0 Comments
Hi all! I was super thrilled to be invited on to speak with Shelley McClure of Pollination Mamas (definitely check out her other work).
We had a really great chat about the state of postpartum culture, my story and my work within the community (and world) to revolutionise postpartum mental health and care. I really loved this interview - for so many reasons. And I'd love for you to give this a listen! We’re going to be doing things differently around here.
I have expressed my frustration most recently that I don’t have enough space in an Instagram caption to fully articulate my thoughts and processes. I was standing in front of Parliament House in Canberra in February of this year.It was early in the morning and my teeth were chattering from the nerves and the cold. My alarm went off at 5am but I hadn’t slept. I’d breastfed and soothed a 12 month old through the night. I was due to be on live TV any moment. I was in Canberra after being selected as a Trailblazer as part of the ABC Heywire program. It was already an epic adventure - and to have this opportunity to talk about The Postnatal Project on primetime TV was massive.
Ahhh, beliefs and expectations. They make us who we are. They are so important. But did you know that you have the power to explore and shift these expectations and beliefs when they no longer serve you?
The Postnatal Project is 3 years old!
My first daughter was born in June of 2015. The Postnatal Project was born in January 2016. When I think about the beginning of The Postnatal Project, it surprises me that I wasted no time in creating this space when I was in the midst of being so, so unwell. Mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually... I was the lowest I'd ever felt. Dear Blog,
I'm so very sorry for neglecting you. You see, there's this thing called Instagram - and it allows me to post snippets of my daily life, quotes, short messages of encouragement and effortlessly stay active in promoting my message. Sometimes writing for you can be daunting. I worry about word count. I never know what to call you. I wonder if my posts are as funny and thought provoking as some others. I struggle to find time to sit at the computer and most my Instagram posts are written whilst breastfeeding a toddler. But - my new goal is to write more often. I am looking forward to it. In the meantime, this is what I've been up to: The Postnatal Project is something that I started working on in January 2016. I was so passionate about researching, creating content and putting it all together. Most of it was written in the middle of the night while I breastfed Cadence (so I apologise in advance for any spelling or grammatical errors!)
I was excited to shine a light on the darkest time of my life and also on the issues that I have faced seeking support within a small community - until those issues became bigger than me. I was suddenly put inside of a tiny box - judged. This box began to fill to the brim with assessments, prescriptions, appointments, referrals, symptoms - and most of all - stigma. |