Born Together

This week’s episode with Adrienne Oliver holds a number of reflections on the experience of Black motherhood. We talk about Black mothering as an act of defiance, engaging in joy as resistance and the cosmic reparations we are hoping to seed through our very existence as a new age of Black mothers. We also unpack the truth and weight of the work and hopes we hold, for our generation and especially our children. I am full of joyful thanks to Adrienne for coming on this journey and sharing such deep truths. It is an episode that offers connection for Black parents and people and critical contemplations to cultivate understandings held by non-Black persons.

If you felt moved by Adrienne you can follow her on https://www.instagram.com/adrienneoliverrr/ (Instagram) and support her work through https://www.patreon.com/adrienneoliverrr (Patreon)

At the time when Elena received her daughter’s diagnosis for down syndrome she had doubts, she couldn’t image herself, as a special needs mum, which was heavily influenced by the colouring given to her daughter diagnosis from the medical community. If only that person could see and know all that Elena does now. Four years down the track Elena is now mum to her daughter Wynter with Downs syndrome and her son Nova who is a typically developing child. Elena shares the arch of her journey. Connecting with her daughter and what she has come to know about herself and our humanness through Wynter’s authentic state of being and her new role advocating the need for equity and inclusion so that Wynter can she herself and all her potential reflected in the world around her are just some of the moments touched on. Elena also opens up about her state of mental wellness, IVF and the isolation of her miscarriages. Elena, like myself, is a true believer in the connective power of shared stories and I am so very grateful for all she shares with us here in this episode.

This week I’m talking with Mary Beth La Rue about her journey of awakening, experienced through her transition into motherhood, coming to adopt her son through the foster care system. Mary Beth shares how she came to realise that she wasn’t meant to meet her baby the way she thought she was. Trying to conceive with her husband and then being directed to try fertility treatments it wasn’t until she mentioned the idea of adoption that Mary Beth felt a true spark of excitement at the idea of becoming a mother. From the moment she got the call, calling her to her son, to the years spent living in uncertainty; Mary Beth shares the emotional commotion that came hand in hand with her life’s greatest joy. I know you will love coming along this journey with Mary Beth and I am so very thankful to her for sharing her story and enriching the idea of family with her own words and colours.

Get ready, In this week’s episode I have the joy to be talking with Lacey Haynes! Unpacking the often unexplored power of the feminine essence, our creativity and sexuality. Lacey unpacks her sacred triangle theory, we talk about the lasting power of language, how our children can often helps us to find the way, defining a new feminine, aligning our energy and intention to reflect our truest selves to the world and the power of the erotic to elevate each aspect of our lives.

My curious mind has been drawn to the subject of our power and sexuality and it was such a treat to get to capture and share with Lacey who’s School of Whole is centred on these ideas and so much more.

In this week’s episode Hollie de Cruz treats us to the births of her two boys, Oscar and Cosmo, how she came to discover the power and science of our bodies and birth through hypnobirthing. A teaching that would not only hold space within her own birth experiences but lay down the path for her future career.

Hollie unpacks the ending of her first relationship and the vision she had held for her life at that point in time. Moving forward to the unexpected and incredible trajectory her life has taken in melding together a new family with her partner Simon and their boys.

We also talk about the journey of parenthood, the way we are shaped and move through, alongside our children. The importance and liberation that that comes with owning and cherishing your own path and space, striding towards self determination.

I am very excited to finally share this episode for you to enjoy!

This week I have the pleasure of talking with Vean Ima. Having grown up with a large family unit becoming a mother was always something Vean wanted to experience. It was after a long awaited diagnosis of endometriosis and corrective surgery she was told that she wouldn’t be able to conceive and become pregnant. This left her feeling deeply disorientated and devastated. Fast forward a number of years down the track and Vean is now mother to six babies. Vean explores her journey of motherhood and selfhood, what it was like to be surprised by twins after four babies at the age of 40, her pregnancy and coming to birth her twins boys vaginally. Vean’s story is a evidence to the many things we are, being people well as being parents and finding one's own way to raise your family.

Today I have the pleasure of capturing Abi’s Smissen’s story of motherhood, who talks through her journey, beginning in the UK with the birth of her daughter and her current pregnancy, navigating a new maternity system in Australia.

Abi opens up about the experience of her first birth, the medical trauma that surrounds it and the complex beginning she had with motherhood. Struggling to connect with her baby but also feeling fiercely protective. It would take the best part of a year and a shift in the needs of her baby to find space to allow all the feelings she had been pushing aside to come to the surface and heal.

Since that time and as a result of her own journey Abi has trained as a birth and postnatal doula. She and her family have also relocated to Australia where she is currently navigating a very different system and Abi shares the limitations that she has faced in accessing a home birth. Finally, we touch on the importance of the postpartum and how Abi is keen to provide herself with a more grounding experience, holding the space with greater understanding and consideration than her first time around.

It is a great episode unpacking the way one’s experiences can vary within the different systems and brining attention to the significance and impact of our postpartum journey’s, as parents, people and our bodies. Enjoy, and happy listening.

In this episode Bethen Crisdale shares her experiences, reflections and learning on birth, motherhood and the growing into her own power. Having had three very different birth experiences, two miscarriages and fallen into the depths of despair while suffering from Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) Bethen traces the her arch of discovery, coming to love and feel confident in who she is, both as a woman and mother. A journey that has brought her to question and actively challenge the system of maternity care as well as the solitary nature of modern motherhood.

Bethen shares her journey in such a beautiful way, there is so much for everyone to enjoy and reflect on in this episode. I know you will enjoy. Much love and happy listening! Tekie xx

In this week’s episode I am so excited to bring you the motherhood journey of Aimee Aroha of https://www.instagram.com/ripsnorter/ (@ripsnorter) who opens up about the way her first birth, that at the time seemed golden, but came to see things differently in regards to institutionalised birth and the normalised and often unnecessary interventions that have become part of standard care with deeper education and through the birth of her son. Aimee takes us through her journey, coming to understand and begin a process of healing, moving beyond decolonisation by weaving her own culture through her second birth and having the space to birth fully in her own sovereignty. This would prove to be a massive reclamation of her autonomy and provide healing for generations past and future. Finally opening up the chance for her to accept the invitation from maidenhood into womanhood. There’s so much here and its super exciting to be bringing you stories from back home in Oz.

Giovanna’s motherhood journey first began with a miscarriage. After taking time to heal and begin to trust her body again Gi was ecstatic to discover she and partner Tom were pregnant again, right before flying to the US to surprise her in laws at Disneyland.

A shadow of concern lingered over the first few weeks of her pregnancy, but Gi would go on to have three empowering and very different birth experiences with her sons, Buddy, Buzz and Max.

It would take Giovanna five months after birthing her first son to feel comfortable breastfeeding openly, to grow in confidence and learn to trust herself and her baby. To put aside all the well meaning advice and preconceived ideas of what motherhood might look like. A journey that has continued to grow along with her family.

Giovanna also reflects on the changes in the community and conversations around motherhood that she has witnessed in her arch of motherhood.

Both Gi and I are both big believers and champions of the power found in shared stories. I’m feel very excited and privileged to share Gi’s story here on the podcast.