Birth Stories of Trinidad and Tobago is a multi-part project: (1) a short film, Home Birth in Trinidad and Tobago screened at the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival, (2) edited short films originally posted on YouTube and the Birth Stories of TT Facebook page, (3) a variety of articles and (4) a collection of approximately 55 interviews conducted in 2018 with parents (both mothers and fathers), midwives, obstetricians, doulas, government agency workers, etc. The stories include births in private hospitals, public hospitals, at home, and in the country’s only midwife-run birth center, the Mamatoto Resource and Birth Center. 

At the time of the project’s inception, there were very few local resources on birth. The aim of the project is to generate awareness of healthcare options available to Trinidadian and Tobagonian birthing parents as well as issues to consider, and to advocate for better birth conditions. The stories are also a resource for researchers, practitioners, and advocates. 


Videos were posted on Facebook and YouTube and have received over 50k views. Tammy presented content at the 2021 International Confederation of Midwives Triennial Conference; 2020 Palm Bay Caribe Film Festival; the 2019 Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival; the 2018 Trinidad and Tobago Association of Midwives Biannual Conference, and to the TT Ministry of Women’s Health, the Institute of Gender and Development Studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI) in St. Augustine, and three community screenings. The project was covered on TTT Now and in Newsday. A follow-up paper was written, Decolonizing Natal Care in Trinidad and Tobago, in addition to an autoethnography. All materials are linked to below. 


Project created in collaboration with many individuals and organizations, including

Home Birth in Trinidad and Tobago

Articles 

Sampling of Videos

Media Coverage

Birth stories of TT Newsday Article.pdf

Facebook and YouTube Pages 

Click on either to view more videos