I first used castor oil packs when I was a teenager and experienced terrible menstrual cramps. My mom, an OG hippie, had all kinds of tricks up her sleeve and introduced this to me. To be honest, at the time I wasn’t very good about doing it, and didn’t care for the mess. Since becoming a mother myself, I’ve used castor oil packs on myself and my kids for all kinds of things from digestive upsets, liver detoxification, menstrual discomfort and urinary tract dysfunction (I’ve also used castor oil to induce labor. That’s for another blog post!).

How Castor Oil Packs Work

The essential fatty acids in castor oil, in particular the ricinoleic acid, encourage movement of chemical energy within the body, resulting in a detoxifying effect. They also help to support the flow of lymphatic fluid, essential for immune response and detoxification.

As for as menstruation goes, castor oil can help bind excess estrogen, reduce inflammation AND it helps reduce prostoglandins (the hormone that can contribute to uncomfortable or painful cramping). It is extremely absorbent, and applying heat helps the oil to really penetrate deeply below the surface of the skin.

Castor oil packs are NOT a modern fad… they have roots in many ancient traditions, including traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine and the ancient Egyptian culture. Medicine people have known for a long time of the deeply healing properties of castor oil, and modern practitioners have the benefit of understanding how this effective remedy really works.

What you will need:

• Soft, clean, thick material like organic flannel, wool, or cotton (I recommend this flannel wool from amazon or this castor oil kit )
• Castor oil (or castor oil kit)
• Glass bowl
• Hot water bottle or heating pad (my fave rechargeable one – costs more but totally worth it)
• Old clothes that you don’t mind getting stained
• Plastic bag or saran wrap plus a large towel
• Baking soda and water for cleanup (or the wipes in this castor oil kit)

How to make and apply the castor oil pack:

• Place your flannel into the bowl. Pour enough castor oil into the bowl to saturate the material
• Get your hot water bottle or heating pad ready
• Place your towel (and plastic bag if desired) onto the floor or bed, and lie down with supplies next to you
• Set the flannel over your lower abdomen, and cover it with saran wrap/plastic
• Place the hot water bottle over the castor oil pack
• Rest, meditate, read, etc for 45-60 minutes while the castor oil does it’s magic
• Afterwards, clean up with water and a little baking soda (1 tsp baking soda to 1 pint of water), or use the wipes in the castor oil kit.
• Stay hydrated during and afterwards to assist in the detoxification!
• You can store the used flannel in a jar or ziplock bag and reuse many times. For future uses, add approximately 1 tbsp of castor oil to re-saturate.

Frequency: for menstrual discomfort, apply once daily. I recommend also using it premenstrually to help avoid cramping.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

If you have a heavy flow, using a castor oil pack during menstruation may be best to avoid as some believe it can increase blood flow. While I have never had this happen with a client, it is also used to help promote more effective cleansing for someone with a scant/light period, so caution is appropriate. Use at your own risk. You can still use it premenstrually for discomfort!

Also, do not use castor oil packs if you are pregnant.

Castor oil is a powerful medicine and one that can help create ease, relaxation and menstrual vitality. If you’d like to learn more about how to care for your womb and menstrual cycle in a holistic way, just get in touch! I teach women everything from the basics of cycle phase care to natural remedies for all kinds of menstrual health concerns to understanding the energetics of your womb and learning to connect deeply with yourself.

DISCLAIMER

All information on this website is my own opinion, and not to be taken as medical advice. Reliance on any information provided on this website is solely at your own risk. Please always consult with your health care practitioner before making any medical decisions.

* This post contains affiliate links to products that I use and trust. When you use these links, I receive a small commission (thanks for helping me do my work!). If I share something that includes a discount code I may still receive an affiliate commission without affecting the discount offered to you. For my full affiliate disclosure, click here.

The post Castor Oil Packs for Menstrual Health appeared first on Mellisa Reeves.

