Erica Boland 00:00:00 Seeing things on the internet on like I don't lose friends over politics, I lose friends over morals. And it's like, well, how many people are actually sitting down and having a conversation about like, what are those morals that you're talking about? And can I understand where you're coming from? And can we be curious about one another?

Brittany Estrada 00:00:18 I really believe that so much of the divisiveness is intentional, so that we don't have these conversations, because if people actually sat down and had these conversations, they would realize that they actually agree on more things than they disagree on.

Erica Boland 00:01:06 Hey, loves. I'm Erica.

Brittany Estrada 00:01:08 And I'm Britt. She's a chiropractor and midwife.

Erica Boland 00:01:11 And she's a nurse practitioner and womb healer. Together, we are bridging the sacred and the scientific to help you step into deeper alignment with the incredible wisdom of your body.

Brittany Estrada 00:01:21 We are mothers, soul sisters, and women who are deeply devoted to serving the feminine collective. There is no topic we aren't open to exploring, and we are so looking forward to navigating this journey with you and our amazing guests.

Erica Boland 00:01:35 So settle in, preferably with a great cup of coffee. Put one hand on your heart and breathe as we dive in.

Brittany Estrada 00:01:42 Welcome to our community.

Brittany Estrada 00:01:46 Hey everyone! Welcome to another episode of the Womb Women Podcast. Today Erica and I are really going to get after it with a particularly heavy topic, which I think we've been on a little streak with that because our last episode, we dove into grief. So when we were discussing what we should talk about this week, I asked Erica if we could have a political discussion because I really felt like if there was anyone on the planet that I could have a loving, heart centered, very honest conversation about politics with, it would be Erica. So with that said, we're going to start off, as we always do, just coming into our bodies and really landing here, because I think that is definitely needed in particular for this type of conversation.

Brittany Estrada 00:02:36 So if you're able, I just want to invite you to close your eyes or at least soften your gaze. Feel yourself fully here, right now. See if you can direct your breath all the way down to your route, really feeling the space at the base of your pelvic floor. Really sinking into whatever surface you are sitting on. And can you just notice any places where you're holding tension? So maybe that's in your jaw, your low back, your glutes. And see if you can send the breath to those places and soften even just 5%. From here, really breathing into your chest, opening up all the space around your heart. And taking a moment to just really feel into the sense of unconditional Conditional love. Knowing that you are so loved just as you are. I'm taking one more deep. Inhale. Exhale. And when you're ready, settle in. Open your eyes and we're going to get started.

Erica Boland 00:04:28 Hi.

Brittany Estrada 00:04:29 Hi. All right everyone. So one of the things I want to like preface this conversation with is that I truly believe.

Brittany Estrada 00:04:37 And from the conversations that I have had, at least with my community, most of us, when we're talking about the political spectrum, like we're pretty darn close in most of our beliefs, like most of us are in the middle. But what has been presented to us, particularly in the media, is the extremes, right? You're either a Maga Republican and you hate immigrants and you, you know, want to withhold rights from women and force everybody to have pregnancies and babies that they don't want. Or you are an Uber progressive liberal and it's just a free for all right. And there's just no discussion of the in-between. And I think Erica and I really live in the gray, like we both really live in the gray. So I thought it would be really interesting to explore this conversation, because I think we share a lot of alignment in our political views. And yet we voted for different people. And so I think that this is a really important discussion and one that needs to be more widespread.

Brittany Estrada 00:05:37 So I thought we would just, you know, lead in that.

Erica Boland 00:05:39 I'm learning right now that we voted for different.

Brittany Estrada 00:05:41 People I.

Erica Boland 00:05:42 Think. So this is perfect. Yeah.

