Nicola Goodall lives in Edinburgh and has supported women during and after birth for over 20 years. She grew up in a diverse community in South London and became a Muslim and a mother by the age of 24. Nicola is passionate about traditional storytelling, sharing and learning amongst women. She is one of the founding members of the Scottish Doula Network and a birth educator.

In this episode, we talked about:

What is a doula? “Your ultimate faith-bearer, ready to fill any gaps that might be there”
The woman that has that blessing
Fully in service to the mother
Humility and spiritual development
Becoming a doula in her spiritual community
Training to become a doula with Michel Odent
Earning money from something in service
Fair exchange
The importance of the postnatal period
The impact of the fourth trimester on the rest of life
Issues of depletion on health
Prioritising well-being in the postnatal period e.g by reducing spending on non-essentials
Simple ways of restoring wellness such as stockpiling bone broth, massaging ginger oil into the legs and keeping warm
Warmth to retain energy and assist blood flow around the body for efficient healing and recovery
Keep snug and wrapped up
Science backing up traditional wisdom
Medicalisation and the colonial approach to health care
Witches, Midwives and Nurses
Class and choices
Conflicting voices around breastfeeding and other choices
The change in postnatal services
Cultural competency and woman-centred care
Profiting from traditional wisdom and cultural appropriation in the birth world
Ancestral memory passed down through the women in the family
Instagram culture makes it acceptable for
The book: ‘Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People about Race’ by Renni Eddo-Lodge
Postnatal ceremonies around the world such as ‘Closing The Bones’, mainly involving women, bathing as a ritual cleansing, anointing by the elders
The 6 week check as a remnant of the 40 day laying in period
‘Churching’ where you get blessed in church after having a baby
The concept of a death ritual, saying goodbye to who she was and welcoming the new mother
The birthkeeper is the storykeeper
Facing death and dying
The common fear of dads-to-be that their partners might die in childbirth
The impact of generational trauma
Matching care to their cultural experience
The MMBRACE report , which states that black women are 5 times more likely to die than white women, and Asian women are twice as likely to die at birth
Postpartum herbs for rebuilding energy and blood
Dr Sims and the origins of barbaric gynaecological experiments on slave women
Telling the truth of the history of medicine
The impact of pregnancy, birth and maternal-baby bonding on the psyche
The need for loving care after having a baby
Nicola’s article about the ethical consumer and the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), who partner with Clarion, and hold arms fairs