Midwifery on the Path to Reproductive Justice 

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

2 pm EST 

Location: Online via Zoom 

Join us for a digital panel where MHC alums will discuss the current landscape of birth and reproductive justice in the United States. Panelists will share their experiences and stories as birth workers, midwives and advocates for good care.

Reproductive justice is defined as the “human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent children in safe and sustainable communities.” This framework was developed by 12 Black women in 1994 in response to what was missing in the Clinton health care reform efforts. Our panelists will discuss how the midwifery model of care aligns with and supports the reproductive justice framework. They will also examine how the model addresses current threats or barriers to reproductive justice, changes in midwifery over time and where the midwives believe things are heading in the next decade.

We hope you will attend and encourage alums in your circles to join you in this incredibly important dialogue. Register now and submit your questions. 

Moderator: 

Suzanne Wertman ’90: Suzanne Wertman is a nurse-midwife and a health policy consultant with nearly 30 years of experience providing midwifery care to people of all ages and backgrounds in a variety of settings across the country. She has taught nursing, midwifery and medical students and teaches health policy at Thomas Jefferson University. She has organized nurse-midwives across the country, trained college sexual health peer educators, educated parents about talking to their kids about HIV/AIDS, prepared parents for childbirth, founded a hospital-based volunteer doula program and facilitated trauma-informed discussions about racism and antiracism with Healing Your Almond. Learn more about Wertman by viewing her LinkedIn profile. 

Panelists: 

Bowie Yin Sum Kung ’17: Bowie Yin Sum Kung (she/her) is a Hong Kong native. She has been a birth and postpartum doula since 2023, assisting in home and hospital births and providing childbirth education to pregnant and expecting birthing people. In addition to her training and experience as a doula, she supplements her practice with knowledge on hypnobirthing, strength training and stretching during pregnancy, practices to prevent vaginal tears during childbirth and postpartum recovery. Honoring all types of birth experiences is in her blood — her grandmother gave birth to her mother (and aunts and uncles) on their fishing boat home and her father is a retired OB/GYN. Read more about Yin Sum Kung.

Kate Davidson ’70: Kate Davidson started her career as a direct-entry midwife doing home deliveries for 17 years. In this role, she was the Northwest representative for the Midwife Alliance of North America. Davidson later served as the chief lobbyist for the Oregon Midwifery Council, which achieved state licensure status for direct-entry midwives and as the chair of the Oregon Midwifery Council Licensing Board. In 1996, she became a Certified Nurse-Midwife and attended hospital births. Davidson has since retired but maintains a constant concern about the state of women’s health care.

Tel Viehmann Cunningfolk ’06: Tel Viehmann Cunningfolk, LM, CPM, IBCLC, is a licensed midwife in California in private practice since 2013. They are the owner and founder of Taproot Midwifery, an inclusive homebirth midwifery practice offering home birth services, fertility and inseminations, lactation support and well body care. After graduating from Mount Holyoke College in 2006, they graduated from Birthwise Midwifery School in 2012. In 2022, they became an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant to better serve their clients in all aspects of pregnancy and postpartum. Learn more about Viehmann Cunningfolk.

Mervnide Pierre ’14: Mervnide Pierre, CNM, MS, (she/her/hers) is a staff midwife at Metropolitan Hospital. Previously, she practiced midwifery at North Central Bronx Hospital for three years. She is a graduate of Columbia University’s nurse-midwifery program. Growing up in the church is where Pierre found an affinity for helping and serving others, but Mount Holyoke is where she developed the language for her passion in birthwork. Pierre’s experience includes a previous appointment as adjunct faculty at Columbia University School of Nursing, guest lecturing for their DNP midwifery program and clinical precepting for midwifery students. In 2024, Pierre founded mbodywell, a wellness hub dedicated to empowering individuals through knowledge, which specializes in community events focused on reproductive health. Her upbringing as a first-generation Haitian inspires her belief in hard work, community and culture. 

Accessibility information

This event will include an oral presentation about midwifery and reproductive justice. For inquiries about the accessibility of this event or to request any accommodations, please email the programs team or call Kate Sawicki at 413-538-2734. Please make accommodation requests at least 10 business days before the event to allow for implementation time. However, in all situations, we will make a good-faith effort to provide accommodations up until the time of the event.

As the host, Mount Holyoke College reserves the right to record this session. The recording feature for others is disabled so no other party will be able to record this session through Zoom. Throughout the session, recording by any other means is not permitted without prior written permission from the event sponsor or as an approved accommodation.