Motherbirth

Mellisa Reeves
Motherbirth

Join me and inspiring guests as we share the stories, wisdom and transformation of motherhood…. And invite you to step courageously down the path of your own birth as a mother.

  1. 11/12/2018

    The Eating Instinct - Motherhood and Diet Culture — 080

    As a journalist, Virginia Sole-Smith frequently wrote diet articles for women’s magazines but much of what she wrote never rang true for her. Then, when her first child was born with a rare congenital heart condition and wouldn’t eat on her own, she began to connect the dots of how outside influences can alter our bodies’ natural instincts to nourish and satiate ourselves. Her new book, The Eating Instinct: Food Culture, Body Image, and Guilt in America, was inspired by her daughter’s resistance to eating, her journey to feel safe in her own relationship with food, and her experience of writing about diet culture. The book explores food culture, body image issues and eating disorders that can occur when societal rules disrupt our intuition, and the self-imposed judgments many women put upon themselves. Virginia is a powerful voice not only for seeing yourself in a new way but also for raising the next generation in a new way that doesn’t assume we have to keep doing things the same way when it clearly isn’t working. Her book comes out this week and will be an incredible resource to anyone looking to de-program cultural messages about our relationships to our bodies! In This Episode: How she learned her daughter had a congenital heart condition How she built trust around the feeding relationship with her daughter The intense bond the trauma and stress created between her and her partner The importance of establishing feeding patterns Ellyn Satter’s Division of Responsibility in Feeding The ever-changing rules of nutrition The science of hunger and satiation How the word ‘best’ is a misnomer The unhealthy relationship many women have with food How our bodies have a natural intuition about what we need The downsides of the diet culture How to get a free 1-month trial of guided meditations through Expectful Show Notes: Virginia Sole-Smith The Eating Instinct: Food Culture, Body Image, and Guilt in America, by Virginia Sole-Smith @MotherBirth.co on Instagram Expectful — 1 Month Free Trial for MotherBirth Community Members

    1h 5m
  2. 10/29/2018

    Breaking Down Barriers to Equal Access to Reproductive Health Care — 079

    Few people have the tenacity and the resolve to recognize a gap in women’s health care services and then break down the barriers to fill the gap and find a place for themselves amid the new design. But, that is exactly what today’s guest, Director of Midwifery Care, Nikia Grayson, CNM, DNP, MPH did at CHOICES — Memphis Center for Reproductive Health in Memphis, Tennessee. Coming from the DC area, Nikia found the infant mortality rates among families of color in Memphis distressing. With a lack of community-based programs and very little influence left over from the Granny Midwives of the past, Nikia set her sights on creating a high-quality, non-judgmental, comprehensive reproductive health center the entire community could use. The organization Nikia helped transform — CHOICES — started as a cash-only abortion clinic. The organization now provides different health care choices based on community needs. During our conversation, Nikia shares information about her personal journey to becoming a midwife, the new birthing center, and how MotherBirth listeners can support the program. Her passion for women, providing equal access for the entire community, and focusing on the entire spectrum of reproductive health needs is so inspiring. We are so excited to share this incredible conversation. In This Episode: The barriers to becoming a midwife How she built trust and relationships within the community How funds are raised for the reproductive center How policy and politics have disrupted the long-standing tradition of midwifery The importance of high-quality, non-judgmental care How the same women who have babies are the same women who have abortions Why having a birth team is important The past role of a Granny Midwife in a community How to support the work of CHOICES, locally or otherwise How to get a free 1-month trial of guided meditations through Expectful Show Notes: Memphis CHOICES Website Memphis CHOICES on Facebook @MotherBirth.co on Instagram Expectful — 1 Month Free Trial for MotherBirth Community Members

    57 min
5
out of 5
74 Ratings

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Join me and inspiring guests as we share the stories, wisdom and transformation of motherhood…. And invite you to step courageously down the path of your own birth as a mother.

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