Brittany Estrada 00:05:43 That's why I really wanted to have this discussion because I was with a group of women. Erica and I are a part of the same spiritual community, and I was with that group last week, and I really felt like I was coming into that sort of like a traitor to my community, because not most of the women, but many of the women particularly, you know, the leader of that community voted for Kamala Harris. And I totally respect that. But the way that it was discussed post-election was pretty much like, if you did not vote for Kamala and you consciously made the decision to vote for Donald Trump, you are essentially a bad person. And there was only, you know, one policy that Trump has that you liked and that was the deciding factor. And then also several people in that community, even in discussions with me not knowing how I voted, basically said that the underlying reason why people voted for Trump is because America is racist and misogynist and, you know, so then I had to kind of sit with that and be like, okay, and I've had this many times like, okay, am I racist? Like, are these biases that I am carrying that I, you know, I'm not conscious of like, what is this? And I know myself and I just cannot wrap my head around the idea that the majority of our country is racist and misogynist.

Brittany Estrada 00:07:07 I recognize there are many systems of oppression. We definitely have, you know, racism woven throughout our healthcare system in particular. And also, I don't believe that is the reason why the majority of Americans did not vote for Kamala Harris.

Erica Boland 00:07:21 Yeah, I agree, and I think that it is. I firmly believe that what happened with Covid turned the political scene into a absolute disaster. So there is in very few spaces, room for conversation and even seeing things on the internet on like I don't lose friends over politics, I lose friends over morals. And it's like, well, how many people are actually sitting down and having a conversation about like, what are those morals that you're talking about? And can I understand where you're coming from? And can we be curious about one another? And I don't love how either one of them or the current president acted in any of the debates. And I remember growing up and watching debates and like, we're so influenced by our parents and by our community and whatnot. And so I just the debates that I remember watching with my family were different.

Erica Boland 00:08:22 And part of that might be that I was like, naive to the bullshit, I guess, and how fake the media is. And I didn't really recognize that. And I would have voted for Robert Kennedy had he been actually a candidate. I can't say like, had he actually been on the ballot because he was somehow still on our ballot in Tennessee.

Brittany Estrada 00:08:47 Yep.

Erica Boland 00:08:48 So that was interesting. But anyway, yeah. So I don't love how I didn't ever feel like Kamala really answered questions at all. It felt so scripted and so like, if I just stand up here and sound good, I know that I will do better than him because he sounds like a child.

Brittany Estrada 00:09:06 It's horrible. During debate, like nails on chalkboard 100% yes, yes.

Erica Boland 00:09:11 And so I don't know, I just I can't get on board with the you vote for this person means that you are a bad human. I just can't get on board with that, because what that implies is that we need a country that is completely on the same page with no differences.

Erica Boland 00:09:29 Like, that's not freedom. That's not freedom at all. That's complete and total control. Yeah.

Brittany Estrada 00:09:35 Okay. So to be clear, did you vote for Kamala? Okay. So then you know what? We are actually on the same page, which is so funny because I was like.

Erica Boland 00:09:45 Whoa, okay.

Brittany Estrada 00:09:46 When I texted you after the election and I think you said something like you were feeling heaviness or sad or, you know, or angry maybe. And I was thinking, oh gosh, she's mad that Trump won. So this is actually really hilarious. But that's so great. And I you know, of course, like, you are one of my most beloved friends and so I like it never crossed my mind that I would be, you know, upset with you for whatever political decision you make. But it's like, that is not what is happening out in the greater community. It's really interesting. Like people are, you know, being shunned by family and friends. And it's just it's really fascinating to watch and also really sad.

Erica Boland 00:10:29 Yeah. And I think it's like, if you can take a step back and look at what has happened over the last four years, you know, it's like, oh my gosh, there's so many assumptions about a bumper sticker, you see, and like, I know who they're voting for and this or whatever. And it and sometimes I drive around in my SUV with my uterus on the back and my bumper sticker uterus. And I'm like, I wonder what people think of this? Because there's probably a whole perception of who this hippie midwife is in this, like, uterine SUV driving around and always humans. I mean, we're human, we judge. But I think it's gotten really, really harsh. And there's differences in our family and in our friend group for sure. But I just always say, like, have you sat down and had a conversation with this person, like with the human that you would like to continue a relationship with, not with the idea of hate or fear or whatever? It's like there is.

