Abundance is Your Birthright

You are worthy of the good health, peace, wealth that you desire.

Abundance is my birthright ✨
Comment “Yes” is you’re claiming this over your life.

I remember when I first began adopting this new mindset. It slowly started happening in 2017. At least that's when I can recall BOLDLY accepting the assignment. I had been slowly stepping into my sense of self-discovery and leaping heart wide open into the wellness realm. Becoming certified as Integrative Nutrition Coach, I had already been making my own changes and supporting women since 2015 but in 2018 while taking a shower I heard a voice say you have to go to California. It wasn’t subtle either. I immediately hit my girls up and started planning to go for my birthday in February.

But as the universe would have it I wouldn’t go in February as I planned but would go as it was designed in May 2018. In LaJolla I had my breakthrough. I got the answers, the tools, the excitement, the confirmation. I feel like that trip was the anointing oil my spirit needed.

I had just left my corporate job of 11yrs a few months prior in March and I just kept stepping out on faith ever since.

When did you realize that abundance was your birthright?

It’s okay if you were today years old. Now that you know, manifest accordingly 💫

Click on *Coach with Cathy coaching sessions are now OPEN for Fall! Offering you solutions to effectively implement the 4M’𝐬 into their lifestyle through 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, having an empowered 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭, ways to stay committed by honoring your body through 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 & nourishing your soul through 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩. ❤︎

“I’m here to challenge processes by doing the work. Leaning into my spiritual beliefs, my culture, ready to share some beautiful traditions for the first 40 days and beyond. Because postpartum is forever. ”

— Cathleen Benjamin

Oct 2020 I declared that in 2021 I would become a doula. In January, I registered for a scholarship, which I ended up not getting. Then I saw a chance to win another scholarship for a virtual doula training which I really wanted to take and a cohort I thought I really wanted to be a part of. Again I didn’t get the scholarship. I thanked God for giving the scholarships to those who really needed them.  Perhaps they were more “ready” for this work than I.

End of February, another opportunity came up to register for yet another scholarship with another cohort. This time I heard back and the email read congratulations!! I would start 12 weeks of training only a few days later for a full-spectrum doula training. After completing the training in early June I registered and received another scholarship but this time for level 2 an Intensive Postpartum Doula Training. I’m so dang happy and excited about this. 

I told my husband he can now refer to me as a scholarship baddie. 😂 

In Sept 2020, I said to a friend that I was considering becoming an IBCLC providing lactation support. But after that day the doula idea weighed heavily on me.  It kept ringing in my ear. “You should do this.” I resisted it at first. I didn’t understand why I would be called to do this. But then I remembered why not? Why not Be what you needed or wish you had for someone else?

“So I fasted and called on my ancestors.”

So I fasted and I called on my ancestors.

FWD to 2019 I became fascinated with birth. I would watch births all day long. In total awe. Some made me shout and give God immediate praise. Others made me cry. 

I found myself watching them over and over. Holding my breath. Feeling all the feels while carrying Baby Moon 🌙 completely fascinated by it. I credited it to be pregnant. But this was not something I was able to do in the past or ever.

The first time I almost assisted birth was in 2006 with my godson. I walked in just to greet my cousin but I was asked to stay. Before I knew it I was holding the mother of his child’s legs apart and telling her to push. I didn’t get to see the entire birth as I only stopped in to say hello so btw contractions I made my way out to let other families go in to greet the soon-to-be parents.

With all my births I felt like I was alone. No one who looked like me, in my corner to advocate for me, who I could talk to about my fears, my excitement, my regrets without judgment. 

No one to help equip me with the knowledge that would make me feel empowered to give birth wherever I decided to give birth whether in a hospital, at home, or birthing center. I turned to mom groups but some of the things were toxic, very judgy, mean even and packed with stories of trauma so I chose to disengage for my own mental health.

When I had my first child I had a bout with postpartum depression and just went through the motions. I learned about how serious it could get watching The Oprah Winfrey Show back in 2005. 

With Baby Moon 🌙  at almost 25 wks, I changed my OBGYN. It was very clear that I wanted a black doctor because even if you lived under a rock you by now read a story about the soaring rates of black maternity mortality rates and those ideas began to surface for me. The explicit and implicit biases when treating black women. So I did what I knew I had to do. Also, I desired to have more options that the hospital would not give me. So we thought about home births, we settled on a beautiful birthing facility over 45mins out of town to get the birth we desired. Hubby wanted a lotus birth. I wanted a water birth. Dreamed of it we got all the things but at 36weeks 5 days found out Baby Moon 🌙 was breech transverse and that our plans may be derailed. 

This time I felt safe and cared for and felt like they listened to me and my concerns. Even when I scheduled my c-section there was so much compassion on the other end of the line when the office manager called me to schedule my cesarean birth. 

Before the office manager, my Dr called while on vacation with her family, on a Saturday morning and her voice was so soothing I broke down. I sobbed so hard and loud and she just listened when I got quiet she affirmed me and spoke life over me. I don’t know that many have stories that play out like this. 

