We recently connected with Jamaya Mickles and have shared our conversation below.

Jamaya, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I encourage woman every day to live in their power. I teach them how to listen to their bodies and intuition to determine what is needed to be healthy. There came a day when I had to take my own advice. With my first pregnancy in 2013 and my second pregnancy in 2017, my goal was a healthy baby. That’s it! Sounds simple enough, right? Naw. Putting all of my trust in the hands of my hospital care teams didn’t give me the results I had wished for. Actually, it was the opposite. Yes, I went home with those beautiful babies, but I also left more broken than ever. In both situations I felt like life flashed before my eyes and I was more grateful for us to be alive than anything. As time went on and i took the time to process my births, it was clear to me that the care that received wasn’t careful at all and was happening every day to women, especially women of color, all around the world. This was when I got trained to become a Doula, to educate and support other women that looked like me, so that their outcomes didn’t look like mine.
In 2022, I became pregnant again and this time I knew with everything in me, that I would take my care into my own hands. A medicalized pregnancy and birth were not in the cards. As mind blowing as this was to so many people, it was my reality and what I needed to do for my own sanity, as well as health of myself and my baby. I was not giving my power to anyone else this go round.
Obviously, I rocked it! I affirmed to myself that everything I teach my clients on a daily basis is divine intervention. I’m changing the world! I’m helping women remember that weather they have a birth team or not, they must listen to their own intuition first. I am proud of myself and proud of every woman that i know that takes the initiative to educate and advocate for herself. This is just the beginning of changing HERSTORY!

Jamaya, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

It is my job to help people trust nature. Modern society tries to convince us of so many ways of convenience but when we trust our bodies and nature, we realize how efficient we already are. Nature has its own checks and balances, and my brands Ahana Birth Services and Ahana’s Blends of Vitality facilitates the holistic way of life.

Ahana is built on Integrity! Our products are organic, healing and invigorating. Our services awaken the Gods and Goddesses within. From fertility, birth and postpartum to herbal blends, concoctions and consultations; compassion is the name of the game, and we don’t play about our clients!

Ahana Birth Services specializes in fertility, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, vbacs, freebirths, classes, placenta encapsulation, birth pool rentals, lotus births Mother’s Blessing Ceremonies and so much more.

Ahana’s Blends of Vitality specializes in herbal teas, herbal body butters, herbal body oils, yoni steaming herbs, herbal bath soaks/ sitz baths, and gift packages for pregnant and postpartum mothers.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn intentions. I knew what was happening to Black women when they showed up to the medicalized birthing space. They are not heard or believed in regards to pain and symptoms, they are victims of obstetric rape, in some cases they die, or their babies die due to over manipulation.

I’ve seen many providers try to go round and round one size fits all policies that have been put in place, which compromises the position the swore to take.

What I had to learn was that most providers mean no harm, they got into this work because they too wanted to help. However, the medical system is a huge part of the problem. It is built on a monetary system and this takes the humanity out of the work. Sometimes providers get caught up in this system and forget (or are never taught) how capable the human body is at doing miraculous things.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

I will ALWAYS choose birth work! Over and over again. I love what I do. I’m going deeper though. Pretty soon my services will include Midwifery care in addition to Doula support. I am beyond excited to expand on the change that I am making in society.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ahanabirthservices.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahanabirthservices/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AhanaBirthandBlends
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3TUS-SNRmb1hVjOAEbPJ8A