\u266c original sound – ABC 10News San Diego<\/a> <\/p><\/blockquote>\nCeleste and Joao walked, carrying their 3-month-old newborn in for an appointment.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got so much black hair, and he\u2019s gained a lot of weight,\u201d Helms laughed, embracing them warmly.<\/p>\n
During their appointment, Nikki asked about how things have been going and whether the family needs any support.<\/p>\n
Celeste and Joao chose the birth center for their pre and postnatal care. While they delivered in a hospital, they found the personalized support they needed here.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was thinking about giving birth, it was about where I feel comfortable and safe\u2014where my voice is heard and I\u2019m not just another patient,\u201d says Celeste, while Joao stood beside her, cradling their baby.<\/p>\n
Creating intimacy, a sense of community and support\u2014that is what Helms wants to achieve.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was the mission back then\u2014that marginalized people could have access to a birth center through insurance,\u201d she repeated.<\/p>\n
Much of her work is observation and giving information\u2014especially since some clients find themselves unexpectedly navigating birth without much prior planning.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe tell you where your baby is positioned in your body, what you might be feeling. Like, \u2018Oh, I\u2019ve got a foot in my ribs.\u2019 We can feel it and say, \u2018Yes, you do,\u2019\u201d Helms explained.<\/p>\n
In another room, Ashley was preparing for labor. It\u2019s her fourth pregnancy, but this time, she\u2019s chosen a birth center.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m enjoying the intimacy with the midwife, not being checked on constantly. And I like the idea of going home soon after having the baby,” she said.<\/p>\n
For Helms, birth is a natural process; it doesn\u2019t have to be made too complicated.<\/p>\n
“We don’t treat high-risk pregnancies here,” she said. \u201cThe woman is delivering\u2014the midwives are just the catchers.\u201d <\/p>\n
Moments later, a colleague called her into another room. She\u2019s busy all day, but never seems stressed.<\/p>\n
Still, there are moments of reflection\u2014like when Nikki looks at the wall in the birth center, where names of Black women who lost their lives during childbirth are written.<\/p>\n
\u201cBlack people should feel that they\u2019re not at risk when doing something as natural as having a baby,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Maternal mortality rates in the U.S. are still higher<\/a> than in other industrialized nations\u2014and significantly higher for Black women. Helms believes her birth center has made a difference.<\/p>\n\u201cWhen you\u2019re a Black woman seeking care from a Black midwife, there\u2019s a cultural commonality that improves outcomes,” she said.<\/p>\n
She recalls that five years ago, only four Black midwives were practicing in San Diego. In Sept. 2025, that number has grown. <\/p>\n
There are now more midwives from diverse cultural backgrounds serving the area.<\/p>\n
Helms has answers to many questions\u2014but there was one she couldn’t quite respond to: Is there one birth that stands out to her?<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery birth has its own special experience. What impacts me most is how a person feels in the moment right after,” she said.<\/p>\n
Celeste and Joao left the birth center. There were warm embraces for the farewell, and once again, the sunlight falls through the open door \u2014 ready to let in the next expecting or new mother.<\/p>\n