Warmly... Dedicated to Dr. Jannell Green Smith
There’s a lot of talk about fresh starts and resolutions this time of year. New year, new energy, clean slate, etc. But honestly—when I look around, I still see winter. The days are short, the ground is frozen, and much of the country feels like it’s being held together with duct tape and vibes. For me—and for my nervous system—Spring has always been the real start of the year. The moment when things actually begin to move again.
January is when I take a deep breath. This is the time to look back with honesty and gratitude before the thaw.
This past month, Baby Yams sold more blankets than it ever has in a single month. That is no small thing. It means warmth and beauty traveled far and wide—into homes, around our beautiful babies, into well deserved moments of rest and care. Because of you, we’ll be able to make a sizeable donation toward grants and scholarships this season, and I want to say thank you. Truly. Your support continues to turn this dream into impact.
In the year ahead, Baby Yams will continue donating to scholarships and grants for Black and Indigenous birth workers. This commitment remains at the heart of everything we do. Supporting those who provide culturally congruent, radically equitable maternal health care is not just a value—its systems change.
Sometimes, I feel like I’m gripping onto a vision of the future amidst a crashing sea of reasons to not believe it’s possible. But, I believe everything we experience has the potential to grow us up into our purpose. If we can see it, we can make it real. More than anything, it's hard to be dissuaded when you know you're not dreaming alone.
Throughout 2025, I had the great fortune of visiting doula and midwifery organizations all across the country. Everywhere I went, I witnessed black and indigenous women building new systems of care—brick by brick, relationship by relationship. These spaces are becoming beacons of transformative care in their respective communities, hubs of opportunity and the health outcomes they are reporting are outstanding! To my JOY, Baby Yams quilts adorn many walls across the country. I cannot begin to express how intensely humbling it has been to see. Experiencing this work in person has been deeply inspiring. I’ll be sharing more about my visits and what I’m learning in upcoming posts.
Looking ahead to 2026—beginning in Spring, when things are ready to begin growing again—I have some dreams to share.
This year, the Baby Yams site will update and evolve. The Quilt Project, which has been my dream for a long time and has mostly taken the shape of me traveling, will become more robust. We’ll be increasing our sales efforts, releasing new and even more sumptuous designs - expanding our capacity so we can donate even more! I’m also dreaming about the possibility of creating a designated Baby Yams Scholarship for aspiring and continuing midwifery students—something lasting, something that continues to carry this work forward.
For now, we're still in winter. A season of rest, reflection, and roll up my sleeves.
Thank you for being here, for believing alongside me, and for helping make this vision a shared one. I’m so grateful we’re walking into the next season together.
Warmly,
Tatyana
This post is dedicated to the life and legacy of Dr. Jannell Green Smith, a nurse midwife from South Carolina who devoted her life to safe, compassionate birth for her patients. Dr. Green Smith passed away at the beginning of the year after giving birth to her first child. We honor her work, her love, and the future she believed in, and we hold her family and community in our hearts.