Perhaps your gift giving list is short this year, by design or necessity. Perhaps the idea of gift giving feels incongruent with the challenges or awakening you’ve experienced this year. This year I wanted to focus on creating a gift guide that would support the journey of embodiment for women (and men); a collection of gifts that I would feel good about giving at any time.

What does embodiment mean? It can look so many different ways, but at the heart of it we are talking about being able to inhabit our body fully in present moment time.

Each of the items on this list help cultivate embodiment through the key elements; ritual, pleasure and presence. Every item is something I use, love and recommend. Some of these products have affiliate links, but not all!

My Favorite Body Care Products

CBD AND BOTANICALLY INFUSED WELLNESS & INTIMACY PRODUCTS FROM FORIA WELLNESS

My absolute favorites is their Awaken Arousal Oil – not only is this sensational and pleasure-enhancing, it is also very soothing and relaxing to the pelvic floor muscles, which has helped me release pelvic floor tension. When you’re nervous sex is going to make things worse, this can be a lifesaver!

They also have a CBD + Botanicals Intimacy Vape Pen and CBD + Cacao Bath Salts. I absolutely love this company – from the way they source their ingredients to their unique focus on wellness & relief in the intimacy space. I use many of their products for menstrual and pelvic floor discomfort, and have recommended to clients as well. A lovely treat for yourself or a friend!

PURE, EFFECTIVE FACE AND SKIN CARE FROM PRIMALLY PURE

This company has won me over. I love their approach to skin care – only pure, high quality ingredients, and fewer of them… allowing nature to do what it does best – heal and support. I’m obsessed with their cleansing oil, their plumping serum, and the plumping mask.

These would make an amazing gift for your sister, friend, mother (ps, my husband uses them too). They have various collections, as well as a dry shampoo, deodorant and face rollers (an ancient practice for radiant, youthful skin!)

INTIMACY CRYSTALS FROM YONI CRYSTALS

You may have seen me talk about these lately… and maybe you’re feeling curious! Yoni crystals combine the use of therapeutic gems and minerals with an ancient female practice for transformative sexual healing and self empowerment.

I’ve curated a special collection of Yoni Wands and Yoni Eggs with the company Yoni Crystals, and these crystals have become a big part of my personal sexual health and exploration. These crystals are ethically sourced, handcrafted and selected for their unique healing properties. I recommend starting with a Jade Egg and a Star Rose Quartz Wand, but you can read about the properties of each and choose for yourself! These make an excellent gift for a friend who is exploring embodiment, sexuality and healing.

My Favorite Books for Embodiment

THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel Van Der Kolk

The B-I-B-L-E on all things trauma, nervous system and how we heal.

WILD FEMININE by Tami Lynn Kent

A powerful exploration of our inner landscape and how to reclaim our wild essence as women.

CALL OF THE WILD by Kimberly Johnson (coming out April 2021… pre-order!!)

Haven’t read this one yet but have pre-ordered…. Kimberly Johnson is wisdom embodied and this upcoming book on how we heal trauma and awaken our power is going to be GOOD.

WOMEN WHO RUN WITH THE WOLVES by Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Want to read incredible and ancient stories of the powerful archetypes of the feminine? Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

DESIRE MAP PLANNER by Danielle LaPorte

A badass way to merge intuition, desire, productivity and manifestation in one beautiful, inspiring package. With weekly and daily layout options, this “planner” will move you past rote patterns around scheduling and time management into a more intuitive way of being and doing.

TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR FERTILITY by Toni Weschler

If you or someone you love is on the journey of quitting hormonal birth control and want an embodied approach to fertility and birth control, this book is the one.

THE FOURTH TRIMESTER by Kimberly Johnson

For anyone who is pregnant or considering becoming pregnant, this book will completely re-orient you to the way we are intended to care for ourselves postpartum.

My Favorite Oracle Card Decks

This is a fun category! I use a variety of different tarot and oracle card decks in my personal intuition/discernment practice, and sometimes in my work with clients as well! These make great gifts for someone exploring their intuition, connecting with the divine and learning to understand archetypal messages and direction.

