Elan Vital

The 2024 theme of Black Breastfeeding Week is Listen Up: Reclaiming Our Narrative and Centering our Stories for Breastfeeding Justice.

B*W was created in 2014 by Black leaders in the breastfeeding field to address the high infant mortality rate among Black people, the lack of diversity in lactation, and cultural barriers to breastfeeding for Black women.

The week highlights efforts and initiatives that support breastfeeding for Black families, and some of this year's events place an emphasis on storytelling and sharing stories about breastfeeding. As a retired Broadway producer, I can attest to the power of sharing a powerful story!

If you have an interest in birth justice for the Black community, I strongly encourage you to attend one of these events and spread the word to amplify these voices and the stories they tell.

Learn more at

*W24

🗓️ THIS MONDAY: I'm leading a Pregnancy workshop as part of Qoya Mama, a series of four birth-related calls led by Qoya Inspired Movement teachers to honor the emotions and feelings along the child-bearing continuum as dynamic, multidimensional experiences that, with the appropriate support, can leave us feeling more in our bodies, more in our power, and more able to show up and be in our service to the world.

My call on Monday will be a conversation about pregnancy and birth that frames the process as a powerful act of creation that engages you on every level of your being: Body, Mind, Heart and Soul. This offering is for anyone interested in reframing childbirth by exploring a more conscious and holistic approach.

You can sign up for a single call ($33) or for the whole series ($111).

All calls are from 12:00pm-1:15pm Eastern Time:

✅ Monday, May 27 - Pregnancy
✅ Monday, June 3 - Post-Partum and Motherhood
✅ Monday, June 10 - Grief and Loss

The recording from our first call on Fertility from May 20th is also available.

👉 Learn more and register at: https://buff.ly/3wOugY9

Qoya Mama | Qoya Inspired Movement Join us for calls on Fertility, Pregnancy, Post-Partum & Motherhood, and Grief & Loss.

🤔 ONE OF THE BIGGEST TRANSITIONS as you claim your new identity as a parent is shifting from “self” to “other.” ⠀
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In many ways, this is positive and empowering. Your sense of “self” has now been transmitted to another person, whether you gave birth to your child or adopted. You have a new superpower to sustain another life!⠀
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Yet with this power comes responsibility. Your sense of freedom can feel like it contracts rather than expands. Hobbies, friends, and activities that used to be important to you are abandoned due to your increased workload. It can feel like your “self” gets lost in the shuffle.⠀
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If you’re experiencing this right now and panicking because it feels like your old life is over, here’s something to try on:⠀
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✅ Rather than feel like “self” gets traded in for “other,” what if you are simply ADDING “other” to “self”? What if your life has gotten bigger, not smaller? ⠀
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✅ It can also help to remember many of your current limitations are temporary. Over time, you’ll find that some of the things you set down right now get picked back up, perhaps with a fonder heart after some absence. You’re on the path of brand new experiences and ways of being that will expand your view of who you are for the rest of your life. ⠀
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🦋 In other words: it’s a long ride. When you feel moments of panic, breathe. Your old self hasn’t disappeared; you’re simply the caterpillar with new wings.⠀
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👉 What are some things that have helped you as you’ve grown into a new identity? Please share in the comments below!

🧠 MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH WEEK + MENTAL HEALTH MONTH means that it’s time for your yearly reminder to take a moment (the theme of this year's Mental Health Month!) every day to prioritize your mental health as much as you prioritize your body’s health.

Becoming a parent is a beautiful and transformative experience.

It can also be overwhelming, stressful, and isolating.

✅ Postpartum depression is normal.
✅ Anxiety and depression related to conception are normal.
✅ Anxiety and depression related to parenting are normal.

Therefore, we should NORMALIZE this experience and continue to raise awareness, offer resources, and promote understanding and empathy for those who are struggling.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has a lot of free resources to help navigate mental health challenges, whether you or a loved one are currently experiencing them. Visit them .

Wherever this post finds you, I hope it serves as a reminder that:

✅ It's okay to not be okay.
✅ Mental challenges are normal.
✅ You deserve support.
✅ Daily mental health hygiene matters.

