SeQuoia Kemp is Syracuse’s most illustrious doula. She is a nurse by trade who has been standing up for Black maternal health since she was a teenager. SeQuoia recently presented at Upstate Medical University’s Health Justice Conference and was an instant hit. Since we are still in the times of COVID-19, SeQuoia was kind enough to grace me with her presence through an amazing video conversation. If you want to learn more about SeQuoia’s work, be sure to follow her at her Instagram @doula4aqueen.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Isabelle: Can you tell me a little bit about who you are, where you grew up, and what inspired you to become a doula?
SeQuoia: I was born and raised in Syracuse, NY. Well, technically, I was raised in DeWitt which is in the suburbs in Onondaga County. But, I rep Syracuse all day and every day. I identify as a Black feminist birth worker so I make sure to tell people know that everything I do is from a Black feminist standpoint. So, I got diagnosed with ovarian cysts when I was about 13 and so that opened up a lot. I didn’t really know about gynecologists and stuff like that. While I was recovering from my surgery, my godsister’s mother used to babysit me and she was pregnant at the time. I am going through having surgery and being told you might not have kids and all of this stuff at 13…so, when she was having her baby, I asked her if I could come. So, I went and I actually recorded it! That was back then when the hospitals used to allow you to record births. Between watching A Baby Story and being the person who recorded that birth at 13, it just opened so much. I was writing papers in middle school about reproductive health. This is something I’ve been doing for thirteen years. Then, in college, I took a class called, “Introduction to the US Health System,” which compares our healthcare systems to other countries and that class sparked a lot of interest in me. Through research, I found out about doula care and realized that I was already doing this! So, I got trained when I was 18 and certified when I was 19. It’s been doula care ever since.
Isabelle: Oh, that’s so cool! I didn’t know that you could be trained as a doula that young…
SeQuoia: Yeah! I think at the time I was the youngest doula in the area. I have been writing about these things since I was 13 so I already came into training with a wealth of knowledge. But, the training continued to build on that.
Isabelle: I am starting to learn what a doula is from talking to you and exploring all the conversations about Black maternal health. I think it’s a little bit more in the forefront. But, for folks who may still be confused, can you tell us what a doula is, and are there different practicing doulas?
SeQuoia: There are different types of doulas. So, I am a community-based full-spectrum doula. Full-spectrum means that we support people who decide to get abortions and we support people who have a miscarriage. We provide prenatal support and postpartum support. So, full-spectrum is supporting you throughout your whole reproductive lifespan. So, we support you even if your pregnancy ends by abortion or miscarriage. We are still going to support you and a lot of that healing is all the same. You are giving them the same hope and the same peace. When you add community-based to that, we really center the needs of our clients. So, for example, helping people understand that if they don’t have a safe place to live, how does that affect their pregnancy and their health? Do they have food? If they don’t have food, how can they be nutritious? Community-based means that we are centering the needs and using our skills and resources to help that person get their needs met. So, sometimes that means taking them to the grocery store…but, also trying to foster independence in them. But, that also means that if you need me, I want to show up in a way that is going to help you be self-sufficient. Then, you have what we can call entrepreneurial doulas who more so went into this work because they want to help but they are also trying to make money. So, for me, money does not drive me.
Yes, I have to get paid for my labor because I need to survive. But, my fee is more rooted in honoring my labor but also my fee does not pay my bills. But, for entrepreneurial doulas, their fees are set so that they can pay their bills. You have some entrepreneurial doulas who do not offer free services because of their own philosophical background.
So, I am an entrepreneur but I reject a lot of what that means. I am an entrepreneur in the sense that I own my own business. But, if my client needs my services and they can’t afford it, I am going to find ways that my labor can be honored but that burden isn’t going to be on my client. I am not going to turn someone away.
Those are a few of the differences in doula practices and philosophies. Then, you have doulas who are more literate in herbal medicine. I know a few things but I would refer my client to someone who has a higher level of understanding with that.
