For wife, mother, wellness advocate, and now children’s book author, Miquilaue Young, homebirth isn’t just about having options; it’s about upholding a proud legacy rooted in tradition. Inspired by her grandmother, who had five homebirths of her own, Young decided to follow in her footsteps. Young has since had six homebirths and has become deeply passionate about educating, normalizing, and initiating conversations not only about homebirth but birth advocacy as a whole.

Young, who is originally from Newport Beach, California, moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after completing graduate school in hopes of becoming closer to her grandparents and learning more about her culture. “My grandma was amazing,” Young said. “She was an inspiration and encouragement to so many people.” A conversation that Young says, especially stands out in her mind when she recalls those days spent with Grandma Mattie, was listening to her reflect upon the birth of her children. “She had five homebirths, and her 6th child was born in a hospital,” Young said. “I remember her recounting how excruciating that hospital birth was for her, and I see how prevalent that still is for many women today.”

According to Young, Grandma Mattie chose to have her sixth and final child in a hospital setting after five successful homebirths due to a shift in cultural norms and societal expectations. “Homebirth began to be seen as backward,” Young said. “If you were up and coming, then you had your baby at the hospital.” Thanks to Grandma Mattie’s reflective nature and passionate storytelling, Young soon became interested in homebirth and decided to follow suit when beginning her own family. “She completely changed my understanding of homebirth,” Young said. “All of my biological children were born at home.”

Grandma Mattie and Miquilaue

For years, Young sought out children’s books about homebirth featuring African American characters but was never able to find any, which ultimately inspired her to write one herself. Despite having felt called to write “Mama Says Homebirth” years prior, Young says that with seven children, all of which she homeschools, it was hard for her to find the time to immerse herself in the creative process. However, after witnessing story after story about maternal mortalities sweep the media, many of which being African American women, Young quickly realized that the time to write and publish this book was now. “If you are an African American woman,” Young said. “Your chance of experiencing complications or facing death during childbirth in a hospital setting is, unfortunately, atrocious.”

While homebirth does tend to be more of an adult conversation, Young says that she chose to write “Mama Says Homebirth” as a children’s book in effort to normalize homebirth from an early age. “I know for my children, this is what they know,” Young said. “They know home birth. It’s normal for them, and I felt like it needed to be normalized for other children. ” Young says that her book, “Mama Says Homebirth,” is intended for ages pre-k through 6th grade, however, that all her children, ages 1-13, love the book. “It isn’t too scientific, and it doesn’t go too far into detail,” Young said. “It’s just some basic things that a child can comprehend and remember.” She is also currently working on a chapter book about homebirth intended for older readers.

Miquilaue and James Young with their 7 children

Young says that her intention for writing “Mama Says Homebirth” was to renormalize something that used to be standard practice for birthing mothers. Homebirths with midwives certainly aren’t a new concept, and Young hopes that her book will help reinstill the integrity of homebirth in a society that has successfully fear-mongered the practice. Ultimately, Young says that this conversation isn’t about pushing homebirth as the right path or attempting to villainize hospital births, but instead, to shine a light on the fact that such options are available to those who are interested. “There are some women who are okay with hospital births, and that’s okay,” Young said. “It’s not about hospital birth versus home birth; it’s about women being informed and knowing that they have options.”

“Mama Says Homebirth” is now available for purchase on Amazon and is coming soon to a bookstore near you!

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Content from the Latched Mama blog is not intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. The information provided on this blog is intended for general consumer understanding and entertainment only; with experiences shared from Mom to Mom. The information provided is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. ***Please contact your family pediatrician to discuss professional medical advice.***