05 | When You Can't Doula - Yolanda Owens

In this episode, we meet Yolanda Owens who shares with us a story of perseverance, strength, trust and leaning on a community. While her pregnancy was pretty easy, labor and delivery for Yolanda were long and at times very tough. Throughout much of her story, she expresses how vital a role her husband played in being her birth helper and advocate. During their early visits with their care provider, they informed her that doulas were not allowed, a practice that some care providers and hospitals do have in place for their patients. When trying to figure out how to move forward, Yolanda expresses that her husband immediately assured her that he could fulfill that role for her!

Yolanda’s postpartum journey started off a little rough as she, her husband and new baby were somewhat homeless due to issues with buying their new home. Yolanda also tells us that due to how long and her induction method, during recovery she was very swollen from the waist down. These factors did take a toll her on her recovery and breastfeeding journey. She relied heavily on not only her family but also a small group of friends. They would get together and discuss their breastfeeding successes and struggles. Soon they realized that for the community it would be great to start a group in their area where families could get to know each other personally and find support in each other. The Black Lactation Circle of Central Ohio (BLaC) is 400 strong, focused on sharing evidence-based information and resources. To connect with the group, you can find them here.

Resources:

POEM | postpartum support & services