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Comforting the Core: Interview with a bereavement doula
The first “real” book I ever read at age 6 was a Life Cycle Library book about pregnancy and birth. You can all thank my mother for being so open and unflappable as she dealt with my ensuing barrage of questions, because that early passion to understand the female body was indicative of my career path that would lead to launching Fit2B in 2010.
No, that book didn’t have anything in it about diastasis recti. I still have it, and I’ve checked it.
As much as I learned from my books, my college degree in exercise science, and certifications in prenatal and postnatal fitness, I was poorly prepared when my first pregnancy ended in miscarriage. I have sought specialized education to be equipped to coach my clients in making a safe return to fitness and reconnecting with their core.
My husband calls me a “birth junkie,” and he’s right. Whenever a midwife or doula pipes up in our private Fit2B member forum on Facebook, I take special interest because:
- I’m delighted that birth professionals are being supported and encouraged through me.
- I want to know WHY and HOW they’re connecting with and recommending my workouts and e-courses.
This video interview we did with a doula, Megan Layaw, should have been published many moons ago, but . . . sigh . . . life. However, I trust in divine timing, so I believe this will reach exactly the right people at exactly the right moments.
As a bereavement doula, Megan was especially drawn to our Grief Recovery Routine. She took her own suffering, obtained professional training, and now channels her pain into helping others who’ve experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and many other traumatic losses.
Megan sees a clear connection between infant loss and core awareness. In the video interview, we spend a great deal of time discussing potential parallels between deeper diastasis recti separations and the mind/body disconnect that often occurs during the grieving process.
Whether you have dealt with infant loss yourself, or you’re a birth worker looking for more perspectives to assist you in supporting your clients, I hope you’ll watch the video and glean a lot. I know I did, as Megan offered many sympathetic suggestions and insights throughout the course of the video, speaking from a place of personal understanding, professional education, and compassion.
What do you think?
If you’ve suffered infant loss, or if you’re a birth worker supporting those who have, do you see a connection—or rather a disconnection—between the core and this kind of trauma? Leave your thoughts in a comment!
