Babies in Common

On today's show we will be discussing how birth has changed over the last 25 years.Our guest today is Ananda Lowe, a long-time birth doula in Massachusetts who will share what she has seen and heard.  Ananda has been part of the Boston/New England and even national birth scene for a long time--since 1995.  She is co-author of The Doula Guide to Birth: Secrets Every Pregnant Woman Should Know, she's a Lamaze-trained childbirth educator, as well as a Certified Lactation Counselor, and former Licensed Massage Therapist specializing in pregnancy.  After many years of supporting families, she became a new mother in 2010.  During this episode, we discuss the following:how Ananda came to become a birth doula the history of informed consent and informed refusal in birth and a better way for care providers to offer informed consent and informed refusalhaving her first baby at the age of 40being vulnerable and the concept of coercion during birthtaking ownership of anger about one's birth experiencehow for decades we have known there are health disparities and that racism is responsiblethe importance of listening to and reading birth storiesthe rise of inductions and Cesarean births over the last 25 years and why this isn't a good thinghow “intervention begets intervention” and our obsession with technologyCOVID restrictions and why having even a virtual doula is helpfulResources:https://www.bostondoulacircle.com/https://www.wbur.org/news/2018/05/11/doula-culture-of-consenthttps://www.yougoodsis.co/

On today's show we will be discussing and busting some infertility myths with Kate Rosenkranz, a dear friend of Melissa's who had an infertility journey before a successful pregnancy. Kate had to undergo a complicated surgery and one round of in-vitro fertilization and two failed transfers before conceiving her son on transfer number 3.  She later conceived her daughter on the first transfer. Kate shares her story and what she learned from her journey (and what she has learned from many others who have gone through infertility).Myths we discuss in this episode:Myth 1:  If you can't get pregnant, you can quote “just do IVF”. Why is that a problematic way of thinking?Myth 2 & 3. The famous “It's all in your head! Why don't you relax and take a vacation! Then you'll get pregnant!” followed by it's evil twin the infuriating “Don't worry so much, it just takes time. You'll get pregnant if you're just patient.”Myth 4: Infertility is a woman's problem.Myth 5: But you're so young. You have plenty of time to get pregnant.”We also discuss what things that family and friends can do (and what NOT to do or say) when you know someone who is on an infertility journey. Visit www.resolve.org for compassionate support and information about infertility. RESOLVE is a national non-profit organization providing free or low cost support and educational programs in local communities to meet the needs of women and men diagnosed with infertility.

Today we speak with Ketura'h Edwards-Robinson, a native Bostonian who is currently working in her home city as a Nurse Practitioner, primarily in the area of Women's Health. One thing that makes Ketura'h special is that in the past year, Ketura'h trained to become a birth doula and is now serving clients in her community with Accompany Doula Care, a local doula agency that has developed a model of care where their doulas are reimbursed by the client's health insurance, which is helping address health disparities.Ketura'h  has served as a women's health nurse practitioner at the Suffolk county jail, a Primary Care clinical care manager, OB-GYN nurse and even a pediatric nurse. She also has experience providing acute treatment for patients experiencing substance use disorders and is a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.During today's conversation, Ketura'h explains what a nurse practitioner is and how their expertise and scope of practice differs from other clinicians and she describes her path to becoming an NP.  She talks about what she loves about being a nurse practitioner and what aspects of OB/GYN care she does and doesn't do.We talked with Ketura'h about her her training in breastfeeding and infant feeding and what led her to become a birth doula (and how she manages being a clinician while attending births as a doula).We end our discussion with her providing listeners with several final words of wisdom for pregnant listeners.

