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Peace. I am SciHonor Devotion. I have been in the field of Reproductive Health since I became pregnant with my first child in 1999. I began my formal Labor Doula studies in 2001 with DONA and certified in 2003 while pursuing my Postpartum Doula and Childbirth Education certifications with CAPPA gaining my certifications in 2004. In 2002, Mamatoto Baby Slings was born and my partner and I began to design and sell Baby Slings and teach about the importance of touch and the bond between mother and baby whether nursing or not. I started my Labor Doula practice providing support to women that I knew and working with grant based programs that provided mothers-to-be with free Doula services mainly in the Harlem, NY area and in a Bronx Shelter. I loved every minute of it.
I continued my studies and took classes in Perinatal Loss and Grief, the Ancient Art of Midwifery, Herbs and Homeopathy for Labor and Birth and more. I've taught Childbirth Education classes at the Morris Heights Birthing Pavilion in the Bronx and independently throughout the years. I'm also a strong advocate of Breastfeeding and have promoted breastfeeding and provided nursing support to women. I helped to create the NYC chapter of the International Center for Traditional Childbearing (ICTC) which we called, Sistahs for Better Birth and held the position of Secretary. Over the years, I've worked with many midwives including home birth midwives Memaniye Cinque (Dyekora Sumda Midwifery), Sakina O'Uhuru, author of Journey to Birth (Gentle Spirit Birth) and Mama Nonkululeko, Harlem Midwife and founder of the Harlem Birth Action Committee (HBAC) and received Midwifery Assistant Certification through Aza Nedhari's Mamatoto Village. I am a "Womb Sauna" certified Vaginal Steam Practitioner (WSP) and have had an amazing journey helping women use this ancient art and tool to heal themselves and enhance their lives using this modality in The Womb Room. Some people remember a line of products that I had called, The Devotion Collection in the early 2000s. Fast forward many years later, The Devotion Collection has morphed to my accessory product line. I use ankara and batik fabrics to create beautiful accessories to enhance the beauty that women already have and exude. It is something that I enjoy doing very much and I hope you enjoy them as well. I have been a vegan for over a decade and my family and I started Queen's Quisine in response to people asking us to prepare vegetarian, vegan and raw foods for them and even to show them how to prepare it themselves. I have published works in The Hood Health Handbooks, Volumes 1 and 2 and also write for The Source's Hood Health 101 Column pertaining to women's reproductive health and more. I am a Homeschool advocate with 8+ years of experience. Although I am not currently homeschooling, I love working with the youth and plan to launch a Rites of Passage program for girls very soon. Stay Tuned. I also enjoy organizing fun, educational events for the young including the annual Career and Economics Day and the OGDC Spelling Bee which both take place in Queens, NY. |
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Testimonials
SciHonor you truly give honor to the worth of a Doula
-Sister Saidah "This card is to express our greatest appreciation and to let you know how warmly we felt to have support. Thank you always."
-Love Sabreen and Latik, Bronx, NY "Thank you SciHonor for your generous gifts of time, patience, and knowledge"
- Amadoma, Doula, Queens, NY " I can go on and on. But I got through it because of the one and only constant in that room: my Doula. She was patient, she was caring, she was encouraging, she was my advocate, she was my strength, she was my family’s strength, she was my doormat, my punching bag and my shoulder to cry on all in one.Yes, I could have given birth to Asha Rachelle without a Doula, but why even entertain that thought?",
-Martine Malivers, 2004 Birth - Bronx, NYC |
