REMEMBER AND RECLAIM
Facilitating the remembrance of all that has been lost, stolen, hidden, and forgotten and giving you the tools to reclaim them.
OUR VALUES:
JUSTICE
We are rooted in justice. We are always fighting for birth, reproductive, and social justice, at the intersections of: language, land, food, housing, and economic justice.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
EQUITY
Equity is crucial in all spaces. It is what is needed in order to truly bring positive and effectual change to the reproductive health experiences of all people. We are knocking on doors and building our own tables and chairs to increase equity on all levels of birth and reproductive healthcare.
“Fairness does not mean everyone gets the same. Fairness means everyone gets what they need.”
- Rick Riordan
WE ARE A VILLAGE
We are a village. We operate through a village model of care. There is an African proverb, which says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” We believe that. We also believe that it takes a village to thrive. Our community village thrives when all members are included, all their needs are met, and all voices are heard, honored, and respected.
“It takes a village to raise a child.”
- African Proverb
Hi, I’m Jazz-Ylaine Baptiste!
(She/Her)
Executive Director and Founder
Also known as, Queen Jazz-Ylaine and Mama Birthkeeper, I am the Lead Facilitator of Remembrance and Navigator of this Mothership. I am a: mother, teacher, healer, dancer, birthkeeper, trainer, mentor, childbirth educator, business coach, natural fertility specialist, and womb healing practitioner. My journey as a birthworker began at the age of 10 years old when I had the honor of being the junior birth coach for my Mom, then pregnant with my sister. This experience was the beginning of a life purpose to serve people and their babies along their birth and reproductive journeys.
After three years serving as the Program Director of the Culturally Diverse Birthkeepers Training Program at Cornerstone Doula Trainings, I founded Cornerstone Birthkeeper Trainings. Cornerstone Doula Trainings (CDT) and Cornerstone Birthkeeper Trainings (CBT) are sibling companies. In August 2020, I also stepped into a new title and role at CDT, as the Director of Organizational Development.
In addition to the above roles, I am the Founder and CEO of The Business of Birthwork, an online business training school for birthworkers around the world. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Management with minors in finance and international business from Georgia Institute of Technology. Since 2004, I have been an entrepreneur and owner of several businesses. I am multilingual, speaking: Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese and French, with life and work experiences in Spain, China, Mexico and Brazil.
In 2018, while pregnant with my daughter, I created Dance Baby Down™, a movement method of birth preparation. Dance Baby Down™ integrates: meditation, gentle movement, upbeat dancing through labor positions, affirmations, and community building. I have trained a handful of Dance Baby Down™ Instructors and look forward to training many more in the upcoming years.
I believe that birth is sacred, and an incredible rite of passage. I am dedicated to honoring this sacred rite of passage through: direct support, community education and outreach, and the professional training of birthkeepers, birthworkers, and Dance Baby Down™ instructors.
TESTIMONIAL:
“My experience was one about spiritual self-discovery. I felt more than ever that I was exactly where I needed to be during this ceremony. I received so much energy that gave me an immense amount of optimism about my journey as a birth-keeper. I appreciated the time we took to practice hands-on exercises to support a birthing person throughout labor. It really helped me find ways to feel comfortable enough in my own body in order to physically support others and attend whatever their needs might be. I also loved the ways in which we integrated self-care as an essential practice throughout the training. It made it very clear that self-care is non-negotiable when one is caring for others. I left feeling very fulfilled with everything that was shared each day of training and I’m especially grateful that this wonderful training time was guided by Jazz in her sacred space. Thank you Jazz for making all the wisdom you shared easily digestible and for radiating so much joy while mentoring us. I’m eternally grateful for this experience and excited to share more birth stories and ceremonies with you!”
— Jackie S., Labor Birthkeeper
