News

"A Story of Losing Her Voice During Birth and Postpartum and Finding it Again" with Joyce

Details

Published Date

From the Milk Making Minutes podcast:

“Sometimes all we need is to be heard when going through a major event like a pregnancy. It is one of the most formative events of a woman's life because of everything that goes on inside and outside of her.

“However, what happens if you lose your voice when you really need it. Even the most outspoken people can lose their voice in crucial moments because of the magnitude of the event of giving birth. This can continue throughout postpartum and have a massive effect on your physical and mental health.

“Our guest on today's episode experienced losing her ability to advocate for herself and her first born at birth. Resulting in a traumatic first experience with her child which carried on afterwards during breastfeeding.

“Joyce Kimball from central Massachusetts, mother of two now grown adults, and midwife, takes us into her memories and accounts her experiences dealing with lack of information on breastfeeding, having to go back to work too early, and what she is now able to put a name to, postpartum psychosis.

“Joyce dealt with many hardships during her first pregnancy, but did whatever she could to mitigate these issues in her second pregnancy which led her down the road to becoming a midwife to help other women so they won't have to go through what she had to.

“Tune in to hear a vulnerable story that could potentially help you or someone you know going through a difficult postpartum period.“

Topics discussed in this episode:

• How Joyce left her corporate job and became a midwife
• Joyce's birthing experience with her first child
• How Joyce was unable to voice her needs during her births
• The feeling of loss when there is no immediate skin to skin
• The uncomfortable breastfeeding experience with Joyce's first child
• The lack of sleep causing hallucinations
• How finding a breastfeeding group saved Joyce's life
• Joyce's experience with intrusive thoughts
• Joyce's introduction to homebirth midwifery
• How Joyce found her voice again during her second birth and breastfeeding experience
• Joyce's advice to her younger self
• The transition to doula
• How Joyce terminated breastfeeding with her second child