[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] the journey into motherhood is one of
the journey into motherhood is one of
the journey into motherhood is one of the most vulnerable times in a woman’s
the most vulnerable times in a woman’s
the most vulnerable times in a woman’s life filled with transformation and
life filled with transformation and
life filled with transformation and self-doubt small victories and struggles
self-doubt small victories and struggles
self-doubt small victories and struggles and somewhere in that space between
and somewhere in that space between
and somewhere in that space between women either find their voice and speak
women either find their voice and speak
women either find their voice and speak their truth or they remain silent giving
their truth or they remain silent giving
their truth or they remain silent giving it away women are powerful and strong
it away women are powerful and strong
it away women are powerful and strong they give birth and when they’re
they give birth and when they’re
they give birth and when they’re respected and given space to be heard
respected and given space to be heard
respected and given space to be heard mothers are born think of the strongest
mothers are born think of the strongest
mothers are born think of the strongest most powerful person you know a woman
most powerful person you know a woman
most powerful person you know a woman made that birth that and raised that I
made that birth that and raised that I
made that birth that and raised that I gave birth to my son they’re gonna kill
gave birth to my son they’re gonna kill
gave birth to my son they’re gonna kill me for that picture I gave birth to my
me for that picture I gave birth to my
me for that picture I gave birth to my sons in the 90s and I would go on to
sons in the 90s and I would go on to
sons in the 90s and I would go on to raise them right here in Southern
raise them right here in Southern
raise them right here in Southern Maryland I felt very alone in motherhood
Maryland I felt very alone in motherhood
Maryland I felt very alone in motherhood and like all new parents I wanted to do
and like all new parents I wanted to do
and like all new parents I wanted to do the best for my sons
the best for my sons
the best for my sons I was learning as I was going and making
I was learning as I was going and making
I was learning as I was going and making mistakes like we all do and sure I had
mistakes like we all do and sure I had
mistakes like we all do and sure I had friends but so many of the support
friends but so many of the support
friends but so many of the support systems we now take for granted didn’t
systems we now take for granted didn’t
systems we now take for granted didn’t exist there was no breastfeeding or
exist there was no breastfeeding or
exist there was no breastfeeding or babywearing meetings no natural mom
babywearing meetings no natural mom
babywearing meetings no natural mom groups or prenatal yoga classes it was
groups or prenatal yoga classes it was
groups or prenatal yoga classes it was just me breastfeeding and baby wearing
just me breastfeeding and baby wearing
just me breastfeeding and baby wearing in public getting the side eye and the
in public getting the side eye and the
in public getting the side eye and the oftentimes impolite comments it was
oftentimes impolite comments it was
oftentimes impolite comments it was through many of those experiences and
through many of those experiences and
through many of those experiences and the years of raising my sons that I saw
the years of raising my sons that I saw
the years of raising my sons that I saw a real need in this community to build
a real need in this community to build
a real need in this community to build support for women in motherhood fast
support for women in motherhood fast
support for women in motherhood fast board
board
board early 2012 my sons are growing getting
early 2012 my sons are growing getting
early 2012 my sons are growing getting more independent and let’s be honest
more independent and let’s be honest
more independent and let’s be honest spending time with mom not one of their
spending time with mom not one of their
spending time with mom not one of their top priorities I was actively teaching
top priorities I was actively teaching
top priorities I was actively teaching and training here in the community but I
and training here in the community but I
and training here in the community but I was ready to do more I wanted to make
was ready to do more I wanted to make
was ready to do more I wanted to make some type of impact for the new mothers
some type of impact for the new mothers
some type of impact for the new mothers here so I enrolled in prenatal yoga
here so I enrolled in prenatal yoga
here so I enrolled in prenatal yoga teacher training and birth doula
teacher training and birth doula
teacher training and birth doula training all in the same week and I
training all in the same week and I
training all in the same week and I never looked back
never looked back
never looked back my passion is my work and my work is my
my passion is my work and my work is my
my passion is my work and my work is my passion as a birth doula I meet
passion as a birth doula I meet
passion as a birth doula I meet one-on-one with my clients getting to
one-on-one with my clients getting to
one-on-one with my clients getting to know them discussing what options are
know them discussing what options are
know them discussing what options are available to them for the birth of their
available to them for the birth of their
available to them for the birth of their child I serve as their advocate on their
child I serve as their advocate on their
child I serve as their advocate on their birth team I point them in the right
birth team I point them in the right
birth team I point them in the right direction to find research-based
direction to find research-based
direction to find research-based information because as we all know dr.
information because as we all know dr.
