In this conversation with Alysha Fameli we hear how Alysha transformed what was a really difficult initiation into motherhood, into a beacon of light for others. We hear about how Alysha’s passion to advocate for other women not experiencing what she did has led her, to dedicate years of her life to studying birth trauma.
You’ll hear us discuss:
- Alysha’s first pregnancy and birth within the hospital system
- How being told to ignore her body wisdom when in transition impacted Alysha
- The impact of disrespectful treatment on her birth and mother/baby bonding
- How birth trauma influenced Alysha’s postpartum period
- Using science and research as a way to plan her second birth
- The difference in receiving continuity of care in her second pregnancy
- Getting involved in birth advocacy in her final trimester with her second baby
- Alysha’s second birth being an unplanned homebirth
- The Australian Birth Study and why Alysha is dedicated to this research
I remember asking a midwife, if it was okay to pick my son up, and she looked at me like I was crazy. Then I remember trying to learn how to breastfeed and it was really painful. We found out later, he had a lip tie and a tongue tie and I was told, no, it's fine. It's supposed to hurt - while they grabbed my breasts. It was a surreal experience, like it wasn't happening.
MEET ALYSHA FAMELI
Alysha is a mother, psychologist and PhD researcher at the University of Sydney. Alysha’s two very different birth experiences led her into a new passion, academic research, where she hopes to translate science into practice for new mothers.
I am deeply moved and touched by every story that I hear. I feel really honoured to hear these harrowing experiences of women's births and I feel an enormous amount of pressure in a research space To carve out reverence for these stories. It's really hard because academia is a patriarchal system, and I'm trying to come at this from a feminist perspective and carve out space for reverence.