👉 In the comments, please share your favorite way to Take a Mental Health Moment.

✨ As my name suggests, I am here in service of Élan Vital, the life force energy that, through acts of creation, drives the soul to evolve. While I celebrate and support creativity in all of its expressions, I am especially drawn to birth, that radical act of creation when a soul crosses into the human experience and opens a space for limitless possibility.

👉 What would you like to create this week? How is your spirit being courageous and bold to bring something new into the world? Please share in the comments below.

❤️ Similar to a midwife, a comadrona is a birthworker who serves indigenous families in Guatemala to help deliver babies, perform massages before and after birth, and use medicinal plants to ease pain and stimulate breast milk. These are often older women who perform these services both alongside doctors and in areas without hospitals nearby.

For indigenous women who don’t speak Spanish, comadronas are often crucial advocates while navigating the medical system, especially when a woman wishes to give birth standing up, a common practice among Guatemala’s indigenous people.

While many comadronas report discrimination from doctors and hospitals, many also report that acceptance has increased significantly in the past 30 years, and that working collaboratively with doctors has helped decrease Guatemala’s maternal mortality rate significantly.⠀
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A recent study of comadronas identified three themes:

✅ sacred calling
✅ sacred knowledge
✅ sacred ritual

Many comadronas start training because they feel a calling to the work from the divine. They use signs and symbols to aid their work, sometimes from dreams, and infuse prayer, ritual, and blessings in every step of the birth process, even praying before they leave their home to attend a birth.⠀
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While the authority of comadronas may be revered by some and looked down upon by others, organizations looking at ways to improve Guatemala’s maternal mortality rate view them as essential allies in helping more indigenous women have successful births.⠀

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💦 Laboring and/or giving birth in a pool of warm water is a common practice in birth centers, home births, and hospitals all over the world. So why might you want to incorporate a pool into your birth?⠀
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✅ Warm water helps the body relax and makes it easier for you to move around and change position, floating rather than lying in bed.⠀
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✅ Warm water eases pain, which can help you avoid anaesthesia.⠀
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✅ Water births can sometimes help speed up labor.⠀
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That said, water births aren’t for everyone, and there are some situations for which water births aren’t recommended as well as things to consider during planning to make sure the birthing pool is properly set up.

My goal as a birth coach is to help you determine which options are right for YOU since every birth is different, so if you feel overwhelmed by the volume of information on questions like, “Should I use a birthing pool?” a session with me can help you determine what options are best for your needs.⠀
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👉 If you had a water birth, did you find it helped you in labor? Please share in the comments below!

