Rakiya Watts, CNM

Rakiya N. Watts, CNM is a full scope practicing midwife since 2011, midwifery educator and current division director of the Stony Brook Midwives. She received her Master’s in Midwifery from Yale School of Nursing and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Boston College.

Rakiya’s midwifery practice is focused on listening and seeing patients as whole people, providing equitable and inclusive care from adolescence through menopause, and addressing disparities in health care, specifically the morbidity and mortality associated with giving birth as a black or brown person. 

As Midwifery Division Director, she is working to reduce primary cesarean section rates by expanding access to midwifery care, enhancing prenatal education, and promoting doula support. Recognizing the critical role of community support in the postpartum period, she was instrumental in establishing the Fourth Trimester Support Group at Stony Brook to provide comprehensive support for patients throughout their postpartum journey.

Recognizing the importance of community during the postpartum period, she also helped establish a fourth-trimester support group at Stony Brook to assist patients during their postpartum journey.

Rakiya wants patients to know that their voice, opinions and wishes matter, and they are active participants in their care. In a world focused on holding the baby, it's her privilege to hold the birthing person.