May 2025

May 30

Family Care Spaces Across Montana

By Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Breastfeeding, Community, Indigineous Maternal Health

By Diona Buck, Native American Initiatives Program Coordinator

Photos contributed by MOMS and local Indigenous BirthWorkers

A Family Care Space is a space where mothers, parents, and families can come to feed their babies, change their baby’s diaper, and receive educational materials, and most importantly connect with local BirthWorkers. While the concept of Family Care Spaces at public events is not the first of its kind, the meaning of this movement for Tribal Communities in Montana lies in something deeper: the reclamation of Indigenous traditional ways.

Families attending cultural or public events often have to navigate the unique challenges like feeding their infants, changing diapers, or simply finding a quiet private area to care for their young children. Often times we see parents leaving events to go change or feed their babies in their cars, making these tasks harder than they should be. These needs, though common, are rarely addressed in event planning.

Family Care Spaces across Montana were developed not just to meet these needs, but to do so in a way that honored and recentered Indigenous Traditional Knowledge around the sacredness of birthing, parenting, and raising the next generations. These spaces are a reminder that as Indigenous people, we once surrounded birthing people with ceremony, care, and collective support. Parenting was not meant to be done in isolation but in community. It takes a village to raise a child.

A total of nine Family Care Space Kits, each equipped with a canopy tent with sidewalls, a portable diaper changing table, and a table and chairs, were funded through the Montana Obstetrics and Maternal Support (MOMS) program. These kits were distributed to six Tribal and three Urban Indian Communities across Montana to support the creation of Family Care Spaces into their communities. Since 2024, at least a dozen Family Care Spaces have been set up at local events and gatherings to support families.

Today, Indigenous doulas, lactation consultants, and maternal health champions are leading the way, working with community organizers to integrate these spaces into powwows, health fairs, and cultural gatherings. Key maternal health champions include Tribal Health programs, Public Health Nursing programs and Urban Indian organizations who recognize the importance of providing these spaces as a community. Family Care Space kits are stored with local organizations that have taken the initiative to lead this effort in their communities. But this work is not done alone. At its core, this initiative is about community collaboration, bringing together BirthWorkers, families, Elders, health departments, and event organizers to uplift and care for our families.

HMHB Native American Initiatives is able to continue supporting the Family Care Space initiative. Vital to this work is Diona Buck, who is Nakoda from the Fort Belknap Indian Community and a descendant of the Aaniiih Tribe and currently serves as the Native American Initiatives Program Coordinator. In her role at HMHB, Diona continues to uplift and expand Family Care Spaces across Montana by connecting with Indigenous BirthWorkers and maternal health champions and guiding communities in creating these spaces.

The Family Care Space Toolkit was developed in January 2024 by Diona Buck. If you or your organization are interested in bringing a Family Care Space to your next event or would like to collaborate, we encourage you to reach out to Diona at diona@hmhb-mt.org. We would be honored to connect you with local maternal health champions and support you in creating a space that reflects and uplifts your community.

May 15

Love0

Honoring Stories. Elevating Care.

By Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Maternal Mental Health

By Emily Freeman, HMHB Storytelling Coordinator

Photos by Kim Giannone

May is Maternal Mental Health Month.

Maternal Mental Health Month can be a good time to remember that motherhood doesn’t always feel – on the inside – quite the same way it appears on the outside. All manner of challenges and stressors may lurk behind the smiling family portrait posted on social media. That perfect mom you see at pre-school pick-up? She may be holding back deep grief over a lost pregnancy, or shame about needing help with a problem she can’t yet put words to, the solution to which she can’t yet identify.

Perinatal mental health challenges can vary widely. While some issues may require robust support from trained professionals and systems, others can be helped along through person-to-person, community-based care, which we can all be a part of. This can be as simple as smiling at a struggling mom to make her feel seen, and not like her crying baby is a burden; it can be a few small words spoken to a stranger in line at the grocery store: You’re doing great. It can be a weekly moms meetup at the park that begins as a group of strangers, and soon becomes a place to connect, to vent, to heal. These points of human connection are so important.

Real Stories from Montana Moms

At HMHB, Maternal Mental Health Month provides us with an opportunity to highlight some of the lived experiences that mothers across the state have been bold and generous enough to share. In last year’s issue of LIFTS magazine, Shayla Horner wrote about the support and medical advice she received for her bipolar disorder, allowing her to become the strong and stable mom her daughters deserve. Kelsie Christensen wrote about the encouragement she received from a local moms group which helped her manage her anxiety in the early months of motherhood. On the Mother Love podcast, Rachael Watters shared her harrowing journey through postpartum psychosis, and how she continues to grow and heal.

Insights from Perinatal Mental Health Experts

In addition to these invaluable stories from moms, we’re honored to be able to share the lived experience of our trusted network experts and providers working with, and for, moms and families during this season of life. In the 2023 edition of LIFTS, Dr. Ariela Frieder offered her wisdom and expertise as a perinatal psychiatrist, including a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder checklist for moms, and resources to guide them towards getting the help they might need.

