Laughter is my medicine.
Sabrina Foulks-Thomas, RN, CPM, LM, IBCLC, MMCHW, MHA, CPES
she/her/hers
My journey into midwifery started well before my last 3.5 years of training, collectively with Debra Study, CPM, LM, and Christy Feiker, CPM, LM. My love and passion for midwifery was born from the experiences and educational pathway that I encountered. Pre-med undergraduate degree, followed by a nursing degree, private practice lactation work as an IBCLC, birth doula, childbirth educator, placenta encapsulator, healthcare missionary work in Kenya, community collaborator, birth activist, and through the birth of my own beautiful children. All of this has been the foundation for where I have started and is the groundwork for Birth in Color Midwifery.
For more than twenty years, I have had the privilege of working with expecting, laboring, and postpartum families. Through my extensive experience, I have gained a profound understanding of the complexities and nuances inherent in childbirth, appreciating the diverse and unique ways in which it unfolds for each family.
Throughout my experience in birth work, I have gathered numerous invaluable lessons. Above all, I understand that personal judgment has no place in the birthing process. I am steadfast in my belief that there are no universally correct or absolute answers to be applied as a one-size-fits-all approach to birth. Instead, it is essential to create a supportive environment and allow each birthing family to navigate the unique journey of childbirth in their own manner.
Birth is not something that I stumbled upon. I distinctly remember being fascinated with birth as a young child and having intentions of being an OB doctor. Wow! I have come full circle. I gained an understanding of the difference between the OB philosophy of care and the midwifery model of care. I personally love the autonomy that midwifery provides. I embody the principles of self-awareness, transparency, independence, and umoja, the Swahili term for unity. All of these make Birth in Color Midwifery a transformative practice serving the community.
Education and Experience
Sabrina Foulks-Thomas is a dynamic and deeply rooted leader in maternal health, holding a B.A. in Physiology and Chemistry with a minor in American Sign Language from the University of Minnesota, and an Associate of Science in Nursing from Cardinal Stritch University. Her journey into midwifery began with 16 years of experience as a birth doula, where she became a powerful voice for birth justice—working to shift harmful narratives and dismantle the statistics surrounding infant and maternal morbidity, particularly within Black and Brown communities.
Her community impact is far-reaching. Sabrina designed and launched a groundbreaking doula program at North Division High School, supporting BIPOC teen parents, families navigating adoption, and those impacted by the prison system. With a foundation in birth work and social justice, she has advocated relentlessly for mental health awareness, serving youth and adults. Having supported over 900 births in various roles, her work centers on restoring access, dignity, and respect to the birthing experience. Sabrina, has also done medical missionary work in Mombasa, Kenya, and has fostered a unique lens on how she approaches caring for families within her current field.
She is also the visionary Founder and Executive Director of the Birth in Color Initiative, a social justice nonprofit committed to training and mentoring birth workers of color, securing funding, and actively addressing the disproportionate rates of infant mortality affecting Black and Brown families in Milwaukee, WI.
Above all, Sabrina is grounded by her role as a wife of 13 years and homeschooling mother of six incredible children. Her family is her inspiration and anchor, and her husband stands beside her as an unwavering supporter of her mission, passion, and purpose.
“What can we say, our family LOVES Sabrina! I felt a “click” like she was someone we already knew-there was just this ease to the relationship. I very much appreciated that Sabrina is about developing a positive relationship with the entire family. She empowered me every step of the way.
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