What is your name and company?
Sierra McClain-Henry –Sankofa Mama
Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in Kingwood?
I was born and raised in Acres Homes. My husband and I moved to Kingwood almost 4 years ago.
Child(ren) and Age(s)? We have 2 daughters, ages 5 and 1 (she’ll be 2 next month!)
One thing people would be surprised to know about you… I love people, but I’m always happy when plans get canceled so I can stay home.
What is your go-to activity for yourself for pampering or for fun?
If I get a rare moment alone, usually on the way to a client visit, I am a podcast fanatic!
Funniest shortcut/routine for helping you through parenthood?
My funniest parenting routine is the one where I prepare vegetables, fix plates, and pretend my kids are going to actually eat it. Pure comedy!
Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the 
corporate world? Please share!
I created the #100BlackMamas birth education project to eliminate the issue of accessibility as a barrier to receiving quality birth education that can help Black mothers prepare for birth and parenting. In the United States, Black moms die during or after delivery at a rate nearly 5 times higher than any other group. This is outrageous in a country as advanced in so many ways as ours is. The causes of this are varied, and I cannot address them all, so I decided to start with accessibility. Services like mine can do a lot to reduce these maternal health disparities. Besides my own work, I am in my second year of serving as co-chair of a group called Holi Mamma. We are a collective of mostly birth workers that exists to support moms at any stage from pregnancy through postpartum and even beyond. We offer doula services, play dates, a sister support circle, birth worker meetups, and more. We are a subset of The Woman’s Earth, a Houston-based collective of professional women from around the world.
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
I have definitely gotten my feet wet since living in Kingwood. I’ve had the opportunity to teach private classes to many women in the area, as well as holding group classes at Wellspring Midwifery Care for awhile. In my time at Wellspring, I also had the opportunity to serve as a birth assistant and get to know yet another aspect of birth work. I look forward to deepening my connections in the community and work with other practitioners that serve pregnant women and new moms, such as the numerous chiropractors in our area.
What is the best advice for juggling mommyhood and running a business (or volunteering,
working, etc)?
Be organized! I learned the hard way that a little planning goes a long way towards maintaining your sanity. Now, I live by my planner; if it’s not written in there, it doesn’t exist!
What would you tell the old “You” before you had kids?
Travel overseas solo!
What is your proudest mommy moment?
My proudest moment was my 5-year-old daughter telling me that she wants to help mamas just like me when she grows up and asking if she can work with me.
Greatest gift about being a mom?
Having the most loving and forgiving little humans around, who accept me even at my worst.
Best mom hack that makes momming easier?
Hidden vegetables! I put them in everything!
What’s your favorite part about what you do?
Pre-pandemic, I’d say it was getting to continuously witness the miracle of birth. Now that I see so many moms virtually, I realize how much I truly enjoy walking with them through their journey and ushering them into motherhood…mothering the mother.
To learn more about Sank of Mama follow them on social media or check out the website
www.sankofamamadoula.com
Instagram
Sankofa Mama Birth Services on FB