EP6: McLean McGown on Postpartum Doulas, Postpartum Care, and Mothering the Mother

When we recorded this episode she is 1 day shy of 40 weeks! Her daughter, Goldy Wolf, was born three days after we talked. McLean McGown is a mother, wife, Postpartum Doula, Yoga & Pilates teacher, Nutritionist, Buddhist and yoga practitioner living in Los Angeles. Through her own pregnancy and birth experiences, McLean started learning about the birth world and happened upon a career that she never saw coming. Becoming a postpartum doula led her to her truest passion- to support women during one of their most vulnerable times in life and bear witness to their rite of passage into motherhood.  "It takes a village to raise a mother, not just a child"  In this episode, McLean shares: What a postpartum doula is Her personal struggle after the birth of her first daughter Feminine model of working Why breastfeeding is so hard How it's normal to hate your husband How McLean went from "one-and-done" to a second baby  What You'll Hear: Difference between lactation educator/counselor and lactation consultant (1:45) What is the postpartum period- how long is it? (7:50) What is a postpartum doula (8:40) How does it work hiring a postpartum doula? (17:30) A day in the life of a postpartum visit (18:00) Financial planning for birth- prioritizing (26:00) Her first postpartum birth experience--driving 2 days postpartum (31:00) Your version of a 40 day lie-in (32:30) What no one tells you (40:40) When you hate your husband… (44:40) What our moms experienced (50:25) How to deal with the last days of pregnancy (52:30) How she went from hashtagging #oneanddone to two (54:00) Her own postpartum plan second time around (57:40)