Baby Magic, Granny Sense: talking about women's bodies: reproductive rights, running, birth attendan...

Here in Montreal,Canada, and around the world, pregnant women and their families are facing new challenges. Do I have to wear a mask while I'm giving birth? Do I have to pick between my partner/mother/friend and my doula to be present with my in the hospital/birthing centre? Can I have a home birth? What does a virtual doula do?
Life goes on, and people are still having babies. I spoke to Sylvia Otvos, who leads a special group of doulas here in Montreal. Hear how she and her colleagues answer these questions and more, and follow the links below for community and action.
Virtual Mom and Baby group
Pregnancy Community group (paid)
If you're interested in writing a letter to your local MP, requesting a change in the "one support person" policy in your hospital or birthing centre, message me for template letters.
Parents Matter! Birth Matters! Rise Up!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit montreadoula.substack.com

This is a guided meditation for any pregnant woman to use, daily if she wants. A doula can also share it with the women she supports. It helps you relax, energize, and connect with your baby.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit montreadoula.substack.com

Cesarean Awareness Month is April, and every month is a good month to learn about oppressive birth practices.
In the past fifty years in affluent parts of the world, the cesarean birth rates have skyrocketed without any significant improvement of maternal or infant mortality or morbidity. Except ... wait ... mothers are suffering physically, emotionally and spiritually from the damage that is done to them when they have unwanted and unnecessary cesarean sections.
Today, Emily joins us from a dark place where she was left after giving birth to her twin girls ... her strength, love, and intuition helped her to move forward and into a full awareness of birth and what it means to be intentional in a system that is made to oppress.
Cesarean surgery saves lives: mothers' lives, and babies' lives. But it is only life-giving when it is done to save a life. Because you don't know how to assist at a breech birth isn't a reason, neither is because labor is going slowly, nor because your shift is ending, or because of any number of false reasons. Bad science is not good medicine, and women are not sheep.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit montreadoula.substack.com

Billie Harrigan is one of our elders. She is a mother, a grandmother, a traditional birth companion, and a mover and shaker of change in our birth world. She works gently, with kindness and love, for a truly woman-centred birth reality. She respects and empowers. She is humble, intelligent and skilled.
We spoke about birth, trauma-informed care, and the current maternity system.
You can reach her here: Billie Harrigan. I write about her, and the task ahead, here.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit montreadoula.substack.com

Wombs with a View: Sylvia Otvos and Jenny Bee chat with me about the Birth Conspiracy, radical birth choices, safe birth, sacred birth. Check out more here!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit montreadoula.substack.com