Erica Boland 00:11:40 It feels like evil trying to separate people instead of just allowing people to respect one another for their differences.

Brittany Estrada 00:11:48 Well, because when we are fearful, we are so much easier to control, right? Like when we are fully in our power and we are able to really be centered in who we are and what we believe. And when we come from that place, we are unstoppable. And I really believe that so much of the divisiveness that's shoved down our throats via the media is intentional, so that we don't have these conversations, because if people actually sat down and have these conversations, they would realize that they actually agree on more things than they disagree on, which actually was kind of demonstrated when Tim Walz and J.D. Vance had their debate. Did you notice how often they're like, yes, I actually agree with you. Like people were actually upset because they agreed on so many things, which I thought was so interesting. Yeah, but that's how the vast majority of Americans are like it. Just to me, this is so intentional.

Brittany Estrada 00:12:48 And one of the things that's been so striking to me, especially regarding like reproductive rights. Right? So people make a lot of assumptions about me because I'm a women's health nurse practitioner. Right. And I'm sure like you're talking about. Yeah. So my whole thing is I believe in bodily sovereignty, bodily autonomy. So that means that I get to decide if I'm going to have a baby, if I'm going to bring a baby into this world, and I get to decide if something's going to be injected into my body. Yes. That does not make any sense to me when it's okay to force vaccine mandates. But you're all for abortion rights. Like that doesn't make any sense to me when I'm asked that question directly. Like regarding abortion rights, I really for me, bringing a baby aside is a soul contract between the woman and that baby. So I believe that woman has to be in total alignment with bringing that soul, you know, Earth side. That is a big responsibility and a big deal.

Brittany Estrada 00:13:49 So to force someone into that is not good for mom or baby. Not to mention, our country is not exactly super great about supporting women through pregnancy through postpartum. Like we have a terrible, terrible maternity care system. We have, you know, highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Then we have like zero postpartum support. And then you get out into the workforce and you have no childcare support. You don't have any kind of paid leave, mandated paid leave. So we don't exactly make it easy or appealing for people to have more children. Right?

Erica Boland 00:14:27 Yeah, I totally agree. And I think that that is also one of the biggest divides, if you will, especially in women's health and where people put their vote. And I agree with you, I can't wrap my head around the this is okay for the government to control, but this is not or this is not okay for the government to control. But this is and the divides that that has caused a loan, especially like in professional work.

Erica Boland 00:14:58 I mean, we have people that because of our business response to Covid, won't refer to us anymore or, you know, it's just it's so interesting. And that came up during my preceptorship as well. And honestly, as with anything else in life, until you are in that situation like you yourself and your like you said, your soul, your life, your whatever until you are actually in that situation, I don't think that we can say, what would we do or what should they do? You will never fully understand until you are literally in it. And you can't be because you're just not.

Brittany Estrada 00:15:41 Totally I just I don't believe the government should be controlling what we do with our bodies. And bottom line, can you share a little bit more about your experience during Covid and especially being a health care provider. I want to share a little bit of my experience to you, but I'm curious.

Erica Boland 00:15:56 Yeah. So I think, you know, at the time I was also still a doula and started midwifery school.

Erica Boland 00:16:03 Doulas weren't allowed in the hospital here anymore. So that was that was so interesting. And just the when we would advocate for ourselves to be present, the way that the hospital handled that or the way that like social media would handle that, and in some of the same people that really want women to have full support, would, you know, then all of the sudden that's different. And then professional relationships, I mean, we did not require our staff to mask or to get vaccinated or to disclose their personal health information like any other time.

Brittany Estrada 00:16:39 Right?

