Health Programs and Events
Online virtual program
CREATING AN ONLINE SPACE FOR BLACK MOTHERS:
SUPPORT, HEAR, & CELEBRATE:
This virtual group is a welcoming and culturally grounded space created for Black mothers, by Black mothers and maternal health advocates. Together, we will share experiences, build community, and discuss the realities of pregnancy, birth, postpartum healing, and parenting. Whether you are pregnant, newly postpartum, or parenting young children, this space centers your voice, your story, and your wellbeing.
Each session will include conversation, education, resource-sharing, and opportunities to connect with others who understand — without judgment and without needing to explain your experience.
Who This Space Is For
- Black mothers
- Birthing people who identify with the Black maternal experience
- Pregnant, postpartum, or parenting infants and young children
October 1st: 7PM-8PM
October 15th: 7PM-8PM
November 5th: 7PM-8PM
November 19th: 7PM-8PM
December 7PM-8PM
December 7PM-8PM
Understanding Preeclampsia Community Workshop Series
Will be scheduled later this Fall
Join Lucinda’s House for a community workshop series dedicated to increasing awareness of preeclampsia, understanding its warning signs, and learning about strategies to help reduce risk, including the use of low-dose aspirin when recommended by a healthcare provider.
Free Blood Pressure Checks • Giveaways • Resources • Community Support
Preeclampsia is a serious pregnancy-related condition that can impact both the birthing person and baby during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Because symptoms can sometimes be overlooked or mistaken for normal pregnancy changes, early recognition is critical.
This workshop series will provide education, practical tools, and supportive conversations in a welcoming community space, empowering participants to recognize warning signs, advocate for their health, and access the resources they need for a healthier pregnancy journey.
COMMUNITY BABY SHOWERS 2026
Upcoming Community Baby Showers - more information coming soon
October 17th at the Dixwell Community House (Q House), 197 Dixwell Ave, New Haven, CT
The 5th Annual New Haven Community Baby Shower
Join us Saturday, October 17, from 11 AM–2 PM at the Dixwell Community House (Q House) as we celebrate and support expecting parents, new mothers, babies, and young children in our community.
We need our village! We are looking for volunteers and donations to help make this year's baby shower special for New Haven families.
Register here: To volunteer: here
November 21st with Central Connecticut State University New Britain, CT
December 22 Holiday Community Baby Shower: Windsor
Becoming Midwives: A Mentoring & Support Network for Black and Brown Students
This mentoring and support program is designed to create a dedicated space for Black and Brown midwifery students to connect, reflect, and grow as practitioners. The program centers the lived experiences of students navigating advanced midwifery education while addressing the unique academic, clinical, and emotional challenges they may encounter. Through facilitated discussions, peer support, mentorship, and professional development, participants will explore topics such as clinical transitions, navigating bias and racism in training environments, leadership development, research engagement, and sustaining wellness in practice. The program emphasizes community, accountability, and collective care as essential components of success in midwifery education.
We will be meeting the second Wednesday of the month. Our next meeting will be October 14th. For more information email info@lucindashouse.org
Meetings are virtual
October 14th at 7 pm EST/6:00 PM CST/4:00 PM PST
November 11th at 7 pm EST/6:00 PM CST/4:00 PM PST
December 9th at 7 pm EST/6:00 PM CST/4:00 PM PST
Topics include:
- How Breastfeeding Works
- Newborn Feeding & Latch Techniques
- Common Breastfeeding Challenges and Solutions
- Pumping, Bottle Feeding, Proper Formula Prep & Returning to Work
Hosted by: Danielle Freeman, IBCLC Lactation Consultant
Danielle Freeman, IBCLC
Licensed Practical Nurse | International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
Danielle Freeman is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) dedicated to supporting mothers and families throughout their infant feeding journeys. Her passion for maternal and infant health began after breastfeeding her own children and was further strengthened when she was recruited to serve as a WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor at Yale New Haven Hospital in 2018.
Since then, Danielle has supported hundreds of families in establishing and achieving their breastfeeding and infant feeding goals. She is deeply committed to providing compassionate, evidence-based, and culturally responsive care, believing that every family deserves equitable access to high-quality lactation support.
As the founder of Milkin’ Melanin Lactation Services, Danielle works to address gaps in breastfeeding support and improve maternal and infant health outcomes within underserved communities. Her personal experiences navigating breastfeeding without adequate professional support inspired her mission to provide the guidance, encouragement, and education that many families need but often struggle to find.
Danielle is married and the proud mother of four children, all of whom were breastfed. She brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her work, creating a collaborative and supportive environment where families feel empowered to meet their feeding goals.
Mothering the Mother
The Creative Decompression: A Mom's Self-Care Afternoon
Motherhood is beautiful, but it can also be exhausting. Between caring for others, managing responsibilities, and navigating life's daily demands, many mothers rarely have the opportunity to slow down and care for themselves.
Join Lucinda's House for The Creative Decompression, a restorative afternoon designed to help mothers pause, connect, and recharge. Through guided artistic expression, meaningful conversation, and light refreshments, participants will have the opportunity to nurture their own well-being in a welcoming and supportive environment.
No artistic experience is necessary. This experience is about self-care, reflection, creativity, and community—not perfection.
Whether you are currently pregnant, parenting young children, or simply in need of a moment to breathe, this event is for you.