Here are some of my faves:

EARTH WARRIORS ORACLE DECK by Alana Fairchild

A beautifully designed and powerfully written oracle deck connecting you to traditional wisdom lineages from around the world. I use this when I am looking for guidance about my personal and spiritual growth.

THE FOURTH TRIMESTER CARD DECK by Kimberly Johnson

Daily support, inspiration and wisdom for new mothers – this deck is hands down my go to gift for new moms. It is jam packed with powerful practices and reminders, and so much more accessible than a book for those early months where everything is a blur.

MEDICINE CARDS: THE DISCOVERY OF POWER THROUGH THE WAYS OF ANIMALS by Jamie Sams

If you’ve ever googled “what does seeing bears a lot mean, sorry” and been underwhelmed and irritated by the ubiquitous, cheesy, horoscope-like language you find online, then these cards (and accompanying book) are for you. This is real, powerful, deep wisdom about the ways of animals and how they can be guides for us.

DIVINE FEMININE ORACLE DECK by Meggan Watterson

This deck is just so much YES. Scholar and author Meggan takes her deep knowledge and wisdom of mystical traditions throughout different cultures and captures both the essence of the divine feminine and the pathway to embodying it. Perfect for someone uncovering their own femininity and looking for a place to call home.

My Favorite Courses and Digital Products

CYCLE WISDOM FOR MOTHERS & DAUGHTERS by Moon Daughters

Last year I co-created a powerful course for women with daughters with the incredible Jessica Connolly, mother of 4, coach, doula and herbalist. Cycle Wisdom for Mothers & Daughters is an online course and community for women who want to raise empowered daughters that love their bodies. This would make an incredible gift for a friend or sister deep in the work of raising daughters; or put it on your gift list and share!

THE WOMB FLOW COLLECTIVE with Mellisa Reeves

A monthly (or annual) membership to the embodiment collective I host would make a great gift for a woman in your life! In the Womb Flow Collective, we explore personal and communal practices for connection, healing, release and embodiment. There are two live guided circles monthly, as well as recorded guided meditations and access to content such as my Embodied Womb Care course.

Fun Little Extras…

ESSENTIAL OILS from Plant Therapy

This is my very favorite company. Having completed extensive aromatherapy training as part of my herbalism program, I am keenly aware of both how powerful essential oils are and how many essential oil companies (*MLMs, cough*) are taking advantage of people. Aromatherapy is relaxing, embodying and deeply healing on not just a physical level, but also spiritual and emotional. After all of my research, I have chosen to purchase essential oils from this company due to their ethical sourcing, high quality distillation, affordability and attention to safe use and education.

Some of my favorites for embodiment are the Relaxation set and the Chakra Synergies set (such a great aid in any intuitive practice!). I also love the Sensual blend and the Love Vanilla blend for intimate moments (diffused).

EPSOM SALTS

Well, duh. Nothing feels better after a long day than a soak, and epsom salts take that to the next level. For an easy, inexpensive gift, these epsom salts with essential oils by Dr. Teals are the winner. Did you know that magnesium is a smooth muscle relaxer, and very easily absorbed into the body? So it can help with not just external aches and pains, but with menstrual discomfort and digestive imbalance. It is also really helps improve sleep and reduce stress!

DRY BRUSH

It’s silly if you aren’t dry brushing. In addition to the systemic circulatory benefits, there isn’t a better way to get into your body and feel alive! This a sweet and simple gift for anyone you love.

Well, my friends, I hope that this guide offers you some inspiration (whether you choose any of these items or not for gift giving)… and an invitation into some ritual, pleasure and presence as we move into the holidays, whatever that holds.

* This post contains affiliate links to products that I use and trust. When you use these links, I receive a small commission (thanks for helping me do my work!). If I share something that includes a discount code I may still receive an affiliate commission without affecting the discount offered to you. For my full affiliate disclosure, click here.

