MEEt Dannaca ross

I AM FROM LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CA. I HOLD A MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE IN SOCIOLOGY AND I AM CURRENTLY A MEDICAL STUDENT AT MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE. MY FIELD OF INTEREST IS OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER OF TWO (2) CHILDREN—FROM MY EARLIER LIFE—AND FIVE (5) SURROGATE CHILDREN WHOM I HAVE BIRTHED OVER THE LAST DECADE. IN TOTALE, MY BIRTHING EXPERIENCE SPANS WELL OVER TWENTY (20) YEARS, INCLUDING MISSCARRIAGES, ABORTIONS, PRE-TERM LABOR & LOSS OF TWINS, 

MISTREATMENT BY HOSPITAL STAFF AND PHYSICIANS, MEDICAL DECISIONS BEING MADE WITHOUT MY CONSENT—LEAVING ME TRAUMATIZED AND UNTRUSTING OF ANY AND ALL MEDICAL PERSONNEL. DURING a MORE RECENT EXPERIENCE AS A BLACK, PREGNANT, BIRTHING WOMAN, I HIRED A DOULA WITH SOME OF THE SURROGACY FEE I WAS PAID. DURING THAT TIME, THE AVERAGE DOULA “RATE” WAS ANYWHERE BETWEEN $800-$2000. I PAID MY DOULA $1800. IT WAS THE BEST CHOICE I HAD EVER MADE IN ALL MY 20+ YEARS OF BIRTHING. SHE TAUGHT ME SO MUCH THAT I DID NOT ALREADY KNOW ABOUT A WOMAN’S BODY. HOW WE WERE MADE FOR THIS, AND THAT OUR BODIES KNOW WHAT TO DO. THAT WE DON’T NEED TO BE SCHEDULED FOR INDUCTION OR A C-SECTION; THE BABY WILL COME WHEN [THEY] ARE READY. SHE TAUGHT ME ABOUT THE CHANGES IN A WOMAN’S BODY THAT I HAD EXPERIENCED PRIOR, BUT DID NOT KNOW HOW TO VERBALLY ARTICULATE. SHE WAS ON-CALL FOR ME 24/7 AND FROM THE MOMENT MY CONTRACTIONS STARTED, SHE SUPPORTED ME. SHE ADVOCATED FOR ME IN THE HOSPITAL, REMINDING ME OF MY RIGHTS—NOT JUST MY BIRTHING RIGHTS, BUT MY RIGHTS AS A HUMAN BEING—TO BE TREATED WITH KINDNESS, FAIRNESS, AND GENTLENESS. SHE STAYED BY MY SIDE FOR THE ENTIRE BIRTH. SHE ALSO MADE SURE THAT I WAS TRANSFERRED TO MY POSTPARTUM ROOM WITH NO PROBLEMS AND WAS SETTLED COMFORTABLY. SHE MADE CALLS TO MY CASE MANAGER AND THE INTENDED PARENTS FOR ME. SHE HELPED ME TO EAT WHEN THEY BROUGHT MY FIRST MEAL. SHE WAS AMAZING. 

ALL WOMEN DESERVE THAT KIND OF CARE, BUT NOT ALL OF US HAVE ACCESS TO IT. THE COST STRETCHES FAR BEYOND THE FINANCIAL LIMITS OF A MARGINALIZED PEOPLE. SO, I AM PROVIDING A PLACE WHERE WOMEN CAN HAVE THE CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE THE LOVE THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME.