My Story
It started with a long and challenging, yet empowering home birth. I was in labour for 36 hours with intense contractions for most of that time. At 12 hours into labour I found out I had not dilated at all due to cervical scar tissue that had been caused by a medical procedure (I did not need) years previous. We dealt with the complications through acupuncture, homeopathic and a magical herbal oil that was massaged into my cervix. My son was born in the tub after 2 days of intense labour and I was in bliss.
However my hubby had to go back to work the next day. I was exhausted and depleted after the long labour, and had little help or support to care for me while I recovered. Almost none of the support we assumed we would have showed up. I was still in bliss but ran on fumes and sleep deprivation for the next several months. I thought I was doing okay. I thought this was just what mothers did.
Then when I was 6 months Postpartum I started having chronic insomnia, most likely from the sleep deprivation and exhaustion. The lack of sleep and exhaustion then led to depression and anxiety. Which then led to a whole slew of other health issues as well.
I basically had a nervous system breakdown.
I felt like I was going insane and didn’t know what was wrong with me. I found little comfort in the advice of my doctor. And I tried many of the herbal / natural products out there with no relief.
My family had no idea what to do with me or how to help so they took me to a doctor who prescribed some different medications. Although the anti-depressants they finally prescribed, after a few trial sleep medications, did help much the same as coffee helps people, it didn’t really help my insomnia, which was causing my anxiety and depression.
What I really needed was supported time to sleep and rest, gut healing, therapy, and support to relax and decompress my overly stressed nervous system.
When I tried to explain to my family doctor and then to a psychiatrist what I really needed, they just told me that I was depressed and that it was the cause of my issues.
I got quite ill and it took about 2 years to recover. During that time I explored many different holistic practices, some which helped a lot and some which did not.
On my journey of healing and recovery, I managed to wean myself quite quickly off of the anti-depressants and instead, with the support of therapy, acupuncture, identifying food allergies, gut healing, making rest and relaxation a priority, and learning how to heal my fried nervous system, I slowly recovered.
In August 2020 I enrolled in the INNATE Postpartum Care Certification training and this completed my healing journey. I learned what is required physiologically for women to thrive and be well postpartum. It ignited my passion to share this information with all mothers.
I finally understood that there was nothing wrong with me. That I was not broken. That is was simply an imbalance in my internal and external environment. That I was mothering within a culture that doesn't support mothers to be well.
I took my level 1 Somatic Stress Release training and studied with Irene Lyon, learning so much about releasing stress and healing the nervous system. This helped immensely on my healing journey.
I worked with a spiritual psychotherapist. who was almost more of spiritual mentor than a therapist, and she helped me guide my soul back from the depths of hell to the living world.
This whole experience felt like some kind of shamanic initiation that has prepared me to support mothers who are also struggling with their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.
I now support mothers-to-be to prepare for their postpartum so they can safeguard their health and their relationships, and lower their risks of postpartum depression.
As a Postpartum Doula, I deeply care for mother's in the 4th trimester so that they have time to heal and recover from pregnancy and birth, and create a solid foundation of health and wellness to embark on the journey of motherhood from.
As a postpartum wellness coach, I support mothers who are struggling to regain their health and sanity through the wisdom I learnt on my journey.
I hold space for mother’s who feel frustrated, disappointed, hurt and angry at our western culture and the medical system for ways they have been let down, de-valued, and unsupported. And I am their cheering section as they stand up for what they know deep in their cells is right and true.
Through my cultural activism and social media campaigns, I stand up for all mothers everywhere that we need more support, more care, to be deeply valued for our role in our communities and in the world.
And now I have created the THRIVE! Mother's Circle for mothers of young children who are struggling with their health and wellness.
It is a private online Community and group wellness coaching program so that no mother ever has to feel like no one knows how to help her. So that no mother ever feels like she is broken and there is something wrong with her. So that she has the support, community, encouragement, wisdom, knowledge, and hope she needs to be well and THRIVE!