Traditional Midwife & Systems Architect
Sauleiha Ifashikemi
Akangbe Ogun
Chieif Ọ̀lọ́yè Yèyé Aláwèyé
Àgbẹ̀bí (Traditional Midwife)
Founder & Owner of Alawoye Birth Center
Founder of Ile Alawoye Healers/Doulas
Full Spectrum Doula (CD. PCD)
Fourth-generation birth-worker dismantling maternal inequities. Bridging sacred Yorùbá maternal medicine with national healthcare transformation, sovereign birth centers, and ancestral preservation.
Systems Architect: Founder of JUST Birth & BBEI
“A healthy mom and healthy baby is the bare minimum. We demand an empowered, joyous mother whose humanity is celebrated.”
The Lineage
A Child Who Has Returned Home
Fourth-generation birth-worker from America (ADOS)
Hailing her craft from Òṣogbo, Ọ̀ṣun State, Nigeria.
Raised under the tutelage of her elders, Sauleiha was initiated into the care of women, infants, and the birthing threshold from an early age. Living by the ancestral principle never to withhold care from anyone in need, her calling eventually led her back to her roots in Nigeria.
Embraced by the elders as ‘a child who has returned home,’ she underwent sacred initiations, emerging as Ìyánífá Ifáṣikẹ́mi (Apètèbí Ifáṣikẹ́ Akangbe Ògún). She was subsequently installed as Ọ̀lọ́yè Yèyé Aláwèyé (‘She Who Washes to Success’) and awarded a Traditional Honorary Doctorate—honoring her tireless service to cultural preservation, traditional midwifery, and the well-being of mothers and their babies.
The Inaugural Sanctuary in Òṣogbo
The Kore Way: Birth Center Model
Beyond board rooms and hospital institutions. Sauleiha brings a collaborative blueprint for maternal health in Nigeria and beyond
We are actively establishing our first center in Òṣogbo, Ọ̀ṣun State, Nigeria, creating a model that counters unnecessary medical intervention by uniting indigenous Àgbẹ̀bí wisdom with clinical safety.
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Integrated Clinical Care: On-site traditional herbal apothecaries and ancestral birth practices supported by modern diagnostic tools (ultrasounds, lab collection, licensed doctors, and nurse-midwives).
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Private Birthing Suites: Six spacious, private birthing suites—each complete with its own dedicated family waiting quarters for holistic comfort.
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Community-Centered & Accessible: Delivering high-quality, affordable care directly to the local community in Osun State.
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Global Educational Exchange: A training ground operated through the Repair and Reconnect Initiative, welcoming global birth workers, doulas, and medical personnel for cross-cultural training and maternal health dialogue.
Systemic Transformation
Track Record of Leadership
2025
Community Advocate Award Shafia Monroe Consulting
Honored by Mama Shafia as a Keynote Speaker during the SMC Doula Conference in September 2025 and received the Community Advocate Award
2023-2024
Providence MVP & Seattle Storm Honorary Coach & SHERO
Honored by Blkmamas Shero Award in 2023, the Providence MVP Award in early 2024 and selected as an Honorary Coach by the Seattle Storm in September 2024 for transformative maternal health leadership.
2022- Present
JUST Birth Network
Founded and operationalized at Providence Swedish—driving historic drops in cesarean sections among Black patients, training clinicians, and recognized by the Biden-Harris Administration.
2020- 2022
Black Birth Empowerment Initiative (BBEI)
Founded and operationalized at Providence Swedish—improving experiences of Black patients, doulas, and providers. BBEI gave birth to slew of programs focused on maternal health care and reproductive justices including the JUST Birth Network
2019- Present
Integrated Postpartum Doulas
Created the first culturally-responsive hospital-integrated postpartum doula service in the nation, maintaining uninterrupted bedside-to-home support.
Global
Ọlọ́mọ Ló L'ayé Non-Profit
A nonprofit aiming to unite all birthing professionals across medical and traditional spectrums to bridge divides, foster cross-cultural learning, and preserve traditional birthing practices through compassionate, respectful, and culturally competent knowledge exchange and awareness
Governance
Curricula & State Restructuring
Guided the equity-centered transition of PALS Doulas; implemented health equity curricula for DONA cohorts at Bastyr University; advised digital health platforms like eDoula.
Featured Across National Media
Traditional Midwifery & Healing Arts
Sacred Reproductive Services
Blended through the cosmological lens of an initiated priestess and the ancient hands of an Àgbẹ̀bí.
Womb Wellness, Conception & Loss Integration
“Rooted in Ifá/Òrìṣà cosmology and the sacred lineage of the Àgbẹ̀bí, we offer comprehensive spiritual and physical care for families at every threshold of reproduction. Through womb clearing, bespoke herbal infusions, ancestral diagnostic inquiry, and spiritual alignment, we lovingly prepare bodies and spirits to welcome babies earthside, while offering tender, restorative care and spiritual healing for those who have walked the sacred path of pregnancy or infant loss.
Full-Spectrum Agbebi Birth
In honoring our traditional ancestral lineage, direct midwifery hands-on care is never commodified—it is offered freely, through sacred gifting, or community trade and bartering. Financial investments directly support the tangible provisions of care: required medicinal herbs and preparations throughout pregnancy, comprehensive childbirth and postpartum education, and specialized priestess or spiritual services.
Clinical & Spiritual Mentorship
Specialized consultation for doulas and midwives moving through complex births, spiritual stagnation, or burnout.
Tuition & Lineage Study: Instruction is offered without charge in honor of ancestral transmission. In place of tuition, students commit to required initiation, active service, and rigorous traditional apprenticeship to attain full competency as traditional birth keepers.
The Sacred Threshold
The 40-Day Traditional Postpartum Healing
In traditional Yorùbá culture, the mother’s body is a doorway freshly opened. Sauleiha offers bespoke direct family restoration, as well as an intensive Practitioner Training Program for birth workers to master this ancient postpartum protocol.
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Sacred Washing: 40 consecutive days of medicinal water & herb preparation for both mom and baby.
Pelvic Binding & Stretching: Yoruba Traditional closing of the bones and organ realignment.
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Infant Agbebi Care: Gentle newborn stretching, massage, circumcision, and belly button herbal care.
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Traditional Broths: Restorative meals designed for deep blood building and lactation.
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Education: Teaching and supporting your family in postpartum care for new parents and baby
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