Mom and Mind | Pregnancy and Postpartum Depression & Anxiety

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146: When You Don't Know That You Have Postpartum Depression Apr 22, 2019

Show notes

The pressure that new moms feel is tremendous. Sometimes they are working so hard to just get through the day that they don't notice (or don't want to notice) how bad they really feel. They are working so hard to manage everything that they might not notice what's going on for themselves. Such was the postpartum experience of today’s guest, Darcy Sauers. She suffered for a long time without realizing that what she felt was a common experience for most new moms. This is all too common and I know that a lot of us experienced this too. Let’s jump into this conversation about how we can offer better support for new moms!

Darcy Sauers is The Doula Darcy, a postpartum doula offering in-home postpartum doula services to the moms in her local area. She also provides on-demand postpartum doula support for new moms everywhere so moms can get they help they need---when they need it. Darcy co-hosts the Your Birth, Your Worth podcast. She had three babies in four years, and her experiences fueled her decision to quit her advertising job and certify as a postpartum doula so she could help other women have a better experience than she did.

Show Highlights:

Darcy’s experience with her first pregnancy and postpartum---over 15 years ago
How she was terrified to take her baby home from the hospital
The first weeks of motherhood, with difficulties, discomfort, and “going through the motions”
What she thought about postpartum depression, and why she COULD NOT have it
A year later, she found herself pregnant again
How she chalked her feelings up to sleep deprivation or too much sugar
For her 3rd pregnancy, she thought things would be better since she planned it out and took better care of herself
How she left her advertising career and pursued being a doula because of her obsession
How a postpartum doula would’ve changed everything for Darcy
The mixture of relief and anger at herself for not recognizing the signs of postpartum depression
How she realized she was constantly trying to convince herself that she was a good mom
How she constantly fantasized about running away
The involuntary, intrusive thoughts that horrified her
How getting a babysitter a few hours a week would have made a huge difference
The lies we tell ourselves about what it means to be a “good mom”
How an antidepressant helped her feel better
How she realized what she went through was common
Pressures that new moms feel, along with the isolation of not having a “tribe” to help
How she couldn’t honestly admit her thoughts to herself
Why Darcy wants people to become educated about the real signs of postpartum depression
Darcy’s transformation to being a doula and how she helps:
Supports with hands-on help for new moms
Talks listens, and answers questions
Offers on-demand support videos to cover common issues and topics
The mental health stigma that new moms feel, and how it prevents moms from getting the help they need
Darcy’s podcast, Your Birth, Your Worth---and how it offers more support for new moms

Resources:

Find Darcy: Facebook The Doula Darcy

Instagram: The Doula Darcy

The Doula darcy

Your Birth Your Worth Podcast

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145: Angelina Spicer: Postpartum Depression & Comedy Special Documentary Apr 15, 2019

Show notes

Postpartum depression---and comedy. You might be surprised that anyone can join the two, but my guest today has a passion for women who are suffering as she did, and she hopes to raise awareness and erase the stigma around postpartum depression (PPD). Because of what she has been through, she is committed to using her talents to help change the outcomes for others.

Angelina Spicer is a comedian, actress, social media influencer, wife, and mother. A cum laude graduate of Howard University, Angelina has smartly delved deep for comedy that’s authentic, transparent, and relatable. By using her social media platform, she became an outspoken advocate for maternal mental health after she was admitted to a psychiatric facility for treatment of PPD. It was then that her journey to remove the stigma of the shame and guilt associated with PPD began. She became the 2018 Spokeswoman for The Blue Dot Project, lobbied on Capitol Hill, helped pass three new pieces of legislation for new moms in California, and has been featured in USA Today and Essence magazine. She’s now channeling her efforts into making a documentary film about her experience with PPD.

Show Highlights:

How Angelina became an “accidental activist”
After her daughter’s birth, she felt “off” and disconnected from everything she loved, “blindsided by all the curveballs of motherhood”
Her breaking point--8 months postpartum--when she was happy to have relief by being admitted to the hospital
Why she wants to give other moms the help they need
How she decided to do a documentary about her story once she became comfortable with sharing her truth
Why transparency is the key to bringing humor to a heavy topic
Angelina’s unique, humorous perspective to PPD and motherhood
The transformative process after PPD and how “the path reveals itself”
The more we open up about PPD, the more others will feel cool about sharing their struggles
How we should focus on eliminating the social stigma of PPD so mothers will feel comfortable talking to their doctors
How Angelina is “all in” with advocacy since she “came out of the PPD closet” on social media
Angelina’s upcoming work in bringing more awareness to PPD
The Kickstarter to help finish production on her documentary---and how you can help!