Erica Boland 00:16:40 It is literally not my business and a violation of their rights. I mean, and we work in health care, so we know that, right? And that really pissed some people off. So that is one of the things that changed professional relationships that, you know, supposedly there was local people that didn't want to refer to us for doulas anymore. It's like, do I think that you can be up front if you're making to refer a doula? When people ask me for doula recommendations? I'm not giving them one person that I would want at my birth.

Erica Boland 00:17:19 I'm giving them the options so that they can decide who they would want at their birth. Because isn't this about the client? And it became so much about moral right versus wrong and so much of like, this is a bad human because they're not getting vaccinated or because they are getting vaccinated. I mean, there was just so much of that that it was it was insane. So I would say that that was the bigger effect. And then as a Chiropractor. It was probably April of 2020. Things slowed down in our office for about a month. And because, you know, everybody was like, what is this? What is going on? We were masking, you know, like all these things. And then we started to notice something. It was like mid-April and of April, our practice started to get pretty busy. And Kyle and I both were like, okay, these people are coming in because they need human connection.

Brittany Estrada 00:18:23 Yes, yes.

Erica Boland 00:18:24 Literally this physical paint we were starting to see, like there's physical manifestations of their emotional stress.

Erica Boland 00:18:31 Turns out we're not meant to be in isolation. I mean, we're just not meant to be in isolation. So then we started to see all of those problems, which I honestly still think I just had to someone yesterday. Yeah. I mean, everybody was isolated to such an extent and masked and sanitize and this and that. Not to mention whether you got the virus or whether you got the vaccine and what that did to your gut health and your immune system. And we're still seeing the effects of this, this whole like six season thing that we used to have that used to be like once or twice a year. It's year round. It is nonstop. Yeah. So I think we're still seeing the effects of it. I thought it was interesting because thankfully we live in a state where we weren't forced to close our doors, and now you're seeing people in lawsuits that were forced out of a job because they refused vaccination. And imagine a woman losing her job because she refuses an abortion or is forced to, you know, like those sorts of but it was viewed as we're doing this for our neighbors.

Erica Boland 00:19:34 This is for the safety of our neighbors without any consideration of risk, moralizing it.

Brittany Estrada 00:19:39 Yeah.

Erica Boland 00:19:39 Nothing goes well when it's so deeply moralized not food, not medicine, not any of it.

Brittany Estrada 00:19:46 Yeah, totally. So, in my experience, one of the most challenging parts of one. When I was in nursing school, we were just coming out of H1n1, which was like the last big pandemic, if you will, and I had to do pandemic response training both in school and when I got my first nursing job. And I remember they fitted us for N95 masks and they would spray a stevia solution into the air. And if you could taste it through your mask, it meant your mask was not fitted properly. You were going to be exposed to viral particles. Right? So having that experience like that lived human experience, I was just like when they started telling us about masks, especially cloth masks. I'm like, okay, this doesn't make sense. This isn't science. This makes zero sense. Why are we shoving this down everybody's throat? So that part killed me.

Brittany Estrada 00:20:35 And you know, I was pregnant. I got pregnant in January of 2020. So when we went into lockdown, it was like three months long. and I actually, you know, I'd put a mask on and I would test my O2 SATs because I'm like, I already can't breathe. I'm already so short of breath with this baby. Like, let me just see what happens when I put a mask on it. O2 would drop down like 2 or 3 points. I'm like, I'm not doing this. Like, I need to be able to breathe because I gotta send oxygen to my growing baby, right? I really rarely masks unless I absolutely had to, because they weren't going to let me in somewhere that I, you know, wanted to go. But one of the most challenging parts for me is, you know, our duty as healthcare providers is to kind of be a source of information and support for our patients. Right. And so I felt like my hands were really tied with speaking what I knew to really be truth.