The post Embodied Gift Giving Guide appeared first on Mellisa Reeves.

Usha’s deep but simple approach to embodiment has impacted many women profoundly. In this episode, she shares openly about her journey with sexual trauma, her quest for healing and how important embodiment is during this time of fear, scarcity and disconnection for so many.

We talk about how gathering and experiencing healing in sisterhood has been a foundational aspect of every culture on earth and how it should be normal and common instead of an experience for the privileged, as well as some ways we can address the inequities in access to this kind of work.

We both love to nerd out on the nervous system and we explore the impact of current social restrictions on our health, connections and embodiment. Usha shares two powerful embodiment practices specific to today’s collective experience that you’ll love!

I don’t know if I’ve ever shared an episode that felt as timely and important as this one. Create some space and let this wisdom seep into your being. We must not allow this time to drive us further apart; but instead to recognize our need for healing; within ourselves, with each other, and with the Earth.

About Our Guest:

Usha combines her knowledge and practice of the ancient Eastern energetic teachings bestowed to her by her teacher, Himalayan Yoga Master Yogrishi Vishvketu with her apprenticeship of indigenous Zapotec midwifery and curanderisma with her maestra, Dona Maria Carmen.

She draws upon her education as a holistic nutritionist, childbirth educator, full-spectrum doula, folk herbalist, and yoga teacher trainer to create profoundly comprehensive teachings offered in a clear, accessible, and compassionate way.

You can connect with Usha and learn more about her life-changing virtual and in-personal trainings at her website, or on Instagram where she shares inspirational and educational content.

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The post Embodiment in the Time of Covid — 086 appeared first on Mellisa Reeves.

After the unexpected breakdown of her marriage, Christa had no choice but to confront her own demons and look within to discover what really needed to be healed so that she could move forward as a whole woman.

Christa opens up about how they healed their marriage after betrayal and loss, what her personal practice of connecting with her body and cycle looks like, and how we can align with the natural healing power of our bodies.

We nerd out on cycle awareness and using our cycles as a healing tool, which is one of my favorite topics on the podcast these days! Christa does deep work with women and her wisdom and experience will impact you deeply, no matter where you are at in your journey.

You can also join Christa and I on Instagram LIVE on Friday, September 6th at 11:00am where we will answer all of your questions about healing, cycle awareness and whatever else comes up!



Show Notes:

Christa’s Website

Christa on Instagram

2019 Marriage Intensives

The Healing Power of the Sacred Woman

Join us LIVE on instagram September 6th at 11:00am PST for a follow up conversation!

@MotherBirth.co on Instagram

About Our Guest:

In the last decade, Christa has shifted her focus towards feminine wholeness, leading groups of women around the world to embody their femininity and sexuality. She uses movement, practices, meditations, soul integration, and spirituality to help women come home to themselves, flourishing sexually, emotionally, relationally, and physically.

Luke & Christa are certified in Intimacy and Attraction with Michaela Boehm and Christa is certified in Non-Linear Movement.

Their passion to restore marriages is very personal, feeling helpless for many years in their own marriage, unable to help it thrive.  After prioritizing their own healing and the healing of their relationship, Luke and Christa now feel like they won the marriage lottery, gaining the tools to live out a relationship that brings life, intimacy, is full of attraction, growth, and deepest love.

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The post Healing After Infant Loss & Marriage Breakdown — 085 appeared first on Mellisa Reeves.

April shares from her heart about the awakening she experienced in early motherhood, the deep peace she has discovered in living rhythmically, and what raising daughters intentionally has looked like for her.

April is a beautiful, creative soul who brings the concept of our relationship to the moon to life in an unprecedented way. I highly recommend following her on Instagram for inspiration and education!

We also discuss Moon Daughters, my new project, is a one of a kind, immersive online group program that offers practical tools, personal transformation and powerful community for women who want to intuitively and confidently guide their daughter in her unique transition to womanhood.

