Interview with Kestrel Gates about her Build Your Nest Postpartum Planning Workbooks

Kestrel, tell us a little bit about yourself - both personal and professional.  
While I have been engaged in the childbearing realm since the first birth I attended in 1997, it was both my own postpartum experiences as well as listening to the triumphs and struggles of other mothers that inspired me to write the Build Your Nest postpartum planning workbook. I wrote it as a mother for other parents. I knew people needed a tool that empowered them to make their own plan, not just more information. I live on the Oregon coast and am active in my community supporting breastfeeding as a La Leche League leader. 

How did you become passionate about the postpartum period?  
After my son was born, almost 12 years ago, I made the completely erroneous assumption that because birth is natural, that recovery and early mothering should just happen naturally, without any special considerations or time off from our family business and creative life. My recovery was anything but easy. So when I was pregnant for the second time 8 years ago, I began researching and found that there are postpartum traditions from all continents that celebrate and care for mothers after birth. I called my mother-in-law who affirmed this with her own experience birthing in Vietnam during the war. I was struck by the idea that women in Vietnam giving birth in the context of war and poverty received better care than most American women. So, I made a simple postpartum plan and had a completely different experience of recovery and bonding with my daughter. This inspired me to share this with others.

How can this book help clients prepare for the postpartum period?  
The workbook  gives important information about the postpartum time and walks them through all aspects of their lives -which of course a newborn changes everything! It asks questions. It offers lots of ideas. It encourages people to engage with the planning process in their own way and make a plan that is truly right for them.

What is a postpartum plan?
A postpartum plan lays out how you are going to get the rest, support and care you need after giving birth. This includes the Milk Retreat - a set amount of time for having rest, support, and care. And a “Postpartum Net” which is the contingency part of the plan - what resources do you have for the challenges that may arise. We can plan for what we want and be prepared for the unexpected. 

Where can I find the Build Your Nest postpartum planning workbook?  
The workbook can be purchased online here: https://www.amazon.com/Build-Your-Nest-postpartum-planning/dp/153361038X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1549153717&sr=8-1&keywords=build+your+nest+workbook.  It can also be purchased in Portland, Oregon, at both Milagros and Zenana Spa.  We also have them for sale in our Unfurling Birth office.  

For more info about Kestrel Gates and the Build Your Nest postpartum planning workbook, look here: www.BuildYourNestWorkbook.com

Have you used the Build Your Nest Postpartum Planning Workbook?  If so, leave us a comment about what you like about it or how it helped you plan!