Although today's topic is not only utilized by LGBTQIA families, they are one of the biggest groups that do! This episode was recorded at the start of June, which is Pride Month, and with this episode we are celebrating just one of the many different ways to make a family. Our guest today is Certified Nurse Midwife Marianne Pelletier, who was inspired to enter birth work after the birth of her own children. After becoming a nurse, she worked for 12 years in labor & delivery in both a hospital and a birth center.  Then in 1998 she completed her education as a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.  Since then, she has worked in a variety of settings, including a free standing birth center, a small community hospital, and large teaching hospitals, providing holistic midwifery and gynecological care for people of all ages. After more than twenty three years of practice, she felt a calling to return to a more personalized, intimate form of midwifery care and began attending births at home.   In 2020, Marianne officially partnered with certified professional midwife Rachel Blessington to co-found Embrace Midwifery, providing full spectrum midwifery care, planned home birth and holistic gynecology care throughout Central Massachusetts, with offices in Worcester, Fitchburg and Dudley. In this episode, we discuss the definition of Artificial insemination (AI) and the two types of AI, Intracervical insemination (ICI) and Intrauterine insemination (IUI).  Marianne provides this service in her beautiful home office in Fitchburg for Embrace Midwifery.  We discuss with Marianne why someone would elect to come to her for this procedure instead of a fertility clinic, who her typical clients are and who makes a good candidate for this provider in a basic office setting.  We talk about what one can expect during a consultation, how they might get donor sperm, how they would arrange to have it at the office, the "washing" process and what to expect during and after.We also talk with Marianne about why she offers this service, given that it's rare for a homebirth or private practice midwife to provide this option.  If you are located in Central Massachusetts and would like to learn more about intrauterine insemination with Marianne, visit www.embracemidwifery.care/servicesIf you are not in Central Massachusetts, try “Alternative Insemination (AI) Programs near me” in your search engine to see if there are any holistic, family centered artificial insemination providers near you!

In this episode continue our conversation with birth and postpartum doula Arlene Lammy of New Wave Perinatal Services (https://www.newwavedoula.com).  In this episode, Arlene elaborates on how she would like to “change the narrative of the fourth trimester” and how postpartum is actually forever…and how we need to embrace a longer recovery and a new phase of life.  We discuss how comparing our experiences to the experiences of others and comparing our baby’s development to a previous baby or someone else’s baby isn’t a good thing.  We highlight how our postpartum resources should be sources of comfort instead of sources of anxiety.  Arlene shares her desire for birth work to be a form of activism. She shares her curiosity about how our American culture pressures us to get our babies to sleep or our own bodies to heal faster and how these expectations aren’t helping new parents. Her work as a postpartum doula is discussed and she shares about how she teaches people how to live with a baby and teaching your baby how to be a part of your family. Her background in child development is something she brings into her postpartum care with families, to normalize the different developmental patterns of babies. She encourages her clients (and all parents) to savor the moments with their babies. We discuss a little bit about cosleeping, SIDS and misinformation.  Arlene also discusses the “stigma of birth” for black birthing people related to the medical industrial complex and how birth is a disability, a problem and obstetrical violence. Black maternity mortality is higher than for white birthing people—we discuss the statistics about that and why systemic racism increases the risk of death for black birthing people but NOT race itself.  Arlene shares about how her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and how the diagnosis of breast cancer in black women mirrors black maternity mortality rates and why this may be.  She weaves her own stories through this episode to illustrate her points.  We move into the history of midwifery—that it was led by black midwives and how white doctors silenced the voices of these grand-midwives and how Arlene integrates traditional black American practices (and what some of those practices are) into her postpartum doula services. If you are looking for some especially encouraging words, her final thoughts (the last ten minutes) are especially supportive for anyone expecting a baby or with a new baby and those who support them. To learn more about Arlene and her services, see https://www.newwavedoula.com

In this episode we're talking with birth and postpartum doula Arlene Lammy of New Wave Perinatal Services (https://www.newwavedoula.com).  Warning: this episode is full of beautiful stories and laughter! You'll quickly notice that Arlene is a master storyteller, and you'll be drawn in, as we were, to learn how her West Indian family and culture influenced how she experienced her nephew's birth and how her immigrant parents described the births of Arlene and her sisters.  She also brings in how being raised in a predominantly white community north of Boston shaped her upbringing, as she shares experiences of getting her period for the first time and learning about how her body works.Arlene shares the loss of her mother to breast cancer and how that inspired her to be there for her sister.  She also describes the moment during her nephew’s birth which piqued her interest her to start working in the birth world and how her instinct to mother the mother in the birth room took over.  She shares her fascination with placentas along with a funny story about her nephew’s placenta and her family culture of discussing the topic.  Getting her period is also discussed because of how her West Indian culture influenced how her family approached that momentous event.  She shares her mother’s birth experiences here in the US and how different those experiences were from her sister’s birth experience and why she felt to emboldened by that event.  A discussion of induction comes up as well as prematurity and how her father was impacted by her nephew’s birth as a preemie. The thread of black maternal health starts to be seen as she talks about her sister’s prenatal care and the induction decision.  We talk about how her background as an early childhood education teacher  helped her prepare for helping her sister and becoming a doula.  And she reflects on how helping her sister postpartum allowed her to look at her work as a daycare teacher differently and appreciate the parents of the babies and kids she was taking care of at work.  She reflects on how her father being present for the early days of his grandson’s life was so important, especially because her mother wasn’t there but also because of how intergenerational Caribbean families so often are.  This episode ends on the topic of breaking rules for good reasons. She's a joy to listen to, we know you'll enjoy this episode so much AND you'll want to continue to listen to her in Episode 64.

