Henci Goer, childbirth options expert, educator, and award-winning author, joins us to discuss her new book, Labor Induction: Why, When, and How, the second book in her Take Charge of Your Birth series. Henci is an unparalleled expert in taking often confusing, usually daunting, data about labor and birth and making it easy to understand. If you are expecting or planning to be, if you are a birth professional and need a refresher on the current data, this is the show for you!
Frances Coleman, MPH, LM, CPM, of Full Circle Family Services joined us to discuss her practice and we covered a lot of ground! We’ll hear not only about the services her practice offers, but also get some spicy conversation about the medical complex and its implications for maternal health care.
Frances Coleman, MPH, LM, CPM, Full Circle Family Services
Kiwasi Apeh, a mother of three and wife, brings 23 years of experience in maternal health, where she excelled as a Birth Doula and Childbirth Educator. Throughout her journey, she also worked extensively in health and human services, providing essential social services support to underserved populations. Though now a retired Birth Doula, Kiwasi continues to apply her expertise in servant leadership and population health.
She is the Founder/CEO of Black Birthworkers Rock, Patern-ology Solutions and her international initiative Ufedo Birthwork and Global Resources. In her current roles as a consultant, public health nurse, advocate, and community organizer, she remains focused on addressing disparities and improving public health outcomes worldwide.
We will also interview Christina Jemine, LM, CPM, Founder and CEO of Black Sisters Birth Academy, Birth Assistant Instructor.
Christina Jemine is a devoted mother, midwife, motivational speaker, teacher, and accomplished children’s book author. Before founding Black Sisters Midwifery Services and becoming a midwife, Christina dedicated over a decade to the field of maternal-child health. This included six years as a Mother-Baby and Pediatric nurse at Kings County Hospital Center in Brooklyn, NY, her hometown. Christina loves teaching others about the beauty of birth and gets great joy from sharing her gift of learning with others. She is a graduate from The Florida School of Traditional Midwifery in Gainesville, Florida; a 3-Year Direct Entry Midwifery Program.
As Founder and CEO of Black Sisters Birth Academy®, Christina trains aspiring Black community midwives and aspiring Black birth assistants through her curriculum-based birth assistant programs that are intentionally designed for them. Her programs equip them to support community midwives with births in out-of-hospital settings as certified birth assistants. The academy’s creation was stemmed from Christina’s own need to find a birth assistant training that was for us and by us to train her own birth assistant and the options were not there. As Christina puts it, “if you don’t see what you want, build it.” And that’s exactly what she did. Black Sisters Birth Academy® has since successfully trained and certified birth assistants across the nation.
She is also the author of “My Mommy Makes Milk” – you don’t want to miss hearing her wise words.
Kiwasi Apeh, Madriella Certiifed Birth Doula, & Christina Jemine, LM, CPMI
J Lewis III specializes in working with single fathers and he has great information for all dads and those who support them.
Jolene Tollett is a twenty year veteran of Montessori, discovering the educational method right here in Houston. Jolene graduated from Texas Tech University before trying out many places before settling in Houston where she taught in one of HISD’s public Montessori schools. She has a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Curriculum and Development and is the Director of MOLO Bilingual Montessori School in Westchase. She has presented her own curricula, as well as research within the state and nationwide.
Her daughter who is now 12, started Montessori at three months old and went through 5th grade. She spends her free time driving her child around to various sports practices and managing a household with four dogs. She also makes time to volunteer with the local dog rescue Pup Squad and the Houston Heights Woman’s Club.
Black women face unique challenges and risks in the perinatal period. Let’s talk about Black maternal mental health!
Carleigh Joseph and Shala McKee, Black Maternal Mental Health
Jihan Huq is a certified HypnoBirthing Educator, doula, and clinical hypnotist in Houston, Texas. She is the founder of Sakinah Birth. Jihan has a strong passion for birth, hypnosis, and advocating for positive cultural change within the Houston birth community. She moved to Houston in 1999 and she has two boys age 11 and 7.
Jihan will tell us about HypnoBirthing, the Mongan Method and some misconceptions about Hypnobirthing plus some information about hypnosis.