Using the cycles of the moon and the seasons all around and within us as our guide, we help women and daughters awaken their feminine power and form a deep, trusting connection that spans the journey from childhood to womanhood.

This 6 week immersive online group launches September 3rd, and is open for enrollment with early bird pricing of $197 through Monday, August 26th! This is a total steal for the depth of content we’ll be covering and the community we’ll experience together.  Check out the website for all of the details!

You can also join April and I on Instagram LIVE next week on Tuesday, August 27th at 11:00am where we will answer all of your questions about moon-guided cyclical living, intentional motherhood and the Moon Daughters Program!



Show Notes:

The Moon is My Calendar

April McMurtry on Instagram

2020 Calendar & Journal

Biodanza Movement Ritual

Wild Power Interview with April

Join us LIVE on instagram August 27th at 11:00am PST for a follow up conversation!

Sign up for the Moon Daughters September Group!

@MotherBirth.co on Instagram

About Our Guest:

April McMurtry is the founder of THE MOON IS MY CALENDAR and creatress of the New Moon Calendar Journal. She is also a visual artist, mama, kundalini yoga teacher, and creative lunar guide.

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The post Cyclical Living & Intentional Motherhood — 084 appeared first on Mellisa Reeves.

Her journey of healing and re-connecting with her own feminine cycle was the catalyst for Jess to shift the focus of her relationship with her daughters to inviting them into awareness of the gift of our feminine cycle by embodying this powerful connection herself.

Together, we describe a one-of-a-kind collaborative project designed for mothers who want to empower their daughters to form a vital, healthy connection to the sacred power of the feminine cycle.

Moon Daughters, our new project, is a one of a kind, immersive group program that offers practical tools, personal transformation and powerful community for women who want to intuitively and confidently guide their daughter in her unique transition to womanhood.

Using the cycles of the moon and the seasons all around and within us as our guide, we help women and daughters awaken their feminine power and form a deep, trusting connection that spans the journey from childhood to womanhood.

This 6 week immersive group launches September 3rd, and is open for enrollment today with early bird pricing!  Check out the website for all of the details!

You can also join Jess and I on Instagram LIVE next week on Tuesday, August 13th at 9:30am where we will answer all of your questions about empowering our daughters, cyclical living and details of the Moon Daughters Program!



Show Notes:

Moon Daughters

Jessica Connolly on Instagram

Jessica’s Coaching Practice

Join us LIVE on instagram August 13th at 9:30am PST for a follow up conversation!

Sign up for the Moon Daughters September Group!

@MotherBirth.co on Instagram

About Our Guest:

Jessica Connolly is an entrepreneur and a holistic personal development coach with an emphasis on the spiritual formation of women and families. She lives in Ocean Beach, San Diego with her husband Clayton and their four daughters.

Jessica has a Masters degree in Biology and is a certified birth doula. She sees her experience and training as a doula extending into her work as a holistic life coach by intuitively holding space for personal development, strategic visioning and soul formation as a “spiritual midwife”. She is passionate about attending the “births” of the ideas, dreams, businesses and life transitions of her coaching clients.

Her experience mothering a big family and extensive training in spiritual formation and development pathways as a coach has given her a passion for conscious family formation. She offers a coaching track that helps families create their tribe culture, live from meaningful shared values and discover who they are when they’re together so they can impact their communities.

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The post How to Raise Empowered Daughters — 083 appeared first on Mellisa Reeves.

But Parijat learned something very profound and life-changing during the weeks she was on bedrest and the days before her son was born…. a discovery she was able to use to stay pregnant for an additional two weeks when everyone was telling her that her son would be born any moment. These two weeks made all the difference for a baby born right around the threshold of viability.

In this episode, we explore trauma, the nervous system and how to use the mind body connection to not just manage a high risk pregnancy but actually thrive. This conversation is epic and also so fun – Parijat shares her moving story and weaves it together with her expert knowledge on trauma, healing and nervous system regulation.