Today we’re talking about Placenta Encapsulation! Our guest today is Michaela Shaw, the woman behind Ostara Birthwork & Botanicals. Michaela is a full spectrum doula serving families in Central & Eastern Massachusetts as well as Rhode Island. She is also a graduate of the Holistic Herbalism Program at Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine, Asheville, NC and has studied permaculture + sustainable cultivation practices throughout Central America and the US, and is a practicing herbalist. Placenta Encapsulation is a form of placentophagy, which is the act of consuming part or all of the afterbirth following birth and believe it or not, this behavior is characteristic of the birth giver in the majority of placental mammals. The use of placenta preparations can be traced back to historical and traditional practices in Western and Asian medicine but not necessarily as an individual postpartum remedy for the birth giver. The Centers for Disease Control issued a warning about this practice, which we discuss in this episode, as well.   Families continue to encapsulate placentas and encapsulators continue to argue that the benefits outweigh any potential risks.  We will talk with our guest today about the two main ways to prepare a placenta for encapsulation, safety, training of encapsulators, two to go about getting your placenta to take home if you give birth in a hospital, other times in life where one might ingest placenta capsules or tincture and other ways to honor one's placenta.If you would like to learn more about Michaela and her birth work, botanicals and placenta services, visit ostaracare.com. Her website also includes some additional reading and resources on this topic!

Today we’re talking about grandparenting with Dee Moore of MoreThanGrand.com! If you are are NOT a grandparent, YES, this show is still for you, as you’ll gain some good insights into what grandparents are going through and ideas you can share with them BUT it’s also helpful for grandparents, so we do hope that you’ll share it with ALL the grandparents in your life, whether they are related to you or not!In this episode we discuss boundaries, building a relationship from a distance, what grandparents can set up in their own lives to prepare for grand parenting, ideas for grandparents to do with their grandchildren virtual and her New Grandparent Welcome Kit You can find more information about Dee’s program for grandparents at https://www.MoreThanGrand.com

During this episode, we discuss the medical model of obstetric care, how to find an OB or other care provider that will support you in your goals for your birth, why doulas are such a key player in his work and why he recommends them so often and what has influenced the culture of obstetrics in the United States. Our guest today is Dr. Bill Chun.Dr. Chun is a board-certified OBGYN in Woburn, Mass with over 30 years experience in medicine. Dr. Chun is a graduate of Ohio State University of Medicine and worked at Boston City Hospital (now Boston Medical Center) during residency.  He currently treats patients at his practice, Women’s Healthcare of Woburn, which is affiliated with Winchester Hospital. He has worked in communities north of Boston for over 15 years and is a leading provider of minimally-invasive robotic surgery in New England.Dr. Chun is also a Korean-American immigrant who came to the United States when he was 12. On his own podcast, The Bill Chun Show, he shares the stories of his fellow immigrants with lively discussions centered on all the things close to his heart: life in America, parenthood, the US healthcare system, how to adapt to the challenges of our modern life, and the immigrant experience.In 2019, Dr. Chun co-founded “Doc & Doula” which is a social media driven network of multidisciplinary, holistic healthcare professionals dedicated to taking the confusion and fear out of pregnancy and empowering soon-to-be and new parents with the knowledge and support they need to get expert care and live healthy lives. 

