Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaqulynn Ardigo.
Jaqulynn, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I attended the birth of my little brother when I was 9. I helped catch him, actually, and cut his umbilical cord, and it spurred this insane fire in me to be part of this world of birth work. It’s been quite a journey to get to where I am today, though, and by no means has it been smooth or linear. I had a really “colorful” upbringing. We didn’t have a lot- actually, we didn’t have much of anything at all, and I was witness and victim to abuse and neglect on several of fronts. For a long time, I wondered “why me?”, however later in life, it was brought to my attention that a lot of that I was exposed and was required to work through (if I were to not repeat history) was actually needed to do what I am doing now and to be able to hold space for big things, and perhaps the BIGGEST thing in life, which is coming earthside. By age 20, I was a single mother of one, and the horrific divorce I went through brought me up close and personal with every trigger, fear, and pain I had gone through. It also brought me the closest I had ever been to “the veil” outside of birthing my children. I lost almost all connection with what was left of an already broken family (except for the one with my Aunt on my mother’s side who to this day is my angel on Earth) because of the divorce, and being as I was postpartum and already feeling the pangs of loneliness & misunderstanding that can come with that aspect of motherhood, I truly was able to observe first hand just how broken our “village” is. This circumstance, though so painful at times that I felt like my bones could crack from grief and despair, fueled my first vision of a community and healing center (I had plans to eventually turn it into a birth center). I called it “Earthen Way.” Unfortunately, it didn’t last more than a year (probably from my lack of life experience and more personal work I needed to address within myself). I lost momentum with keeping it alive and decided to move on to tackle my schooling. Often times I could only take one class at a time, which was daunting as I knew that even in an ideal situation with support and a full school load, that my goal to become a Nurse Practitioner and Midwife would take me a minimum of 7 years (that’s without any breaks). I worked 3-4 jobs outside of school, juggled custody of my 3-year-old son, and tried to navigate life as a young woman with relatively zero previous guidance or healthy support/models. As you can imagine, this lead me down the road of several wrong turns, and thankfully I was smart and blessed enough to avoid any real negative long-lasting effects- but I can’t say it was enjoyable.
In 2021 I met my now husband and love of my life (another Earth angel of mine). He was a real game changer for me in terms of getting my school and visions off the ground, and after 7 years of inching by in prereqs and single mom-dom, I finally finished them (actually only 5 days ago) and am ready to move on to the remainder of my schooling which will consist of a bachelors and then master’s program. I am looking at about 6 more years until I am done. At the end of this academic journey, I will have been in school for approx. 13 years- worth it.
But being the visionary, I like to think of myself as school hasn’t quite been satiating the desire I have had for something… “more.” My previously abandoned Earthen Way and my desire to create and build a community for women that I knew felt and feel isolated, misunderstood, and even abandoned by modern society (as I have before) urged me to start seeking again. So about 2 months ago, after a doula training I took on a whim that was recommended to me by the midwife I had my second son within October 2022, my fire came back to recreate what I felt was previously lost.
I remember leaving my last day of training and just getting God shot (my phrase for divine inspiration) after God shot about what is now Terra Birthing. I think this time, I have finally gotten it figured out- and really more so, I got myself figured out, and in doing that, I feel I finally have the capacity to bring this vision to life. It’s attracted some really inspirational women and providers, and frankly, it’s left me speechless about how it’s not just clients were serving- this is really needed on all levels. Our providers crave this community just as much as the people we serve do, and I hope to continue to grow and facilitate a space that truly feels like home and where people of all walks can find a feeling of belonging in.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As I have stated before, my journey up until this point has been far from smooth or linear. In fact, I was convinced at one point in my life that I had been cursed with some sort of bad luck. But in all reality, I needed all of that. Between my internal battles of PTSD from my childhood, external sources like abusive upbringing/partners, and then just in general our society and how sadly broken and mislead it is- it’s truly been my inspiration for all I’m creating after coming out of all of that. I feel that I am so intimately acquainted with feelings of isolation and loneliness (both in motherhood and in life) that’s it’s inspired me to honestly almost create what feels like a kind of new way of being- or rather “recreating and reclaiming the lost village and way of life.” I have to be honest; answering questions like “What are some struggles along the way?” feels as though there is an implication that now I’m standing atop this mountain and have overcome all of it. But the reality is that even now, there are days or even multiple strings of days where things pop up- and I’m triggered, or feeling imposter syndrome, or feeling like I’m totally beside myself with overwhelm creating this all… or maybe I’m just having “a day.” But that’s what all of this (Terra) is about. It’s about being real and authentic and having a community you’re truly safe to be authentic in and work though these things we encounter WHILE being lifted up and supported. We do birth work because that’s what we are all passionate about and where we all personally feel the most energy needs to be directed- what better place to start the healing journey than right when and where you enter the world, right? So, while we do the work surrounding birth, really, the core and underlying foundation that were building this on is community.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Terra Birthing is a collective of like-minded providers that specialize in birth work, lactation, infant bodywork, pre/post-natal yoga, pelvic floor rehab, education, and more. The goal of Terra essentially is to streamline maternal and infant health care because right now it’s really disorganized. The difficulty many moms face in navigating that system often leads to mothers and infants either not getting the full spectrum care they need, or getting caught up in the stressful and lengthy process of finding providers that they actually connect with, which ultimately takes away from the time they should be spending bonding with their infant. Eventually we will be a brick and mortar birth/healing center, but until then we’re enjoying building our community of providers and families. I would have to say what’s different about us from others is our community aspect that is directly reflected in the individualized patient care and experience we offer. Our “finding your people” mentality and the focus we have on “rebuilding the village” aspect of our community has been what I feel inspired all of us to come together and build this vision together in the first place. It’s also what continues to be what attracts others to us. When you interact with providers that are all connected on a community level and share similar philosophies and a vision of what they’re working toward, your healing experience deepens, and you get taken care of in a way that other health care models just don’t offer.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Terra actually is looking for a “home”! As of right now, all of our providers do home visits, or we sublet space for our practitioners/classes/trainings. However, we intend on setting up shop somewhere in North County San Diego. It is such an incredible place to live, and I feel it is growing just as we are. There also is a major need from families for what we are creating here, and a huge aspect of Terra Birthing is making change, so this is where we will aim to stay.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.terrabirthing.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terrabirthing/
