Over 20 Midwives, Doulas and Birth Educators from Brooklyn Support Justin

As you may know, we talk about birth in my house. A lot. Casey is a midwife, birth educator, owner of Parent Craft, and former co-chair of the NYC Midwives—and has been my guide and partner in understanding how to champion birth in New York City.

That's why I'm proud of Midwives for Justin—over 20 midwives, doulas and birth educators from Brooklyn who are supporting my campaign for City Council!  

Over 12 years, I've had the chance to learn about birth in New York through Casey and her colleagues in the larger midwifery and birth community. Together we have supported efforts to expand midwifery care, increase the rights of homebirth midwives, and open birth centers. I continue to learn—through events like the one we hosted and conversations with practitioners and birthing people—as I seek to be an ally and champion on improving birth outcomes and agency for everyone. We especially need to focus on how midwifery and doula access can confront the maternal mortality and morbidity crisis that's hitting communities of color the hardest.

Casey and I co-hosted a conversation a few weeks ago featuring midwife and NYU professor Mimi Niles; Birth Day Presence and boober founder Jada Shapiro, postpartum doula and educator Grace Veras Sealy, midwife Katie Sigler, and State Senator Gustavo Rivera—whose endorsement I'm honored to earn.

Midwives for Justin is built on the support of more than 20 birth professionals — midwives from public and private practice, home birth midwives, doulas, lactation consultants, birth educators and more—who live and have worked in Brooklyn and across the city. The group includes birth professionals who have worked at Maimonides, NYP-Methodist, Bellevue, Mt Sinai West and East, in private and H+H hospitals, in birthing centers, and in midwifery-led practices across the city.

I hope to continue this work in City Council—but whether from the Council chambers or as an outside advocate, I look forward to continuing the work to:

• Expand access to midwifery in public and private settings, which includes recruiting, training and employing racially and culturally diverse midwives and compensating them equivalently for their work

• Ensure all birthing people have access to doulas, including by supporting programs that make doulas affordable while compensating doulas as a full-time profession

• Support the efforts to establish midwife-led, community-centered birth centers across the city, including right here in Brooklyn, accessible to people across language, custom and insurance

• Recommit to the recommendations backed by midwives and doulas from the NY State Taskforce on Maternal Mortality and Disparate Racial Outcomes

-Justin Krebs, Democrat for City Council

---

Midwives for Justin includes:

• Kristen Leonard (Midwife);

• Barri Malek (Midwife);

• Katie Sigler (Midwife);

• Barbara Sellars (Midwife);

• Caroline Handschuh (Midwife);

• Sascha Weigel (Midwife);

• Marilyn Gold (Midwife);

• Jada Shapiro (founder of boober and Birth Day Presence);

• Jo Zasloff (Midwife);

• Shannon Tam (Midwife);

• Lena DeGloma (Educator and founder of Red Moon Wellness);

• Leigh Kader (Doula and Educator);

• Natasha Dillahunt (Postpartum Doula and Lactation Counselor);

• Grace Veras Sealy (Perinatal Educator, Doula and Certified Lactation Counselor);

• Julian Mierlak (OBGYN);

• Jennifer Mayer (founder of Baby Caravan and Fully Funded x 40 Weeks); Melanie Comer (Midwife);

• Jocelyn Baker (Midwife);

• Abby Brown (Midwife);

• Jocelyn Finger (Midwife);

• Kathryn Peck (Midwife);

• Emily Skyrm (Co-Founder Baby Caravan).