Date: July 19, 2026
Time: 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Location: Lucinda's House, 1195 Windsor Avenue, Windsor, CT
Space is limited. Registration is required
Empowering Youth in Reproductive Health: Advocacy, Education & Wellness
Empowering Youth in Reproductive Health is a community-based program focused on education, prevention, advocacy, and wellness. The program provides adolescents with access to reproductive health knowledge, discussions about health disparities, exposure to research, and opportunities to explore careers in reproductive and maternal health fields. Through mentorship, community engagement, and open dialogue, youth are empowered to make informed decisions and become advocates for health equity in their communities.
If you are interested in learning more about the program or getting involved, please contact us at info@lucindashouse.org.
You can also share topics and areas you'd like to learn more about Completing Our Interest Form
Lucinda's House Perinatal Loss Program
Lucinda’s House provides compassionate midwifery support, health education, and guidance for women and birthing people who have experienced perinatal loss, including miscarriage, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy, and infant loss. These services are provided on an individual basis.
As a nurse-midwife with extensive experience caring for women after pregnancy loss, I provide individualized support that addresses both physical recovery and emotional wellbeing during this deeply difficult and often isolating experience. Care and support are centered on listening, compassion, respect, and meeting each person where they are in their healing journey.
Support may include emotional support, postpartum and reproductive health education, guidance about physical recovery, referrals to additional resources or mental health services, and space to talk openly about grief, trauma, questions, fears, and future pregnancies.
Lucinda’s House strives to create a safe and supportive environment where women and families feel seen, heard, cared for, and supported after loss. All services are confidential and centered on your healing and wellbeing.
If you would like more information or support, please contact us at: info@lucindashouse.org
REBIRTH: A MATERNAL HEALTH ART SHOWCASE
Telling our Truth through the arts - New series coming January 2027
Lucinda’s House believes in the power of creativity as a pathway to healing, empowerment, and advocacy. Through REBIRTH, pregnant women, mothers, birthing people, and birth workers use art to share their lived experiences of pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and maternal health.
Using visual art, photovoice, poetry, and storytelling, we honor our narratives—celebrating joy, naming pain, and imagining what respectful maternal care should look like.
This work uplifts the voices too often unheard, and creates space for reflection, community, and change. The project is designed to help women advocate for the care they deserve and support improved maternal and infant health outcomes.
Our next series begins January 2027. If you are interested in joining, please Complete the Intake Form
About the Kitchen Tables
Kitchen Tables are community-centered spaces where we come together for honest conversations about the health issues that matter most to us. These gatherings are rooted in connection, education, support, and collective problem-solving.
Created by Lucinda, Kitchen Tables invite women to share their experiences, wisdom, and lived expertise in a safe and welcoming environment. Together, we engage in open and authentic dialogue about topics that are often overlooked or difficult to discuss. We learn from one another, support one another, and explore the systems and barriers that impact our health and well-being.
Most importantly, Kitchen Tables are a place to recognize our strength, resilience, and collective power. Through conversation and shared understanding, we identify solutions and opportunities for change that are informed by the needs and experiences of our communities.
Upcoming Kitchen Table: Understanding PMOS
Our next Kitchen Table will focus on Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS), formerly known as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).
PMOS is a complex hormonal and metabolic condition that can affect reproductive health, fertility, cardiovascular health, mental well-being, weight, and overall quality of life. Many individuals experience symptoms such as irregular menstrual cycles, infertility, excessive hair growth, acne, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation. Despite its prevalence, many people face delays in diagnosis and struggle to find the information, support, and care they need.
This Kitchen Table will provide an opportunity to learn more about PMOS, share experiences, ask questions, and connect with others in a supportive and judgment-free environment. Together, we will explore the realities of living with PMOS and discuss strategies for advocacy, care, and wellness.
Date, Time, and Location: To Be Announced
We are currently seeking healthcare professionals, researchers, advocates, and individuals with lived experience who are interested in helping lead this important conversation.
If you would like to attend this Kitchen Table or contribute your expertise, please contact us at info@lucindashouse.org.
Previous Episodes
NPR: Addressing dire racial disparities in reproductive health care
Dr. Lucinda Canty was interviewed for NPR's Where We Live to talk about the dire racial disparities in reproductie health care amongst blank women.
Inside Out/Outside In Podcast
Lucinda's House Kitchen Table was featured on the Inside Out/Outside In Podcast hosted by Dr. Christiana Best-Giacomini
Kitchen Table - Infertility Let's talk about it!
January 7, 2023
Lucinda's House's first Kitchen Table of the New Year! We had a discussion about Infertility. Take a look! Trashaunda Brown, Heather Harris FNP, Thelma Osei FNP, Rose-Ann Richards FNP-BC, and Lakesha Rivera, CNM, MS, RNC-OB for shared their knowledge and experience. Please share! So many women experience issues with infertility. There are so many resources and support available. Please encourage those to seek healthcare services or even a consultation with a trusted provider.
Shamica Frasier, owner/founder of New Birth Journey
KITCHEN TABLE - DOULAS! DOULAS! DOULA!
March 12, 2023
Lucinda of Lucinda's House has a conversation with four doulas and one doula-in-training. The doulas share their experiences in providing care to their communities. They discuss the role of doulas, give advice to moms-to-be, and discuss the benefits of receiving doula care. Danielle Dixon, full spectrum doula and owner/founder of Envisioned Births Doula Services. Aaliyah Harris, postpartum doula-in-training and director of community events at Lucinda's House. Shamica Frasier, birth/postpartum doula and owner/founder of New Birth Journey, Taylor Smith, full spectrum doula and founder and owner of Nourish Our Seeds; and Jessica Westbrook, birth/postpartum doula and owner/founder of The Lotus Doula Group
7.20.2024 Virtual kitchen table on the history of Black midwifery. Discussion on the roots of midwifery in this country.
Link to the video:
