Birthing families across America face rising rates of:
- Unnecessary Cesarean Sections
- Unnecessary Induction
- Birth Trauma
- Infant and Fetal Loss
These outcomes are not random. Black families carry a disproportionate burden — shaped by decades of discriminatory practices in hospital and healthcare systems, and a persistent lack of resources, institutions, and information designed to meet the specific cultural needs of Black birthing families.
Every family deserves a birth experience that is safe, informed, and deeply their own.
Brown Family Training Academy exists to close the gap between where the system falls short and where families deserve to be — with education, advocacy, and support rooted in the needs of those who have historically been left out most.
Meet Shayla Brown
Shayla Brown is a certified doula, birth educator, and VBAC advocate with years of experience supporting families through some of the most transformative moments of their lives. Her work lives at the intersection of birth justice, body autonomy, and evidence-based care — because every birthing person deserves to walk into their birth informed, empowered, and heard.
As the author of Embracing Spontaneous Labor and creator of the Do Not Get Induced course, Shayla brings both the wisdom of hands-on birth work and the heart of someone who deeply understands what it means to carry a previous cesarean into a new pregnancy. Her resources are designed for the VBAC hopeful who is done being rushed, dismissed, or pressured — and ready to trust their body's timeline.
She believes spontaneous labor isn't just a preference. It's a right worth protecting.
Featured Courses
Media
Shayla's story has been featured in publications, podcasts, and media spotlighting the voices of Black birth workers and the families they serve. Hear from Shayla directly at the links below.
Publications The Bump
Blog/Vlog and Features Spinning Babies · Maternal Health Matters · Meet Trailblazer Shayla Brown · My First Homebirth · My Second Homebirth
Podcast Features Homecoming Podcast · Sisters in Loss · NATAL Podcast (Season 2) · Birth Squad & Birth by Us · Happy Homebirth Podcast · Dispelling Lies and Uplifting Truth about Birth As It Was In The Beginning