Spotlight and Gift Guide: Featuring Smita “Nadia” Hussain, MomsRising
Smita “Nadia” Hussain is a lifelong activist and advocate, who aims to connect grassroots work to systemic change and reform while increasing the political involvement and power of womxn and marginalized communities. Poppy Seed Health caught up with Nadia this month to talk to her about her work on the Black Maternal Health ‘Momnibus’ Act of 2020 and to find out her favorite products from pregnancy to postpartum, just in time for the holidays.
Nadia works as the Maternal Justice Campaign Director at MomsRising, where she focuses on policy advocacy around maternal health, reproductive justice, healthcare access, mass incarceration, and police reform. Currently, MomsRising is working on a #SaveChildcare campaign, urging members of Congress to prioritize childcare funding in the next round of budget approvals.
Beyond her work with MomsRising, Nadia is the co-founder and current board member of the Bangladeshi American Women's Development Initiative (BAWDi), a community initiative empowering Bangladeshi womxn and girls in New Jersey. She also serves on the National Board of Directors of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) as the representative from the New Jersey ACLU Affiliate.
Here’s more from Nadia:
What are a few things you wish you knew before you had kids?
Though kids can drive you crazy, you have to realize that they are just really young and if they “act out” it’s most likely NOT your fault, nor a reflection on your parenting. Another thing I wish I knew, was how big of a responsibility it was. So often, before having kids, I would hear people say “oh just have them, you’ll figure it out” or that everyone has kids. Yes, you may figure it out, but it’s definitely learning by fire. As in: hot mess, dumpster fire.
What are the things no one tells pregnant womxn?
I feel everyone has an opinion or advice for pregnant women, and through all of that, the one thing I feel like so many neglect to say is trust yourself. A pregnant woman knows what is best for her and her pregnancy. Whether it be within a hospital setting, or just getting hit with conflicting advice, trust yourself and trust your gut. Also, before I got pregnant, the maternal experience was seen as so pastel, serene and beautiful. I think that’s crazy, pregnancy and birth is raw, visceral and complex. Like a tidal wave, or hurricane, it is a true force of nature in all of its gorgeous, terrifying and powerful glory.
What have been the biggest challenges? The biggest surprises?
The biggest challenges for me were how overwhelming pregnancy, birth and postpartum were. I really felt like the most unprepared, immature person about the whole thing, even though I was in my 30s. In the end, each experience is unique to that individual. I had to learn not to compare myself, feel guilty and blame myself for everything. I also had to learn to “let go” a bit. Kids are their own thing, you can guide them, but they are their own beings and I needed to respect and acknowledge that very early on or I was going to lose my marbles.
The biggest surprise for me was my maternal instinct, which eventually kicked in. I will admit, with my first pregnancy I had no idea what a maternal instinct was, it seemed so abstract. But a little after birth, once the terrible pain from a traumatic birth and the drugs wore off, it struck me full force. I am in awe of the power of being a mom to both of my sons. It has changed me forever, in ways that are difficult to put into words. It’s actually painful to love someone so deeply and viscerally, but I am so grateful for it. It has been my most human experience.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Kids will eventually eat. Eventually.
What are a few of your favorite routines or special activities you do with your children?
I just love, love, love, reading to my kids. I’m a big book worm, and I’m so happy to see that my 5 year old is one as well. Even when I’m tired, I try to read him at least 3 books a day. I love spending that one-on-one time sharing stories together. With my baby, I love the moment he wakes up and we get to spend a little time in the morning together. He gives me the biggest smile like I am literally the most wonderful thing on the planet.
We’d love to know more about your work on the National Board of Directors of the ACLU, work as it relates to women and parents.
The ACLU is a civil liberties organization whose work touches on so many issues. Being a mom in itself, unfortunately, is something that actually hurts one's rights! Moms are discriminated against constantly, and the intersection of race only exacerbates this. No matter what social justice issue there is, moms are disproportionately impacted. One such area is immigration. The ACLU has worked on family separation, where all of us horrifically witnessed families, and predominantly moms, being torn away from their children and babies. The ACLU was there, fighting for these families, and against the policies that led to these devastating violations. The ACLU is also a leader in fighting for reproductive rights and things like access to birth control and abortion. Family planning is a foundational aspect of being able to have bodily autonomy to make the best decisions for oneself and one's family, so our work at the ACLU is about uplifting that in so many spaces.
