Mali Collins, Ph.D
Birth, Postpartum & Abortion Doula
"I want people to come away feeling more equipped to take care of their mental health after birth and postpartum, and confident in making community-as-family."
Mali Collins, Ph.D believes that all people who choose to have children should have access to all reproductive choices around when and how to birth, what postpartum practices they want to privilege, what food they want their children to eat, and how to raise them safely into adulthood.
Mali specializes in pregnancy and baby loss, abortion pre-care and aftercare.
She is especially passionate about those looking to heal their families after intergenerational trauma around birth and caregiving, and those navigating fraught relationships with biological families while raising children.
"My approaches are both spiritual and practical; I work with my clients on meditation and tarot as much as I do on helping them navigate medical institutions and systems. I prioritize family bonding and birth as a healing experience for the birthing family and the entire family."
Mali's calling to this work comes from her own birth experiences, both positive and negative, and wanting everyone to feel sacred and cared for while they are pregnant, birthing, and caregiving.
Since 2018 she has been supporting families in their birth and postpartum, and abortion and loss, journeys. She has also supported families through in-home childbirth education and support groups, such as her 'Black Infant Heath' workshop on the specific challenges in raising Black babies.
Mali Collins, Ph.D is a reproductive justice advocate and educator from the rural Midwest, with strong roots in Southern California. She is a mother of two children under the age of 5. She is passionate about helping people make educated decisions about their reproductive futures and those of their children. In her free time she likes to read, work out, and do tarot.
Certifications & Experience
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Full-Spectrum Doula, Kindred Space Los Angeles
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Certified Childbirth Educator, Association of Childbirth Educators
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Birth Doula, Association of Childbirth Educators
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Breastfeeding Basics, Association of Childbirth Educators
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Prenatal and Infant Loss Doula Training, Quietly United in Loss Together
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Abortion Doula Training, Bay Area Doula Project
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BA: U of Minnesota, Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies, Women's Studies minor
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MA: U of California, Irvine: Culture and Theory
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PhD: English, African American Public Humanities
Contributions
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Assistant Professor of African American Studies at American University
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Author of articles, with first book on reproductive injustice due out in 2025 by Ohio State University Press.
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Recent Articles on reproductive justice, bioethics, birth technology, and privacy:
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"Black and Waiting: Bioethics and Care during the Covid-19 Pandemic," in The Hastings Journal Special Report, May 2022.
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“A Black Daughter Like Me: Breaking the Curse of Matrilineal Fragmentation,” Thinking About Our Mothers: Reflecting on Influences From A Mother’s Relationship With Her Own Mother. Eds. Dr. Joan Garvan and Kandee Kosior. Demeter Press. - November 2022
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“Black Women Giving Birth in Prison Face Surveillance Disguised as Medical Care”, by Mali Collins and Linette Park, TruthOut.org, June 27, 2021
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“How Your Period-Tracking App Could End Up Tracking You,” RewireNews.com, December 2022.
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@protectblackmotherhood on IG and @dr_reprojustice on Twitter
Mali Collins, Ph.D's Doula Services
Our Doulas will support you before, during, and after your birth! Here you can read more about our Doula services.
Hire Mali to help you plan your birth in detail, and to prepare you for your journey, or to support you along the way with Pregnancy Support. For Labor & Birth Support, Virtual and In-Person Doula Birth packages include:
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1.5 hour prenatal planning meeting in your home, via Zoom, or at the studio
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1 in-home postpartum visit for initial breastfeeding support and birth processing
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On Call Phone or Email Support throughout your pregnancy and 6-weeks postpartum
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Monthly support groups at the studio to relate to others on the physical and emotional experience of pregnancy
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Access to Free Prenatal Yoga Classes, and Free Pregnancy Support Circle
Packages include:
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Birth Planning
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Pregnancy Support
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Virtual or In-Person Birth Support
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Postpartum Processing Support
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Holistic Doula Packages - Includes Unlimited Childbirth Education & Yoga Classes, + 1 Lactation Support Session
Including Mali in your Postpartum Support Team means receiving daytime or overnight help to keep your household running smoothly. Postpartum Doulas help with:
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Holding & Feeding the baby
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Supporting the baby's sleep schedule
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Household tasks - laundry, dishes, cooking
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Running basic errands for the family
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Supporting the birthing parents in accessing resources, such as lactation or mental health support
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and more!
Packages range from 4-150+ hours, from $40/hour+. Reach out to receive your custom quote today!