American Dreams Podcast | Midwives and Reproductive Justice

Ashlee Hernanz Alvarez was 18 when she had her first daughter, Mimi. She was on Medicaid, and went to the only public hospital in Southern Nevada. She was not treated well. The labor and delivery nurses were understaffed, her doctor was not around, and when a fill-in doctor walked in, he treated her as if she was disturbing his night. Ashlee describes the birth as "savage." For her second birth four years later, Ashlee turned to a midwife. Her experience was far better. She got to watch comedy when her labor started, so she would be distracted by laughter. She got to use her oils and her birthing ball. And she caught her baby herself, as the midwife was cupping her hands as a back-up. 

These choices are not ideal for everyone, but birthing at home used to be the norm. Until professional medicine took over. We talk to Ashlee, her midwife, Jollina Simpson, and sociologist Alicia Suarez about the history of home birth, and why and how it's making a comeback.

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American Dreams: Reproductive Justice is co-executive produced and hosted by Erika Washington, powered by Make It Work Nevada. The podcast is co-executive produced, written, and edited by Carrie Kaufman of Overthinking Media LLC. Music by Wil Black of Black Gypsy Music, with The Flobots. Artwork by Brent Holmes.

Creators & Guests

Guest

Alicia Suarez

Alicia Suarez is a sociology professor at DePaw University in Greencastle, Indiana. She focuses on marginalized populations, health and deviance.

AA

Guest

Ashlee Heranz Alvarez

Ashlee is a mother of two. She had her first child in a hospital, and it was such a bad experience, she opted for at-home birth for her second child.

Producer

Carrie Kaufman

Columnist @NevadaCurrent. Fmr talk host @KNPRnews @wpr, writer, editor, speaker, mom to amazing twin daughters. Obsessed with learning EVERYTHING! She/Her Queer

Producer

Erika F. Washington

Politically savvy mama, @MIWNV Executive Director on the hunt for new adjectives, social justice & red wine in fabulous Las Vegas. *These Tweets Is Mine

Producer

Erika F. Washington

Guest

Jollina Simpson, MIdwife

Jollina Simpson is the mother of three, Traditional Midwife, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Doula trainer, and Childbirth Educator. In addition to serving families as a homebirth Midwife, Ms. Simpson is the founder and President of Kijiji Sisterhood, a community-based non-profit dedicated to supporting Black and Brown families birthing in Las Vegas. Ms. Simpson has her Master's Degree in Maternal Child Health Systems and served on the Nevada’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee from 2019-2022.

Producer

Make It Work Nevada

Make It Work Nevada fights for economic security for women, men and families across Nevada. It’s time that all of us are able to #MakeItWork.

Composer

Wil Black

Wil Black is the principal of Black Gypsy Music TV......

What is American Dreams Podcast ?

American Dreams is a podcast that will explore exactly what Reproductive Justice means. Reproductive Justice was an idea birthed in 1994, by 12 Black women who felt unseen by the white establishment.
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The four principles of Reproductive Justice are:
1. The right to have a child
2. The right to not have a child (which includes sterilization, which many doctors won’t do)
3. The right to have a child in a healthy environment and then raise them safely
4. The right to bodily autonomy and sexuality

These principles are repeated throughout this podcast, as well as homages to the 12 founders who “gave birth” to the Reproductive Justice movement.
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​American Dreams: Reproductive Justice Season 2 is executive produced and hosted by Erika Washington, powered by Make It Work Nevada. The podcast is associate produced, written and edited by Simone Endress. Music by Wil Black for Black Gypsy Music. Graphic designs by Mingo Collaso. A special thanks to Flobots for the use of their song ‘American Dreams’.

Special thanks to KUNV 91.5

This podcast is empowered by Make it Work Nevada, a Project of Tides Advocacy

For more information please visit Make It Work Nevada.org and find us on all the socials to learn more about our work to create a world we all can thrive in.