Recorded Sunday, April 11, 2021.  We are talking with Liz Sheehan Castro about the legislative effort that has been launched to get childcare to be FREE in Massachusetts.Liz works for the SEIU Education and Support Fund (ESF), which is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization founded for the purpose of developing and managing worker-centered education, training and professional development programs.  [SEIU = Service Employees International Union] Liz has worked for the SEIU Education and Support Fund since 2019 as the Massachusetts Program Director. In her role she supports the 2,500 unionized home child care providers in MA with training, professional, development and advocacy.   What is the Common Start legislation? The gist is that this legislation would move us really close to universal child care and early education in MA.  No family would pay more than 7% of their income towards child care, and many would have free care.  Child care providers / centers would be funded primarily through state funds (like K-12 schools!). See  https://www.seiueducation.org for more information.If you'd like to read the proposed legislation and talk with your community and legislative representatives about it, please see HD1960 and SD1307.  Use this link to search for them. https://malegislature.gov/bills/searchOther resources mentioned in this episode:https://www.childcare.govhttps://www.childcareaware.orghttps://www.ecLkc.ohs.acf.hhs.govhttps://www.childcareeta.acf.hhs.govhttps://www.patchhawaii.orghttps://www.irs.gov

Join us as we take a few minutes to celebrate the one year anniversary of the Babies in Common Show and reminisce about how it was started and we talk about how you can help keep us going!

In this episode, we talk with mother of two, Danielle Blanchard, about navigating pregnancy, Cesarean births, NICU stays and breastfeeding as a Type 1 diabetic.  After discussing the difference between gestational diabetes and Type 1 diabetes and then Danielle shares the interesting story of how she was diagnosed as toddler.  We discuss advice she received while planning to get pregnant, diabetes challenges during pregnancy and pressures she felt about her first birth.  She shares the emotional process of being pregnant with varying blood sugars as well as an unexpected NICU stay.  She also shares her struggles with breastfeeding both of her children and what she ultimately thought helped her with breastfeeding her second for longer than two years.  Danielle started a group on Facebook for adults living with Type 1 Diabetes in Massachusetts, the  Massachusetts Type One Diabetes Meet Up.  We also encourage listeners who are interested in learning more about gestational, Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes to see the website of the American Diabetes Association.Recorded Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Recorded Wednesday, March 17, 2021 and today we are talking with our friend Emma O’Brien, long-time birth and postpartum doula and clinical herbalist. In this episode, we talk with Emma about how her interest in herbs started and her journey to become a clinical herbalist.  We discuss contraindications for herbal use, facts about using medicinal herbs and particularly herbs in pregnancy like red raspberry leaf and black and blue cohosh.  We also talk about herbal use during lactation.  This is a must-listen for anyone curious about using herbs in pregnancy and lactation.

On today's Babies in Common Show, we interview our friend Brittany Falcone, a chiropractor in Worcester, Massachusetts, who specializes in pregnancy and pediatric care.  Brittany shares her interesting story that inspired her to become a chiropractor and then we talk with her about what chiropractic care is and isn't...and what certain chiropractors with specialized training can do for pregnancy, including the Webster Technique.  We also discuss how chiropractic care helps with immunity, sleep, digestion and overall well-being. Recorded Wednesday, March 10, 2021.

Recorded Wednesday, March 3, 2021. Today we spoke with two special guests about the new Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Law (abbreviated PFML) and how to best prepare for parental leave after the birth of your baby! Our guests are Amanda Hemm and Sarah Douglas from Soutiens.QUESTIONS we asked Amanda and Sarah:While this law does offer many different types of family and medical leave benefits, today we are going to specifically be talking about the part of the law that provides paid leave for parents to bond with a child during the first 12 months after a child’s birth, adoption or foster care placement. Can you tell our listeners a bit more about what this new law provides? Are there any eligibility exceptions to this law? Speaking of FMLA, are there any key differences between these two laws?Figuring out a financial plan for your parental leave is only one important part of preparing for life after baby. Your company website says, “At Soutiens, we are on a mission to help companies attract, retain, and support confident working parents. We specialize in developing comprehensive programming to help working parents who are juggling the priorities of career and parenthood.” Can you briefly tell us about the personal experiences that inspired your business?In the past you both have spoken about how you want to help new parents plan their leave time “with intention:” What do you mean by that? What are three most important things that new parents should think about during their parental leave if they want to return to work with more confidence and less stress?To read details about the new law, see https://www.mass.gov COVID-19 Resources for Working Parents https://www.soutiens.us/covid-19-resourcesTo go to their main website: https://www.soutiens.us/

Recorded Wednesday, February 24, 2021. Our guest today is Kelly Bowen, DO, an obstetrician/gynecologist who practices in a community hospital in Central Massachusetts (and used to work with Melissa!).Today Dr. Bowen will answer many questions:What is the difference between a DO and an MD?How long should someone wait to get pregnant again?What is an IUD and why is it a great option for busy parents?Postpartum sex: why is there vaginal dryness and what else should parents know about postpartum sex?Should people wax or shave pubic hair?Enjoy!

