For the 3rd episode of Beyond Postpartum, I had the privilege of sitting down (this was preCovid-19 shutdown and physical distancing – what a beautiful time that was) to chat with Miranda Kelly, who is a mother of two and an Indigenous doula with the ekw’í7tl (pronounced ah-quay-tull) Doula Collective. A few weeks before we recorded this episode, we had the opportunity of having Miranda and one of her doula colleagues, Danette Jubinville (episode coming soon!), come and speak to us about the impacts that the historic and ongoing processes of Colonization have on the birth and postpartum experiences of Indigenous Families. It was my privilege to speak to Miranda again and hear more about her own journey and what she and the ekw’í7tl Doula Collective are doing to support other Indigenous families. I am honoured to also be able to share it with you too!
In the episode, Miranda and I talk about:
- Her positive pregnancy and birth experience, and how this set her expectations really high for what postpartum would be like
- How overwhelming breastfeeding was in the beginning
- What it was like to have a high-needs baby
- How down she felt about her body because of chronic pain following birth and how this impacted her mood and wellbeing
- The mixed feelings that came with being a new parent
- The factors that ‘tipped her over the edge’ from coping to… not
- How feelings of guilt and intrusive thoughts started to creep in and affect her, and why she didn’t reach out for help at the time
- The circumstantial things that helped her to start to feel better
- Going back to work after maternity leave
- The impact of weaning on her mental and physical health
- How she began to heal from her chronic pain and how she began to recover from her experience of depression and anxiety
- The process she and her partner went through to decide to have another child
- The tools and resources she accessed to help her feel more prepared to have a second child – and what really made the difference in her experience!
- Taking the PPPSS volunteer training and how it helped in her healing journey
- Why she decided to to pursue doula training and how she embarked on being a doula as a new career path
- Finding a sisterhood in the ekw’í7tl Doula Collective
- How participating in a baby welcoming ceremony held by her home community was a pivotal moment in her healing journey
- The ways that she and the ekw’í7tl doula collective are working to increase access to full-spectrum doula support for Indigenous Families – and the challenges and barriers that they come up against
- Resources that Indigenous families can access to get support from Indigenous doulas
- What she would say to her younger self when she was struggling the most
- How their collective got the name ekw’í7tl and what it means
Resources and Links from the Episode
- How to find the ekw’í7tl Doula Collective: https://ekwi7tldoulacollective.org/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ekwi7tldoulacollective/ and on Instagram @ekwi7tlcollective
- Miranda’s website: https://www.mirandakelly.com/
- Doulas for Aboriginal Families Grant Program: https://bcaafc.com/dafgp/doulas/
