How becoming a mother led to advocacy, autoimmunity & the healing power of nature connection

with complex caregiving mother + advocate Andrea Dole

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Becoming a mother or parent is transformational - no matter what - and there is growth with every pregnancy and birth along the way too.

But the journey of meeting, acquainting with and then navigating the world of complex caregiving when your new baby is born with special medical needs is likely hard to understand if you haven't walked the path yourself.

Personally I haven't walked that path, but today's guest Andrea Dole has and she shares not only about her personal story but also how that has profoundly informed the way she understands the world and how devastatingly lacking support is for (well anyone but especially) families of children with special needs. 

This has led her to a life of advocacy work, powerfully proposing paid family caregiving here in Maine and beyond, and along the way she's faced a number of health challenges that have reminded her that she's NOT invincible, and actually needs to tend herself in the midst of tending those she loves most too.

From discovering her Hashimoto's diagnosis 9 months postpartum after her second child to lasting nerve pain from a shingles outbreak, her body is a constant teacher - and in her words, "an elder" that reminds her to pay attention.

Her way of seeing the world and the possibilities of healthcare and community care are deeply inspiring as they are. 

But she also weaves in the regenerative healing of immersing in the natural world through canoe and camping trips through her family's business of Earthways Guide Service and it just all feels even richer.

Mostly this episode is a gentle telling of Andrea's story, but along the way we explore everything from indigenous healing traditions to how plants speak to us to how chronic stress can lead to autoimmune conditions. 

It's a beautiful conversation and such an honor to share it with you. 


Listen to learn:

• how having a child with special medical needs inspired transformation + activism
• the gentle telling of James' birth story and immediate postpartum
• some insights on the emerging field of combining indigenous science + conventional medicine
• how immersing in guided wilderness trips can reset your nervous system
• an example of the journey of chronic stress leading to health challenges
• why we need a village and how we can learn about community care from our animal relatives
• how the landscape can be an extension of our nervous systems

Resources:

• Episode 7: All about wild carrot with Mischa Schuler
• Episode 41: How nature connection can reduce burnout w Efan Hsieh
• Episode 63: Nutrition and herbs for Hashimoto's w Kamila Valjkovic
• Episode 92: How to trust your body in times of uncertainty
  
  

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Connect with Andrea: 

• Learn more or sign up for a wilderness immersion trip (including Plants + People w Mary Bove ND): Earthways Guide Service
   

• Connect directly with her about her family caregiving advocacy work: Email her at andreabrooksdole@ gmail.com
  

• Connect on IG: 
  @earthwaysguideservice
  
  

• Connect on FB
  Andrea Boothby
  

   

DISCLAIMER: This podcast and blog is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I’m an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal health concerns.

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