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Welcome back to the Indigo108 takeover for BeREAL. This week, Liz is joined by Shamina Rao to talk about the role of a full spectrum care throughout the journey of pregnancy and birth.
Shamina is a Full-Spectrum Doula, a Certified Lactation Counselor, & a very soon-to-be IBCLC (Board Certified Lactation Consultant), and a Prenatal Yoga teacher.
Shamina introduces herself as a full-spectrum doula, lactation consultant, and a prenatal yoga teacher. Full-spectrum work entails support through all parts of birthing and all forms of birthing. Full-spectrum doulas work with mothers by offering non-judgemental care in situations when the mother intends to keep the baby, and in situations when they don’t. Shamina looks to demedicalize parts of the birthing process, because overly medicalized births often overlook the mother’s needs. Demedicalizing birth also allows non-medical practices, like skin-to-skin, to have a space in the birthing room.
Shamina next explains the importance of full spectrum care as a doula. Every mother is different. They have different values, different medical history, different life stories and their birth process should be respective of this. Holistic doulas look to know and treat the whole person, instead of treating every mother the same. Shamina’s goal is to help mothers move with the world around them, much like Ayurveda strives to do.
Shamina also believes a part of being a holistic doula is helping those around the mother as well. This means helping partners, family, and friends through the pregnancy and birth which will in turn uplift the mother as well. Creating this strong support network for the mother is also important because things can change so quickly during birth. You can plan as much as possible for a birth and then everything changes at the last minute because the mother finds herself in a place she never expected while in labor. Doulas are there to acknowledge when changes occur during birth, because sometimes the mother cannot identify their own internal change in the moment.
To finish off the episode, Shamina discusses the importance of the healthcare providers you choose. Some providers do not work holistically and then the mother’s wishes are not heeded in the birthing process and they are left out of their own pregnancy. It is important to find a provider that shares similar values and will not overshadow your desires during birth. Lastly, Liz guides listeners through a practice she picked up from Shamina.
Thank you so much for tuning into BeREAL this week. Be on the lookout for more episodes in the new year. In the meantime, make sure to check out the previous episodes of the Indigo108 takeover.
For more information on Shamina and her practice, visit the links below:
Website: https://www.shaminarao.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaminarao/
For more information on Indigo108, BeREAL (our mental wellness podcast), and BeWELL (our therapy practice in New York City and Hoboken, NJ) visit the links below:
To schedule a therapy appointment text BeWELL to 484848 today
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Be.WELL.Psychotherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewell.psychotherapy/
