Media & Press

Cheyenne Varner is a sought-after thought leader, health equity advocate, and creative entrepreneur whose work at the intersection of childbirth education and equity has gained national and international recognition. Below, you'll find highlights of her press features, accomplishments, and collaborations.

In July 2022, I welcomed my daughter, Naella, into the world. My experience included a planned birth center experience that became a hospital transfer — and then a planned unmedicated labor that evolved to include an epidural, and ultimately an abdominal (cesarean) birth. For me, this experience emphasized the importance of education and access to compassionate, non-judgmental support. And it also made me understand even more how many different factors can affect the plans, preferences, and choices we make during birth.

Your experience will not be mine — it will be uniquely yours. But I believe my experience can help me serve you even better. My focus will always revolve around you, honoring your expressed and evolving needs. As your dedicated doula, I'm here to empower and support you in making informed decisions, creating a nurturing and welcome space where you can navigate your path with confidence and grace.

Collaborations & RecognitionPressPodcastsContact for Media Inquiries

Notable Collaborations & Recognition


Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP)

Shaped campaign strategy for VICPP’s community education campaign on the midwifery model of care in Southwest Virginia, and designed and produced its website, midwiferyswva.org, along with complementary social media and print assets. The campaign brings together accessible education, local history, and community storytelling.
2026

Health Equity
Illustrated and written visual essay titled “Disrupting the Binary: Visual Storytelling and the Dignity of Birthing Bodies,” published in the peer-reviewed journal Health Equity, exploring how visual storytelling can disrupt the false binary between clinical care and equity in perinatal health.
2026

Boston Medical Center
Creative Strategy + Illustration Partner to the Boston Medical Center Midwifery team for Bump and Beyond, a multilingual perinatal education platform offered in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole. Created 50+ custom illustrations reflecting BMC’s patient population across pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and newborn care.
2025–2026

American Anthropologist

Illustrated and written piece titled “Artistic Interlude – A Personal Reflection on Birth,” published in American Anthropologist as part of the “Call & Response” virtual special section exploring art, embodiment, and reproductive justice.
2025

2025 Richmond History Maker
Nominated and recognized as a 2025 Richmond History Maker by The Valentine Museum and Hype RVA Selection Committee in the category: Promoting Access to Healthy Communities.
2025

CDC Museum Exhibit
Featured in the Health is a Human Right: Achieving Health Equity exhibition, in collaboration with Dr. Karen A Scott, MD, MPH, FACOG for illustrating her SACKRED framework, a transformative model for perinatal care.
2024-2025

The Human Story: An Introduction to Anthropology
Published in collaboration with Dr. Dána-Ain Davis for illustrating her dimensions of Obstetric Racism.
2024

Official Perinatal Safe Spot
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Recognized by the National Perinatal Task Force for advancing equitable and culturally inclusive care.
2023

Are You Listening? The Giving Voice to Mothers Study
Illustrated content from the "Are You Listening? Giving Voice to Mothers Study" by The Birth Place Lab, which explored the experiences of maternity care among diverse populations in the United States, highlighting significant disparities in respectful, equitable, and person-centered care, especially for marginalized groups.
2022

A Birth Story
Featured in collaboration with Dr. Dána-Ain Davis and LeConté J. Dill for illustrating vignettes from LeConté's birth story, as well as Dr. Davis' dimensions of Obstetric Racism. Published in the July/August 2021 issue of Anthropology News, titled, “Graphic Ethnography” and the Anthropology News website.
2021

IFW Pay-It-Forward Grant
Crowdfunding and funding marketplace platform iFundWomen selected our 2022 Everyday Birth Magazine campaign for a monthly grant where IFW reinvests 20% of our standard crowdfunding fee revenue into live campaigns on the site.
2020

In July 2022, I welcomed my daughter, Naella, into the world. My experience included a planned birth center experience that became a hospital transfer — and then a planned unmedicated labor that evolved to include an epidural, and ultimately an abdominal (cesarean) birth. For me, this experience emphasized the importance of education and access to compassionate, non-judgmental support. And it also made me understand even more how many different factors can affect the plans, preferences, and choices we make during birth.

