As we wrap up season six of the podcast, we have shared so many incredible conversations over the last 11 episodes as we dove into what community means in birthcare.

There is so much breadth of thought and energy these folks bring through their ability to see what could be, despite the ways that our systems fail us now.

And so in this episode, I share these visions for the future of community birth care from the 11 guests that we had on this season. I invite you to take in, digest, ruminate on their answers as you come up with your own.

Hear more about creating our collective vision for the future of community birthcare including:
~accessible, IN ALL ways
~equitable, prioritizing the needs of queer, trans, & gender nonconforming people
~inter-disciplinary and birthing-person led
~expansive support that meets all needs
~grounded in radical optimism!

Connect more with this season's guests through their profiles found here!

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In this week's episode, we're diving into a conversation around perinatal mental health, and how we screen for and provide better support to parents as they continue to navigate early parenthood.

Our expert this week, Dr. Erin Sadler is a psychologist at Children's National in their NICU who has focused her work around supporting infant mental health with starts with pregnancy and parents.

She will be sharing a little bit of the process that her hospital has used to implement a universal screening for caregivers around their mental health in both the ER and the NICU environments.

This episode is for all of you who are also looking to understand more about how we integrate our mental health care and resources into the standard medical care that we provide to families.

Join us for insights on:
~Removing barriers to connection
~Supporting vulnerable families and decreasing ACEs
~Universal mental health screening as standard of care
~Safety nets built into screening
~Therapeutic interventions for NICU caregivers
~Asking the "scary" questions about mental health

Connect with Dr Sadler and her work here.

Here is an addition resource recommended by Dr Sadler:
Two of our Children's National physicians discussing an article on the establishment our in-house PMH task force.

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In this episode we invite you to think more about what it means to create community spaces that are powered by culturally responsive care.

How do we build trust within them, and how we build trust within ourselves, as we contemplate the changes that happen in our bodies, through pregnancy and postpartum, how we connect with what we want and need.

How do we understand our feeding choices, how we think about food for our babies and ourselves?

And why it is so important to tune in and be aware of cultural differences? Why do we need more representation throughout perinatal care across the spectrum of all of the different roles within it?

We need more representation, we need more folks who have different lived experiences who can offer racially and culturally congruent care who have a shared ancestral practices to uplift and support folks. To bring all of these topics together and share their wisdom on the subject is the wonderful Shalini Shah.

Welcome to this conversation as we dive into all of this and think about how we create perineal care environments that are supportive, open, and welcoming for all.

Join us as we discuss:
~Uplifting BIPOC birthworkers
~Fostering interdependence rather than individualism
~Eliminating shame in feeding journeys
~Body image & changes through pregnancy & postpartum
~Ayurveda & bringing yourself back to your body

Learn more and connect with Shalini here.

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