Recorded Saturday, February 20, 2021 and our guest today is Becca Parrish Snowdon, a psychologist who specializes in evaluating children to determine if they would benefit from additional services at school.After receiving her bachelors degree from Duke University in Psychology and Human Development, Becca worked in a private school for children with special needs and eventually went on to earn her masters degree in school psychology from Northeastern and her PhD in School and Counseling Psychology.In graduate school she focused on positive behavior supports for students and assessment of children ages 3-21 and did an internship at South Shore Mental Health and a therapeutic collaborative day school providing outpatient therapy, conducting psychological assessments and school placement assessments. She did a post-doctoral fellowship at Mass General Hospital focusing on neuropsychology and assessment and services for children with autism spectrum disorders.She is currently a school psychologist in the Newton Public Schools, specializing in early childhood and autism spectrum disorders and providing assessment, consultation and therapeutic service for children and families.She lives in Central Massachusetts with her husband, 4.5 year old daughter, 2 year old son and 5 year old dog.In this episode we discuss what an evaluation is, why they are done, how and when and by whom. We also talk about integrative schools, creative playdates, how the pandemic seems to be affecting children and what parents can do to help the kids and themselves. We mention Early Intervention and how fabulous those services are for families. In Massachusetts, you can learn more about Early Intervention here: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/early-intervention-division

Recording of a Facebook Live we did on the Babies in Common Facebook page on Wednesday, February 17, 2021, discussing the Boston Globe article (front page!) highlighting our petition to stop certain hospitals in Massachusetts from separating birthing families for hours, days and sometimes weeks before they give birth. In this video we also talk about what people can do to advocate for themselves and others and what to do if you are laboring alone or find out that your birthplace isn't going to welcome your labor support person in with you. To see the article: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/02/17/nation/childbirth-during-pandemic-parents-decry-separations/To see the petition: https://www.babiesincommon.com/blog/post/stop-separating-birthing-families

Recorded Saturday, February 13, 2021 and our guest today is Caitlin Calonge (Ca-LAWN-gee).Caitlin grew up in Cambridge and Everett, MA. She found out she was pregnant with her first baby the summer following high school graduation when she was 18 years old. She jokes that she has “literally had almost every job in the world.” She has worked as a waitress, in sales, as a public housing coordinator, as a personal trainer, and even started her own business called “The Crunchy Home.” But she really found her passion when she began working as a doula, birth educator and home birth midwifery assistant after moving to South Florida.Now back up in Massachusetts she placed her doula career on hold as she pursues a nursing degree at Bunker Hill Community College but she can’t wait to be back in the birth world soon! She lives with her husband and three children (ages 13, 11 and 7) on the North Shore.

Recorded Wednesday, February 3, 2021. Our guest is Jessica Shephard, who talks with us about her two homebirth experiences and how choosing homebirth was a big surprise to her Ecuadorian family! Jess was born in Ecuador and moved to the United States when she was almost ten years old and now lives in Central Massachusetts with her husband and two daughters, Gianna (2) and Lucia (7 months) who were both born at home! Her husband’s family is from the Dominican Republic. Her favorite hobby is singing and she can also make a mean hot chocolate bomb!

Recorded Wednesday, January 27, 2021. Our guest today is a local nurse, homebirth mom and friend, Alicia Randall!Alicia grew up an Army Brat, then served as a combat medic for the US Army, providing medical treatment for wounded soldiers during 2 Iraq tours in 2006 and 2010. She met her husband, also a veteran, while serving in the army in Iraq and they married in 2009. She now has three girls and shares with us today all about her struggles with her first baby, a much easier breastfeeding journey with her second and then the unexpected challenges and triumphs with her third, including tongue tie, triple feeding , IBCLC care, bodywork and her suggestions for expectant and new parents.

