If it was me or my sister or somebody who is going to, you know, get, have a baby, I always imagine like, what would I want to see, you know? And I think there are some places like a very integrated model is what I see. So a place where there is like a community center kind of where there's a lot of black women who have experienced doulas or spiritual leaders or all that together in a place

also where you have your OBGYN and you have a social worker and you have a psychiatrist and a

therapist. You can go to one place. There's groups. There's fellowship with other people. You have

your medical care. Everyone is kind of very much in the same place and on the same team and working

towards a good outcome.

And I just see this as like a very joyful place where people go and you almost kind of hang out,

but also get to have your medical care and your mental health care and feel support and feel like you're in a community and you have like the village, really,

that's helping and take care of you and guide you through this difficult period.

You're listening to Natal.

You're listening to Natal.

You are listening to Natal.

You're listening to NATO.

A podcast about having a baby.

Having a baby.

Having a baby while black.

I'm Nadel co-host Gabrielle Horton.

That voice at the top of the episode was Dr. Simi Bambaschet.

She practices reproductive psychiatry and consultation liaison psychiatry at Cedar Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, California.

And that birthplace, she's describing with just about everything short of rainbows and glitter, well, that is the kind of vision of care

Dr. Bambachet wants and is fighting for for black birthing parents here in my hometown. If you're like me,

right about now, you're probably wondering what the heck reproductive

psychiatry even is. In short, it refers to mental health care for individuals at every stage

...