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Does Healing Mean Taking Responsibility For Our Role in Suffering? With Alex Schoenberger

In this episode, hosts Justine Leach and Sarah Adelmann welcome Alex Schoenberger, a certified birth and postpartum doula, to discuss whether healing means taking responsibility for one’s own part in ongoing suffering. We are not all on the same page on this one and the conversation leads us to a rich discussion on how sentiments such as this land differently with different people – these kinds of sayings can feel empowering to some, but can also add to the trauma of others. The conversation explores the importance of seeking help, the role of support systems, and the need for validation in maternal care. Alex shares her personal journey through postpartum challenges especially after her baby needed resuscitation after birth and spent time in the NICU. She emphasizes the significance of self-awareness and understanding in the doula's role.

Keywords: birth trauma, NICU story, postpartum support, maternal health, doula, perinatal mental health, childbirth education, self-responsibility, seeking help, emotional support,

Takeaways

  • Postpartum experiences can deeply impact mental health.
  • Empowerment in motherhood is subjective and personal.
  • Seeking help is crucial for healing and support.
  • Validation of experiences is vital in maternal care.
  • Doulas play a unique role in providing emotional support.
  • Proactive planning can mitigate postpartum challenges.
  • The importance of active listening in support roles.
  • Recognizing the diverse experiences of motherhood is key.

Sound Bites

  • "I was deep in suffering."
  • "I just needed someone to witness how deeply I was drowning."
  • "We need to prepare for parenthood."
  • "I didn't want help because I didn't know if I could trust."
  • "It takes a very strong person to be willing to switch OBs."
  • "There's truth in all of our experiences."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Resilient Birth Podcast

01:28 The Impact of This Language Around Healing and Responsibility

06:31 Navigating Postpartum Challenges

12:40 The Role of Support in Healing

19:34 Trust and Seeking Help in Maternal Care

25:07 The Importance of Validating Experiences

32:43 The Doula's Role in Maternal Support

39:23 Tension Between Support and Advocacy

45:31 Takeaways and Reflections

On the Resilient Birth podcast, Justine and Sarah explore the impact of trauma across the perinatal period, from trying-to-conceive to pregnancy, from childbirth to postpartum and parenting. Through an inspirational quote that drives our weekly conversations about trauma and healing, Justine and Sarah explore topics such as birth trauma, parenting as a survivor, and finding healing with vulnerability and compassion that support birthing people and birth professionals.

Each week, listeners leave with takeaways to utilize in their lives and/or clients. Justine and Sarah hold the stories they share with honor and respect with the hope to impart knowledge, increase understanding, and bear witness to this challenging topic.

Sarah is a licensed mental health counselor, educator, and mom of three. She walks with a story of trauma from before and as a result of her perinatal experience.

Justine supports survivors of trauma through perinatal coaching and childbirth education. As well as being a mother of three, she holds a Ph.D. on representations of consent and sexual violence and is currently doing a Masters in Counselling.

Learn more about Sarah and Justine's trainings: https://www.resilientbirth.com/workshops

Alex Schoenberger is a Canadian mother to two boys, a certified birth and postpartum doula and childbirth educator. While newer to this field of work, she is passionate about helping other families to dive into their fears around pregnancy, birth and postpartum and set up supports to help them feel empowered and fearless. This passion stems from her own story of acute birth trauma.