- Black women are four times more likely to die during childbirth or in the hospital right after birth, opposed to their white counterparts, mostly stemming from negligence.

(gentle music) - [Mother] Hey, baby, how you doing?

- [Teddy] What's going on, mama?

- [Mother] Not much, not much.

How was your ride?

- It was long.

- Long?

- Yeah.

- Way out.

- Well, I mean, yeah, you moved way out here.

- [Mother] Now, I know you've been telling me about your doula work.

Is that how you pronounce it?

- Yeah, doula.

(gentle music) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) When you're around me, just know that you should feel safe.

Like, you don't have to, you know, worry about anything like that.

I'm just, I'm a natural protector.

Whether, like, I'm at work in my security job or whether I'm in, like, the hospital, like, you know, advocating for clients and stuff, I still see myself as like that person that will hold that space for someone and just make whoever's in the room or who's next to me feel safe.

(gentle music continues) I wanna say it's two that I know of that's in Texas.

Like, literally like two that I know of in Texas besides me.

- Two, so that makes three in Texas.

- Yeah, like, that I know of.

There might be someone else, but I haven't found 'em.

But, like, literally, I count on two hands, like, the male doulas that's, like, around the United States.

The mom knows a small part of, like, what she need to know, and the partner knows a fraction of what the mom knows, you know?

So I guess dads open up with me a little more than I would hear what my other doula friends.

Some dads I work with, they have been told that it's weird that they're like, you know, working with, you know, not just a doula, but, like, working, helping their partner to have a better, smoother pregnancy and birth, and it's like, how is that, like, weird?

That should be normalized.

That should be praised.

- Time is now.

- Yeah, 'cause you, what, 31, 31 weeks, right, this week?

- 34.

- Thirty what?

(client laughs) Man.

- Everybody good.

- Yeah, time went by.

I don't know why I thought we was at 31 weeks.

I don't know why.

- Whatever you tell me to do today is gonna be done until, you know, he's here.

- Yeah.

- All right, I'm focused.

- Listen, that's all I can ask for.

- Okay.

- That's all I can ask for.

This is what I tell people.

Early labor, when you here, whenever you call me saying, "Oh, this is going on," or whatever, if you can, try to rest, 'cause when we in active labor, that's when we gonna wanna be walking around, be moving in different labor positions, you know, stuff like that.

You know, you'll have it like this, and you'll get into a squatting position, and, you know, you'll have to just get a good base, and you'll just be like, you know, holding her up, basically.

- Oh, so she'll be- - Yeah, so, yeah, so she gonna, like, actually- - Wait, no, not on me.

- No, it's on you.

No, she gonna lean on you.

Like, you gotta lean back, 'cause you gotta support her weight, 'cause she gonna be holding right here.

- All right.

- So yeah, you gonna be holding like that, and you'll get down into a squatting position.

So, like, yeah, have you- - You got me, babe?

- Yeah, I got you.

- (laughs) Like this?

- And so, yeah.

And like that, and then you'll be able, you could go as low or as high as you need to be.

You could, like, scoot back some or scoot up some.

You know, 'cause y'all in this together, you know what I'm saying?

That's both of y'all baby in there, so, y'all will be able to, you know, come together and do that, you know?

- Okay, okay.

- Yeah.

- And so, but with the active phase, contractions are described as longer and stronger.

And the last phase is the transition phase.

So this phase is between eight to 10 centimeters.

So, you know, 10 centimeters, you know, that's when you fully dilated, you know?

These contractions here are described oftenly as more intense, never ending, and overlapping.

Why you think I stress so much in early labor to rest?

Because you're not gonna have no time to be resting when you get to this, you know what I'm saying?

- Okay.

I'm a little anxious.

- [Teddy] Oh, nah, you good.

But that's what I'm saying.

- 'Cause there's no way around it.

- No, yeah, there's not.

- Once you're in it.

- Once you in it, you in it.

It's go time.

That's what it is.

- It doesn't have to last that long, right?

- Right.