Resources:

Find out more about Angelina and her Kickstarter campaign: Angelina Spicer

Find Angelina on Instagram and Twitter

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This episode is supported by Ritual Prenatal and Ritual Essential for Women. Mom & Mind listeners get 10% off during your first three months! Visit ritual.com/MOMANDMIND to start your ritual today. Use code MOMANDMIND

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144: Not Carol: Postpartum Psychosis Documentary Apr 08, 2019

Show notes

Today’s show takes a look at the difficult topics of postpartum psychosis and infanticide through the eyes of the filmmakers of the documentary, Not Carol. The film covers the story of Carol Coronado, who was convicted of the 2014 murders of her three young daughters in CA while highlighting the desperate need for education and services for mothers and fathers in recognizing and treating postpartum psychosis. Join us for a conversation with the producers and directors of Not Carol, Eamon Harrington and Veronica Brady.

Eamon Harrington has co-owned Planet Grande Pictures since forming the company in 1993 with John Watkin. During that time, he has produced and directed hundreds of hours for all the major broadcast and cable outlets, winning seven Emmys along the way. Other industry honors include a Peabody Award and a DuPont Columbia Baton. Before forming Planet Grande, Eamon spent three years as Head of Production at VH1 in New York. Eamon has directed dozens of documentaries and unscripted series. His Emmy award-winning documentaries include Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am? (with Maria Shriver for HBO), Shades of a Single Protein (with Oprah Winfrey for ABC), Positive: A Journey into AIDS (ABC), and In Full Effect (FOX). Eamon is a hands-on producer and director, and frequently shoots many of his projects. That same hands-on approach brings him into the editing room on nearly every project.

Show Highlights:

How the documentary takes a look at maternal mental illness, specifically postpartum psychosis
Not Carol, which follows the story of 30-year-old Carol Coronado, arrested for the murder of her three young daughters, all under 2-½ years old
The 4-5 year filmmaking journey looking at postpartum psychosis through the lens of Carol’s case wrapped up in advocacy and information
What really happens when psychosis sets in and how little we know and understand about it
The importance of populating the film with leading experts on postpartum psychosis and survivors who have lived through it
What surprised Eamon and Veronica about the lack of laws for infanticide in the US, meaning these women are tried for 1st-degree murder with no recourse for legal defense, all based on laws dating back more than 150 years
How these women are at risk even when they are incarcerated
How the title Not Carol came about and fits the story
What Eamon and Veronica wished people understood about postpartum psychosis: how to recognize this treatable, temporary illness
The lack of substantial help for those left behind after a postpartum psychosis tragedy
The double whammy of the illness AND the trauma
The numbers: 4 million babies are born in the US yearly; 1 in 5 moms will experience some form of postpartum depression; about 2 in 1000 will have postpartum psychosis; of these with PP psychosis, 4% will commit infanticide, and 5% will commit suicide
Why Eamon and Veronica think young women AND young men should see the film, to help them understand that postpartum psychosis is a real thing
Why much patience was required in the filmmaking process
How Eamon and Veronica secured the trust and approval of individuals and Postpartum Support International to tell the story
How Eamon and Veronica have become advocates in Carol’s story and for her family
How to have a screening in your area

Resources:

Film information and the 5-part podcast: https://www.notcarol.com/

For more information, please see the Planet Grande website: https://www.planetgrande.com/

Postpartum Support International: www.postpartum.net

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143: NICU Experience for Babies and Parents Mar 25, 2019

Show notes

We know that a NICU stay makes for a difficult postpartum period, but what are the profound and long-lasting effects from this experience? In today’s show, we’re taking a close look at the experience of parents AND babies who go through a stay in the NICU. My guest brings a wealth of information based on her personal and professional experience.