Recent guests on the Mother Love podcast have included Amy Lowney, a labor and delivery nurse who pivoted to postpartum doula work to better address the mental and emotional needs of moms after they left the hospital. Last year, we spoke with perinatal mental health expert Diana Barnes, an episode which not only addressed the way that maternal mental health can have unintended legal consequences, but provided an opportunity for listeners to hear mothers across two generations in conversation about their own experiences with postpartum mood disorders.

Explore the LIFTS Resource Guide

Maternal Mental Health is a good time to share and bookmark our LIFTS online resource guide. LIFTS offers a searchable, and frequently updated, database of resources around the state, with categories such as Mental Health Providers, Family Support and Education, Cultural Connections, and more. It’s a great resource to share with parents, or with providers who interface with, and support, families during this season of life.

In June, we’re hosting the 8th annual Perinatal Mental Health Conference, a chance for providers from across the state to come together to share, strategize, and enjoy the camaraderie of a vast network of those who work collectively to improve and sustain the health of moms in our state. We’re looking forward to learning together, and pooling the knowledge that each of us will bring from our different pocket of this vast and diversely resourced state. You can get a taste of the conference by viewing Dr. Samantha Greenberg’s “Perinatal Mental Health 101” session from last year’s conference. If you’d like to join us this year, you can find more information and register here.

May 09

Love0

The Growing Movement of Indigenous Birthworkers in Montana

By Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Birth, Caregiving, Native American Initiatives, Native Cultural Connections

Written by Chelsea Bellon

Photos courtesy of Julianne Denny

In many Indigenous communities, birth is more than a medical event—it is a sacred ceremony, deeply rooted in tradition, community, and ancestral knowledge. While the term “Doula” is widely recognized today, its origins are tied to Western frameworks that may not fully capture the depth of Indigenous birthing practices. Long before Western society formalized the role of Doulas, Indigenous families, Elders, and community members played an essential part in supporting birth as a ceremony.

Today, many Indigenous communities use the terms Birthworker and Doula interchangeably, reflecting both historical traditions and contemporary roles. Birthworkers provide non-medical support before, during, and after childbirth, offering emotional, spiritual, and physical care. Birthworkers provide information around perinatal education, community resources, and advocacy support. Many consider this work a calling—”heart work” that centers ceremony and connection, creating a meaningful and supported start for both parents and baby.

Strengthening Indigenous Birthwork in Montana

Since the introduction of the Indigenous Full Spectrum Doula training to Montana’s Tribal communities in 2022, the movement of Indigenous Birthworkers has gained remarkable momentum. Trainings held across reservations have supported more than 80 Birthworkers, empowering those in both rural and urban communities throughout the state. Following training efforts supported by the Montana Obstetrics & Maternal Support (MOMS) program, newly trained Birthworkers sought continued education, mentorship, and community. In response, the Native American Initiatives (NAI) Program with Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies – Montana (HMHB-MT) cultivated a space for growth, connection, and collaboration.

Through monthly gatherings, Birthworkers from across Montana have built a network to share successes, navigate challenges, and learn from one another. Under the leadership of NAI Program Director, Amy Stiffarm, the group has welcomed guest speakers and educators to help Birthworkers develop their skills and expand their impact.

Kendra Potter, a Birth Doula and Trainer from Missoula, has provided mentorship on balancing birthwork with family life and other job responsibilities.
Tina Begay of Redtail Accounting has shared insights on marketing, networking, and business growth for Birthworkers.
Diona Buck, representing the MOMS Program provided guidance and resources for Indigenous Birthworkers to engage and support families and elders in their communities. The Family Care Space initiative was formed to provide supplies for communities to create a breastfeeding and respite space for events such as pow wows, basketball games, health fairs, celebrations, and more. The Family Care space was intended to be led by the local Indigenous Birthworkers; 15 Family Care Spaces were sent out to rural and urban communities across Montana.
Most recently, the group welcomed Glenda Abbot, founder of the Indigenous Birth Justice Network in Canada, which now extends into Washington State. She introduced valuable perspectives on land-based birthing practices and the role of Birthworkers in community healing and revitalization.

Join the Indigenous Birthworker Network

The Indigneous Birthworker Network of Montana continues to grow, providing a space for Indigenous Birthworkers, past Doula training participants, and advocates to connect with a supportive community, access valuable resources, receive mentorship and advocacy to strengthen skills and expand culturally centered care. The Indigenous Birthworker Network of Montana fosters collaboration, ensuring Indigenous Birthworkers are recognized, supported and uplifted in their roles. The group meets every third Thursday of the month from 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM and welcomes those who are passionate about supporting Indigenous birthwork in Montana.

For more information or to join the meetings, contact Chelsea Bellon at chelsea@hmhb-mt.org.

Together, this network is strengthening the path for Indigenous Birthworkers, ensuring that birth remains a ceremony and community-centered care continues to thrive for future generations.

To find Doulas and Birthworkers near you, use the category “Doulas and Other Birth Professionals” on LIFTS!

linking infants and families to supports