Jackie Griggs, CNM, is a Certified Nurse Midwife who has been practicing in the Houston/Beaumont area for the past 35 years. She is a mom of 5 grown sons, 3 born at home with the help of midwives. – Two grandchildren and a new grand baby just recently. She has helped mainly with home and birth center births, but has worked in the hospital some as well. She is the owner of a birth center in Beaumont, – Birth Center of Beaumont – and also helps with home births in the Houston area. She has been on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Birth Centers, until just recently, and still is a very big advocate for midwifery care at a birth center or home, for the women of this country. She is also focused on training new midwifery students and helping to increase the number of birth centers in Texas and the United States
Abby Henson is a student midwife studying at the National College of Midwifery. After working for 10 years as a business consultant, Abby’s interest in midwifery began when she had each of her 3 children with midwives. After each delivery, Abby’s interest in birth work and midwifery grew stronger, and in 2022 she decided to leave consulting and become a midwife. She is excited to dedicate her work to empowering parents through the birthing process. Abby is also a Certified Lactation Consultant.
Kristen Shelby, a Mississippi Native and student midwife passionate about centering women’s voices and experiences in birth. currently in the final stretch of her journey to becoming a Certified Nurse Midwife, and has been deeply shaped by the strength, experience’s , and sacredness of labor and postpartum. Excited about connecting not only from learning clinically, but from the heart of someone who believes in restoring dignity and truth to the birth space for what God created it to be.
Jackie Griggs, CNM, with Abby Henson and Kristen Shelby
Andie Wyrick, DNM, CNM, and Kristen Bowers, LM, will tell us about Shire Midwifery Birthing Center and Home Birth Practice, who provide comprehensive midwifery services for families choosing an out-of-hospital birth. They partner from the very first prenatal consultation through labor support and into gentle postpartum care.
Andie Wyrick – A certified nurse midwife and doctor (yes, she’s that fancy), Andie has been a beloved part of the Houston birth community for over twenty years. Her journey has taken her through elementary school nursing, hospital L&D, birth center, and home birth. She has an unshakable belief in a woman’s ability to grow and birth her baby and sees midwifery as a true partnership, empowering families through trust, knowledge, and a good dose of laughter. Andie’s approach is tender, funny, lighthearted, and refreshingly hands-off—offering evidence-based care with a side of snark and sass when needed. She’s been joyfully dating her hottie husband of 24 years (since junior high, no less) and is the proud mother of six incredible humans.
Kristen Bowers – A licensed midwife—with a degree in forensic chemistry—Kristen has been walking alongside families on their birth journeys since 2015, after she first discovered the world of out-of-hospital birth during her own pregnancy. Much like an unexpected adventure, she was drawn in, finding beauty, wisdom, and a calling she couldn’t ignore. Kristen believes birth is both sacred and joyful—an experience meant to be embraced with knowledge, laughter, and a deep sense of peace. She encourages parents to step into this journey with confidence, knowing they are not alone but surrounded by love, wisdom, and the kind of support that turns even the hardest roads into something beautiful. She has three kiddos and has been married 15 years.
Andie Wyrick, DNM, CNM, and Kristen Bowers, LM
Jen Kamel is the CEO and Founder of VBAC Facts®. Since 2007, her focus has been to provide objective, accurate information about the data available on vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) and repeat cesarean to parents, professionals, policymakers, and the court so all decisions can be informed, ethical, and just.
As an internationally recognized maternal health advocate, she speaks at conferences across the world, presents Grand Rounds at hospitals, advises on midwifery laws and rules that limit VBAC access, educates legislators and policymakers, and serves as an expert witness and consultant in legal proceedings. She envisions a time when every pregnant person seeking VBAC has access to unbiased information, respectful providers, and community support so they can plan the birth of their choosing in the setting they desire.
Her next training will be for a program within the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health June 16 – 17, 2025. Go to vbacfacts.com/speaking to schedule a training for your program, unit, or community.
Jen Kamel, CEO and Founder of VBAC Facts