Today we talk with Julia Jones, postnatal doula and author of Nourishing Newborn Mothers - Ayurvedic Recipes to Heal your Mind, and Body and Soul after Childbirth and Newborn Mothers - When a Baby is Born So is a Mother (www.newbornmothers.com/books/). She is also the creator of the worldwide leading education resource for postpartum professionals: Newborn Mothers Collective (www.newbornmothers.com/training). We talk about how Julia became interested in postpartum care. We discuss the traditional practices for postpartum care that many of the world’s cultures had in common before Colonization and the Industrial Revolution. We discuss how losing touch with these practices has made our modern practices “abnormal” or unnatural in the context of human history. We then define and discuss the “village” model of parenting and childcare, and talk about its many advantages and how we can learn from and incorporate its principles in our own situations. We then talk about the history of the role of doula and its ties to breastfeeding. We then talk about the qualifications and role of doulas throughout the world. We discuss the need for a cultural shift toward valuing and investing in birth and postpartum worker’s care, and increasing our cultural awareness of how important the postpartum period is. Julia gives more traditional ways the world’s cultures care for newborn mothers, such as warm comfort foods, massage and body work, and belly binding. We talk about the cultures that still practice the “village” model of childcare. Julia then talks about the physical changes produced in your brain by caring for a child. We then discuss proper support for parents and others caring for children. We talk more about the science and nuances of bonding. We talk about the scientific side of intuition. We then talk about learning from other cultures without cultural appropriation. To learn more, visit www.newbornmothers.com. 

• 1:46 Julia’s Story 

“That’s why we really need to focus on boosting these oxytocin levels, not just during birth. Because, originally oxytocin was discovered and named ‘quick birth’ because it increases contractions, but what we’ve learned is that it’s not just for birth — it’s actually the bonding hormone, it’s the love hormone.” 37:34

https://birthcircle.com

For Any Questions, Email Me at [email protected]