319: Trauma-Informed Approaches for Birth Workers and Birthing People

Today’s show brings back a guest from years ago, and I’m excited to reconnect with her and hear updates about her life and work. She’s a lovely human and a beautiful soul who is doing meaningful work that helps many people. Join us!  Nkem Ndefo is the founder of Lumos Transforms and the creator of The Resilience Toolkit, a model that promotes embodied self-awareness and self-regulation in an ecologically sensitive framework and social justice context. Originally licensed as a nurse midwife, Nkem has extensive postgraduate training in complementary health modalities and emotional therapies. She has worked in a lot of settings from large-volume hospitals to mobile community clinics, and she brings years of expertise as a clinician, educator, researcher, and community strategist. She works in programs that address trauma inequity as she seeks to build resilience and shape liberatory change for individuals and organizations throughout the US and internationally. Her particular interest is in working alongside people most impacted by violence and marginalization, and she does important work in the birth community. We are discussing how systems are related to trauma and mental health, along with how systems impact birthing people and the healthcare providers in the birthing community.  Show Highlights: An overview of Nkem’s broad scope of work around healing and liberation Why we need systems that facilitate healing on the individual AND community levels What it means to be trauma-informed in the realm of reproductive health and mental health Why our healthcare system MUST recognize the need for trauma-informed approaches for birth workers How we can change the systems with little steps—one at a time What Nkem sees as the leading factors in why people are resistant to change How tools and intention can grow our capacity to recognize overwhelm and activate boundaries around things that cause stress How many different kinds of traumas contribute to mental health diagnoses Why most of our trauma healing efforts in the current medical model fall short How inadequate parental leave within the current system kicks off a cascade of mental health effects Why doulas are NOT the solution or the fix to the broken system Why we need to be courageous with our hopes and dreams of changing the broken system An overview of Lumos Transforms and The Resilience Toolkit Resources: Connect with Nkem Ndefo and Lumos Transforms: Website, Instagram, X, and The Resilience Toolkit Visit www.postpartum.net for resources and support!  Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.   Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!