Empowered Spirit

I think all my peers would agree that it is a constant struggle to watch the verbal and physical abuse that exists on the public transportation system in Philadelphia. We've had many conversations about how this affects us while transporting to our host sites and how we feel hopeless in the watching. This is typically occurring from parent to child, but it also happens between two couples or among teenagers. This morning I watched a young mother drag her child up the stairs from the subway station. A child being scolded for talking or saying the wrong thing. It would be erroneous for me to assume that all of these parents are "bad parents" because of the parenting style that I've witnessed. Stress,  financial instability, and lack of support are just a few of the compiling factors that may contribute to this snap that I witness daily on transit. Aren't they doing the best they can? It's also easy to forget (especially not being a parent) that kids, while...

Gestation is fascinating. When I studied physiology during my last year at Santa Cruz, I kept finding myself drawn to the intricacies of fertilization, development, pregnancy, and birth. So, this fall I decided I was going to take a Doula course to learn more about women and babies - and how to support women prenatally, during labor, and during the 4th trimester. I have been able to learn so many incredible strategies to comfort women during this delicate process - techniques and comfort measures to physically cater to women during labor, problems or complications that should be (and are) so normalized, and ways to support during the emotional roller coaster that woman and those surrounding her encounter during this time.  We explored the needs of the mother and the child - the connection that is formed during that first moment, while the newborn is insulated with a coat of vernix, and should be placed skin-to-skin with the mama, creating an eternal bond. The antibodies and s...