Dr. Mara Stein is a clinical psychologist in private practice who specializes in the emotional aspects of coping with crisis around pregnancy, parenting and medical crisis, child development, and relationship-based developmentally-supportive care to babies and their families. She’s a Certified EMDR therapist, EMDRIA Approved Consultant, and an EMDRIA Approved Trainer for the Insitute for Creative Mindfulness. She’s certified in other modalities, like Emotion-Focused Family and Couple Therapy, is a Gottman Certified Therapist, and continues to pursue training in Clinical Hypnosis and Ego-State therapies. She brings a wealth of clinical expertise and insight along with all she has learned interviewing families around the world for her two books, her EMDR Basic Trainings, and her advanced practice workshops. All of this is grounded in her personal experience and perinatal journey, which began 25 years ago and took her through infertility, twin pregnancy, prolonged hospital bedrest, the NICU, and nearly 23 years of raising NICU graduates. We’re diving into the babies’ experience in the NICU and the interplay that may occur with their parents.

Show Highlights:

How Mara’s specialty came about from her personal journey when she realized that resources were lacking in this area for parents’ emotional needs
How she found a worldwide online support group for parents of preemies, which became the foundation of her work
How she became passionate about writing and teaching about perinatal trauma
Her EMDR work and training over the last 16 years
The range of conditions and ages of NICU babies
How NICU departments vary around the world in how they operate
Factors that interrupt a baby’s natural pattern in traditional NICU, with the environment, lights, sounds, etc.
The long-term effects of a NICU stay
The sensory mismatch for babies, with sounds, lights, and interruptions
How a developmentally-supportive NICU differs from traditional NICU
Why moms feel like they need to “stay out of the way”
How parent feel disoriented in many ways
How overstimulation and stress affect a NICU baby
How parents navigate their connection to their baby
Why it’s hard to attune to a NICU baby, and a parent’s hesitation may be misinterpreted as lack of attachment
The first time Mara felt like her NICU baby’s mother
The mental health of parents, and how they can work through and heal
Why parents ask, “Who is like me?” and “Where are the others?”
Transitions and processes for parents
The healing, so parents see themselves as whole human beings
Why parents need to see the combination of disarray and competence
The necessity of developmentally-supportive help to parents to see their baby as whole
The empowering message to parents to nourish them and help them recover and develop
Why the post-traumatic moments and grief do NOT invalidate your experiences as a NICU parent

Resources:

www.docmara.com

Parenting Your Premature Baby and Child: The Emotional Journey by Deborah L. Davis, Ph.D. and Mara Tesler Stein, Psy.D.

Intensive Parenting: Surviving the Emotional Journey through the NICU by Deborah L. Davis, Ph.D and Mara Tesler Stein, PsyD

www.parentsondemand.com

www.specialneedsfamilyhour.com The Welcome to Holland Essay

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142: Postpartum Psychosis: After a Tragedy Mar 18, 2019

Show notes

Today I’m speaking from the mind and heart about some topics that have been at the forefront of my thoughts regarding recent postpartum tragedies in the news and in our community. It’s a devastating reality every time mothers and babies are lost due to postpartum mental health issues--and we’ve got to do more to help.

Show Highlights:

The split that may occur between people who blame postpartum depression or psychosis and people who vilify the mothers who have done something terrible
These tragedies highlight the severe lack of information and understanding about postpartum psychosis
Why people who aren’t well shouldn’t be tasked to heal themselves alone
How we fail these moms multiple times during a very intense time of transformation in their lives
How are these moms and their families getting help and finding community support?
Why most of society is uneducated about how bad the postpartum mood disorders can get
How our laws treat women through the legal process after a tragedy occurs
What these women go through while in jail or a psych unit---do they get the help they need there?
Why it’s a delicate balance between healthcare, legal, social services, housing, witnesses, neighbors, first responders, medical teams, hospitals, and more
The road to recovery for families is a long process that could have been prevented in the first place
Why information and resources need to be available to everyone
Why we need to normalize postpartum mental health issues and show the reality, and not just put the “social media spin” on them
Why it’s easy to feel hopeless about the situation--and how we are failing these mothers
The hard part: the help doesn’t always get to the people who need it most
How can we build a better safety net?