Join us on Tuesday, July 30th at 1:30pm PST on Instagram for a LIVE follow up conversation with Mellisa and Parijat where we will answer any of your questions and explore our conversation further!  If you’ve got a burning question after listening, send it to Mellisa at mellisa@mellisareeves.com and we’ll do our best to address it LIVE!

Here is a link to the live follow up conversation between Parijat and I on Instagram where we answer YOUR questions about trauma release and healing!



Show Notes:

Parijat’s Website

The Delivering Miracles Podcasth

@healthy.highriskpregnancy on Instagram

@MotherBirth.co on Instagram

Parijat’s Book “Pregnancy Brain”

Join us on Instagram for a live conversation July 30th at 1:30pm PST!

About Our Guest:

Parijat Deshpande is a high risk pregnancy expert, mind-body health specialist, best-selling author, speaker and advocate for moms with high risk pregnancies and preterm births.

Specializing in lifestyle medicine and mind-body medicine, Parijat guides women like you to effectively release stress from your body and and improve your overall health and wellness so you can have a healthy pregnancy (even if you have complications) and reduce your risk of preterm delivery.

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The post Healing from Birth Trauma & Pregnancy Complications — 082 appeared first on Mellisa Reeves.

Tamara believes that “parenting is our greatest opportunity to evolve. In this episode, we explore how motherhood triggers our childhood wounds, beliefs about the world, and even our own inadequacy as mothers. If motherhood is an opportunity to evolve, to transform, then these triggers are the catalysts that enable this transformation. Healing our own wounds is the way forward, instead of getting caught up in the distractions of reacting to our children’s behaviors and the anxiety so many of us experience. If you’ve ever felt in the trenches of motherhood and didn’t know how to find your way through the dark, this conversation will be like seeing a glimpse of light for the first time in awhile.

After you listen to the episode, check out this live follow up conversation between Tamara and I on Instagram!

Show Notes:

Welly Nest

@wellynest on Instagram

@MotherBirth.co on Instagram

Join us on Instagram for a live conversation July 16th at 12:00pm PST!

About Our Guest:

Tamara Iglesias is the founder of Wellynest, a conscious parenting company dedicated to raising whole beings from the very beginning. Coaching mothers and fathers alike, Tamara helps empower families to live happy and nourished lives.

Tamara’s mission is to shift the way we raise our children by bringing the awareness of self into the parenting journey.  As parents, when we heal ourselves, we can heal our children and ultimately heal the world. Consciously parenting from a place of respect, cultivating deep trust and creating healthy boundaries is essential. When parents are supported on their own healing journeys and inspired to use conscious words, act with intention and slow down to spend quality time, children can develop into fully-realized, emotionally healthy adults. Parenting with conscious intention helps the entire family thrive.

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The post Conscious Parenting and Healing Ourselves — 081 appeared first on Mellisa Reeves.

As a journalist, Virginia Sole-Smith frequently wrote diet articles for women’s magazines but much of what she wrote never rang true for her. Then, when her first child was born with a rare congenital heart condition and wouldn’t eat on her own, she began to connect the dots of how outside influences can alter our bodies’ natural instincts to nourish and satiate ourselves.

Her new book, The Eating Instinct: Food Culture, Body Image, and Guilt in America, was inspired by her daughter’s resistance to eating, her journey to feel safe in her own relationship with food, and her experience of writing about diet culture. The book explores food culture, body image issues and eating disorders that can occur when societal rules disrupt our intuition, and the self-imposed judgments many women put upon themselves.

Virginia is a powerful voice not only for seeing yourself in a new way but also for raising the next generation in a new way that doesn’t assume we have to keep doing things the same way when it clearly isn’t working.  Her book comes out this week and will be an incredible resource to anyone looking to de-program cultural messages about our relationships to our bodies!

