weeks before her due date, the birth center where she had scheduled the delivery suddenly closed its doors. It was time for a new plan.
Her first children — twins born in 2003 — had been delivered at a hospital that provided a free doula, Lamaze classes, a lactation consultant and a battery of tests to ensure the babies' health. The experience was so good, she decided to give it another try.
On the day of her daughter's birth, Muhammad arrived at the hospital in Arizona and was told she needed an emergency cesarean section. That's when the problems began.
She remembers the fluorescent lights glaring into her eyes as she found herself propped up against the cold operation table. Confusion and panic set in. Doctors poked and prodded her for what felt like hours. She recalls nothing more painful or unsettling in her life.
After what seemed like a
