Episode 30: Womb Energy, Support during Miscarriage and Abortion and Being at Home in Your Pleasure Body with Zachi Brewster
Zachi Brewster is a full spectrum doula and pleasure advocate, supporting individuals through transitional experiences on their reproductive and sexual journey's.
Coming from a family of women, run by matriarchs on both sides, the power of our wombs (physically and energetically) was clear to her from early on. Witnessing and supporting loved ones through everything from periods, pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion and birth trauma became second nature and is the foundation on which she builds her services today.
However, it wasn’t until going through her own birth experience that she truly started to value the necessity and importance of having an advocate and someone who is just there for you. What started as months of just grieving turned into nurturing herself, eventually having faith in and feeling her body again.
She creates and holds space for individuals to trust in their bodies and their experience, heal from trauma and steer their path with beauty, confidence, and the knowledge to make informed, pleasureful decisions.
In this episode, we talked about:
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Exploring and expressing womanhood through sex
Coming from a big family, with mainly women
5 years ago, Zachi had a miscarriage and it was a profound experience in her relationship with her body and one of the most fundamental experiences of her life
Mourning a miscarriage
The impact of shame
The lack of resources available to support through miscarriage.
Spurred on to support women after experiencing loneliness
Initially wanting to become a midwife after her Master’s studies, but then deciding to become a doula. Doula training was so focussed on pregnancy and birth, but she realised there should be support for all the experiences of the womb
She started with what she’d needed: someone to talk to, normalising the experience
Using breathwork and colour mapping to connect with the womb (physically or energetically)
Womb energy as a creative centre, even if you’re non-binary or don’t have a physical womb
The stories we hold in our womb stay there and can affect our pleasure and sexuality
Owning your story
“Being at home in your body is what I wish for everyone”
The language of the womb: safe, homely
The language of the uterus: valuable to name things by their name, but more detached
Societal judgement around abortion
Support for women going through abortion
The journey of miscarriage and abortions are so personal, and everyone deserves support
Simple advice for someone going through an abortion: have someone go with you, make sure there’s food for you when you come home, build a care package for yourself, have some sanitary pads for heavier flow
Not charging for services as she believes that everyone deserves support
Miscarriages and abortions can be very sterile experiences
Supporting someone if you don’t agree with their choices
Doulaing younger women e.g. teenage mums as there’s already a stigma, and therefore not charging in order to be more accessible
The importance of boundaries for self-care in order to support others
Burnout
Exploring pleasure and expressing sexuality
Shame and women’s sexuality
Knowing your body by exploring your vulva in the mirror
The pleasure of being yourself and honouring yourself
“See yourself, feel yourself, be at home in your body”
You can connect with Zachi Brewster on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/zaz.brw/
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