🤔 “SHOULD I SLEEP WITH MY BABY?” is a question that causes new parents a lot of anxiety, as there are widely varying opinions about the best answer. First and foremost, know that there is no absolute right or wrong answer, learn about your options, and do what feels right for you and your family! ⠀
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I recommend that new parents at least have the baby in the same room, if not the same bed, with them. Recent studies show that some form of co-sleeping (aka. sleeping in the same room as your baby) has the potential benefit of decreasing the chance of SIDS by up to 50%. Your co-sleeping options are:⠀
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✅ Sleeping in the same bed⠀
✅ Attaching a crib to your bed⠀
✅ Keeping a crib in your bedroom, but not attached to your bed⠀
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Sleeping in the same bed/room as your baby can make nighttime breastfeeding a lot easier, especially if the baby senses mama nearby when they wake, so that both mama and baby can easily feed and go back to sleep. ⠀
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No matter where the baby sleeps, these are the recommended rules to create a safe space:⠀
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✅ Place the baby on their back to sleep.⠀
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✅ Make sure the baby’s mattress is firm with no loose bedding, pillows, blankets, toys, etc.⠀
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✅ Make sure there is absolutely no way the baby can roll off their bed. Do not let the baby sleep on a sofa or chair, and make sure there is no crack between their bed and the wall where they could fall and be trapped.⠀
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✅ Use common sense and don’t sleep in the same bed as your baby if you’ve taken alcohol or sedatives or if you’re an exceptionally deep sleeper. ⠀
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✅ Remember that you are the only home your baby has ever known. They flourish the more contact they have with you, so touch and cuddles are an incredibly important part of their development! ⠀
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👉 Do you have any questions on co-sleeping or tips for how you ensure a good night’s sleep for both yourself and your baby? If so, please post in the comments below!
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🥑 Why do babies crave BLAND FOODS?⠀
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They have three times the number of taste buds as adults!⠀
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😮 Babies are born with a whopping 30,000 taste buds all over their tongue and on the roof of their mouth (compared to the average adult's 10,000).⠀
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So when babies happily eat bland mashed up turnips or peas, they’re actually experiencing a taste sensation in that one-ingredient puree.⠀
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This difference in taste buds is also one explanation for fussy eating: a baby’s heightened sense of taste magnifies bitter flavors like spinach, so they prefer sweeter tastes like fruit and sweet potato.⠀
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I’m a huge fan of homemade baby food, and it’s really so simple (and cheap!). There are fancy all-in-one baby food makers that steam then puree food, but really you just lightly steam or bake vegetables then toss them in a blender or food processor. Same with grains; prepare them according to the instructions on the package, then throw them in a blender with liquid to thin them. Ice cube trays are great for freezing portions, so you can make large batches in advance.⠀
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Even easier is simply mashing avocados or bananas with a fork. As baby gets older, you can take whatever you’re having for dinner and mash it up or blend it, though remember their taste buds. They don’t need salt or seasonings. Remove their portion before you add seasoning for the best result.⠀
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👉 Got any favorite homemade baby food recipes? Post them in the comments!⠀
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❤️ CONNECTING WITH YOUR EXISTING CHILDREN during pregnancy and postpartum with siblings is essential in helping them navigate the transition into their new life.

Involving them in baby preparations is great because it can help them understand and feel excited about the baby before it comes.

And — make sure that you prioritize spending time with your child(ren) that has NOTHING to do with the new baby.

Focus on them as an individual and spend time every day doing things they enjoy. Spend time with them in which you don’t talk about the baby at all and instead talk about what’s going on with them.

This is doubly important once the baby arrives.
Involving your child in baby care as much as possible can help them grow to love their sibling and feel protective of them.

But prioritize quality time with them that is focused on their identity and life separate from being a brother or sister as well.

Try as much as you can not to blame the baby for not being able to spend time with them when they ask. Even subtle language differences like, “I’ll be free in a minute,” versus “I’m changing the baby,” can help prevent them from seeing the baby as a wedge that’s come between you.

👉 What other tips would you share for helping your child adjust to becoming a big brother or sister?

❤️ CONNECTING WITH YOUR EXISTING CHILDREN during pregnancy and postpartum with siblings is essential in helping them navigate the transition into their new life.

Involving them in baby preparations is great because it can help them understand and feel excited about the baby before it comes.

And — make sure that you prioritize spending time with your child(ren) that has NOTHING to do with the new baby.

Focus on them as an individual and spend time every day doing things they enjoy. Spend time with them in which you don’t talk about the baby at all and instead talk about what’s going on with them.

This is doubly important once the baby arrives.

Involving your child in baby care as much as possible can help them grow to love their sibling and feel protective of them.

But prioritize quality time with them that is focused on their identity and life separate from being a brother or sister as well.

Try as much as you can not to blame the baby for not being able to spend time with them when they ask. Even subtle language differences like, “I’ll be free in a minute,” versus “I’m changing the baby,” can help prevent them from seeing the baby as a wedge that’s come between you.

👉 What other tips would you share for helping your child adjust to becoming a big brother or sister?

Ah, this human journey of loving and loosing and loving again.

For Christmas my heart expanded with the birth of my beautiful nephew. For the new year my heart was broken by the death of our deeply beloved cat. In this moment of holding both experiences, I’m noticing how easy it is to love babies and animals unconditionally, so much easier then grown complicated humans. I think it’s their purpose in our lives, to offer a safe space to practice loving with our whole hearts.

His name was Munay, the word used by the Q’ero people of Peru to describe the energy of the heart. He was 16 lbs of fluff and couldn’t have been more adored. Blessings sweetest boy. 🌈✨