Tell us a bit about your work on the Black Maternal Health ‘Momnibus’ Act of 2020.
I am so thrilled to support uplifting and passing the BMHC Momnibus as MomsRising’s Maternal Justice Director as we follow the leadership of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, Black women centered organizations and the families of those who lost their loved ones to our nation’s maternal health crisis. Our work to support this includes engaging our members to push their members of Congress to support the bill via petition signing campaigns that we deliver directly to representatives and senators, uplifting the bill on social media, and speaking out about it to the media so that one day, hopefully soon, it can be passed into law.
Now that we have Kamala Harris as our incoming Vice President, how do you believe that will change the course of Momnibus? What are your hopes for Momnibus and beyond?
Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris has been a champion for maternal health in the Senate, with a focus on the devastating racial disparities impacting Black people. She was the senator who introduced the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2020, along with the House of Representatives Black Maternal Health Caucus. She also introduced the Senate resolution establishing Black Maternal Health Week. Efforts are underway to get the BMHC Momnibus passed successfully out of the House and there is urgency for the Senate to pick it up as well. I believe that having Kamala Harris in this new, historic role will help push this issue forward and hopefully with her ongoing support, this can be passed and signed into law. My hopes for the Momnibus is that this opens the doors to further legislative solutions that will improve birth and maternal health outcomes. There are efforts to expand Medicaid for up to one year postpartum and have states that did not choose to expand Medicaid to do so, a policy change that will save many, many lives. There are also solutions such as expanding doula care access, uplifting the centering model and postpartum home visits that are also important solutions. My hope is that the United States becomes the safest and healthiest place to give birth, especially for Black moms who currently die at 3-4 times the rates of white women even when accounting for economic status, education and geographical location. This reality must change, moms need to go home with their babies to watch them grow and thrive. That is my hope.
And if you're still shopping for a special mama in your life, check out Nadia's must-haves for pregnancy and beyond:
Leachco Snoogle Pregnancy Body Pillow
Okay, so this pillow may be a little funny looking. I got it as a gift, and accidentally slept on it backwards (thank goodness for Google so I could correct myself), but once I snuggled into it the right way, I was amazed by how much relief it gave me, especially during my second pregnancy. What's great about this pillow is that it gave me the support between my knees to alleviate knee pain, which was super helpful further down the line of my pregnancy when literally everything hurt. And the consistency was perfect for my head to rest on when other pillows just felt unbearable. I highly recommend this strange-looking, but effective, comfy pillow! And now that I'm not pregnant, my baby crawls all over it as part of his gated play area. It even protects him from knocking his head against the corners. Win-win!
When I was nearing my due date with my first pregnancy, I grabbed a scarf and wrapped it around my belly for support. I had heard about belly bands, but figured they were probably not necessary to use. The second time around, however, my belly put such a strain on my body that I was desperate, and a belly band made all the difference. Honestly, if I didn't have a band this time around, especially during my third trimester, I wouldn't have been able to even walk through a parking lot, let alone grocery shop or heck, even walk around my house. It provided immediate support and I don't know how I lived without it. Pick a belly band over a scarf, trust me!
Check out What to Expect’s 2020 Guide for Best Pregnancy Belly Support Bands
With my first child, breastfeeding was a nightmare. Nursing was an extremely painful experience for me, even with the help of experts, so I ended up exclusively pumping. The pump I used then did the job, but it was also...painful. I even got calluses (yikes!) that took weeks to get rid of, even when my breastfeeding journey was over. I absolutely loathed pumping because of the pain factor. Even turning the dial down to a lower suction wasn't an option. It still hurt and it took forever to get the milk my baby needed. This time around I was given the Spectra pump. I was a little wary, because well, calluses, but I was amazed by how much gentler this pump was. Okay, pumping still isn't in my top three (or frankly, top 50) things to do, but it's a lot more bearable and much less painful. And no calluses!
Nadia’s Social Media Handles:
Twitter & Instagram: @vivalanadia