Chelsea Wiley had a fast and furious first birth, followed by a postpartum period that left her feeling overwhelmed, isolated and unprepared for being a parent. After realizing she was the one that needed mothering, she prepared differently during her second pregnancy by using traditional ayurvedic tools that helped her slow down, improved her postpartum experience and recovery, and changed the course of her life. Check it out!
What we talked about:
- Her first postpartum experience after a super fast birth
- Not setting up enough postpartum care
- Struggling with not being able to let go of all the “shoulds”
- Matching your baby’s emotions
- Breastsleeping and keeping baby close
- How not stitching her perineum forced her to slow down
- Embracing kundalini and ayurvedic ways during her second pregnancy
- The three mind-body types (doshas): Vata, Pitta, and Kapha
- 40 days of recovery for 40 years of health
- Eating warm and easy to digest foods
- Being more prepared for the presence of the baby
- Paying attention to the sounds around the baby (creating a sound container)
- Building your village
- Setting up a babysitting trading group
- Take the help!
Chelsea with her newborn
Links to helpful resources*:
- Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food, by Catherine Shanahan M.D.
- Mystical Motherhood: Create a Happy and Conscious Family; A Guidebook for Conception, Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond, Chelsea’s book
- Seven Sisters for Seven Days: The Mothers’ Manual for Community Based Postpartum Care, by Michelle Peterson
- Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth and Spiritual Midwifery, by Ina May Gaskin
- Meal Train, Meal Baby, and Take Them a Meal: 3 meal delivery coordination services
- Life With a Newborn: Why it’s so had to take a shower (my video!)
- A Dosha test (there are many out there… this one gives you results without having to give your email address)
- Jewel’s baby album “Lullaby”
- White Sun’s music
Baby gets weighted, homebirth style
Related Birthful episodes:
- Setting up Your Postpartum Support, with Michelle Peterson
- Restoring Your Vitality After Birth, with Kimberly Johnson
- The Identity Shift of Becoming a Mom, with Sophie McEntee
- Understanding & Calming Your Baby, with Carrie Contey
- Prenatal Bonding, with Dr. Jay Warren
- Connecting With Your Baby in Utero, with Penny Simkin
- Healing Your Birth Story and Birth Trauma, with Pam England
- Birth Trauma, with Jodi Hall
Chelsea cuddles her baby
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Courtesy of Chelsea Wiley
About Chelsea Wiley
Chelsea Wiley, FNP is the author of Mystical Motherhood: Create a Happy and Conscious Family A Guidebook for Conception, Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond. She uses her background in Western and Eastern Medicine to help women enhance their fertility, conceive consciously, maintain a healthy pregnancy and raise enlightened children. Her vision is that families across the globe will awaken to their full potential and raise vibrant, healthy, and happy children. To work with her or purchase Mystical Motherhood visit www.mysticalmotherhood.com
Title music: “Vibe Ace” by Kevin MacLeod, from the Free Music Archive / CC BY (edited for length).
Sponsorship music: “Air Hockey Saloon” by Chris Zabriskie, from the Free Music Archive / CC BY (edited for length).
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