ADILIAH SMITH, CRYSTINA HUGHES, AND JAMILAH CHANNEL

The CHAMPS National Virtual Breastfeeding Conference is almost here! As we continue our countdown, we are thrilled to spotlight our inspiring speakers as CHAMPions of the Week.

This week, we’re featuring Adiliah Smith, Crystina Hughes, and Jamilah Channel as our CHAMPion Speakers. Adiliah, Crystina, and Jamilah are speaking at the conference session ‘Doulas: Supporting Moms and Protecting Breastfeeding.’

Adiliah Smith is a proud alumna of Alabama State University and the owner of Village Maternal Services, where she serves as a maternal health consultant, certified doula, and certified lactation specialist. She is also the creator of the support group Mama’s Village MGM, a space centering the maternal experiences of Black women across Alabama’s river region and black belt, with over 500 women. Her unwavering dedication to maternal and infant health is reflected in her collaborations with the Alabama Prison Birth Project, Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE), and Baptist Medical Center South.

Crystina Hughes is a licensed practical nurse, DONA-certified doula, and lactation educator. She is a dedicated advocate for personalized birthing experiences, offering comprehensive doula services tailored to the unique needs and preferences of birthing individuals. Crystina’s passion for empowering expectant families led her to establish Birthing By Your Design, where she provides a wide range of services, including birth education, birth plan sessions, comfort measures sessions, labor support, cesarean support, lactation education sessions, and postpartum follow-up. She is committed to ensuring that every birthing individual feels supported, informed, and empowered throughout their birthing journey.

In August 2023, Crystina expanded her impact by co-founding Diamonds for Doulas, a nonprofit initiative launched in collaboration with Diamonds In The Rough, alongside Jamilah Channel and Franeisha Coleman. Diamonds for Doulas provides accessible and equitable doula support to Medicaid and WIC-eligible clients through scholarships funded by sponsorships and donations.

Jamilah Channel is a DONA-trained and Commonsense Childbirth Institute-certified Birth Doula and the founder of Naima’s Love, a community-based organization dedicated to providing holistic maternal care. With a degree in Psychology from Bethune Cookman University, Jamilah has been passionately supporting birthing families since 2017. Her work as a Birth and Postpartum Doula and breastfeeding advocate has touched many lives, particularly in the southeastern region where she has extended her expertise as a traveling Doula. Jamilah is also advancing her expertise as a Student Midwife at Commonsense Childbirth School of Midwifery.

We are inspired by Adiliah, Crystina, and Jamilah’s dedication to supporting birthing families. We look forward to their session ‘Doulas: Supporting Moms and Protecting Breastfeeding’ at the CHAMPS National Conference tomorrow!

Are you a CHAMPS National hospital or community partner? Register today to attend sessions by Adiliah Smith, Crystina Hughes, Jamilah Channel, and other esteemed leaders in maternal-child health!