Isabelle: How is it being a Black millennial business owner? Y’all are really out here building up your communities either by yourself or with a smaller team…
SeQuoia: It’s so funny! My sister is a natural hairstylist and a licensed cosmetologist. For me, I don’t have a website but that is getting worked on now. But, it’s funny…I don’t do the typical business “stuff.” I have eight clients without a website so do I want a website if I don’t need it? But, some people ask me about my website and my business plan. So, I’m learning that there is value in having these things. But, if me just having a Facebook page and an Instagram is what brings clients, then I am okay with that! I am meeting my goals and I’m fine. But, I am trying to learn…I do want to have a website so that everything is housed there and I know that everyone does not have social media. So, I have been learning a lot from my sister because her business is predicated on making sure you have a website and branding. And, it’s so funny…I’ve just started charging people in the last three years. So, I was doing this work for free for a long time. But, because I was working, I had the privilege to do that. I didn’t need to rely on the money so it has definitely been a process of wanting to remain accessible but also wanting to thrive. So, it’s been an internal dialogue. I’m charging $850 now but I don’t think I could ever charge $1000. I am trying to make sure that I stay rooted in my ethics. I really want this work to be accessible to people. Payment is never going to be a reason why I don’t support them. For me, I’ve found that with each step I find a way to honor myself and find my needs are met without being a financial burden to my clients. I do not like capitalism but I also understand that there is often no way to operate completely out of that. So, I am trying to make my business as anti-capitalist as I can even though I still have to participate in it. I am trying to stay as close to my values as possible.
Isabelle: Yup! Capitalism is definitely in these bones and we have to try to find ways to branch out a little bit if we can. So, we often grow up learning that when you are going to have a child, it is an OB/GYN who is going to counsel you and deliver your baby. Why do you think it’s important for Black millennials to consider having a doula?
SeQuoia: Even the kind-hearted OB/GYN is trained through the medical model and we know the medical model has not been one that has been rooted in informed decision making. So, I tell my clients that I work for them. My job is to give you the information….the good, the bad, the ugly….so you can make the decision that is rooted in you having all the information and then making an informed decision. A lot of my clients do not want to be railroaded and want to be heard and listened to. As a doula, I can help my clients to come up with questions for their providers and advise them on what to consider. It helps clients realistically frame how their birth experience will look like. Also, I was trained at Village Birth International to ask questions and do research. A lot of time providers have this energy of…I’m the expert just listen to me. But, we know that this is not working. Black women listen to doctors and we still die. So, having a doula that can do that research and can fill that gap and then take the information or any more questions back to the provider. We have our clients’ best interests at heart.
We don’t work for pharmaceutical companies…there is no other outside force that is driving our care for our clients. There is this thought of just worrying that the baby is fine. No, I reject that. That’s not the end goal. The end goal is a healthy baby, a healthy parent, and an experience that was not traumatic. But, we aren’t anti-OB/GYNS but we have to think about the model that they are trained in. It’s nothing personal to the individual provider.
SeQuoia: ….unless it’s a White OB/GYN being racist then it’s something personal.
Isabelle: Yes, there’s definitely a lot of levels…
SeQuoia: I’m a historian. If I was not so passionate about birth, I would be a historian. Let’s not talk about this OB/GYN…let’s talk about the healthcare system and how that impacts how OB/GYNs navigate this system. Let’s talk about privilege…because there might be a White midwife who provides excellent care but she could still be racist…so I try to step back and help people figure out what model of care works best for them. Some providers have a higher level of understanding and awareness and some don’t.
Isabelle: I’ve always wondered what a doula’s role is during birth. Let’s say you are in a hospital on the labor and delivery floor versus you are in someone’s home…how does that look different?