information because as we all know dr. Google is not our friend
we meet often and as anyone that knows
we meet often and as anyone that knows me can attest my phone is always on and
me can attest my phone is always on and
me can attest my phone is always on and always within reach mixed up now I think
always within reach mixed up now I think
always within reach mixed up now I think that by building trust my clients get to
that by building trust my clients get to
that by building trust my clients get to know that with me they have a safe space
know that with me they have a safe space
know that with me they have a safe space to ask questions to discuss fears and
to ask questions to discuss fears and
to ask questions to discuss fears and uncertainty and to learn to make some of
uncertainty and to learn to make some of
uncertainty and to learn to make some of the most important decisions of their
the most important decisions of their
the most important decisions of their lives on my yoga mat I think is where I
made some of the greatest impact in this
made some of the greatest impact in this community it was Mother’s Day five years
community it was Mother’s Day five years
community it was Mother’s Day five years ago it started with two women and I told
ago it started with two women and I told
ago it started with two women and I told them often how amazing their bodies and
them often how amazing their bodies and
them often how amazing their bodies and birth really are I reminded them to read
birth really are I reminded them to read
birth really are I reminded them to read birth to educate themselves about all
birth to educate themselves about all
birth to educate themselves about all the decisions they would need to make to
the decisions they would need to make to
the decisions they would need to make to ask questions why and how why not and
ask questions why and how why not and
ask questions why and how why not and what about this to listen to their
what about this to listen to their
what about this to listen to their intuition and trust the process
intuition and trust the process
intuition and trust the process to allow their bodies and their babies
to allow their bodies and their babies
to allow their bodies and their babies to do what they were meant to do before
to do what they were meant to do before
to do what they were meant to do before I knew it my room began to fill with
I knew it my room began to fill with
I knew it my room began to fill with more and more women all coming together
more and more women all coming together
more and more women all coming together learning growing as a community now
learning growing as a community now
learning growing as a community now when the women come into the room and
when the women come into the room and
when the women come into the room and the room grows louder I have to ring my
the room grows louder I have to ring my
the room grows louder I have to ring my bell to quiet them down the peanut
bell to quiet them down the peanut
bell to quiet them down the peanut gallery I’m gonna back row girls
gallery I’m gonna back row girls
gallery I’m gonna back row girls oftentimes they keep going and the room
oftentimes they keep going and the room
oftentimes they keep going and the room erupts with laughter I can’t help but
erupts with laughter I can’t help but
erupts with laughter I can’t help but smile because this this is what
smile because this this is what
smile because this this is what motherhood is all about community
motherhood is all about community
motherhood is all about community compassion empowerment if you give women
compassion empowerment if you give women
compassion empowerment if you give women a voice it transforms their whole life
a voice it transforms their whole life
a voice it transforms their whole life that of their partners and of their
that of their partners and of their
that of their partners and of their children I continue to nurture the
children I continue to nurture the
children I continue to nurture the community that I be going to see form in
community that I be going to see form in
community that I be going to see form in my classes by fostering these
my classes by fostering these
my classes by fostering these relationships and asking them to show up
relationships and asking them to show up
relationships and asking them to show up be present in the lives of the mothers
be present in the lives of the mothers
be present in the lives of the mothers and the families around them we did it
and the families around them we did it
and the families around them we did it we brought back the community right here
we brought back the community right here
we brought back the community right here in Southern Maryland this support
doesn’t just extend to mothers but
doesn’t just extend to mothers but military families as well this is such a
military families as well this is such a
military families as well this is such a transient community families come and go
transient community families come and go
transient community families come and go military families come and go it’s
military families come and go it’s
military families come and go it’s really hard to lay roots
really hard to lay roots
really hard to lay roots and really feel grounded many of my
and really feel grounded many of my
and really feel grounded many of my clients are military families and the
clients are military families and the
clients are military families and the number one belief amongst the spouses is
number one belief amongst the spouses is
number one belief amongst the spouses is that they can support their wives
that they can support their wives
that they can support their wives entirely that they don’t need help that
entirely that they don’t need help that
entirely that they don’t need help that they can provide everything that is
they can provide everything that is
they can provide everything that is necessary because it’s become their way
necessary because it’s become their way
necessary because it’s become their way of life my response is of course they
of life my response is of course they
of life my response is of course they can but they don’t have to it’s ok to
can but they don’t have to it’s ok to
can but they don’t have to it’s ok to want support it’s okay to need help it’s
want support it’s okay to need help it’s
want support it’s okay to need help it’s ok to lean in what I’ve seen firsthand
ok to lean in what I’ve seen firsthand
ok to lean in what I’ve seen firsthand is incredible when you give a mother a
is incredible when you give a mother a
is incredible when you give a mother a voice it empowers it transforms her life
voice it empowers it transforms her life
voice it empowers it transforms her life it gives her strength and really the
it gives her strength and really the
it gives her strength and really the strength of any community rests on the
strength of any community rests on the
strength of any community rests on the backbone of the families that comprise
backbone of the families that comprise
backbone of the families that comprise it change doesn’t come from keeping
it change doesn’t come from keeping
it change doesn’t come from keeping silent change comes from community
silent change comes from community
silent change comes from community within support within the tribe
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
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