As part of our relaunch we are highlighting our staff, volunteers and board members. Next up: Jasmine!
Describe your background and what led you to Nurturely’s work. What motivated you to work with Nurturely?
I am a mother to two, surrogate, prenatal yoga teacher, doula and doula educator. I honestly never wanted children until I had my own! My first daughter changed me in every way and I continued to grow into a better person as I stepped into the role of Mom. I suffered with postpartum depression and psychosis in that first year after giving birth, which led to massive shedding and growth. After I consciously conceived my second daughter, I began to see the impact that our community, preparation, rest, connection and support all have on our ability to parent and take care of ourselves and our families. It was baffling to me that I was so unsupported and unprepared as a young mom and it set me on my journey to where I am today. When I began to connect to my new community after moving to Eugene from California, I met with Emily and quickly realized how aligned I am to Nurturely’s mission and wanted to be a part of it.
What motivated you to work with Nurturely?
Many things! Most profoundly, I could see that the nature of Nurturley was going to make a real positive impact on the culture of perinatal health and address the issues that we face today in a way that is approachable and impactful. I was also excited to hear about all of the research and resources around postpartum health, babywearing and other things that positively impacted my own parenting. These are things I’ve long been excited about. It can feel like these rites of passage and instinctual ways of parenting are radical and require a certain amount of privilege, and I am hopeful that there could be a time when it is available to everyone thanks to work being done like what Nurturely is doing.
What is your role within Nurturely?
I am the Board Secretary.
What do you hope to do with Nurturely? What are your goals in working with Nurturely?
I really hope to amplify and support the work that is being done and lend my voice and experience as the organization continues to grow. My goals in getting into birthwork from the beginning have always stemmed from a deep feeling of wanting to support and connect to birthing people. While I personally can hold space for individuals on a small scale in my community, working with Nurturely means I can contribute to having a larger impact on the structure and systems currently in place so that each individual’s experience of birth, postpartum and parenting can be the joyful experience it’s meant to be and not something that anyone has to fight for.
What do you do outside of Nurturely (hobbies, work, school, passions, etc.)?
I am a huge bookworm and I love to write. I am also a serial project starter – I have a closet full of unfinished knitting and needlework projects! I am also learning the ukulele and since moving to the PNW I’ve really enjoyed exploring hiking trails and the coast.