Today we’d like to introduce you to Macy Morrow.
Hi Macy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
For as long as I can remember, birth has fascinated me. I was in the middle of supporting a labor recently when one of the noises made transported me to a distinct memory from 7-year-old Macy, cuddled up on a low-lit basement couch, watching re-runs of “A Birth Story” on TLC. I liked to see the anticipation of the parents—prepared but also nervous. I’ve learned over the last couple of years that the thing I liked watching then is the same draw that I have now, which is the observation of liminality, or the threshold that parents-to-be teeter on. This idea stuck with me, and when I had to do a career project in high school, I chose to evaluate an OB. “It’s the happiest place in the hospital!” I wrote as the tagline to my banner. When I graduated, I traveled the world alongside one of my best friends, a child of 8, and daughter to a natural doctor who supported births in her free time.
Looking back, it’s comical how I didn’t see my trajectory coming. My husband and I weren’t sure we wanted kids, and I remember in a premarital therapy meeting being asked if that could be a potential point of contentment later down the road. My husband and I both simultaneously chimed, “Nope!” We didn’t want kids, and then we did, and six years later we were pregnant with our first after nearly 18 months of trying. In fact, I had a fertility appointment scheduled later in the week when I got the positive pregnancy test. I did everything by the book, or the old-school book, anyway. No soft cheeses or lunch meats, a 12-week intensive Bradley Method childbirth course, walking, nutrition, birth center—the whole nine yards. All my appointments were somewhat routine. My blood sugars were bordering gestational diabetes, but I was prepared and trucking along. When at 37 weeks, it was discovered my babe was breech, all of the options were removed from before me, and all that was left for me to decide was which date I wanted him to be born on.
In meeting with the surgeon, no alternatives were given, despite being in Boston, a known medical hub. I took to the internet and tried moxibustion, acupuncture, Spinning Babies, and an external cephalic version, AKA a manual turning of a baby’s head from the outside. Nothing worked, so like a thief to the gallows, I walked the lonely hall to the OR at 39 weeks gestation. In the months following, I learned there were several options available, I just didn’t have the right person to ask. This person, of course, being a doula.
Flash forward a short 18 months later, and I’m attempting a trial of labor after caesarean (TOLAC, also known as vaginal birth after caesarean, or VBAC). I had a doula this time and felt empowered, peaceable even. The birth still did not have the desired outcome, but because of my doula, me and my baby’s lives were saved. The postpartum depression and anxiety I had combated with my first were little to be found. Without a double, I believe it was the doula’s steadfast, evidence-based experience and knowledge that brought about comfort in those early 4th trimester days.
At the time of my second birth, I was already taking courses to become a certified nurse midwife, but after my experience, I decided to “get my feet wet” (sometimes literally!) by becoming a certified full-spectrum doula. What I thought would add to my resume completely derailed my plans, and I switched academic tracks to an interdisciplinary program through The University of Texas at Austin. Now, I practice as a doula and write about maternal companionship and the long-term benefits for both birther and child. Through my platform “MotherLift” I normalize parenting and educate from pre-conception through postpartum. My experience is my “why” and my style seeks to provide the evidence and fortitude to make decisions about one’s body with confidence and enthusiasm.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of the biggest challenges in being a doula is that I only have two hands. The work is never done, and with each birth comes a new idea or a new way to fill a gap. It’s hard to flip the switch to “off duty,” especially when one of my pillars of practice is to remain past the listless OB postpartum visits. My husband and I both have demanding careers, and I’ve found that it takes so much communication to make sure our lives continue to run in a way that reflects our priorities: 1) Each other, 2) Our kids, 3) Our careers, etc… It has helped to read how other professionals handle their full plates. In fact, I once read an interview with famous author Nora Roberts. She was asked how she does it all, and her reply was something like: we are always going to be juggling, but the trick is knowing which balls are made of glass. I juggle a lot, and sometimes I drop the glass ones. When that happens, all I can do is repent, reconnect, and restructure.
We’ve been impressed with MotherLift, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
MotherLift is a collaboration between sisters, kin or otherwise. My eldest sister, Meg is the design you see and all the branding. She’s also a seasoned parent with some incredible life tips. Meg owns the design firm Wizardly which has done internationally recognized brand building. My middle sister, Morgan, owns East Dallas Therapy in Dallas and specializes in perinatal and postpartum mental health. I am the youngest sister, full-spectrum doula and childbirth educator operating my doula practice here in Austin under our namesake, MotherLift.
Together, we practice setting parents up for success using education and humor. Sometimes we throw virtual workshops or host postpartum groups. Our entire aim is to make people feel less alone is a time that can feel so foreign and isolating. I believe that Mothering is an inherent quality and not a gendered identity. The qualities of a mother not much unlike the qualities you would imagine in a doula: patient, supportive, and enthusiastic for your success. Through MotherLift we’ve been able to bridge the support gap and help people find a community.
Contact Info:
- Email: hellomotherlift@gmail.com
- Website: www.motherlift.com
- Instagram: @motherlift
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/motherlift
- Other: https://mailchi.mp/3c3d47f902f5/motherlift-you-up?ltclid=35dc345c-940f-486f-901a-f61a91c0bab7
Image Credits
Carley E. Photography, Vivian Larson