In This Episode:

• How she learned her daughter had a congenital heart condition
  

• How she built trust around the feeding relationship with her daughter

• The intense bond the trauma and stress created between her and her partner

• The importance of establishing feeding patterns

• Ellyn Satter’s Division of Responsibility in Feeding

• The ever-changing rules of nutrition

• The science of hunger and satiation

• How the word ‘best’ is a misnomer

• The unhealthy relationship many women have with food

• How our bodies have a natural intuition about what we need

• The downsides of the diet culture

• How to get a free 1-month trial of guided meditations through Expectful

Show Notes:

Virginia Sole-Smith

The Eating Instinct: Food Culture, Body Image, and Guilt in America, by Virginia Sole-Smith

@v_solesmith on Twitter

@v_solesmith on Instagram

Virginia Sole-Smith on Facebook

Virginia Sole-Smith Newsletter

Virginia Sole-Smith Podcast

@MotherBirth.co on Instagram

Expectful — 1 Month Free Trial for MotherBirth Community Members

About Our Guest:

Virginia Sole-Smith is the author of The Eating Instinct: Food Culture, Body Image and Guilt in America. As a journalist, she has reported from kitchen tables and grocery stores, graduated from beauty school, and gone swimming in a mermaid’s tail. Her work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Harper’s, Elle and many other publications. She’s also a contributing editor with Parents Magazine and co-host of the Comfort Food Podcast.

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The post The Eating Instinct – Motherhood and Diet Culture — 080 appeared first on Mellisa Reeves.

Few people have the tenacity and the resolve to recognize a gap in women’s health care services and then break down the barriers to fill the gap and find a place for themselves amid the new design. But, that is exactly what today’s guest, Director of Midwifery Care, Nikia Grayson, CNM, DNP, MPH did at CHOICES — Memphis Center for Reproductive Health in Memphis, Tennessee.

Coming from the DC area, Nikia found the infant mortality rates among families of color in Memphis distressing. With a lack of community-based programs and very little influence left over from the Granny Midwives of the past, Nikia set her sights on creating a high-quality, non-judgmental, comprehensive reproductive health center the entire community could use.

The organization Nikia helped transform — CHOICES — started as a cash-only abortion clinic. The organization now provides different health care choices based on community needs. During our conversation, Nikia shares information about her personal journey to becoming a midwife, the new birthing center, and how MotherBirth listeners can support the program.

Her passion for women, providing equal access for the entire community, and focusing on the entire spectrum of reproductive health needs is so inspiring.  We are so excited to share this incredible conversation.

In This Episode:

• The barriers to becoming a midwife

• How she built trust and relationships within the community

• How funds are raised for the reproductive center

• How policy and politics have disrupted the long-standing tradition of midwifery

• The importance of high-quality, non-judgmental care

• How the same women who have babies are the same women who have abortions

• Why having a birth team is important

• The past role of a Granny Midwife in a community

• How to support the work of CHOICES, locally or otherwise

• How to get a free 1-month trial of guided meditations through Expectful

Show Notes:

Memphis CHOICES Website

Memphis CHOICES on Facebook

@MotherBirth.co on Instagram

Expectful — 1 Month Free Trial for MotherBirth Community Members

About Our Guest:

Nikia Grayson is a public health advocate, anthropologist and nurse-midwife who has devoted her life to serving and empowering people in underserved and marginalized communities. Nikia graduated from Howard University with a bachelors and masters degree in communications and public health respectively, from University of Memphis with a masters in medical anthropology and from the University of Tennessee with a masters in nursing and a doctorate in nurse practice. She completed her post-masters certificate in midwifery at Frontier Nursing University. Nikia is a 2018-2019 Duke University Johnson and Johnson Nurse Leader Fellow and has more than 15 years experience working in public health, with her more recent work focusing on reproductive rights, birth justice, and midwifery. She is passionate about ensuring all persons have the rights and means to make decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive health. She presently works as a family nurse-midwife in Memphis at CHOICES Memphis Center for Reproductive Health, where they are working to open the first birth center in the city.

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The post Breaking Down Barriers to Equal Access to Reproductive Health Care — 079 appeared first on Mellisa Reeves.