Latham Thomas | Vulnerability in the Postpartum Period & the Importance of Ritual

Latham Thomas describes her work as her ‘calling’ – and with a spot on Oprah’s Super Soul 100, two best-selling books to her name, a host of celebrity clients and a global following via her Mama Glow brand, there’s no doubt that she’s living her purpose. Known on Instagram as Glow Maven, and as co-founder of the wildly popular Continuum Conference, Latham is an advocate for reproductive justice. As a doula, her work centers not only around birth but around supporting women through all points of the reproductive cycle. And with a deep respect for the traditions around divine femininity, the ‘village’ and sacred rituals of self-care, her holistic approach to caring for women is both modern, and informed by history. “If you think about what happens when the baby arrives here”, she tells our host Georgie Abay, “they are born but the mother is also born. And it's a rebirth for that person. Who she once was is no longer; she's someone new.” Latham is outspoken about the failings of our maternal health care systems – particularly when it comes to the disproportionate rates of maternal morbidity for Black women who are “four to five times more likely than white women to die during childbirth or due to childbirth-related causes”, she tells us. “The reasons for these deaths, it's not because of race, it's because of racism. There's nothing wrong with Black people.” In this potent conversation we speak to the self-care advocate about: Autonomy in the birth process Black maternal deaths and why they are so out of control Dismantling systemic racism within the hospital system The future of birth and what it might look like outside of the hospital What exactly a doula does How doulas connect us back to our village roots How birth oscillates wildly between strength and vulnerability The birth of the mother and vulnerability in the postpartum period Informed consent and what that means in a medical context The power of women gathering Self-care and why what you don’t do is as important as what you do Her book Own Your Glow The importance of ritual in her life Parenting her teenage son and balancing her fears with his freedom Follow Latham on Instagram at @glowmaven Visit Latham’s website Mama Glow Find out more about The Continuum Conference Read Own Your GlowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.