In this deeply personal episode of Conversations from the Diaspora, I sit down with Labourgeoise Bynum — a labor & delivery and postpartum nurse whose care I personally experienced during my own postpartum journey. What began as a conversation about Black maternal health quickly unfolded into something much deeper: identity, healing, advocacy, family dynamics, self-worth, and learning to speak up in spaces that often expect African women to remain silent.

Labourgeoise opens up about navigating healthcare as a young Congolese-American woman, advocating for Black mothers in hospital rooms, and unlearning cultural conditioning that taught her to suppress her feelings and stay quiet around authority.

We also discuss postpartum mental health, toxic family dynamics, marriage traditions and dowry culture, reclaiming African names and identity, and the emotional work of validating yourself when no one else does.

This conversation is raw, vulnerable, and incredibly important — especially for women, healthcare professionals, children of immigrants, and anyone learning to choose themselves without guilt.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you stream your favorite shows. And if this episode resonates with you, don’t forget to rate, review, and share!

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