049: Trusting Your Birth Journey: Insights from Nikki Helms of San Diego Community Birth Center

Birth Education Center Podcast

In this episode, Midwife Nikki Helms is here! Nikki is the owner of the San Diego Community Birth Center which is the only black owned birth center in San Diego.

Nikki’s birth center offers a lot of co care which means people see an OB and also come to the birth center for more education and understanding of the birth process. Some of these families will be birthing at the hospital but want balanced information to make the best possible choices within the medical model system. And some families do co care for birth at the birth center but keep an OB with their insurance for testing and possible transfer purposes.

Nikki and I discuss the importance of personalized care, the shortcomings of the traditional medical model in addressing individual needs, and how co-care with midwives can help expectant mothers make informed, autonomous decisions.

The conversation also covers topics such as the purpose of routine medical practices like 36-week cervical exams and the impact of cultural norms on pregnancy care. Nikki emphasizes active listening, the value of time in patient care, and the necessity of questioning and understanding medical advice to regain trust in one's own body. We are so grateful for midwives in our community!

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