My Journey into Birthwork
My journey into birthwork began long before medical school or motherhood.
In high school, I had the opportunity to shadow a Cesarean birth through an internship at Kaiser Permanente. I still remember standing in quiet awe as I witnessed a woman I had never met bring her child into the world. In that moment, something shifted in me. I wanted to understand everything I could about birth — not only the physiology and science behind it, but also the many complex factors that shape a person’s birth experience, including what can lead to interventions like Cesarean delivery.
That experience stayed with me for years.
As I continued my education, I found myself consistently drawn to work centered around women’s health, refugee health, and mental health through various nonprofit and community-based settings. I cared deeply about each of these areas and believed the only path that could meaningfully bring them together was medicine — specifically becoming an OB/GYN or Family Medicine physician.
I was blessed to complete two years at the UC Davis School of Medicine before giving birth to my daughter. Becoming both a mother and a patient while navigating medical training profoundly transformed the way I understood maternal care. Experiencing pregnancy through three different healthcare systems — while balancing medical school, motherhood, and my identity as a Muslim woman — opened my eyes to how unsupported many families can feel during this season of life.
I began to recognize how many women in our communities are navigating pregnancy and postpartum without the village our parents and grandparents once had. Many are carrying the weight of isolation, cultural barriers, distance from family, and the pressure to do everything on their own while still trying to feel confident, informed, and cared for.
My medical training deepened my respect for the healthcare professionals who care for families throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. I value both the expertise and compassion they bring to supporting families through routine care, complex medical decisions, and unexpected challenges. Through my own experiences, I also came to understand that many families need support that extends beyond the clinical setting. Becoming a doula felt like a natural way to walk alongside families throughout their journey, providing continuous emotional, educational, practical, and spiritual support while complementing the care offered by their medical team.
That realization is what ultimately drew me to birthwork.
Becoming a doula felt like the most natural and meaningful way to bring together everything that had been shaping my path for years: medicine, advocacy, education, community care, faith, and a deep commitment to supporting women in a more holistic and personal way.
Through Sakinah Birth & Wellness, my hope is to help rebuild the sense of village that has become increasingly rare to find here in California. I am honored to collaborate with the incredible birth workers, healthcare providers, and community organizations already serving families, in order to create spaces where mothers feel safe, supported, informed, and deeply cared for.
“Sakinah” means tranquility and serenity — and that is the feeling I hope every family carries with them throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
Whether you are preparing to welcome your first child or growing your family, it would be an honor to support you during this transformative season of life. If my story resonates with you and you feel I may be the right fit for your journey, I would love to connect and learn more about your family's hopes, needs, and goals.
Hiba Hummadi
Founder, Sakinah Birth & Wellness
Testimonials
Land Acknowledgment
We respectfully acknowledge that Sakinah Birth & Wellness serves families on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded lands of the Nisenan (Southern Maidu), Patwin (Yocha Dehe Wintun), and Miwok peoples, who have cared for and stewarded this land since time immemorial.
We recognize that Sacramento and Yolo Counties are part of lands shaped by colonization, displacement, and ongoing inequities that continue to impact Indigenous communities today. We honor the enduring presence, resilience, and living cultures of Native peoples in this region.
In the spirit of our faith, we are reminded that the Earth is an amanah (a sacred trust), and that all care — for land, body, and community — is an act of responsibility before Allah ﷻ. We strive to approach this work with rahmah (mercy), gentleness, and reverence for the sacred experiences of life, including pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
We also recognize that honoring this truth requires ongoing reflection, learning, and unlearning — especially as we examine the ways history, systems, and care practices have caused harm or exclusion. We commit to staying open, accountable, and intentional as we grow in awareness and strive to do better in how we show up for all communities.
As we walk alongside families, we hold deep gratitude for the interconnectedness of land, lineage, and new life. We remain committed to supporting healing, dignity, and justice for Indigenous communities past, present, and future.