Yeah, we'll be able to gauge, you know, how you feeling when you actually in labor, and, you know, we'll just see how, you know, it flows.

And as it progresses, we'll determine whether we- - [Client] I won't be dramatic, I promise.

- Yeah, nah, you good.

Hey, how you need to be, that's how you need to be, you know what I'm saying?

We never gonna go through this.

We don't know how it feel, you know?

So we can't tell you how you should be feeling.

And we gonna be right there for you.

Whatever you need from us, we right there.

Right, straight like that.

(client sighs) How police do our Black men is how the doctors do our Black women.

Black women are four times more likely to die during childbirth or in the hospital right after birth, opposed to their white counterparts.

And a lot of people would think that it's just due to our race, like, our genetic makeup, or, you know, our body is designed differently, and that's not the case.

It's just mostly stemming from negligence.

Our voice is not being taken seriously.

'Cause I don't go over the numbers to try to scare anyone.

I go over to 'em to let them know that, "Hey, this is something that occurs, and we're gonna make sure it doesn't occur to you."

(traffic rumbling) (traffic rumbling continues) (client groaning) (traffic rumbling continues) (client groans) - You're about three or four.

- That's it?

- And then your bag of water seems to be intact.

I don't know what you were leaking before, and you're not leaking any fluid now, so we'll just keep an eye on that.

That's fine.

- Ooh.

- Remember your breathing.

- Ooh.

- Mm-hm.

- Ooh.

- Yeah, because you haven't been in this position since you were, like, before you went into labor, right?

- Steady.

Oh my gosh.

Oh.

It's not stopping.

It's not stopping.

It's not stopping.

(client panting) Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow.

Ow, ow, ow, ow.

- Keep breathing.

- How long is this?

What the?

- [Partner] It's coming up to a minute.

- Ow.

God is good.

Everybody's here.

I want to cry.

- [Partner] Oh, it's all right, you ain't gotta cry.

- Everybody's here.

- Mm-hm.

- Are you having one?

She's still in the front?

Okay.

Let me know if they work their way around to the back.

I don't hear you breathing.

(client groans) I know it's gonna be difficult, but every time you feel one, you just need to think about breathing.

That's just, that's what you need to be on your mind right there, is your breath.

'Cause if you're not thinking about it, you end up holding your breath.

Then you fool around, you're light headed.

You don't need none of that.

So make sure you take some good, deep breaths.

Remember, we talked about this throughout the whole pregnancy.

- Did we?

- Yeah, when you at the birth center.

Remember, you had a outta hospital birth.

That was the main goal you wanted.

- I made this choice.

- Mm-hm.

- [Partner] And I couldn't go too far, we ain't got enough gas for that.

- You gonna see it through.

- [Client] I don't want to go, don't let me... - Oh, nah, you gonna see it through.

- [Client] If I say anything about it, just ignore me.

- You gonna see it through.

Yeah, the only reason that you would ever go is in a medical emergency.

You ain't going because of nothing else.

- Nothing else.

- Nothing else.

So, you good.

Just gonna try to relax in the tub right now and think positive thoughts.

I'm telling you what I say, every contraction you get through is one closer to you going home with your baby.

(client sighing) (client groaning) (gentle music) (gentle music continues) - You say it's in your back?

- Uh-huh.

(client groaning) (client groaning continues) (client groaning continues) Yeah, I'm touching something right now.

I'm touching something.

- You touching something?

- Yes.

- You doing good, Mama.

You almost done.

(client groans) - Hold your breath and push.

Push him all the way out now.

(client groans) - Oh my God.

- Hell yeah!

- Yeah!

- Hell yeah!

Hell yeah, you did it, Mama.

- Keep his face up, keep him up, keep him up.

(client chuckles) Yeah.

That's what I'm talking about, Mama.

- Dang, I was just four centimeters, and then, boom.

- What'd I tell you?

- That was crazy.

- What'd I tell you?

- You did tell me.

Oh, you okay, baby?

That your daddy.

(camera shutter snaps) - Oh, yeah.

