With an estimated 10 to 20 percent of pregnancies ending in miscarriage—and so few stories openly shared—this episode feels especially important.

I’m honored to be joined by my dear friend Ioanna Zoe as we open up about our experiences with pregnancy loss after becoming mothers for the first time. Our journeys, strangely synchronized in timing, brought waves of joy, love, loss, and guilt.

In this intimate conversation, we speak honestly about the taboos surrounding miscarriage. These are our stories, but they may reflect experiences of many more women out there.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How we met and connected on Mallorca
• Ioannas journey into motherhood
• The taboo of miscarriage
• Ioannas miscarriage
• Navigating grief with a toddler 
• Spiritual aspects of pregnancy and loss
• Postpartum without a baby
• Zahra’s miscarriage
• Rituals around loss
• Life after miscarriage

Mentioned in this episode:

⁠Spirit Babies: How to communicate with the child you’re meant to have - Walter Makichen⁠

⁠The Illustrated Herbiary Oracle Cards - Maia Toll & Kate O’Hara ⁠

Find Ioanna:

Ioanna's Instagram

[email protected]

Stay connected:

⁠Subscribe to my substack⁠

Moved by this episode? I’d love to hear from you. Reach out on ⁠Substack⁠, or email me at ⁠[email protected]⁠.

My immense gratitude to all of you family members and friends who have supported me and my family where you could the last two years (you know who you are) <3

This episode is about community and the importance of the village for new families. I share my thoughts, struggles and solutions around the topic.

The following is discussed in this episode:

• Feelings of isolation postpartum
• Expectations and pressure on modern mothers
• Hunter gatherer societies compared to modern living
• “Just being a mom”
• The needs of my child versus my own
• Our experience of enrolling our child in preschool
• Daycare/preschool as part of community
• My two cents on making a choice around childcare
• Letting go of my maiden rigidity
• Attachment in relation to daycare
• Ways that I’m enriching my community

Books mentioned:

The continuum concept, in search of happiness lost - Jean Liedloff

Being there, why prioritising motherhood in the first three years matters - Erica Komisar

My doula training

To support the pod, please leave a 5-star review and/or share with a fellow new mom (to-be)!

Subscribe and send me a message with your throughts/questions on substack.

Email me on [email protected]

Transcript here

In this episode Zahra is joined by postpartum doula Beatriz Facio, who is also a birth doula, baby massage workshop facilitator and holds a PhD in child health from Brazil.

We go into:

• Beatriz' journey from PhD nurse in Brazil to postpartum doula in Sweden
• Brazilian postpartum traditions compared to Swedish'
• The role of a postpartum doula
• Key elements of postpartum care
• Balancing the postpartum needs for support and for space
• Postpartum planning workshops

Beatriz' website

Beatriz' Instagram

To support the pod, please leave a 5-star review or share with a sister!

Subscribe and send me a message with your throughts/questions on substack.

In this episode Zahra shares about the ancient practice of yoni steaming that has been very supportive on her journey from maiden to mother. In this episode she shares:

* What is yoni steaming?

* How to yoni steam

* Some herbs to use

* Rituals around yoni steaming

* The benefits, especially postpartum

Yoni Awareness Meditation

Substack

The fourth trimester vaginal steam study

Podcast on vaginal steam study results

[email protected]

In this first episode Zahra sets the space for this podcast and lets you know what to expect. She shares her intentions along with a short version of her journey from maiden to mother, which is the story from which the podcast was created.

Please share with a maiden or mother in your life!

Share your feedback or questions by sending an email via [email protected]

Please subscribe to our substack:

https://substack.com/@zahraleila