Resources:

Email me with your thoughts: info@momandmind.com

Get help and information at www.postpartum.net

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141: Babywearing Benefits for Mental Health Mar 11, 2019

Show notes

It’s called “baby wearing” or “baby carrying”--- you may have heard of this technique and wondered what it’s all about. It’s a good idea logistically, but the great news is that it supports mental health and overall well-being in parents and caregivers when a new baby comes into the family. We’re finding out more about the ins and outs of baby wearing on today’s show.

Laura Brown is a baby wearing expert. She has been passionate about this topic for over a decade. She’s here to share details about this practice from her perspective, and how she uses her experience to help moms and partners after baby comes home. Since the birth of her first child, Laura has dedicated herself to providing the latest evidence-based information and support to caregivers throughout the birth and postpartum period. She founded one of the largest baby wearing non-profit organizations, helps train other birth and postpartum professionals, counsels manufacturers, and speaks nationally about baby carriers and their use. In addition to being a baby wearing consultant, she is also a full-spectrum doula, child passenger safety technician, lactation educator, and is kangaroo-care certified. I personally used this technique with both of my kiddos, and I saw firsthand the many benefits of baby wearing.

Show Highlights:

Baby wearing: the act of carrying your baby on your body with a baby carrier
Laura’s work, and how it began 10 years ago with the birth of her first child, when she noticed the benefits to baby, maternal mental health, and the freedom to leave the house with baby
How she teaches baby wearing classes, works with other healthcare professionals, and consults with baby carrier manufacturers
The importance of teaching caregivers this skill set
How to find a carrier that’s right for you and why most people will need more than one type of carrier
Why ONE carrier will not fit your every need and every situation
How a baby wearing class, consultant, or expert can help you find the right carrier and the right fit
Why baby wearing is important in the postpartum period:
Babies need constant attention, so baby wearing can alleviate stress for mom
Helps the baby’s muscle development, social development, and brain development
Helps bond the baby to their caregiver
Why baby wearing is just another tool in a caregiver’s toolbox, shouldn’t be used all day every day, and can be custom-tailored for how you care for your baby
How baby wearing helps with anxiety and depression for mom, releasing oxytocin and connecting mom and baby
When baby wearing may not be a good idea: when baby has complex health issues or the caregiver has chronic pain
Where to get help with baby wearing: most localities have groups or non-profits where you can learn about different carriers and take classes; even some retailers and manufacturers offer help, and YouTube has videos with troubleshooting information about baby carriers
The hopeful message about baby wearing: “Keeping baby close to you enables you to do what you need to do in the postpartum period.”

Resources:

Visit Laura’s website: www.mamabirdlosangeles.com

Find Laura on Instagram: @mamabirdlosangeles

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140: The Motherhood Center Mar 04, 2019

Show notes

There’s a new model of care available to moms and new families. The Motherhood Center in NYC hopes to be the prototype for superior support and services for other facilities around the world. Today’s show highlights this center and the important work being done there in perinatal and postpartum support.

Dr. Catherine Birndorf is cofounder and medical director of The Motherhood Center in NYC. It’s the first of its kind as a treatment center for pregnant and new moms who are experiencing anxiety and depression. There aren’t many centers like this one, offering holistic and long-term care. We’re going to hear how The Motherhood Center is providing unique care and how Dr. Birndorf is changing the face of perinatal mental health care.

Dr. Birndorf is the Founding Director of the Payne Whitney Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Birndorf is a board member of Postpartum Support International, a non-profit organization for awareness, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues related to childbearing worldwide. For 10 years, Dr. Birndorf was a regular mental health columnist for Self Magazine, and has appeared on numerous TV programs, including the Today Show, Good Morning America, MSNBC, CBS Evening News, and CNN. Her first book, The Nine Rooms of Happiness, which she co-authored with Lucy Danzinger, was a NY Times bestseller, published in 2010. She has co-authored with Alexandra Sacks, What No One Tells You: A Guide to Your Emotions from Pregnancy to Motherhood, which will be released in April.