Recorded Wednesday, January 20, 2021. Our guest today is Dr. Prakash-Zawisza, an obstetrician-gynecologist who is now the Medical Director of the MassHealth Payment and Care Delivery Innovation Division and the president-elect of the National Perinatal Association. She talks with us today about being pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic (she is pregnant with her second baby) and her recommendations for preparing for baby's arrival and the types of support one might set up for oneself. She also shares her perspectives on the COVID-19 vaccine.You can learn more about Dr. Prakash-Zawisza's work with the National Perinatal Association at nationalperinatal.org.

Today is Wednesday, January 13th, 2021 and our guest today is Kara Coffin. Kara is a mother of three children plus 2 dogs, 10 chickens and one fish! :) She specializes in guiding pregnant people to co-create a toolkit of physical, emotional, chemical and spiritual supports to call upon throughout pregnancy, labor and postpartum that honors their autonomy. Kara holds a masters degree in Speech Language Pathology and used to work with individuals living with brain injury. After having her first child, she blended that experience with her certifications as a personal trainer, perinatal fitness specialist and childbirth educator to create a coaching program that she’ll tell you more about today!A free handout for listeners/viewers:http://bit.ly/FitnessForBackandPelvicPainAnd a helpful blog post from Kara:https://karacoffin.com/phases-of-postpartum-recovery/

Recorded Wednesday, January 6th, 2021.Our guest today is Yasmin is an IBCLC-lactation consultant in private practice in Mumbai, India. Yasmin is also a biodynamic craniosacral practitioner, international speaker and filmmaker. During this episode we learn more about what inspired her to make her film, Untying Breastfeeding, and we talk about tongue ties, breastfeeding support, care providers' role in supporting breastfeeding and tongue tie release and much more.Untying Breastfeeding is a a 59-minute documentary which investigates the narrative of the women who navigate through significant breastfeeding challenges due to the congenital birth anomaly called Tongue Tie and trace the arduous process of them encountering medical professionals who often have a dismissive, denigrative or prescriptive approach. The narrative is juxtaposed with 16 experts from across the world who share the latest understanding/research about various factors about the apathetic factors and events that sabotage birth and breastfeeding. These factors and events potentially have life-long implications for the health of humankind.To watch the film yourself, as individual, you can stream it at home for just $5...https://vimeo.com/ondemand/ubsingleThere's another option to rent it to show to other professionals, see her website (above) for more information.After listening to our show today, if you’d like to learn more about her and the film she made, please visit her website, https://www.nourishandnurture.in

Recorded 12/30/20Join us as we interview Aline Bourdeau, Melissa's Memere! Aline gave birth to four children and shares the details of what it was like to learn about menstruation, getting pregnant and giving birth before describing what birth was like in the 1950s (and 1960s). You don't want to miss out on this episode--she's quite the storyteller and such a hoot! Yes, it's a bit of a long episode but enjoy it over several listening sessions...you'll be glad you did!

In this episode, Melissa Anne DuBois, one of the childbirth educators here at Babies in Common and co-host of this Show, shares her birth story...she gave birth to her first child on Christmas Day 2012. Join us for the holiday edition! Some surprises included!Happy Holidays to all!

Recorded on Wednesday, December 16th, 2020. Our guest today is Sheryl White, a well-known baby sign language teacher in our area. She’s also a certified infant massage instructor, Reiki Master and also received training in her father-in-law’s program, Dr. Burton White’s ‘New Parents as Teachers’ based on his book the First Three Years of Life. Sheryl has been teaching classes to parents, teachers, professionals and caregivers since 1999. Her role in the classes is to facilitate and help strengthen the relationship between an infant and their caregiver. She used baby sign language with all three of her children!She has appeared in the business anthology "Expert Profiles" and dozens of media outlets including CBS Boston, The Boston Globe, Massage Magazine, MetroWest Daily News, School Library Journal (A national magazine) and many more.During today's Show, we ask Sheryl ~ how she got started with baby signing~ why she teaches American Sign Language to babies instead of made-up signs.~ what research says about the effect of ASL in regards to accelerating spoken language?~ when the best time to start signing with your baby is and what if a family is already using more than one language at home~ how teaching baby sign today compares to 20 years ago~ to share one of her best success stories~ to share her favorite sign~ what other things she weaves into her classes You can find information about Sheryl and her offerings at http://www.babykneads.com

