S1E2 - Reclaiming Pt. 2 w/ Vanessa Leveille
In this powerful continuation of the "Reclaiming" conversation, Jovia Godfrey and Matrescence Expert Vanessa Leveille dive deeper into the often-misunderstood realities of motherhood and postpartum recovery.
Key themes and insights from the conversation include:
Postpartum as a Long-Term Process: Vanessa, as a Matrescence Expert, challenges the common misconception that postpartum recovery ends at 6 weeks or 12 months, stating that research suggests it can last a decade or more. She explains how the body and brain undergo significant and continuous recalibration with each child, affecting physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Postpartum health is not just about postpartum depression.
The Importance of Joy Work and Holistic Support: Vanessa advocates for a holistic approach to supporting postpartum mothers, which goes beyond just mental health to include nutrition, nervous system regulation, and "joy work." Joy, she explains, is finding personal happiness outside of one's children, partner, or work, and is crucial for healing, recovery, and sustainable mothering… addressing the common idea that one can lose themselves in motherhood.
Provider Experience and Empathy: Vanessa stresses the importance of therapists having relevant expertise and, ideally, lived experience when working with postpartum mothers. She shares how becoming a mother herself profoundly changed her ability to provide effective support to her clients, allowing for a deeper understanding and "communal mothering" in the therapeutic space.
Need for Spaciousness: Vanessa concludes by emphasizing her personal need for "spaciousness" as a mother and individual—time and room to be all of herself, disconnected from her roles, to maintain her well-being and maternal mental health.