Brittany Estrada 00:21:26 Like, intuitively, I know, like, this is not right. But, you know, in my state, I have to have physician oversight in order to practice. So my overseeing doc sent a message to all of the NPS that she supervises and was basically like, do not say anything about Covid publicly because they will come for my license because she's liable for whatever we say. And so that essentially like that, that gagged me because I wasn't going to be able to practice without her. Yeah. And that was really that was really, really tough. So I just felt like I was constantly having to monitor, like what I was saying while also trying to one give people hope and also provide support. I mean, it just felt so like otherworldly. Yes.

Erica Boland 00:22:13 Twilight Zone, I think we will look back. I mean, already we're looking back and like, what the heck was that?

Brittany Estrada 00:22:18 Well, the fact that the government spent $1 billion on marketing for the vaccine, knowing that it wasn't going to stop the spread, they knew that when they launched that marketing campaign and that information just came out, there was like a big House Oversight committee.

Brittany Estrada 00:22:33 Yep, investigation.

Erica Boland 00:22:34 But we were the crazy ones, right?

Brittany Estrada 00:22:37 We have $1 billion, though, to spend on advertising for the Covid vaccine, but we can't provide paid maternity leave for our For people, right? That kills me. We can spend $1 billion on our presidential campaign, not to mention all the other, you know, House campaigns, everything. Yes, we have the money for that. But we can't figure out our child care crisis in this country. I know, please make that make sense.

Erica Boland 00:23:04 And I think that that is where I have hope. That is where going forward, especially honestly with Kennedy in the position that he hopefully stays in, that we can start to move the needle on actual health. Yeah, and start to put some of those dollars towards making people better and set of keeping people sick, right. And blanketing all of these like deep rooted problems that are going on. And I might not agree with every single thing that Trump does, and I might not agree with every single thing that Harris would have done.

Erica Boland 00:23:46 However, I can see that there is some deep corruption in our systems and I can hope that that will start to change. And I think that the more that you're willing to look at the broader picture, instead of CNN or Fox News or ABC or whatever, any mainstream media who, by the way, are getting anxious because there's a few in particular, but freelance journalists that are covering things more directly and getting a pretty big following and bringing light to the fact that our media is bought and paid for, and how much that dictates in politics, and how much that dictates in people's day to day lifestyle and choices. And so I think, like, maybe we can all agree that the systems are broken and need to be fixed.

Brittany Estrada 00:24:41 Well, I think we're already seeing a shift because the fact that, you know, they're going after Kennedy super hard as an anti-vaxxer, but the fact that they're doing that means that these conversations are being had on networks like CNN. So now we are actually we just had a congressional hearing about the poison in our food, about all of these additives and chemicals that are banned in other countries, but they are legal here.

Brittany Estrada 00:25:04 And how that's contributing to the health care crisis. The fact that, like the majority of Americans are hearing that now for the first time, because, you know, in our communities, we've been touting that forever. Right? But but the vast majority of Americans have not heard that part of it. And so just the fact that that is getting out there is, to me, such a beautiful indication that we are headed for change. Yeah, totally. But, you know, the other piece of that is, yeah, I don't know what's going to happen with Kennedy. I just pray that he survives and nobody like, you know, God forbid no one tries to assassinate him, but he's already like, put it in motion. Which to me is just it just makes me so excited for the future. But I really wanted to geek out with you guys too, because in our spiritual community that I referred to earlier, that Eric and I are both sort of, you know, we get monthly astrology readings from the resident astrologer, Tammy Bronk.

Brittany Estrada 00:25:56 And so she's been talking for a long time about Pluto and the changes that are about to come about because of Pluto. And what's so fascinating. So Pluto has it goes through the entire astrological chart about every 248 years. Pluto on the 19th. So today is November 22nd. So on the 19th, Pluto officially moved into the sign of Aquarius, where it will be for about 20 years. So Aquarius is the revolutionary. It's all about like building up new structures that are going to, like, propel us forward. And the last time that Pluto was in the sign of Aquarius was during the American Revolution. So to me, like, it's just so freaking cool to be able to be alive during this time and see that happening. So like the next 20 years are going to be so huge for yes, of evolution as a country, I feel like so many of these systems are going to thank God, are going to burn to the ground, and we're going to be able to create things that actually serve everybody, so that these communities who are typically underserved and oppressed are not going to be left behind anymore.

