Midwives at the Garden

This "Labor (of Love) Day Weekend Famous Midwives Teach, Inspire, at the Carver Park Community Garden

Nashville, TN. As President Obama and the rest of the country tackle the issue of health care reform, an important question arises about the death rate for U.S. women during pregnancy, birth and the year after the end of pregnancy. This question and more will be discussed by midwives Ina May Gaskin and Umsalaama Abdullah during a presentation at George W. Carver Food Park on Saturday, September 5 at 1 pm.

Covering a full range of information that every woman and her partner should know about conception, pregnancy and birth, Umsalaama will also share her experiences in Senegal as clinical director for the African American Islamic Institute. A midwife for over 30 years who has worked as nurse/midwife at several metropolitan hospitals, Umsalaama has delivered more than 4,000 babies in her career. She holds a masters degree from Emory University and is particularly sensitive to the needs and concerns of African and African American women.

Ina May Gaskin is a midwifery pioneer, noted international speaker and author of Spiritual Midwifery, the classic book on home birth. A practicing midwife for over 30 years, she introduced the Gaskin Maneuver and is also the author of Ina May’s Guide to Natural Childbirth. Recently she began the Safe Motherhood Quilt Project to bring attention to the issue of maternal mortality rates, which are four times as high in the African-American community as in the Caucasian community. The project aims to help in identifying a problem that should have national priority and bringing it to the forefront. “Women need better information as they make important decisions with regard to maternity care,” she says.

"This is a phenomenal opportunity to educate and motivate young mothers, fathers and health professionals on the importance (and dangers) of child birth in Tennessee. These two ladies are scholars in their field and are passionate about getting the word out, especially on both maternal and infant mortality rates, everyone is welcome" says Sizwe Herring, Director, EarthMatters Tennessee.


The George W. Carver Food Park is located at 1001 Gale Lane (10th & Gale Lane) in South Nashville. For more information, contact 615-252-6953.