The Darkest Light
Exploring the untold stories of birth and motherhood in Sri Lanka. Pushing back against stereotypes and stigmas of the "perfect mother". Challenging dominant cultural narratives about women, labour and child-care. Questioning medical and obstetric birthing practices. Searching for grassroots reproductive justice in South Asia.
Episodes
10 episodes
'We Didn't Know' — 3 Mothers, 3 Stories of Maternal Mental Health
Every year, 25 to 30 women in Sri Lanka commit suicide during pregnancy or within one year of delivery. According to Sri Lanka’s Maternal & Child Morbidity & Mortality Surveillance Unit, the country reported nearly 450 maternal ...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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1:07:09
My Body, My Choices, My Baby—My Birth Story
How many of us can say that our birth stories are truly our own? How many women in Sri Lanka can look back on their births and say, with absolute certainty, that their voices were heard, their choices were respected, their bodies were listened ...
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1:08:21
A Lot of Hand-Holding
Radha and Serena first met on Zoom. Serena is a doula and Radha was her first client in Sri Lanka. They had a whole plan: to get Radha through an unmedicated labor, and a spontaneous vaginal delivery. When Radha’s waters broke ahead of sch...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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53:14
Are Traditional Midwives History?
There was a time when birth was spiritual. When birth attendants possessed knowledge of traditional ayurvedic medicines and practices. When the care of pregnant, laboring and postpartum women was provided by people who felt like family.
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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32:44
Obstetric Violence: Sri Lanka's Silent Epidemic?
Have you ever heard the term obstetric violence?It’s when a person experiences pain, intimidation, fear, humiliation, or loss of dignity at the hands of a care provider during pregnancy, childbirth, or the immediate postpartum period.
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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26:03
This, Too, Shall Pass
Imagine raising your daughter in a household with FOUR generations of women. How would you navigate the opinions, expectations, history and needs of not only a grandmother, but a great-grandmother?What if you had some unre...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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27:23
It Started With the Loneliness
When Chathuri first experienced postpartum depression, she had no idea what it was, or what was happening to her. For months she couldn't stop crying, couldn't eat or sleep, and didn't want to be around her baby. The experience impacted her so ...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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20:59
Sorry, No Questions
Imagine if your doctor scheduled you for an induction without telling you. Imagine being chastised every time you asked a question during labor. Imagine being rushed in for an emergency C-section without fully understanding why.In Episo...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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27:41
