June 22, 2023 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
June is PRIDE Month, a time to commemorate and center LGBTQIA+ individuals and recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, nonbinary, and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally. The desire to have a family is universal amongst all people. As childbirth educators, our role goes beyond simply imparting knowledge about pregnancy and childbirth and recognizes our responsibility to create an inclusive and supportive environment for all families, including those who identify as LGBTQIA+. By acknowledging and celebrating the diversity within our classes, childbirth educators can ensure that every individual and every family is seen, respected, and welcomed during this transformative journey. This is a great time to check in with class content and curriculum to confirm that your childbirth classes are welcoming to LGBTQIA+ families in your community. Here are five practical ways to create an inclusive space. To find all the posts in the "Welcoming All Families" series, click here.
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August 10, 2022 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
It is important that all families feel welcome in your childbirth classes. Here are ten things you should be doing to confirm that you and your classroom are welcoming and safe for LGTBQIA+ families. It is imperative that you do not make any assumptions about the people who are attending childbirth classes with you. This post is one in an occasional series, "Welcoming All Families," you can find the entire series here.
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June 01, 2022 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Pride Month is recognized in the United States annually in June. Pride Month was established to honor the Stonewall Riots that took place in June, 1969 in New York City. The Stonewall Riots were a catalyst for people to organize, for the first time in 1970 on the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, to protect and honor the rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer plus (LGBTQ+) community in the USA and globally.
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September 16, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
September 15th through October 15th is National Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States. The purpose of National Hispanic Heritage Month is to recognize the achievements and contributions of Hispanic Americans.
Hispanics (or Latinos - read more about these terms here) currently make up nearly 20 percent of the population in the United States and this number is projected to grow significantly in the next 20 years. It is important to have perinatal resources and information available for the Hispanic families in your classes who would prefer to use Spanish language materials.
Here are some resources that educators and others can share with Hispanic families in their classes and access for themselves if they teach in Spanish. Lamaze International has many Spanish speaking educators and there are several Latino Lamaze programs that train educators in Spanish.
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June 22, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
In the United States and around the globe, June is PRIDE Month, a time to recognize, center and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and their families. (Not sure what all those initials stand for, check out this handy reference guide.) The New York Times ran an article earlier this month that was applicable to childbirth educators, perinatal professionals and health care providers who work with birthing and postpartum people during the childbearing year.
Some L.G.B.T.Q. Parents Reject the Names ‘Mommy’ and ‘Daddy’” addresses the importance of families having their parenting roles and corresponding names for those roles recognized and respected. Families in 2021 are diverse and not everyone identifies as a mother or father.
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