There is no doubt in my mind that through childbirth a mother is born along with her child, and that the hormonal peaks and valleys associated with labor, delivery, and the early postpartum period are a necessary cycle of nature's master plan to create a lifelong bond between mother and child through a deep intricate weaving of bodies, minds, hearts and spirits.
Having gone through this life-changing process myself and having witnessed countless other women tell the stories of their births and breastfeeding experiences, I have an intimate understanding of and passion for physiologic birth and the early postpartum period, along with the powerful energy that this continuum can harbor for a woman and her family's healthy functioning for years to come. It is my belief that birth is not a "one day matter", it is rather a milestone that will be forever branded in a mother's being, subconsciously shaping her daily relationship with her child throughout life and significantly impacting a number of other spheres of her identity.
As I wrap up my Master's in Public Health and prepare to start a new chapter in my professional and academic training pursuing a Doctorate in Public Health (DrPH) with a focus on Maternal and Child Health, I find myself wondering how to best use these upcoming years to maximize my leverage and influence in the realm of birth and breastfeeding. My overarching goal is to become an agent of change to support and promote women's reproductive rights for all women of all races, ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, religious beliefs, and sexual orientation. These women deserve nothing but the best, most dignified, respectful, safe, healthy, caring, individualized, and positively life transforming maternity care delivered to them prenatally, intrapartum as well as postpartum.
This blog is intended as a means for me to further develop my critical thinking and writing on matters related to birth, breastfeeding, and beyond as well as to share with others thoughts, information, experiences and ideas. I look forward to using this blog as a forum for discussion and action on issues that are critical to advancing maternal health in the U.S. and abroad.
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