Because men need to prepare when it comes to the birth of a baby too!

According to Spectrum News1, Carson native Dustin Young has always had questions about the birthing process. Now, as a certified doula, he is helping others through the birth process and encouraging men to join him in making Black moms have safer births.

“As I got older, I just kind of like look at women as gods essentially, which you guys are,” said Young.

He credits his baby sister as the reason he became a doula after he says her medical team wasn’t supportive, leaving her to face a difficult pregnancy alone.

“Her fifth month, she went to the doctor and had some bad news,” continued Young. “She found out the heartbeat stopped, and she had a stillbirth.”

When a second chance for his sister came around, Young would not allow her to do it alone. He located a doula and became an assistant. He then helped his sister while she was in labor at home for hours before escorting her to the hospital to help with his nephew’s delivery.

“I felt like I wanted to be there as much as possible and guide her through that process,” said Young.

During his sister’s pregnancy, Young even cut the umbilical cord and has now helped in the delivery process for three births.

Kindred Space LA is where Young became a certified doula and it’s also the space where he continues to learn the best birthing practices.

Co-founder and doula Kimberly Durdin says that men have been a part of the birth process for ages.

“Many people see a male obstetrician. In fact, there are more male obstetricians than there are female, but folks think it’s kind of unusual for a male to want to be a doula,” shared Durdin. “But men in birth work is actually a part of history. In terms of African history, there were African midwives, also male midwives and we see that tradition came across the Atlantic.”

Young is happy to carry on the tradition but admits to hearing jokes from his male friends about his decision to become a doula.

“They start clowning me like, ‘That’s not for us. That’s not our space. What are you doing?'” continued Young. “But I’m like, ‘Technically it is, bro. The pregnancy process is two people.'”

He believes that men can be a part of the solution to reduce the high rate of Black women dying at childbirth by not only becoming aware of the birth process but also by becoming vocal advocates for their partner.

Click here to find out more about Young’s work.

Black Mother Mortality

Sign up for our daily Newsletter.