Show HIghlights:

How Dr. Birndorf blends her two interests, obstetrics and psychiatry, into what she terms “reproductive psychiatrist,” to help women before, during, and after birth
How she got into this field and began teaching it as a subspecialty at Cornell
The passion and fire for women’s health
Her other endeavors in related fields and services
The importance of getting the information out about simple things like medications while pregnant, etc.
Parts of the Motherhood Center’s work, like consultation services and frontline provider information
How the Center began in NYC in 2014-2015: “a NOT feel like a hospital place”
How patients feel like they are being mothered
How the Center caters to moderate to severe perinatal or postpartum anxiety and depression
The intensive work that expedites recovery
How passion and creativity drive the model
One of the goals---to replicate the model in other places
Part of the next phase: mentoring others
How Dr. Birndorf sees her new book as yet another way to help people
The book, which covers the ways people classify motherhood and the mental phases of the process that can be a struggle for many
How the book covers the challenges in a unique way that no other book has done

Resources:

https://www.themotherhoodcenter.com/

Instagram: @themotherhoodcenter

Facebook: @motherhoodnyc

Twitter: @MotherhoodNYC

The Nine Rooms of Happiness by Catherine Birndorf and Lucy Danzinger

What No One Tells You: A Guide to Your Emotions from Pregnancy to Motherhood by Catherine Birndorf and Alexandra Sacks

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139: Transgender and Gender Queer Perinatal Mental Health Feb 25, 2019

Show notes

Today’s show begins to scratch the surface in bringing more information, knowledge and advocacy to the perinatal period for transgender, gender queer, and gender diverse people. We are discussing pronoun use, the stress and anxiety transgender people may encounter during conception, pregnancy, birth and postpartum and other stressors related to interactions and misunderstandings from their healthcare providers. Thanks to Abbie Rolf, BA for continuing this conversation with us.

Abbie Rolf is a Master’s level graduate student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. They are a behavioral health student intern at Metro Inclusive Health in St. Petersburg, FL. Abbie is a member of WPATH, ALGBTIC, and is actively working toward becoming a gender specialist. Abbie’s intersectional identities include being queer. This and other minority identities inform the lens through which they practice. Abbie is sex-positive and kink-aware. Abbie’s areas of interest include gender-inclusive perinatal mental health, grief/loss, trauma, and consensual non-monogamy.

Show Highlights:

Think of “transgender” as an inclusive term to include anyone who lives in a way that their gender is incongruent with their sex assigned at birth
Under the umbrella of transgender are binary gender, gender queer, non-binary, and agender---”ways pepole can self-identify their nuanced gender experience”
Don’t assume a person’s pronoun based on the way they present
The best way to find out someone’s pronouns is to introduce yourself and your pronouns and ask how they want to be addressed
To be known authentically, it’s important to use the right language to identify ourselves and others
Part of bringing awareness to gender issues is to acknowledge that there can be no assumptions based on the way a person presents
The microaggressions in misnaming and misgendering people
How transgender people are affected by the constant state of being unseen and unvalidated
Unseen stressors in the mental health system and how awareness of gender bias in the postpartum may be a manifestation of gender dysphoria

Resources:

Abbie’s Professional Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/Abbie-Rolf-BA-Graduate-Student-Mental-Health-Counseling-INtern-224253768482880/

Transgender Perinatal Mental Health for Professionals (closed Facebook group)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TransgenderPerinatalMHForProfessionals/

www.PracticeWithPronouns.com

National Transgender Discrimination Survey:

https://transequality.org/issues/national-transgender-discrimination-survey

Pronoun Options:

http://www.transstudent.org/pronounsgraphic.jpg

Gender Identities Overview:

https://www.genderspectrum.org/the-language-of-gender/

For Birthing People and Professionals:

Facebook Group: Birthing and Breast or Chestfeeding Trans People and Allies:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TransReproductiveSupport/

Queer Birth Project:

https://www.facebook.com/QueerBirthProject/

The Feminist Midwife

https://www.facebook.com/FeministMidwife/

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138: Highly Sensitive Babies Feb 18, 2019

Show notes

You’re probably familiar with the term HSP, a designation for a highly sensitive person. You may have heard this trait discussed on some of our previous shows. We know many mothers are HSP’s, but can an infant be a highly sensitive person? Is it even possible? If you’re a highly sensitive person, then this topic may resonate deeply with you, as it does personally for me. Join us for today’s discussion.

Julie Bjelland is an HSP psychotherapist, global HSP consultant, and the author of several books for the sensitive person. Her work has helped thousands of sensitive people around the world. As an HSP herself, and the mother of highly sensitive children, Julie understands the trait on a personal level, and she’s distinguished herself as one of the leaders in the field of high sensitivity education. Her mission is to spread awareness and education of this trait, and to help HSP’s reduce the challenges, so they can access their many gifts. Julie invites you to explore her website, which is full of helpful resources.

