In today’s episode, I had the opportunity to interview Ms. Barbara Sherrod (@justtbarb), creator of Millennial Mocha Moms Blog (@millennialmochamoms) and restorative practices specialist. She is a mother of two, writer and Doctoral student at Morgan State University. In this episode, she teaches us about restorative practices, an approach to addressing and resolving conflict without producing harm, and how this can be applied to our mothering, to help us when we are experiencing conflict at home. She also touches on the importance of affective communication, where we learn how to speak with our children not at them and why this is so critical for uplifting children of color. Mentioned in the episode Barbara's  article on restorative practices in Juvenile Justice Information Exchange Barbara's  blog post on affective communication

Episode 8: The power of using restorative practices in motherhood  to cultivate better relationships with our children

On this episode, we talk about the real impact of being a supermom on our mental health, the contributing factors and practical solutions so we don't end up sacrificing our health and well-being. I had the opportunity to sit down with Ms. Latricia Pitts, Licensed Professional Counselor, Master Addiction Counselor and single mom of three. She works in her own private practice, specializing in Anger, Addiction, Marriage/Family Therapy and Clinical Supervision. The cool thing about her work is that she embraces so many forms of therapy including art and music therapy, walk and talk therapy, Solution-Focused, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and traditional talk therapy. &nbsp; Some of the things we had the chance to discuss were: How our interactions with our own mothers can shape what we choose to do (or not do) as mothers The reasons that moms of color need to express their emotions and their feelings in front of their kids Why it is unhealthy to over generalize the “strong black woman” to all areas of our life The negative mental health impact and danger signs of being a supermom.

Episode 9: The impact of being a supermom on the mental health of moms of color

On today’s episode, I talk about racism and bias in healthcare and why and how moms of color need to prepare to protect themselves against this in healthcare settings. We get into the pervasive way racism embeds itself in healthcare and examples from research and my own experiences dealing with this. I also touch on how healthcare systems are trying to address this. More importantly, we also get to talk about the 5 essential actions that moms of color can take to ensure that they and their children can still get effective care while we work on eliminating the impact of bias and racism on health outcomes for families of color. &nbsp;

5 things moms of color can do to protect against racism in healthcare settings

This week's episode is all about how moms of color need to make their own health a priority and how they can do it effectively. We also talk about the implications for communities of color. I get to speak to Dr. Kameelah is a Board Certified Obstetrician/Gynecologist and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) practicing in New York City. Dr.&nbsp;Phillips&nbsp;is a life long educator and aims to empower women with knowledge to help them make the best health decisions for their life. She’s a graduate of Stanford University, completed medical school at the University of Southern California and attended New York University for her OB/Gyn residency.&nbsp; I have been following Dr. Kameelah on her very active Instagram, drkameelaysays, for a while now and was immediately drawn to how she provides amazing women’s health info in a way that is approachable, down-to-earth. It’s a really important episode with a lot of amazing advice from someone who has dedicated her career to women's health.&nbsp; &nbsp; Some of the things we spoke about included: 1:18- How we as women of color are embracing the duality and complexity of our lives - the professional and the homegirl- and the importance of vulnerability 3:35- How our health can be significantly shaped by whether we look at our childhood adversity a source of shame vs something to be celebrated 7:10- Why the health of women of color in our families are so integral and has such broad ramifications for the family and the community, but also would allow for women to be able to do so much more. 9:45- The pressure to show up as a mom who has it all together, especially when you are a working professional, and try to “keep up with the joneses”, even if it means putting our health to the side. 11:20- The role of unconscious fear of being perceived as selfish and denial, as major contributors of delaying our own health needs 15:20- The state of how the healthcare system has been difficult for women of color 17:50- The need for more doctors of color (and the bias that exists to potentially weed out students of color from the medical career pathway)f includes trial and error 19:50- The exhaustion and frustration for women of color to have to continuously have to go through trial and error to find the right doctor who respects them and shares they value. &nbsp; 22:40- Dr. Kameelah’s ideas on practices that help to keep the Superwoman tendencies away 25:00- The no more big annual birthdays that she is starting with her family (must listen!) 27:10- The relationship between minimizing Supermom tendencies and the beneficial impact on mood disorders, including anxiety and depression

Omolara Uwemedimo