Ep. 39 - Birthkeeping From a Daughter of Samoa with Leonora Ilovea Willis

In this episode, we explore how doulas or birthkeepers can be so powerful and helpful during the birthing and postpartum experience with Leonora Ilovea Willis.Leonora is a native-born Samoan, born on the island of Tutuila in the great Pacific ocean, but who is practicing and working in diaspora as a Birthkeeper, childbirth educator, lactation education specialist, perinatal yoga teacher and bodyworker, serving her community in Oakland and the greater Bay Area. She owns and operates her own birthwork business called Daughter of Samoa, which is part of the title of a book that an ancestor wrote and published in 1889, The Story of Lauli’i, A Daughter of Samoa.We talk to Leonora about:The importance of having a postpartum plan and communityGenerational trauma to be addressed before motherhoodWhy it is important to have cultural congruency in birth workWhere the word "doula" comes from and the importance of language to describe birthkeepersWhat the difference between a doula/birthkeeper is versus a midwifeWhat kind of systemic level changes would be idealLeonora humbly and graciously imparts her wisdom and experience of the birthkeeping world with us and we hope this episode can help others learn more about the power and importance of working with a birthworker or building a postpartum team with intention.Find more of Leonora at:Website: https://leonorawillis.life/IG: @daughter_of_samoaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/daughterofsamoa/Resources:Leonora's ancestor's book: The Story of Lauli'i, A Daughter of Samoa  Tema Mercado, midwife from San DiegoHealing the Tigress Episode 21--Healing our Makuahine with Dr. Kalena Kaopuuokalani LanuzaHealing the Tigress Episode 32-- Expecting the Unexpected: A Realistic Look at Ways to Prepare for Postpartum Note: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speakers' own. This podcast is not a replacement for therapy or professional/medical advice. If you need more support or advice, please reach out to your own medical professional who can answer your questions with your individual medical history and background in context.Please take a moment to RATE and REVIEW our show if you enjoy the episodes we bring to you! It helps others to find our show when you do. Thanks so much! =)Send us your thoughts!Support the show✨ If you'd like to subscribe to our podcast for access to more bonus episodes, please click here for Buzzsprout Subscriptions! Once subscribed, you can use an RSS feed to listen from any of your podcast platforms. Thanks in advance for your support, as this really helps us keep the show going! ❤️ (Think of it like buying us a boba...to share! 😉🧋)