I am a labor support specialist—“doula”—who is with you during childbirth to help you stay calm and comfortable as you move through your birthing process, give you information about your care and help you achieve your goals.
My Background, Education and Philosophy
I am Imani Abdul-Zahir. I was born and raised in the inner city of Cleveland Ohio. I am a doula with 27 years of experience and was trained by Birthing Beautiful Communities (a 501c3 non-profit).
My philosophy about birth is that it is a normal bodily function governed by biological and psychological mechanisms, and is not a medical condition. Many communities of color have historically been built and maintained around the concept of “it takes a village”. Caring for mother and baby throughout pregnancy and during childbirth is essential for successful societies. Those with knowledge, experience and expertise have an obligation to educate, support and assist. My core values are commitment, compassion, & knowledge.
I have a strong commitment to serving the needs of pregnant people in our community through compassion and evidence-based practices.
My priorities as a doula are four, to ensure, educate, reassure & elevate.
1. to ensure that my clients receive the best hands-on care, comfort, and assistance during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and recovery.
2. to educate my clients regarding pregnancy, labor, delivery & recovery as well as what they may expect from hospitals and medical staff. Also to provide connections and access to other beneficial resources.
3. to reassure clients that their birth is their own and they have what they need, within themselves, and at their disposal to secure a healthy, safe and positive birth experience.
4. to help elevate clients above their fears, insecurities & expectations using positive encouragement and emotional support.
My goals are to help reduce the maternal and infant mortality rate, to help people to have the safest, healthiest birth possible, and to restore a sense of well being to those who are childbearing through careful postpartum care.
The first step in getting you the support you deserve is to schedule an intake meeting. During the intake meeting, I will answer any questions you might have, learn about your family needs and how I can best support you.
My experience with doula Imani was beyond wonderful, from the very beginning to the very end of my pregnancy she was kind, caring, understanding and patient throughtout. Considering the fact that this was frist pregnancy, she always made herself available and approahcable about any concerns I may have had regarding issues such as labor, breastfeeding, and the way my body was changing. Due to COVID-19 most of our meetings had to be done via zoom during which she always showed up on time and would discuss various things such as doctor's appointments, birthing plans, and even her own birthing experiences which made me feel less uncomfortable about certain issues. I was in labor for 3 days and from my house to the time we went to the hospital she was by my side making sure everything with me and the baby was alright. Overall, choosing Imani to be my doula was probably the best decision I could have made during my pregrancy and I would definitely chose her again!
- Muniyya Muhammad