12 | Birth & The Art of Mindfulness - Laurel Gourrier

Parenthood as a whole has this way of requiring you to surrender. Surrendering to the unknown, knowing though, that it's going to be a beautiful journey. When Laurel was finally able to yield she describes her son's birth as transformative for her relationship with herself mentally and physically. Many people claim birth to be a rebirth for the birthing person; her story is a reflection of that. When Laurel and her husband began discussing the birth of their son, they knew that if it were a healthy pregnancy, the best space for their birth would be a home birth. Much of the preparation was finding a village to support them. With the guidance and support of her family, doula and midwives, their son was born surrounded by love. This space of love entirely defined by them.Her journey required her to be mindful of the way she approached bonding during pregnancy, overcoming her fears of birth and walking in the ebb and flow of postpartum. Our take away from this episode is that we all in our everyday walk of life find ways to be mindful and present.Resources:ROOTT (Restoring Our Own Through Transformation) | black woman led reproductive justice organizationColumbus Midwife Collective | group of professional midwivesRen the Doula | doula & birth affirmations creatorAliayo Waistbeads | handmade jewelry