Erica Boland 00:27:03 I agree.

Brittany Estrada 00:27:04 The last thing that I wanted to share, because of course, like I get told a lot that, you know, if you vote for Trump, you're a racist. And I said that earlier. So my dad was the youngest of six kids, first one born in this country. His family emigrated from Mexico. They were migrant farm workers. He used to tell me all about how they lived on a dirt floor and pick strawberries. And I share this story because I am white passing for sure. My mom is 100% white girl and I am technically mixed race. And so for me, it has always been a really weird thing where I never really felt like I totally fit in anywhere. But everyone tells me that because I look white, I have to identify as white. And then I recognize that I have privilege because of that. But like I am one generation removed from some pretty significant poverty, a lot of trauma and a lot of shit. So you know what I mean? Yeah.

Brittany Estrada 00:27:57 And so it's just really interesting that when people try to sit there and tell me that I'm, I'm a racist, and that because I really believe in secure borders and a legal path for immigrants to come to this country, which is what my family, that's what they wanted. That's why they came to this country, because we have these systems and laws like, no, they're not perfect. They need a total overhaul. But it's really important that we just don't have wide open borders. And I would think and I think most immigrant families in this country agree with that, that they came here for the safety and security that the United States provides. And when the borders are open, like we're losing a lot of that. So to say that does not make me a racist. I think that makes me a logical human. And so that's just been one of the things that, you know, has really been on my heart. It's just like, what? What is that?

Erica Boland 00:28:48 I appreciate you sharing that because, I mean, I imagine for you that that is just a little bit overlooked everywhere that you go because of the judgment, like nobody knows.

Erica Boland 00:28:58 I think that's the point. We don't know. We don't know people's background based on how they look. And if we're going to judge you in that way because you have blonde hair and blue eyes, then is that any better? Right?

Brittany Estrada 00:29:12 Right. It's just like it's just fascinating. But again, all of this I really believe is purposeful. It's meant to cause division. And I am so hopeful. I'm so hopeful that in the next four years, like we see a massive shift towards unity. we are such a strong country, built on like a pretty powerful foundation.

Erica Boland 00:29:35 Yeah. And I think there is so much corruption at the top that we keep learning more and more about. But at grassroots level. Go have a conversation with someone that has a differing opinion than you. I can think of five humans immediately off the top of my head that maybe they didn't vote the same as me. Maybe they have different opinions on politics, even the vaccine as me, etc. and they are good people. Yeah.

Erica Boland 00:30:02 Through and through and through. They are good people. They're doing great things in our community. Great things for women, great things for families, great things for mothers. And like you said, to start this conversation off, we probably actually agree on a lot more things than what we disagree on. Yeah. Yeah.

Brittany Estrada 00:30:20 Totally. I think that's a beautiful place to leave off. I'm sure we're going to be having a lot more of these discussions in the near future, but I think it's so funny that I totally thought that we voted for opposite parties.

Erica Boland 00:30:32 I do too, I love that, but great discussion nonetheless.

Brittany Estrada 00:30:36 As always, thank.

Erica Boland 00:30:38 You for joining us.

Brittany Estrada 00:30:39 We'll see you in the next episode. Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode of the Womb Women podcast. We are thrilled you joined us today and hope you found the conversation as inspiring as we did to connect with us further. Follow me Brit on Instagram at the Brit Estrada and Erika at the Movement Midwife. For more information on how to work with us, check out our websites linked in the show notes.

Brittany Estrada 00:31:05 We can't wait to have you join us for the next episode, but until then, we invite you to step into your power and embrace the wisdom of your body.

Brittany Estrada 00:31:12 Bye for now.

Brittany Estrada 00:31:28 Just as a reminder of the information shared here is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your health care provider for any medical questions or concerns.