SeQuoia: It looks the same, to be honest! A lot of the time I am observing. I see a lot of situations where informed consent is not occurring…so, I am always asking my client, “Do you have any questions? Do you understand what your provider is saying?” So, a provider might come in and say, “We are going to come in and do a vaginal check.” Then, I’ll say “I think they are asking you…”
So, my role is to re-center everything back to my client. So, before anything happens, we are talking about all the possibilities. For example, a lot of my clients have been induced. I have seen a lot of providers downplay induction as a walk in the park. It is not. I am not downplaying it. So, before my client consents to induction, I am giving them all the information.
I’m there to help process things with the client if their birth experience is not happening the way that they want it. I give them the space to talk about it. I affirm them and I really help them feel like this is their experience. Also, I make recommendations for progression such as double hip squeeze and meditation, breathing exercises. It really depends on what is happening.
I also take notes and document interactions and names. It’s not always for something bad! It’s also good things and making notes of providers who were great to my client.
Isabelle: That’s dope. What are some misconceptions about doulas that you would like to squash here and now? I feel like I’ve heard a few but I want to get your take as well.
SeQuoia: So, doulas are not midwives. We are non-medical support people. In general, we do not do clinical tasks. I might take blood pressure because I am a nurse by trade. We do not take the place of a midwife. Right? So, that’s a big misconception. I have clients who say that I delivered their babies. It’s so funny. I was just there. You delivered the baby. Also, I try to tell my clients that I am not here to take the role of anybody. But, if you are a barrier to the birthing process, then I am going to center the person who is birthing. Sometimes, there are people who get intimidated by that. Ultimately, the birthing person is the main focus. At some point, I have to zone in on the person who is birthing even though others may have questions. Every doula is different and it’s important to do your research and it’s okay if a doula is not a good match for you. If you don’t want a Black feminist birth worker, I’m not going to be a good match for you. But, one of the biggest misconceptions is that doulas take the place of partners, that’s not true. If you are open-minded and receptive to learning, then I don’t have to do much but observe and let it be a sacred moment.
Isabelle: How do you see Black millennial birthing folks approaching birthing compared to previous generations?
SeQuoia: I see us returning back to what previous generations have done. A lot of my clients will say “Well, my ancestors did it at home and my ancestors did this with herbs.” I see us returning back to that and that makes me so happy.
The Granny midwives did what they needed to do. All of this is ours. This is Indigenous and African. I am so happy that people see the value in birthing in a way that honors their ancestors. I also see Black millennials making choices in their birthing process. I hear parents say all the time that they don’t know how their child is giving birth without an epidural. But, it’s also healing for them and they are in awe of their children.
I think that we as millennials – a lot of us are very educated and inquisitive…and that doesn’t just mean college-educated. That energy is helping us to make informed decisions. People have enough self-awareness to say “I need help.” We are reminding folks that we have been doing it for this thousands of years but we may have been doing it in isolation. Black millennial women are saying that they don’t want to do this alone and that they don’t have to. That is huge for us! We are considered the “backbone.” A lot of women are rejecting that. I see a lot of healing and I think this whole change and rise in doulas and holistic doulas is a movement.
We really believe that the birth culture has to shift. So, when I get to introduce radical parenting and feminist parenting, it is so healing. I help people understand some of the ways that they have been groomed and shaped are not healthy and it is toxic. But, the good thing is that we have other ways to do this. You don’t have to hold everything together all the time. For Black millennial women, we have learned from watching our parents and if we have the choice not to suffer, we are going to do this in community with other Black women. I love it so much.
Isabelle: Yes! The healing is so important. If Black millennials want to learn more about the role of doulas, do you have any other resources that they can tap into?
SeQuoia: Yes! I’ll actually have a podcast soon so look out for that. I’ll be talking about reproductive justice and radical, Black feminist parenting. Ancient Song doula services do a lot of work in New York and New Jersey. Village Birth International, who I was trained through, does a lot of policy work as well. If people want to learn more about Black-led work that is being done, I would recommend the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. There are so many Black birth workers and leaders in reproductive justice. This information is not mine. It is ours. I love to help people learn more about these topics.
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