Dustin Young, 37, from Carson California. (Photo by Jeremy Green)
Even as a child, 37-year-old Dustin Young was interested in the human body. Surrounded by Black women, including his three sisters, an aunt, his mother and grandmother, he was also surrounded by the experience of womanhood. Now he’s a certified doula.
A doula does not necessarily take the place of a doctor or nurse. Instead, they make sure that the pregnant woman’s needs are met. This can include everything from coming to doctor’s visits to make sure they are properly addressing the concerns of patients, to offering massages to help when the woman is in pain.
“[A doula acts] pretty much act as a support person who’s there before, during and after the birth to provide support, any type of guidance needed and education to make the pregnancy experience as positive and healthy as possible,” said Young. “There’s a lot of people thinking I’m out here catching and delivering babies, cutting umbilical cords, performing C-sections.”
Young was inspired to become a doula because of the pregnancies in his family. He served as a doula for his 29-year-old sister when she moved in with him before he even knew what a doula was. After another sister had a stillbirth, he was determined to learn more about the field. He has now participated in three pregnancies.
“She moved in with me and my older sister for the entire nine months. I gave her my room, made sure she was good here for the entire nine months. And when she went into labor, I was one that woke up panicking and took her to the hospital,” Young said.
Dustin Young together with his sister’s son for uncle-nephew time. (Photo courtesy of Dustin Young).
Young does feel that there is some stigma associated with a man becoming a doula. According to a 2018 Los Angeles Time article, 41% of gynecologists are men, yet that number is dwelling. He pointed out that there are plenty of male doctors, gynecologists and men who have assisted women with the birthing process for thousands of years. Young wants more men to be active in understanding pregnancy, so they can better assist women in their lives when they need help the most.
Medical racism still plays a role in how Black women are treated in the doctor’s office, so Young states that it is vital to protect Black women when they are in such a vulnerable state. He also said that one of the most forgotten stages where a new mother needs support is postpartum.
“We have ideas of what birth is and after pregnancy by going ‘yeah you just gave birth, you’re fine after five days.’ No, you probably need to chill for a good two months, easing your way back into normalcy,” he said.
Young looks forward to creating systems where more Black men will be more involved in the birthing process. He also hopes to continue growing his nonprofit Our Own, which is committed to breaking systemic barriers, especially with the youth. Recently, the non-profit awarded $30,000 to Black women going to HBCUs.
“My goal is not to create more male doulas. It’s just to create the conversation that we could be more present into the space and showing up,” Young said. “I took this approach because I’m this person who likes knowledge and wants to gain as much as possible, so whenever I have my own kids, I know how to show my woman and make sure she’s comfortable.”
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Connect with Dustin’s nonprofit Our Own by clicking here.