Director Capucine Salvi-Offer and Producers Tony Tehle and Mara Kikuchi give us a peak inside the creative process behind the making of the feature length documentary film "Through the Eyes of a Death Doula."

The filmmakers were honored to be invited to document the sacred final moments of Tari Esposito, a terminally ill patient who decided to end her life by Medical Aid in Dying (MAID), a process that is legal in 11 U.S. states and many countries around the world.

In this episode, Capy, Mara, and Tony, tell why they are passionate about sharing Tari's story, normalizing conversations about death and dying, and educating the public on the important role that death doulas play in society.

You can learn more about the film here:

https://www.throughtheeyesofadeathdoula.com/

You can contribute to the production of the film here:

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/global-doula-project/through-the-eyes-of-a-death-doula

Learn more about the Global Doula Project here:

https://www.globaldoulaproject.org/

Sign up for newsletter here:

https://www.globaldoulaproject.org/newsletter

Are birth and death more similar than we think? Is grief present when a woman brings forth new life, and rebirth encompassed in living through loss?

Regina Kelly experienced a life-altering, transformative loss very early in her life: when she was just eight years old, her mother died unexpectedly. Though this experience rocked her world, it also birthed her desire to walk with others through the “threshold moments” of birth, postpartum, and death.

In this conversation, Regina explores the intricate connections between birth, postpartum, and death, and how each of these experiences causes us to be “born anew”. She shares how her personal experiences have shaped her work as a birth and postpartum doula, and what she’s learned about the importance of community, nourishment, and connection to the local environment during these monumental transitions. She also discusses the importance of self- care for doulas, and the necessity of open conversations about end-of-life wishes.

In this episode:

4:50 - Regina shares about the loss of her mother, how it shaped her identity

13:20 - the healing power of eating local foods

22:25 - the value of having children present around birth and death

30:15 - the importance of self-care for doulas

38:10 - how doulas can use their unique gifts to serve families

To learn more about Global Doula Project, visit:

www.globaldoulaproject.org

Follow Global Doula Project on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram @ globaldoulaproject

You can read Regina's writing at:

https://reginakelly.substack.com/

To learn more about Regina and where she completed doula training, visit:

https://postpartum-care-directory.innatetraditions.com/practitioner/regina-kelly/

What do Western countries have to learn about birth from cultures that experience devastatingly high rates of infant mortality?

Content warning: extensive discussion of infant loss

Charlotte Brielle has worked in countries including Tanzania, South Africa, and Ecuador, where she has encountered tragically high rates of infant mortality due to lack of resources. Yet, she believes that the West has so much to learn about birth practices, rituals, and traditions from these cultures. She persuasively makes the case that the whole of society stands to benefit from better supporting women through the physical, emotional, and social transitions of matrescence – the process of becoming a mother.

Time stamps:

3:10 – Charlotte’s journey to becoming a birth worker

4:21 – Charlotte’s experience at a birth clinic in Tanzania: birth, death, and cultural perspective

12:12 – The need for better tools to support families through perinatal loss

25:58 – How supporting moms can change the whole of society for the better

34:35 – Upcoming Wombs of the World summit in Berlin, Germany, bringing together birth workers from around the world

38:17 – Other ways to work with Wombs of the World

To learn more about the 501(c)(3) public charity Global Doula Project, and how we support birth and death doulas, visit:

www.globaldoulaproject.org

To learn more about Charlotte’s organization, Wombs of the World, and how they empower birth workers around the world by bringing knowledge from diverse birth cultures, visit:

https://www.wombsoftheworld.com/

To learn more about the upcoming summit in Berlin, visit:

https://www.wombsoftheworld.com/summit

Follow Global Doula Project on Instagram and LinkedIn @globaldoulaproject

Follow Wombs of the World on Instagram and LinkedIn @wombsoftheworld