Are birth and death more similar than we think? Is grief present when a woman brings forth new life, and rebirth encompassed in living through loss?

Regina Kelly experienced a life-altering, transformative loss very early in her life: when she was just eight years old, her mother died unexpectedly. Though this experience rocked her world, it also birthed her desire to walk with others through the “threshold moments” of birth, postpartum, and death.

In this conversation, Regina explores the intricate connections between birth, postpartum, and death, and how each of these experiences causes us to be “born anew”. She shares how her personal experiences have shaped her work as a birth and postpartum doula, and what she’s learned about the importance of community, nourishment, and connection to the local environment during these monumental transitions. She also discusses the importance of self- care for doulas, and the necessity of open conversations about end-of-life wishes.

In this episode:

4:50 – Regina shares about the loss of her mother, how it shaped her identity

13:20 – the healing power of eating local foods

22:25 – the value of having children present around birth and death

30:15 – the importance of self-care for doulas

38:10 – how doulas can use their unique gifts to serve families

To learn more about Global Doula Project, visit:

www.globaldoulaproject.org

Follow Global Doula Project on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram @ globaldoulaproject

You can read Regina's writing at:

https://reginakelly.substack.com/

To learn more about Regina and where she completed doula training, visit:

https://postpartum-care-directory.innatetraditions.com/practitioner/regina-kelly/