Reflecting on Change in Birthcare #068

As we wrap up season five around change-making in perinatal care, I am excited to share with you some takeaways from the season as I have reflected on what our guests have shared and pulled together some themes so that as you figure out the way you want to create change in the perinatal care system, you will have some inspiration from those who are walking this path along with you. 

Themes:
~Changing individuals => systems change
~Community with accountability as basis for change
~Taking care of the change agents
~Divorcing change making from saviorship

This bonus episode includes some reflection questions for you if you are still searching for your purpose within this work and how you want to go about creating change!

Transcript

Maggie, RNC-OB  0:03  
Welcome to your birth partners, the podcast identifying gaps, acknowledging biases, and co-creating a trauma informed standard of birth care with change agents across the spectrum of birth work. I'm your host, Maggie Runyon. I'm a birth nurse, educator and advocate who has been searching since 2010. The answers to how to provide better care during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Through my own pregnancies and supporting births in home and hospitals around the country. I've seen firsthand many the systemic flaws that exist in perinatal care. Through these conversations, I'm thrilled to share with you insights and inspiration as we work collectively to transform birth care.

As we wrap up Season Five around change making in perinatal care, I am excited to share with you some takeaways from the season, as I've reflected on what our guests have shared, and pulled together some themes so that as you come out to figure out the way that you want to create change in the perineal care system, that you will have some inspiration from those who are walking this path along with you, and include some reflection questions for you, if you are still searching for your purpose within this work, and how you want to go about creating change, I hope you enjoy the show.

Well, welcome friends to this rare solo episode with me. In truth, this is the second time that I am recording this episode to share with you all the first time as I reflected, I felt like I just I don't want to, you know, feel like I'm pontificating, and being trade here talking about this. So much of what we've covered in this season around changemaking is it pulls out a lot of bridges, right? I have been incredibly inspired by the amazing guests who have come on to share their stories with us to share a little bit more about about their journey, about their passion, about how they are creating something different

Unknown Speaker  2:13  
in the way that we approach prenatal care. And, you know, through all of that, I think it makes so many of us question where where we are at if the steps we're taking is leading us on the path that we want to be on to see change in these systems. And so I wanted to just kind of briefly highlight the takeaways I got from these episodes, most of which were founded in multiple of them as I went back and reviewed. But, you know, I think the big ones were that this is change is something that happens individually in our practices, but it's really something that needs to happen on these greater systems level. I, I think this is one that can hold us up. And until we really, truly recognize this, it's hard to take action forward, that ends up feeling, you know, productive and doesn't leave us feeling guilt ridden. And I think that links to the next piece, which is that this is change work happens in community. You know, there are individual folks who find themselves kind of leading the charge on any given issue. However, this is something that we all need to find our people to align with, to lift us up to hold us accountable as we examine ourselves and our practice and the outcomes of the work that we're doing. And while this can so often feel isolating, I just want to encourage you to

Maggie, RNC-OB  3:38  
to search out who else is doing this work for your community that will support you and check you when needed. And then you know, so much of these conversations we have this season focused on pushing back against discomfort and shining light where there has been so much darkness and secrecy and cover up. And that is woof.

That's really, really hard work to do. And so I think a theme that came up along the way several times as well was just that need to care for ourselves. You know, we need to have our own, our own debriefing. But in challenging situations, we need to have our own therapy, we need to feel good, taking care of ourselves. While we do this work and not feeling like this is something we just need to, to push through and work harder, because that just leads to burnout. So many of our guests to share their ways of challenging the way we've always done stuff. And, you know, having a dream and following it to define a new way of being. You know,

I've often heard Dr. Monica backbore share, you know, it doesn't have to be this way, that reminder that all of the ways that we've always had those, someone created that right. And so we also

have the power to create a new way and to push forward, you know, leaning into advocacy overseer ship. Now, that's a theme that came up several times. And it's something I've shared in the past that is really at the forefront of my heart mind as I continue to do this work. I think it's very easy for many of us, especially those who kind of come up with our formal education in the healthcare system, to slide into feelings of saviorship and "wanting to help people." And while of course, there's nothing inherently wrong with wanting to support people, as they work through an issue, I think changing our language or verbiage around that recognizing where we have power and privilege to uplift others to amplify their issue, to to be an extra person supporting them on their path, versus trying to pull them into ours is an important and complex thing for those of us to, to dive into find ourselves falling within that. I think advocacy, as you know, we look to advocate with someone as they share their truth and what they need, the system will never be misplaced. And, you know, as we keep looking through this, as all of you listeners out there, contemplate what your next move is, where do you go from here? I have certainly found myself in a season of change. And it feels like every, you know, six months or so I have this big like, Oh, alright, what's next? Where do we go from here is what I'm doing. Right. 

And so I'm sharing a couple of questions with you reflection questions that I have been thinking about, as I find myself in this season of wanting to know what, what comes next, what's the best, best way for me to contribute to all of this change making that I want to see? And so these questions are, you know, how will you create change? You know, listing out some of your, some of your talents, what are some of your skills, what are some of the things that you do with ease that you can bring to this work? What lights you up, you know, thinking about those moments where you have just felt so purposeful, and passionate and amped up about the future?

And on the flip side, because you might be finding, like those moments are few and far between, you know, what has you so irritated that you can't help but take action? You know, who can you join and support in this work? So many of our guests share this season that they felt like they needed to, you know, turn the paths there just wasn't anyone doing this work? And absolutely, that happens. But, you know, as we talked about community, if you are called to, to do this work, you know, we don't have to do it alone. And so looking to see who else is out there, you don't need to recreate the wheel, who is on the ground creating this change already? How can you align with them, and be in community and support their efforts? And you know, asking, asking, Why, what is your vision for the future? And how will that carry you through when this work does not always go? Perhaps as smoothly or as quickly as you want it to? 

And I'm thinking about all those myself. So, no, you're in company with me at least. As you know, one of my friends shared recently a quote about how, you know, changing means growing and growing means outgrowing. So I'm taking some time to think about what my next steps are here through your birth partners. And you know how me as an individual, and why we as an organization, can be a part of the system's change that we want to see. And so as we head on to our scheduled summer break from the podcast, so we can all have a little room to to breathe and refuel our tanks am taking time to consider the possibilities about where we go from here. How we can best support all this change and how we can show up in the most aligned and impactful way possible. And as I figure that out, I look forward to sharing it all with you or on social media and to our newsletter. So you know as we wrap this episode up, I know that there are so many of us out here I have received so many comments and messages from you all sharing where you're at on this journey. So please keep sending those it warms my heart to hear what you all are doing to create change in your communities in the spaces where you operate. keep encouraging each other to push for new and better in different ways of being in relationship with each other in caregiving during the perinatal period. And know that we are here supporting you and cheering you on as you do this work in solitary.

So thank you for joining us for the last five seasons of the podcast. As we get to wrap up each season of the podcast. I always feel like wow, this was my favorite. I feel like this really hit but you know, as I think back through the incredible guests who have joined us, I hope you will take the time if you haven't had a chance already to go back through these last 12 episodes and tune in and be inspired by the teachings who are sharing more about their journey. I so appreciate you all and knowing that there are so many of us out here who are dedicated to change as you can do this journey. know we're always here to walk along with you feel free to find us in your birth partner community on Facebook, or we're pretty active over on Instagram, so you can always catch us there as well. Till next time