I want to make my future clients feel SEEN, understood, supported, and empowered.

This is the most beautiful and most sacred work that I am walking ever so empowered into. 

Now also a full spectrum doula in training I will be specializing in the sacredness and forgotten part of birth which is postpartum healing. I’m here to be part of the change I wish to see. 

I’m here to challenge processes by doing the work. Interpersonal work. Leaning into my spiritual beliefs, my culture, and ready to share some beautiful traditions for the first 40 days and beyond. Because postpartum is forever.

Leaning on my ancestors HEAVILY for this world I’m entering.

My healing, transformative journey has unleashed a wellness warrior and advocate and I’m here to help empower support love on some birthing families. 

Allow me to continuously re-introduce myself as your wellness advocate, holistic wellness accountability coach, and now full spectrum doula (in training). 

ONWARD!!! Let’s Grow

There are certain things I wish I could do over. Being a better mother in the beginning is by far one of them. I became an instant mom as a bonus mom. Then less than 2yrs after I gave birth to our daughter. 

When I look back my kids got the rest of me. They did. After working in a fast paced stressful environment that I felt stifled in, where I felt I wasn’t growing in as a person. 

They (my kids) got what I had left which was the bare minimum. And no I wasn’t the worst but I wasn’t my best. That’s tough to share but looking back I can say that. Just as many women who are still trying to be THE BEST mom but always feel like they’re failing no matter what they do. I felt like so many people were judging me (oh and they were) watching me, heck I judged me. I compared myself to other moms. But what I should’ve been more focused on was ME. If I wanted to be better I should’ve focused on BETTERING ME. At all costs.

Queens YOU are your BEST investment. 

We can’t be better moms, wives, coaches, (insert your titles here) if we don’t focus on bettering the spirit of said person within first. Also if there are underlying things that need to be dealt with.

So I began focusing on bettering myself. 

Focused on my wellbeing. 

Focused on my perception of what mothering meant, why I thought I was falling short and how it correlated to who I am. I starting mommying the way I knew how. 

Instead of believing I didn’t measure up. I just showed up more. I put myself out there. Even when I knew I’d get hurt, fall short. I gave myself grace.

My family, my children began getting the best of me when I started BEING my best. 

I started being my BEST. When I started FEELING my best. I started feeling my best when I started going INWARD. Leaning INWARD. I began saying YES more to my well-being. 

I challenged everything I knew about me. More prayer. Spiritual fasts. I ate differently. I became more consistent in my workouts, my nutrition, what I watched, the books I read, the ENERGY I welcomed into my space.

It was a decision to go passed the surface level. To keep doing the work and stop searching outside of myself and knowing that whatever it is I wanted to be better at I could be but I had to be willing to do the work and be WILLING to go passed the surfaces and perceptions and the judgment and guilt. 

This made all the difference and allowed me to grow and make mistakes without being myself up about it. 

Above all else I had to realize my BEST would look different each and everyday and acknowledging that, honoring that has been so comforting and freeing and has allowed me to grow into and more towards my best mothering self. 

Now I don’t really GAF what anyone has to say, (not as much as I use to) or what anyone thinks. People will judge the crap out of you and still got a whole pile of stuff within their own lives and relationships that they need to focus on and remedy yet don’t. 

Everyone has their own work to do. Everyone.

I am not where I want to be. I realize I’m right where I need to be get to where I’m headed. 

This is the first time I’ve been able to jump and twist without feeling “uneasy” about it. 

This is some of the things they don’t really explain in great detail to moms about your  postpartum journey, post cesarean section delivery.  

Mentally it wasn’t until the last minute  down to hrs before when I finally came to terms that I wasn’t going to be able to naturally deliver or push Baby Moon 🌙.  She was transverse breech so even my DR was hopeful that we’d do a sonogram and shed magically fall into birthing position. 

I wasn’t knowledgeable about the timeline as to when my body would be “back to normal” to be honest I don’t know when or if it ever will be but I shrieked today while exercising celebrating the fact I did some of these moves with ease. No “separation” feeling. No discomfort. May be too much info for some.  But my c-sections mommas know what I’m talking about. No weirdness or total disconnection with your top and bottom part of your body.  

I don’t take it for granted that I waited until I was fully ready to begin these workouts.  Baby Moon 🌙 is 6months. I was not by any means ready at 8 weeks post surgery to do any of these movements.  Not mentally, not physically. I know sometimes you can see others on the same journey coping a lot better, faster. You feel like you’re behind in your own journey. You’re not. You’re right where you need to be. 

Ladies, repeat after me. 

I am in touch with myself mind body and spirit.

I am in tune with my body from head to toe.

I am getting stronger each day. 

I am proud of myself and how far I’ve come. 

I am healing.

I am progressing. 

I am in total alignment with my body. 

I am healthy. 

I am committed and invested in my wellness journey. 

I am experiencing ease and great strength each day I move my body. 

#EmpoweredbyCathy