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As the founder of Mama Glow<\/a>, Latham shares her wisdom and\u00a0luminosity\u00a0with new and expecting moms. Through her doula, nutrition, and yoga services, Latham helps to usher women confidently into motherhood. The author and mother of one recently partnered with P&G\u2019s Pampers and My Black Is Beautiful to provide support, information and motivation to moms.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve followed Latham\u2019s career since reading about her on Randi\u2019s site, Beyond Mom<\/a>. Referred to as \u201cManhattan\u2019s Rock Star Doula,\u201d the California native has worked with celeb moms like Tamera Mowry-Housely, Rebecca Minkoff, and more, but it\u2019s her\u00a0holistic approach and\u00a0brilliant energy\u00a0that really inspire me. You know how Wendy Williams talks about having a friend in your head? Latham is that friend. I had the pleasure of interviewing her, and it was everything I thought it would be and more.\u00a0 We discussed black history month and the legacy of black midwives, the importance of a\u00a0 supportive community, and how moms can embrace self care. Read on for my interview with Latham.<\/p>\n[line]\n Latham\u2019s work is inspired by the original women who help to bring life into the world, midwives.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n There\u2019s a legacy of black midwives that\u2019s not being told. (Learn more about them\u00a0on Mama Glow<\/a>) There was a coalition in the South of women who were born slaves. They gave birth to their masters\u2019 babies, delivered babies and then were made to serve as wet nurses. These women were the precursor to obstetrics. The birth process has changed a lot. Up until a hundred years ago, it was all women. We have to remember the links and ties to the past to integrate when it makes sense to. We have ancestral wisdom and are riding on the shoulders of the black midwives who paved the way. They look down and cheer us on.<\/p>\n What led you to begin your work as a maternity maven?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n The birth of my\u00a0son. The Services I\u00a0provide are what I\u00a0wanted during my\u00a0pregnancy and birth. I had certain skills and interests before, but I knew yoga needed to be revived for today\u2019s active women. I wanted to create a technique that met busy women\u2019s needs, a results oriented class that also prepared them for labor and motherhood.<\/p>\n My lifestyle with doula work came out of my\u00a0birth experience. I felt empowered and wanted other women to feel that. Birth is its own magic. You can\u2019t control it, but you can control how you respond to the rhythm of the journey and dance. My\u00a0work makes me\u00a0feel close and bonded to these women and become family to them. Thank kind of intimacy is soul filling.<\/p>\n During pregnancy, it feels like everyone wants to take care of you\u2013and then after you give birth, everyone just wants to know how the baby\u2019s doing. Why is it important for moms to care for themselves, even when it seems like no one else does?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n As moms, we need to focus on ourselves so we\u00a0can care for others.\u00a0Know when you need a moment. Set\u00a0your phone to give you\u00a0a reminder to relax, and it will become second nature. Make time to honor yourself daily.<\/p>\n Sleep is important for optimal well being and function. When people lack rest, they don\u2019t make the best decisions and their judgement is impeded. Rest helps us to make better, more rational choices. Your mood changes with sleep and your hormones balance out.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not getting enough sleep, which can be hard with a new baby, raising your legs at a 45 degree angle for 20 minutes\u00a0allows blood to cycle from legs to heart. Its like a two hour nap! While your baby naps, do the leg raises.(Latham let me know that\u00a0Viparita Karani<\/a>, or \u201clegs up the wall,\u201d can be done during pregnancy up to 36 weeks.)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n How do we not feel guilty or selfish when caring for ourselves?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s hard. As women, we have a legacy of putting to everyone else\u2019s needs first. Get out of that mindset. Embrace self care in order to\u00a0 practice and create boundaries. Practice saying no learn how to say no. Find small things to say no to. And no is a complete sentence!\u00a0You don\u2019t have to explain. Saying no to them is saying\u00a0yes to yourself. This sets stage to eliminate guilt. It\u2019s in our bones to feel the guilt as women\u2013but the biggest thing is not to make yourself feel bad anything that benefits your family.<\/p>\n Latham and I also discussed the importance of having a strong community.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Women should have a support system before babies born, a \u201csister circle\u201d who can\u00a0examples and inspiration for your passage. Post partum, we need a friend. After birth, there\u2019s less focus and attention on mom, so having that group before ensures you have what you need after, to vent and lean upon.<\/p>\n In your book, Mama Glow, you talk about the importance of a support system of friends and loved ones. If a woman is having trouble finding her support network, how can she take care of herself?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Social media is a powerful tool to use to build and bridge community. \u00a0My Black is Beautiful\u00a0is a space for moms to participate in dialogue. Instagram is another great outlet for positivity. Through social media, you can find community and like minded people, watch your mentors in real time, and create relationships at the scroll of a touch screen. It\u2019s so easy!<\/p>\n With social media, we know that we aren\u2019t alone\u2013someone else going through the exact same thing.\u00a0Pampers and My Black Is Beautiful\u00a0anchors moms and gives\u00a0them\u00a0a voice These brands are\u00a0<\/span>working together for the community to create a \u00a0thriving and uplifting, empowering and inspiring space for moms.<\/p>\n[line]\n<\/a><\/p>\n