Today we’d like to introduce you to Kilah Lawson.
Hi Kilah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
After 3 days of prodromal labor, I was finally about to bring my baby earthside. A little sex had kicked things into high gear!
The weeks leading up to the birth were so difficult. My husband had started the fire academy and the demand of his new career left me feeling anxious about how my postpartum would turn out.
I sat in my room, bouncing on my birthing ball, listening to Neosoul radio working to bring this baby earth side. I glanced over at my husband who was avidly studying to pass his state firefighter exams.
Baby finally made his way earthside. I couldn’t believe we had another boy. “It’s a girl!”, my husband said. We laughed together. I felt shaky and in shock. I had never seen so much blood flow from my body. We were concerned.
Everything I knew about birth left my mind and fear consumed me. We decided to transfer to the hospital.
Immediately, before even dialing 911, I began to think of what we would say to the paramedics, hospital staff, etc to prevent them from thinking that we had been negligent with my choice to birth at home.
I knew I had 3 strikes against me. I was black, I had birthed at home, and I knew my rights and was prepared to vocalize them.
Our hospital stay was a short one, but felt like the longest time of my life. The staff was rude. The doctor scraped my insides to remove the remainder of my placenta. It was the worst pain I had ever felt..but she continued as if she didn’t hear my cries. They HATED that I wanted to delay my baby’s bath! They were furious that I refused Pitocin for myself and Vitamin K for my baby. They were annoyed with me. They bullied me. They hated to see a black woman who was going against conventional procedures.
They tried to force me to stay. They threatened me by telling me I could leave but my baby would have to stay. Did they really think I’d trust them with MY baby?
After hours of pleading, they finally let me go home..placenta and all.
My husband couldn’t reschedule his state tests. There I was…alone…with 5 kids ages 6 and under. This was the hardest pregnancy I had ever experienced. My body felt the aftermath.
I knew how my postpartum should be…I had spent a year learning about cultural traditions and how to combat postnatal depletion. Despite what I knew, I didn’t have the resources to get all the things I knew I needed. We did our best..my husband prepared nourishing soups. But this time around, we had very little support.
I must have cried the first few hours of the day. Not too long after, CPS came knocking on our door. They showed up after the hospital staff reported their “concerns” of our choice to delay our baby’s bath.
Everything that happened in the last two days was a perfect cocktail for postpartum depression. I was terrified they would take away my kids. My trauma ran deep..the depression I experienced ran even deeper.
A few months later, in the midst of depression, I launched Elephant Baby: Full-Service Postpartum Support.
Elephant Baby is everything that I give to moms that I could not give to myself during one of the most darkest seasons of my life.
As moms, we shouldn’t be working to survive during one if the most sacred and delicate seasons of our lives. I can’t tell you how important it is for moms to receive support within their first few years postpartum. Our lives and livelihoods depend on it.
Most people don’t know that I launched a postpartum care agency in the midst of deep depression. Most people don’t know that every day, I’m STILL working to combat my depletion. These last 9 months are the best I’ve felt since I started having kids over 9 years ago. Everything I learn, I’m teaching you along the way. With every chance I get, I’m supporting you along the way. I can’t do it on my own. I’m guiding others to radically change the way society views postpartum.
I started as a Postpartum Doula. It didn’t take long for me to learn that the support that mothers need should stretch far beyond those first few weeks postpartum. As a Postpartum Vitality Coach and Owner of Elephant Baby, I help mothers to combat common postpartum issues in their first few weeks and support them in overcoming issues that their facing years into their postpartum journey! Elephant Baby is an innovative postpartum care agency that supports mothers in their first few years postpartum!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of my biggest struggles has been trying to grow a business as a mother of 5. My children are still very young. My oldest is only 8. My husband works as a firefighter in the community and is gone for 48 hours at a time each week. I often feel so exhausted as a mom who also owns a business. Every day, I wake up working to implement the practices that I teach to moms like me. Sometimes, I feel like a hypocrite when I fall short. My kids are not used to seeing their mom working a business. They are used to being with a mom who has their full attention. I’m convinced that balance is a myth.😁 I’m learning that I can’t do it all, and I am as transparent as I can be in my journey. I never want anyone to think that I have it all together. I have meltdowns every week as I balance motherhood while working towards my dreams!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Elephant Baby?
Elephant Baby is an innovative postpartum care agency that helps mothers feel supported, nurtured and empowered in their first few years postpartum. There are a few things that set my organization apart from the rest:
1. The extensive support that we provide to mothers postpartum–while we see the need for support in other phases of the perinatal process, our passion is postpartum as we feel that this phase is sorely neglected
2. Within our agency, we are restoring a sense of community. The world is so divided right now. When I recruit for our team, I actively seek out to work with individuals who have different ideologies as my own. I want to show the world that we can come together with one common goal (supporting moms in their first few years postpartum) even if we hold different viewpoints, values and opinions! Elephant Baby truly values diversity because I know that I cannot fulfill my vision of a world where every postpartum mom is supported on her own!
3. Our business model is very unique. Our clients are paired with a team of support to help them in their postpartum time–the team can consist of their postpartum doula, our in-home care specialists, their lactation consultant, etc.
4. I specialize in helping women combat postnatal depletion. I educate women on why they are likely experiencing depletion and teach them how to heal their bodies through nutrition, restorative practices and other methods that help to bring their bodies back to balance! So many mothers do not know what is needed to heal their bodies after childbirth. We are told “see ya in 6 weeks” after birth…and that 6 weeks is the most crucial time for healing and rest…and most women get neither of those things.
I am so proud to be able to connect women to the community that so many of us long for! Covid has really isolated community even further. I’m proud to create a movement in which we call on collectivism! I am proud that in the midst of divisiveness, Elephant Baby encourages the community to come together with the common goal of supporting one another. When all is said and done, I want mothers to feel uplifted, supported, and empowered in the choices that they make for themselves and their families. Elephant Baby is helping women to reclaim what we’ve lost in the postpartum time–the traditions that promote healing! Colonization as stripped us from these traditions that really encourage society to deeply care for the new mom–Elephant Baby is restoring transformational postpartum care!
Elephant Baby offers:
Postpartum Doula Support- our doulas are professionally trained to provide care for the new mother, educational support, emotional/mental health support, family adjustment support, newborn care, and so much more. We are helping to combat instances of postpartum depression, anxiety and other mood/anxiety disorders. Our care also helps to combat maternal mortality in the fourth trimester.
Help Around Home- our in-home care specialists provide extensive home cleaning, laundry, errand and grocery services.
Lactation Support- our IBCLC’s empower women in their feeding journeys–no matter what feeding option they choose.
We have a waitlist for: Nanny Support & Sleep Support as we work to finalize the details of those programs.
Online Replenishment Programs- Our Membership: The Postpartum Wellness Revolution gives mothers access to lessons on how to deeply heal their postpartum bodies (even if they’re a few years in), recipes, meditations, coaching calls, monthly q&a’s and more!
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I don’t believe in good luck and bad luck. I believe that doors are closed when they aren’t meant for me and they open when the time is right. I believe that all things will be aligned when the time is right and that I must continue to work and pursue my passion until the alignment happens.
Contact Info:
- Email: support@elephant-baby.com
- Website: elephant-baby.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elephantbaby_postpartumsupport/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElephantBabyLLC
Image Credits
PS Photography
Ashe Photography