Show Highlights:

How proper support in childhood can prevent symptoms of anxiety and depression in adulthood, but lack of support usually means increased symptoms
What to look for in an infant (keep in mind that these indicators can show up differently):
Advancement in speech and language
Highly observant
Frequent overstimulation, with crying and meltdowns
Sensitive skin and frequent rashes
Prone to allergies and food sensitivities
Sensitivity to detergents and chemicals
Aversion to certain food textures and fabric textures
Strong reactions to being wet, dirty, and sticky
Preferences of adults with softer energy levels
Sleep sensitivities
Sensitivity to noise and temperature changes
Needing to be held a lot
How we create more stress in the way we label HSP behaviors
How our sensitivities go down when we are balanced and our needs are met
How to support mom and baby if they both have HSP tendencies
The HSP trait: it’s innate, affects 20% of the population, is equal in gender distribution, and 70% of HSP’s are introverts
Why it’s recommended that HSP’s have 2 hours of alone time each day
Changing the culture and helping new moms have “down time”
An infant’s mirror neurons when mom is not balanced
Recovery times that mom and baby need
How the brain perceives anxiety---and how deep breathing can help
Difficulties when mom and baby have the HSP trait
The roles of sleep, sickness, stress--and how HSP’s are affected
What can do to prevent overwhelm and overstimulation
How a non-HSP parent can understand an HSP child
Why it’s important to work with a good therapist
The need for reducing and removing self-judgment
The value of finding your tribe and feeling understood

Resources:

www.juliebjelland.com

The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person by Julie Bjelland

www.empoweredhsp.com

Brain Training for the Highly Sensitive Person by Julie Bjelland

www.braintraininghsp.com

Email me: momandmind@gmail.com

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137: Healthier Birth Outcomes from Black Moms and Babies Feb 11, 2019

Show notes

Why are birth outcomes for black women in the US so much different than for white women? The statistics are shocking, and we should all be concerned about this disparity. What can be done about it? Today’s show dives deep into the problem and possible solutions.

Alexandra Samuel-Sturgess, LCSW, is passionate about possible solutions to empower black women when it comes to better health care and better birth outcomes. Alex is someone I work with personally, and she’s an awesome advocate and therapist. She’s the founder of Spirited by Truth, a private practice located in Ontario, CA, and she specializes in perinatal mental health. She creates a safe space in her practice for black women to focus on their healing. Alex is an aunt to an angel baby and the sister of a postpartum depression survivor. Spirited by Truth came to fruition due to the overwhelming need to provide holistic pregnancy and postpartum mental health services catered to the needs of black women. Alex is passionate about prenatal and postpartum education and providing culturally responsive treatment for black women seeking mental health services. She is a Postpartum Support International coordinator for San Bernardino county and is a black maternal mental health advocate. At Spirited by Truth, she provides education, community, and support for expecting black mothers to assist in the fight toward healthier birth outcomes for black women and infants.

Show Highlights:

Statistics for black birth outcomes in the US: black women are 4X more likely to die in childbirth, 30% of black women experience perinatal mental health crises, and 60% of these don’t receive any treatment or support
Reasons why black women don’t receive treatment or support as often as white women
The focus on finding solutions
Solutions we can address for improvement of the situation:
Finding things black women CAN control in the childbirth process
Finding healthy ways to manage chronic stress
Eliminating the taboo for black women who seek mental health treatment
How black women can be empowered in asking for a black nurse or Ob
The need for education in healthier lifestyles, especially on nutrition and exercise
Education about the birthing options, like home births and birth centers
Alex’s sister’s birth experience
Leapfrog ratings of hospitals across the country
Why the infant mortality rate is higher, because of misinformation and lack of education about SIDS
Simple dangers of crib bedding and stuffed animals that are normalities in black families
How we can give current and updated information to empower black women
Why black women need to ask for support and learn self-compassion
Why black women fall prey to the “Superwoman” syndrome
The need for culturally responsive services for black women
Alex’s “Spirited Mama Tribe”--the support circle for black women, including workshops, CPR training, and doula/midwife services
Why black women need help in managing preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, chronic stress, and hypertension