Shafia Monroe Consulting

04/21/2026

04/17/2026

We can’t believe it’s one week until Labor of Love! Join us for a night of joy and community on Thursday, April 23 from 5 to 9pm at S**o Park in Seattle.

We’re thrilled to announce that Shafia Monroe, MPH, will be joining us. Monroe Consulting is a renowned midwife, author, cultural historian, and the founder of SMC Full Circle Doula Training. A leading expert on African American birth and postpartum traditions, she has spent over four decades caring for mothers and studying the practices of twentieth-century Black midwives.

In January, Shafia released her groundbreaking book, Mothering the Mother: African American Postpartum Traditions, Recipes, and Healing, that revives ancestral wisdom to support modern families. We’ll be offering her book at the event for a suggested donation and Shafia will sign your copy. Join us and meet this remarkable leader! More details and how to register here: https://openarmsps.org/get-involved/labor-of-love/.

04/16/2026

“Dear Mama” by Tupac Shakur is my entering the stage song to present with Dr. Lucinda Canty on bringing joy back to the Black birthing experience . Black mothers you are appreciated and deserve to have a joyful pregnancy and birth.
Don’t assume that you will be a statistic. Most Black women are having good birth experiences. I did with my seven babies. Let’s bring joy back to birth by affirming that you are healthy, and divinely guided. We used my book Mothering the Mother, for the foundation of our presentation. We highlighted the chapters on rest and warmth. Both make a mother feel helded and loved

04/15/2026

In Portland, OR come celebrate with us .

04/15/2026

Inviting all SMC Doulas to Sunday mixer, in Gresham, OR, at Shafia Monroe Consulting training center.

04/14/2026

Yesterday I received the “Beacon of Light Award,” from the Oregon Doula Association . It was a honor to be recognized for creating a OR coalition for the Medicaid reimbursement for OR doulas through HB 3311, creating the first national Black doula training in 2002, and uniting doulas and midwives as allies to improve birth outcomes.
Thank you

04/12/2026

Black Maternal Health Week is about connecting and creating relationships! Kay Matthews and I hung-out and had a chance to discuss the state of the union of Black Maternal Mental Health weekend Conference.

04/11/2026

In Black Maternal Health Week we honor Black midwives of the 20th century who cared for the mothers in love.
They are the ones who remind us to keep spiritually in birth work, to touch the mother, to bring compassion to mother and speak kindly and gently to her,
and care for the newborn .

04/10/2026

Still want to train with SMC Doulas?
SMC Doulas is running a Black Doula Day special of
15% off for their April 16-19, 2026 in-person doula training,
in Gresham, OR. Train with the nation’s longest running Black doula training organization since 2002, and grounded in training using ancient midwifery practices for positive birth outcomes and as a rites of passage to birth work.

Register here by April 15th at https://smcdoulas.com/smc-doula-april-2026-registration/

Train as an SMC Full Circle Doula Birth Companion. Acquire full-circle doula knowledge to improve infant and maternal health. Empower women and families to realize their personal vision for their birth experience.

04/10/2026

Tonight I was inspired by these visionaries and leaders to improve Black women’s health. Tomorrow Dr.
Lucinda Canty and I speak at the conference reception. Enjoying good company as we prepare for our talk, in St. Louis, MO 💙