Recorded December 9, 2020As we anticipate the upcoming online Birth Circle event, we thought it could be interesting for our audience to hear OUR birth stories. In this episode Melissa interviews Jeanette about her births (you'll hear one of Melissa's birth stories later this month).To join a Birth Circle online event, see: https://www.babiesincommon.com/other-offerings/birth-circle

Recorded December 2, 2020Today is Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020 and today we’ll be talking about fertility and why paying attention to your overall health, nutrition, mindset and sleep can influence your ability to get pregnant.Our guest today is Sarah Clark, author of Fabulously Fertile--Supercharge Your Fertility Naturally. You can learn more about Sarah and what she and her team do at http://www.fabfertile.com Topics Discussed:Sarah's infertility diagnosis at 28 years old and diagnosed with “premature ovarian failure” and at same time had several other health issues. Chose to have children via donor eggs.She continued to have health issues and eventually found functional nutrition and the realization of what was really going on Her top recommendations about increasing fertility.

Today is Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020 and today we’ll be talking about fertility and why paying attention to your overall health, nutrition, mindset and sleep can influence your ability to get pregnant.Our guest today is Sarah Clark, author of Fabulously Fertile--Supercharge Your Fertility Naturally. You can learn more about Sarah and what she and her team do at fabfertile.com.

Recorded Friday, November 13, 2020 Today we’ll be talking about the words we choose and why they matter, in the context of infant feeding and parenting. Our guest today is my dear friend Renee Beebe, who is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in private practice in Seattle, Washington. She’s been a lactation consultant for more than 20 years, doing home visits and working in a naturopathic physician’s office, where she sees families and assists with frenotomies. She’s the proud mother of two grown women and in her spare time she loves to garden, play violin and hike in the nearby mountains. You can learn more about Renee at second9months.com.

Join us as we talk with Kirsten Kowalski-Lane, CNM, CPM about her journey from birth doula to homebirth midwife to hospital midwife to birth center midwife...and how she managed to co-found and co-own the first midwife-owned birth center in Massachusetts. The American Association of Birth Centers defines a birth center as a home-like setting where care providers, usually midwives, provide family-centered care to healthy pregnant women. Most birth centers are located separately from hospitals, while a few are physically inside hospital buildings. In-hospital birth centers must meet certain standards for independence and must be separate from the Labor and Delivery unit in order to be considered true birth centers.In the U.S., 98.8% of births take place in hospital labor and delivery units, with physicians attending 86% of these births. In contrast, 0.3% of births take place in birth centers, where nurse-midwives and midwives provide most of the care. Among women who give birth in hospitals, approximately 85% are considered low-risk.Recorded Wednesday, November 18, 2020.To learn more about this fantastic option for birthing, please visit https://www.sevensistersmidwifery.com

The words we use matter! Join us today as we explore the words we use when talking about feeding and parenting. We're joined by International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Renee Beebe, who lives and works in Seattle, Washington.

Listen in as Emily, a nursing mom of 5+ years, talks with us about planning to breastfeed while on a significant medication, navigating postpartum depression, what it’s like to nurse the same child for 5 years, and about the concept of respectful parenting. Emily has been a middle school English teacher for 14 years and recently finished her second masters degree in Counseling Psychology with a special interest in parent coaching. She lives in Central Massachusetts with her husband and daughter.

Recorded Wednesday, October 14, 2020. Join Melissa and Jeanette as they answer listener questions about feeding babies!

Today is Wednesday, October 21, 2020 and we will be discussing the TummyTime Method with its creator, occupational therapist Michelle Emanuel. Michelle comes to us with more than 20 years of experience as an occupational therapist who worked with babies in a neonatal intensive care unit and in pediatrics and eventually saw the need for a private practice, where she also weaves her passion for anatomy as an cranio-sacral therapist, myofunctional therapist, infant massage instructor and she’s also a yoga teacher, too! She developed the TummyTime Method and trademarked it after she noticed that there was so much more to having babies play on their bellies and how integrating physiological and anatomical movements, along with touch and play, can impact how babies feed, digest and connect with their parents and caregivers. In this episode, we discuss:~the background of the Back to Sleep Campaign and tummy time?~what occupational therapists do in a NICU~how Michelle developed the TummyTime Method~when to start it, how to do it, how often, what if baby cries~what if baby rolls over on their own before 4 months, especially when parents are trying to have baby spend time on their belly~the various areas that the TummyTime Method addresses...Postural Asymmetries (Torticollis, head turning or feeding preference to one side)Plagiocephaly / Brachycephaly / Scaphocephaly (cranial molding or flattening)Oral Restrictions (Tongue, Lip and Buccal Ties)GI issues, Reflux, colic type symptoms, decreased bowel movements, etcFussiness, Armoring, Stiffness, Body TensionSensory Processing and Integration Sensitivities and DifficultiesLatch and Breastfeeding IssuesOral Rest Posture / Tongue Posture DeficitsBreathing issues: snoring, squeaky breathing, laryngomalacia, etc You can learn more about Michelle and the TummyTime Method at tummytimemethod.com.

