Local Practitioners Offer Postpartum Support

Six local practitioners are collaborating to offer Emerged, a “holistic postpartum program for new mothers.”

A spokesperson said, “Six local practitioners will team up to offer Emerged, Bermuda’s first holistic postpartum support program for new mothers with babies 0-6 months.

“Over the course of six weeks, participants will access expert-led support circles. Emerged pairs traditional peer-to-peer and group talk therapy with access to practitioners who are vital to healing – a doula and registered nurse midwife, newborn care specialist, sleep consultant, physiotherapist, relationship specialist and postpartum nutritionist and personal trainer, all locally based, but historically difficult to access due to time, money, or psychological restraints.

“The program creates a safe space to discuss intimate topics such as mental health, family sleep, normal vaginal and pelvic floor states, sex, pain and relationships, body image, movement, and nutrition.”

Emerged creator Kristen Scott Ndiaye said, “When COVID-19 hit the island and the world, pregnant women were among the most vulnerable; there has been an incredible interest from women for both the education and the easy online format. As we go into a second wave, women are still dealing with the effects of stressful pregnancies, birth trauma, pre- and postpartum isolation from the first.

“Just like everything else, we have to adapt to be able to offer more and better support. This is not a group about depression, it is a platform for all new mothers to emerge confident in the new woman that was born with their child – pandemic or not.”

Registered physiotherapist Michelle Monk said, “My main reason for being involved is to spread the knowledge and education to women regarding their physical body and recovery postpartum.

“The pelvic floor, particularly, is an under talked about area and the more a woman knows about her body, the more she will understand what she is feeling and know when to reach out for support.”

Sleep consultant Dorothy Bradshaw said, “It impacts children on a physical, cognitive and mental level. A poor sleeping child can negatively impact parental well-being, bringing on anxiety and even postpartum depression. I want to change the misconception that sleep is something you have to give up when you become a parent.”

The spokesperson said, “The investment is $300 and includes a journal, a postpartum breakfast from a local lactation bakery and an artisanal tea blend from Loquat Roots. Proceeds from each registration go toward a woman who is unable to otherwise afford this type of support. For more information or to register, email info@levwellbda.com.

“Kristen Scott Ndiaye, creator of Emerged Postpartum Support Program, is a social entrepreneur and alumnus of Ignite business accelerator [cohort 2].

“Full list of practitioners involved:

• Genee Lister, Registered Nurse Midwife and Doula
• Michelle Monk, RPT and Pelvic Floor Specialist
• Dorothy Bradshaw, MPH and Child and Infant Sleep Consultant
• Tina Laws, Relationship Coach
• Angela Hovi, Postpartum Personal Trainer and Nutritionist
• Calvina Simons, Newborn Care Specialist

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