Meet Jessica Reid | Cannabis Doula, Lactation Counselor, Child Birth Educator
We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessica Reid and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Jessica, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
One thing about our growing Medical Cannabis industry is that, you can not determine who’s a medical cannabis patient just by looking at them. How would you know the difference between a wine mom and a medibles mom just by looking at her? There’s been a steady increase of pregnant mothers consuming cannabis for different elements during different stages of their pregnancy. If it’s her body, her choice, why would making a personal decision on how she adapts & navigate her pregnancy only be considered safe with man made pharmaceuticals? We know historically cannabis has been known as one of the go to herbal medicines during child birth documented for centuries until greed and racism disrupted healthcare. Many times our music share intimate stories of consuming cannabis and love making. Well the result of that good time usually leads to conception. That same encouragement should invoke the protection of maternal cannabis patients throughout the first year of pregnancy. That’s conception, prenatal, postpartum, and lactation. Why aren’t maternal cannabis patients added to medical cannabis patient registries in these states? There is a maternal mortality public health crisis in our country that needs urgent action. This population of citizens needs a nonjudgmental approach to pregnancy stemming from midwife’s, doulas, and herbalists. OBGYN’s study pregnancy as though it is a disease instead of the natural biological circle of life that it is. Pregnancy doesn’t not always require medical intervention and doctors insist on medical interventions first. Other underline risk factors may present a need for medical intervention however pregnancy itself is not a disease. Maternal cannabis patients are often treating hyperemesis, postpartum depression, appetite, anxiety disorders, weight issues, fatigue, or placenta problems. Their healthcare shouldn’t be in jeopardy because someone deem their choice of alternative healthcare as a criminal offense. Child protective service is not called on alcohol consuming mothers nearly as many times as cannabis mothers. We can change that by adding pregnancy complications to the qualifying conditions list to be registered patients.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I prayed and asked God to reveal my purpose to me. To show me what skills and wisdom I had to share with his children. I come from women who lived by serving others. These women were nurses, chefs, homemakers and what I recently learned included midwives. No matter how many times I faced adversity I still loved people enough to want to help. I graduated from FortValley State University with my Bachelor’s of Science degree in Nutrition and becoming a Women Infant and Children nutritionist and certified lactation counselor. Learning and teaching about prenatal nutrition, birth work and child development intrigues me with a passion of innerstanding the need for policy change. After giving birth to my oldest son in a traditional hospital setting in Atlanta, Georgia I felt uncomfortable and unheard. I didn’t feel safe hovered over by eyes I never seen and words that didn’t soothe my anxiety. I told myself I’d never give birth in a hospital again. Only a month into motherhood all my possible expectations of raising my son changed due to a unforeseen medical challenge that would change my mind, heart and soul. Postpartum depression became forefront from the news and unsettling sound of monitors and smell of a NICU. After months from a continued hospitalization I had to adjust to our new reality. My emotions started to pile up eventually affecting my breast milk supply. I had no friends or family who understood what I felt or what I was going through. I felt isolated. By time my son reached 3 months I started healing him with cannabis for the epileptic seizures that were trying to control his life. He recovered from over 200 clinical and none clinical seizures a day to days of zero. Hope was definitely on the horizon. My research was starting to pay off and I resumed consuming cannabis myself for my postpartum depression. I needed to rebuild my mental health to establish healing and recovery within my son brain. As a mom you want to protect and fix everything for your child. It’s a sad feeling wanting to reach inside your baby to stop their brain from seizing. You feel hopeless. There weren’t enough resources known for this type of epilepsy nor for the herbal treatment that saved his life. So I focused my attention on policy change. With my son strapped to my chest we went to the state capitol to fight for medical marijuana. There we found our new family. They welcomed us with encouragement knowing trouble don’t last always. We stood amongst families in our shoes that created the Haleigh’s Hope Act to ensure safe access to medical cannabis in 2018. With the wellbeing for quality of life care for my son, members of my his care team had more concern about me not burning out as we continued navigating the days of our lives. I sought assistance through therapeutic counseling and more holistic approaches. Incorporating cannabis in both our lives changed for the better. My organization CannaCrawlers created a petition on Change.org to fight against Maternal Cannabis Use being criminalized as child neglect. As registered medical cannabis patients families shouldn’t face threatening discrimination from OBGYN’s medical staff nor being reported to child protective authorities through the department of family services. An alternative approach to finding inner healing is a personal preference where options should be offered instead of judged. Knowing many black women suffer in silence I became a certified cannabis doula and aspire to be a midwife to continue serving moms in my community. It bring me reassurance knowing I can educate others on the importance and benefits of plant medicine for multiple elements. I just want to help save black moms from maternal mortality through education and a pair of extra hands.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Most chill spots for me start with a wake n bake going to Cascade Nature Preserve. After that I’d have to catch breakfast at Gocha’s Breakfast Bar. Later that evening it’s a must to go to CashColorCannabis podcast recording . These are the places I feel most comfortable.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My inspiration was birthed by the strength and resilience my son possesses as he conquers epilepsy. Dedicating my motherhood to improving, and implementing lifestyle changes that benefit his quality of living is the only reason I created my nonprofit CannaCrawlers. Being that he is the only child in the state of Georgia with this ultra rare epileptic mutation Malignant Migrating Focal Epilepsy in Infancy KCNT1 gene mutation; meant research, treatment, and resources are limited. He’s taught me how to understand spirituality, faith, nonverbal communication, and how not to settle with mediocrity. I love him with every fiber of my being.
Instagram: Cannabis Ambassador & CannaCrawlers
Youtube: CannaCrawlers
Image Credits
Personal experiences to document Emmanuel progress and our advocacy together.
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