BROADCASTS.com

I\u2019m joined today by Abla Benyahia, a Moroccan, London-based postpartum doula and birth educator. She is the mother of two children under two years of age, and she\u2019s a postnatal depression survivor. Passionately supporting women during their postpartum journey, Abla helps them navigate through mental health challenges and mom\u2019s guilt to reclaim their true identities. Abla experienced postnatal depression after the birth of her first child, which was followed quickly by her second pregnancy. She shares her experience of what helped her, what didn\u2019t help, and what she wishes she had done differently, along with her perspective as an Arab and Muslim mother. The mission of Abla\u2019s work is to help people understand the importance of self-care and why it\u2019s essential to get help as quickly as possible.\xa0\nShow Highlights:\n\nHow Abla was born in Morocco before living in France and settling in London with her husband\n\nHow her first pregnancy went well, despite PCOS and the pandemic\n\nHow she experienced depression even before her baby\u2019s birth, triggered by the fact that her family couldn\u2019t travel internationally to be with her\n\nHow her birth plan couldn\u2019t work like she wanted it to\n\nHow Abla\u2019s religious beliefs factored into her birth experience and how giving birth in London was much different than in Morocco in support of a new mom both in the hospital and at home\n\nHow a loss of sleep and breastfeeding problems created the foundation for postnatal depression and intrusive thoughts\n\nHow a conversation with a friend led Abla to admit that something was wrong and that she needed help\n\nHow the support of a doula, therapist, and physiotherapist made a huge difference for Abla\n\nWhy Abla felt anger that none of the women in her daily prepared her for postpartum depression\n\nHow Abla\u2019s husband learned to help and support her, helping her to prioritize self-care and quality time together rather than household tasks\n\nHow Abla\u2019s second pregnancy occurred quickly and unexpectedly and gave her the chance to have her preferred birth plan AND her birth doula\n\nHow a helpful village of support made Abla\u2019s second postpartum experience very different\n\nWhy Abla decided to become a certified doula and focus on helping other women\n\nResources:\nConnect with Abla: Instagram\nVisit www.postpartum.net for resources and support!\xa0\nVisit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.\xa0\xa0\nVisit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!