Seven of our MCH students attended the 2019 annual meeting of the American Public Health Association(APHA), held November 2-6, 2019, in Philadelphia, PA. What follows is a post from one of the attendees.
by Anastasia Woods
This year I had the privilege to attend the American Public Health Association (APHA) conference in Philadelphia, PA as a Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health scholar. While I enjoyed several MCH sessions that discussed relevant innovations within the field, the panel discussion entitled “Decolonizing Breastfeeding Research” was my absolute favorite. I initially thought this session would primarily focus on the racial disparities within breastfeeding. However, the majority of the session was focused on highlighting the critical race theory and emphasized the importance of reflecting on intersectional identities within the research process. The panelists were all women of color who spoke about their black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC)-centered research. Within the first few minutes, there was a moment of silence to call upon and honor our ancestors. I was completely blown away by one of the panelists, Dr. Fox, who conducts research that centers native Hawaiian cultural stories/traditions to decolonize breastfeeding. Dr. Fox stated that “‘our stories will not be found on EBSCO, but are nonetheless still valid,” which I found particularly inspiring. I think there must be more space in APHA and the public health field to engage in conversations that center BIPOC experiences.
One of the greatest highlights during my APHA experience was networking with a variety of maternal health leaders, particularly those who work within midwifery. Following the completion of my MPH program, I plan on pursuing midwifery. However, I am still trying to determine whether I would like to pursue the Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) or Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) pathway. Thus, I wanted to connect with CPM and CNM specifically at AHPA to learn more about the scope of midwifery. Unfortunately, I did not find any CPMs on the APHA app, but I was able to reach out to CNMs. Two individuals promptly replied to my initial introductory message, which resulted in wonderful informational interviews. Learning about the benefits of being a CNM was very insightful because it helped me understand the feasibility of pursuing nursing school. I discovered that CNMs can work in the hospital, home birth, or birth clinic setting as healthcare providers. Additionally, they can support high-risk mothers whereas CPMs generally only support low-risk mothers in the home birthing setting. Both of the individuals highlighted the impactful role that CNMs of color can have in addressing the racial maternal mortality disparities through providing health services to black women. Our conversations have inspired me to adjust my 5-year plan to envision the CNM route.
Anastasia Woods BA, is a first-year MPH student, concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. She plans to graduate in May 2022. Her interests include the racial maternal mortality disparities, doula-centered care, and the midwifery model of care. She enjoys traveling, learning new things through intellectual conversations, and yoga.
