35 | The Strength of a Mother - Mela Murder

When asked what image she saw in her mind of her family, Mela replied with, " I am the chief, and I am holding it down." At a young age, she realized how important art was to who she was and her growth. Utilizing that as a creative outlet has not only empowered her but lit the fire in her journey of motherhood.

Her birth stories highlight the importance of representation in care and understanding your rights as a patient. During her first pregnancy, Mela was supported by midwives and planned to have her baby at the birth center. As with many of our birth stories, her plans shifted. After going into spontaneous labor and arriving at the hospital, she learned that there was meconium (a baby's first poop). The doctors informed her that because of this, they were giving her 24 hours to deliver her baby, and would need to start her on Pitocin to help her labor progress faster. What stands out to Mela, is that she didn't know what was happening throughout her experience, including never consenting to the episiotomy she was given. Her second pregnancy allowed her to connect the dots from her first, and she prepared to have a birth led by her voice.

Beyond sharing her birth stories, Mela also brings to light her co-parenting journey. Working through those dynamics inspired her to create a supportive corner for other mothers on a similar path as hers. Her platform Let's Talk Mother came out of sharing her co-parenting journey and being a single mother - a physical form of the community she had been building. Mela has found strength in her journey and story, those experiences have given her the tools to be the mother she is today, and to support other mothers to feel empowered as well.