Erykah Badu, the godmother of soul, will be the doula to help deliver the baby of Teyana Taylor and husband, NBA pro, Iman Shumpert.
Taylor's Pregnancy In Taylor's 30-minute interview on June 24 with Nick Cannon on the Power 106 radio show, Los Angeles, she shared that she is considering giving birth at home. "I'm actually going to be doing it with Erykah. Her and Iman are going to deliver my baby. I'm super excited," she added. "I'mma have her just sing her verse from 'Lowkey' to me to calm my nerves," she said. Taylor dropped her pregnancy announcement on her then-new released "Wake Up Love" music video, on June 12. At the end of the video, Taylor, Shumpert, and their four-year-old first-born Iman Tayla (also known as Junie) appeared, showing Taylor's baby bump. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Taylor mentioned that she has many baby names in mind for her second child. She also wants to keep her daughter Junie involved in naming her second child. Badu as a Doula On the other hand, Badu, aside from being a Grammy-winning soul singer and songwriter, is also practicing being a doula and learning to be a midwife. She relayed this in a phone interview with Pitchfork. Badu further shared the genesis of her being a doula. "I don't plan how many people I work with. I don't charge anything," she said. "I became a doula by default." She mentioned that she gave birth to Seven at home. Then she nattrated her story about the labor of her friend Afya. Badu flew to Afya at Brooklyn and stayed with her for 42 hours. She said that what she should do at that moment came to her naturally. That is when she realized that being a doula is something she can do and that it makes her feel fulfilled. She added that she started studying being a doula in 2011 and was certified that same year. Also, started her training to become a midwife in 2015. While being a doula, Badu still uses her talent in singing, and she sings to mothers as she helps deliver their babies. The people she practiced doula with also called her "Badoula." Also, Badu said that her work as a doula goes all the way to the end of the line. "I sit at the bedsides of people who are passing on in hospices or nursing homes, for the people and families who want that kind of thing." she said. Badu added that she wants them to breathe easily, even if it is the last. She guessed that she is a welcoming and ushering committee. What is a Doula? Doulas are not medical practitioners; instead, they provide you physical and emotional support during and after pregnancy. Training programs and exams must be taken and passed to have someone be certified as a doula.