Your experience will not be mine — it will be uniquely yours. But I believe my experience can help me serve you even better. My focus will always revolve around you, honoring your expressed and evolving needs. As your dedicated doula, I'm here to empower and support you in making informed decisions, creating a nurturing and welcome space where you can navigate your path with confidence and grace.

Press

Adriana Smith’s Case Isn’t Fiction — It’s Forced Pregnancy In Real Time
Refinery29, interviewed + quoted
May 2025
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‘This is what we need’
University of Richmond Alumni Magazine
July 2024

Summer of Stories: Cheyenne Varner
Gabrielle Gweneth
July 2024

Meet the Black Doula Educating Richmond’s Moms-to-Be
Next City
April 2024

Black History Month – Birth Artist Cheyenne Varner
CAPPA
February 2024

A Birth Story
Anthropology News
August 2021
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Meet the Artist Behind Babylist’s New Pregnancy Ultrasound Illustrations
Babylist, Inc, interviewed
April 2021

Birthing a Magazine
Style Weekly
July 2019

The Power of the Front Porch
Richmond Grid
April 2019

Birthing While Black: African-American women face disproportionate risks during pregnancy
Virginia Mercury, interviewed
March 2019

Stop Telling Me Black Women Die During Childbirth And Start Showing Me How We Can Thrive
Blavity, written by me
March 2019

Cheyenne’s Journey to Help Expecting Parents Access Birth Support
Bonfire
March 2019
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All About Doula-ing
The Homesteadista, interviewed
May 2018

Made in Church Hill Exhibition
The Valentine Museum
Fall 2014

In July 2022, I welcomed my daughter, Naella, into the world. My experience included a planned birth center experience that became a hospital transfer — and then a planned unmedicated labor that evolved to include an epidural, and ultimately an abdominal (cesarean) birth. For me, this experience emphasized the importance of education and access to compassionate, non-judgmental support. And it also made me understand even more how many different factors can affect the plans, preferences, and choices we make during birth.

Your experience will not be mine — it will be uniquely yours. But I believe my experience can help me serve you even better. My focus will always revolve around you, honoring your expressed and evolving needs. As your dedicated doula, I'm here to empower and support you in making informed decisions, creating a nurturing and welcome space where you can navigate your path with confidence and grace.

Podcasts

Interview with Cheyenne Varner
The Birth in Focus Podcast
January 2025

Doula Business Resources From The Educated Birth
Doula Tips and Tits with Kaely Harrod
November 2024

EBB 270 – Intersectionality and Representation in Birth Work
Evidence Based Birth Podcast
June 2023

Unbiased & Representative Birth Education
Your BIRTH Partners
April 2021

Episode 132 | Representation and Inclusivity in Birth Work with Cheyenne Varner
Birth Kweens
October 2020

Episode 7 | RVA's Womxn in Media
Race Capitol
May 2019

Episode 2 | Cheyenne Varner
The Dream Differed Podcast
November 2018

Cheyenne Varner: Everyday Birth Magazine
Inspire Indeed
June 2018

Episode 9 | The Educated Birth
Birth Stories in Color
April 2018

Episode 112 | Reproductive Rights
toRaise Questions
July 2017

In July 2022, I welcomed my daughter, Naella, into the world. My experience included a planned birth center experience that became a hospital transfer — and then a planned unmedicated labor that evolved to include an epidural, and ultimately an abdominal (cesarean) birth. For me, this experience emphasized the importance of education and access to compassionate, non-judgmental support. And it also made me understand even more how many different factors can affect the plans, preferences, and choices we make during birth.

Your experience will not be mine — it will be uniquely yours. But I believe my experience can help me serve you even better. My focus will always revolve around you, honoring your expressed and evolving needs. As your dedicated doula, I'm here to empower and support you in making informed decisions, creating a nurturing and welcome space where you can navigate your path with confidence and grace.