I like that one.

Oh, yeah, that one nice.

Yeah, y'all gotta send that to me.

I gotta post that one on my story, man.

Gotta post that one on the story, man.

That was a nice one there.

All right, y'all.

Yeah, you did it.

You did it, Mama.

- You helped a whole lot.

- Oh, yeah, that's what I'm here for.

- Thank you for everything.

You are the best.

- You are so welcome.

You are so welcome.

- [Mother] What was your reasoning to become a doula?

- It stemmed from speaking with you back when I was, like, probably like 11 or 12 or so.

You said something to me that I wasn't ready to hear, because I just, at the time, I didn't know what it was.

And so when you were telling me that every time you would have a contraction, my heart rate would drop, and so it would just keep dropping and dropping to where, like, you know, if you just kept having more contractions, I could have flatlined, basically.

And when you told me that, like, it was different emotions going through me just because I didn't know how to accept that, knowing that I possibly could not have been born, you know, I couldn't have been here.

I know I physically can't give birth, but if I could be able just to help one person, I think that would've been enough for me, just so they didn't have to experience the same thing that we had to.

- I would have loved to have had something like that, and I probably would've if I'd have known and, you know, I'm sure they may have had 'em, you know, in some shape, form, or fashion back then, but I just, you know, didn't have the resources or knowledge of having a doula.

God had a plan, and you were to be here, so that wasn't an option, of you not being in this world.

So you have a place here and you have a reason.

- Oh, look.

Oh my God!

Ooh, ooh, ooh, I'm so excited!

- Wow.

- Is that beans I see?

- You like it?

- Mm-hm.

- That's good.

You a good girl.

Thank you.

- Yeah, you're welcome.

- His tear ducts is working now.

- Okay, they are?

Okay.

- Oh, hey, baby.

(chuckles) Oh, you look like you gotta burp.

Yeah?

(laughs) My little alien.

- How has everything been since last time I seen you, since we left the birth center?

- It takes a village.

That's what I'm gonna say.

(chuckles) It takes a village.

- [Teddy] No, nah, for sure.

- So, shout out to the people who do it with no help.

They can't be human, 'cause it's just no way.

It's just no way.

But I can't believe it's a month already.

Yeah.

- Just growing a little bit by little bit.

- That's why I want another one.

People think I'm crazy, but it's, like, all mental, just like why... I feel like the birth was so easy.

No, I mean, not to say so easy.

You know.

- Yeah, no.

(laughs) - But, you know, it was so smooth.

- It was smoother, yeah.

- It's because it was a mental, you know?

And now you're in the world.

- Birth is a beautiful mystery.

- It really is, yeah.

You know, one day, he's gonna be older, and you're gonna see him, like, you know, I was there.

- I know.

I'm, like, ready for that.

It's crazy 'cause I know a lot of different doulas that have been a doula for like 10 years, midwives that been 10, 15 years, and they see the kids that they delivered or that they were supporting 'em.

- Talking to them now, yeah.

- Yeah, and it's like, yeah, that's crazy to think about.

- I was there for that.

You're the future, right?

Yeah?

- Come here, man.

- Hi.

- I'm gonna bring him this way.

Hold on.

- Ooh, yeah, he look like he about to fuss with you in a second.

- Yeah, he'll be okay.

- (laughs) All right, I'll move quick.

- Oh, you all right.

You all right, man.

Oh, she gonna be right back with the bottle.

She gonna be right back with the bottle.

(gentle music) Don't tell me about it.

Don't tell me about it.

You don't know if you want to yawn, cry, stretch.

What you gonna do?

What you gonna do, man?

Don't get no feet active.

Don't get no feet active.

Oh.

Mm-hm.

(baby gurgling) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) (gentle music) (gentle music continues) (gentle music continues) - [Narrator] Funding for "Reel South" is brought to you by ETV Endowment of South Carolina, National Endowment for the Arts, Wyncote Foundation.

(soothing music) Additional funding for this program is provided by.

A complete list is available from PBS.