Resting in Community
Hey y’all! Today, let’s talk about resting in community. To start off, I’m going to offer you some prompts that I find helpful in thinking about rest and challenge some of the ways that productivity aka hustle culture inculcates a hard-to-please urge to keep forging ahead, ignoring our own needs in favor of always producing.
Gather something to write with (and while you’re at it, get yourself something to drink). Then settle down and give yourself a moment to land. When you’re ready, read each prompt and then journal for a few minutes.
If you’d rather not write, you could make a voice recording or do some sketching. I encourage you to record your thoughts or feelings in some way, whether you choose to refer to them again after, or not.
PROMPTS:
It can seem like everyone else is resting but you, or like there are some very specific things needed in order to rest - like a beach house in Bali! Lol. But the truth is that we all deserve to rest, and even a moment of rest makes a difference.
If you’re struggling to make space for rest, imagine what your clients might be going through? Especially in postpartum. You’ll find that many postpartum birthing folk struggle with rest and one of the biggest challenges of your practice will be supporting your clients with this.
For a lot of families, postpartum tends to be something that’s not thought about much until they get there which can sometimes lead to confusion and overwhelm, because at that point they are recovering from the experience of concluding their pregnancy experience and likely overwhelmed physically as well as emotionally. Birthworkers can help folks call in more ease for their postpartum by discussing how vital community is in supporting rest and creating a plan that centers their needs and wants.
A few more prompts for your journal:
It is never too early to begin talking about postpartum and what folks may need to feel supported in their recovery from pregnancy and birth, and integrating the ‘new normal’. What may feel supportive to one person may be overwhelming for another. There’s a lot of information and advice that seems to mainly be focused on the new baby, so it can be helpful to think about your client and what they may need.
Some ideas to start you off:
Think about your past postpartum clients or loved ones:
What did they ask you for?
What did they mention needing or wishing they had?
If you haven’t worked with folks in postpartum yet, ask your community what they found most helpful or what support they wish they’d had during that time.
Pull together some resources to share with folks preparing for postpartum, include some information on or recommendations for books/articles on how a birthing body changes after birth or pregnancy conclusion as well as things to look out for in postpartum and contacts for mental health support.
Write down some questions to ask your clients that can help them start thinking about what they would find supportive. Remind them that it’s okay for them to do what makes sense for them, including setting boundaries and expectations, letting folks know they may change their minds and asking for what they need - from space to food drop offs to help with chores, pet sitting and playdates for older children.
Remember that the goal is not to create a minute by minute plan that must be adhered to but rather to start thinking about what would feel supportive and how we can call on community to uplift our rest and recovery goals whether it’s by holding space, coming through to help with physical needs or helping coordinate who is doing what.
Please share any resources you’ve found helpful in supporting folks with postpartum prep and planning in the comments below!
If you’re interested in expanding your postpartum support skills, check out our self paced course Sunstone: Postpartum Doula Training.
If you’re interested in deepening your practice to become expansive, radical, revolutionary, and transformative; Capstone US: Advanced Full Spectrum Birthwork Training begins April 23, 2023