Community Circles are virtual, consultant-led and supported classes that bring Black women together through every stage of pregnancy and post-birth to share their experiences, joys, questions, thoughts and fears. The circles are patient-guided and focus on social support and building community among participants. In the final episode of the third season, Dr. Diane Banigo, a certified nurse midwife, and Ciana Cullens, a community relations liaison, join the show to share their experiences as consultants leading Community Circles.

Listen to the episode or read the transcript.

Space to connect

Black women have been and continue to be underserved when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth support. Dr. Diane Banigo and Ciana Cullens are working to change that by facilitating Community Circles.

Community Circles are spaces for Black women to connect peer-to-peer to talk about their pregnancy and birth experiences. For Dr. Banigo, it’s just another aspect of care. “Care isn’t just clinical,” she says. “Care should also happen where the people are in the community.”

Women usually join a circle during pregnancy, but it’s open to women well after they’ve given birth. They share experiences, but more important than that, they validate each other.

Each meeting has a topic of focus and resources to learn about, but from there it’s patient guided. The women own the space, say Dr. Banigo and Cullens. “We get to be guests.”

‘Your crazy has a name’

A critical part of Community Circles is normalizing mental health challenges. Women who are not feeling like themselves aren’t “crazy.” There’s a legitimate mental health term for what they’re feeling.

In the Black community, having space and being able to acknowledge that mental health issues can hurt you has a big impact on life. “Women are saying things in this space that they have never spoken out loud to anyone,” says Cullens.

“People giving voice to their own demons have allowed other women to say, ’Oh, me, too!’” says Dr. Banigo. From there, women share advice and what has worked for them. “They’re organic conversations and connections that are happening,” she says. “It promotes self-advocacy.”

Women recommend mental health solutions from yoga to therapy to each other. And in addition to their own connections, Community Circles create space for services to come in and present so women know where to go if they need more resources.

Coming as you are

Many groups say come as you are and that they accept all. But Community Circles live it. Women don’t feel expected to do their hair or makeup. They come as they are to a group that accepts and supports them.

They know it’s OK to be not OK. They learn that they don’t have to love being pregnant or be blissfully happy after the birth of the child. And when this kind of girlfriend therapy isn’t enough, Dr. Banigo and Cullens help women level up to higher care.

“I will walk in the front door with you,” says Dr. Banigo. Whether it’s therapy, the ER or another resource, she says they’re honored to be trusted advocates and guides.

Practice using their voices

Dr. Banigo and Cullens say Community Circles are a safe space for Black women to practice using their voices. They practice so they can someday use them externally.

“When women unite in community, healing happens, change happens,” says Cullens.

Adds Dr. Banigo: “We’re better together and when women lock arms, things change.”

To hear more from Dr. Banigo and Ciana Cullens, listen to this episode of Off the Charts.