The End and the Beginning Part 2

In this episode, I sit and talk with my good friends Kafayat Okanlawon and Thanai Caesar about their experiences navigating their menstrual cycles in Nigerian Muslim and Guyanese Christian households. We discuss the issue of shame of periods in black communities and its problems associated with cleanliness and white spaces. We also delve into THAT scene from ‘I May Destroy You’ and how speaking and sharing experiences about our periods more could help more women and bleeding people seek help around painful periods and reproductive issues. THIS EPISODE'S SPOTLIGHT: The Status flow Vianney Leigh is the host of the Period & Power Moves podcast where she discusses ways in how we can align with our cycle better and ways to manage PMS and period pains. Link to Vianney's free free action guide; 'The Perfect Flow' : https://statusflowco.lpages.co/the-perfect-flow-action-guide/ Follow Phoenix's Podcast on social media: Instagram: @phoenixspodcast Twitter: @phoenixspocast Email: [email protected] Intro music: Midnight Lofi by Liquify

In this episode I'm joined by Tracy Awere, founder of Sankofa Hypnobirthing who debunks the myths of what hypnobirthing really is. In addition how it can be used as a powerful tool to encourage informed consent during antenatal care, pregnancy and birth among Black women and birthing people to help make better choices and build confidence. We discuss how hypnobirthing taps into the ancestral knowledge we hold on birth and how women, birthing people and their birth partners can ask questions, giving them tools to navigate through health systems. THIS WEEKS SPOTLIGHT: AIMS, an organisation which works towards better births for all by campaigning and information sharing, protecting human rights in childbirth and helping women and birthing people to know their rights, whatever birth they want, and wherever they want it. Sankofa Hypnobirthing: sankofahypnobirthing.co.uk/ Follow Phoenix's Podcast on social media: Instagram: @phoenixspodcast Twitter: @phoenixspodcast Email: [email protected] Intro Music: MidnightLofi by Liquify

*Trigger warning* Discussion of pregnancy and infant loss. Welcome back to the first episode of Phoenix's podcast. In this second part, my friend Sekai and I continue the conversation on my experiences of pregnancy complications and losing my baby, Phoenix. We also delve into the issue surrounding the disproportionate rates of black women and non binary people maternal death and ways in how we can try to change this as a community. THIS WEEKS SPOTLIGHT: Fivexmore. . A movement based off the statistics given by the Mbracce report. Founded by two black women- Tinuke and Clo who are bringing awareness to the risks that black women face. They provide steps for women to take to lower these statistics which include: Speaking up Finding an advocate Seeking a second opinion Trusting your gut feeling Do your research Follow them @fivexmore on twitter or @fivexmore_ on instagram.  MMBRACE Report: https://www.npeu.ox.ac.uk/mbrrace-uk Sekai's work and podcast: https://betweenourselves.org/

*Trigger warning* Discussion of pregnancy and infant loss.  Welcome to the first episode! In this episode I am joined by my good friend Sekai Makoni where we discuss how we were inspired to put this podcast together and the ideas behind it. Additionally, I share my experience of pregnancy complications, giving birth and losing my daughter. Apologies for the audio distortion in this episode- please bear with us whilst we grow our podcasting roots! Link to Sekai's podcast, 'Between Ourselves': https://betweenourselves.org/about