For as much as birth stories get shared far and wide, things seem to go radio-silent when it comes to the postpartum period. It can be hard to determine when they begin and when they end, and they also tend to be much messier to recount. However, there’s much value to be found in sharing and hearing these stories. Chaya Kasse Valier tells us more. Check it out.
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What we talked about:
- Why it’s important to share our postpartum stories
- Where does the story “start” and “end”?
- Is there really a way to convey the intensity and transformation of postpartum?
- Moments that stood out for Chaya from the book stories
- Suggestion on when to tell their stories, how, to whom
- The healing, cathartic, community-building nature of sharing postpartum stories
- The learning power of storytelling
- Reflecting on who you are as a mother
- Starting point: reflect on the first 6 months
- Switching the postpartum conversation from the current cultural fallacy
- Creating “red tent” events for the postpartum period
Additional resources and articles*:
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- Second Labor: Mothers Share POST-Birth Stories: Twenty-Four Mothers Write Bold, Honest Accounts About Life with a Newborn – Chaya’s Book
- These Comics Capture The Silent Struggle Of Postpartum Depression And Anxiety, as part of the #speakthesecret campaign
- Oral Contraceptives and Postpartum Mood Disorders, from the Psychotherapy & Healing Associates’ Blog
- Supplemental Nursing System, from Breastfeeding-Problems.com
- Birththeplay.org – aka BOLD play
- Birthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation 1st Edition, by Pamela England
- Seven Sisters for Seven Days: A Mothers’ Manual for Community-Based Postpartum Care, book by Michelle Peterson
Related Birthful episodes:
- Healing Your Birth Story, with Pam England
- The Power in Writing Your Story, with Jaime Fleres
- Setting up Your Postpartum Support, with Michelle Peterson
- Sharing Your Birth Story with Your Child, with Anika Rothfuss
Courtesy of Chaya Kasse Valier
Chaya Kasse Valier
Chaya Kasse Valier works as a content writer, doula and masseuse. She grew up in the Washington, DC area from age nine, prior to which her family lived in a few other US cities, Barbados, and Spain. Chaya graduated from the University of Florida, and then made her home in Jerusalem, where she and her husband met in 2001. They are blessed with four girls and a boy. Find out more at EasierBirth.com or read the book: Second Labor: Mothers Share POST-Birth Stories: Twenty-Four Mothers Write Bold, Honest Accounts About Life with a Newborn
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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