Recorded on Wednesday, October 14, 2020. Melissa and I answer questions from the Babies in Common community about feeding babies...breast, bottle and solid foods. We put the word out we would be doing this and had folks in our Facebook groups contribute! We dispel myths that exist about feeding babies and share information that every expectant and new parent should know. If you have questions about feeding, email jeanette@babiesincommon.com.

Join us as we learn from Sejal Fichadia, a certified infant massage instructor and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant who is also an experienced postpartum doula and certified TummyTime Method instructor. Originally from India, she now lives in Oregon with her husband and kids. She’s currently offering online infant massage and TummyTime Method classes, so check out her website, kindredmothercare.com.

Hear how our guest, an anesthesiologist and mother of four, endured birth trauma (trigger warning--this episode contains descriptions of actions of an aggressive and traumatic nature) and how she navigated the system to file complaints against the perpetrators of the trauma. She discusses what she did to prepare for her births, what happened and the trauma she endured at the hands of a doctor and nurse. She also shares what else she's doing to heal and what she recommends others do to prevent birth trauma and what to do if you find yourself in a similar situation.

Join us as we answer listener questions about pregnancy and birth!

Join us as we talk with postpartum doula and trainer Rachel Hess, about how queer parents can empower themselves as they encounter care providers (and other parents) as well as how those who aren't part of the queer community can help to stop oppressive actions and comments during the perinatal period. Rachel has virtual support groups for queer parents and you can learn more about those at http://www.rachelhessdoula.com

Join us as we discuss all the typical questions modern parents have about homebirth with Rachel Blessington, RN/BSN, CPM, LMT, who has worked as a doula, labor & deliver nurse and midwife.According to a study published in the journal “Birth” in 2019 by MacDorman & Declercq, after a gradual decline from 1990–2004, the number of out-of-hospital births increased from 35,578 in 2004 to 62,228 in 2017. In 2017, 1 of every 62 births in the US was an out-of-hospital birth (1.61%). Home births increased by 77% from 2004–2017, while birth center births more than doubled. Out-of-hospital births were more common in the Pacific Northwest, and less common in the southeastern states such as Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi.Today’s podcast focuses on the “Frequently Asked Questions” around having a homebirth. However, the history of why today’s American women largely give birth in hospitals attended by physicians, instead of at homes or birth centers with midwives, is incredibly important to the understanding of why many families, even medical professionals themselves, choose homebirth today. In fact, you might even want to pause this podcast and Google: Our Bodies Ourselves, The History of Midwifery and read their short 2012 article before continuing! As you’ll learn, the history of obstetrics and hospital birth in the United States was founded upon racism, classism, misogyny and a belief that labor & birth is a destructive pathology rather than a normal, healthy bodily function.We'll talk about safety, typical practices, choosing midwives, pain relief options, what happens in an emergency, how a transfer to a hospital happens and what makes homebirth care special. We'll also discuss who is a good candidate for a homebirth, insurance and resources for families who are interested in exploring this option for their birth.If you would like to learn more about Rachel and homebirth, please visit embracemidwifery.care

Join us as we talk with Kristen Johnson, a mother of two who decided to give a most amazing gift to another couple (who she didn't know) to carry their baby. She shares with us her birth stories, the process of deciding to become a gestational carrier, the matching process with a couple in need, the process of getting pregnant, how she (and her family) felt about her during that pregnancy, the birth of that baby and where things are now, a year and a half later.

Join us as we speak with Rachel Gaillard Smook, PhD, a clinical psychologist in private practice, about how parents can navigate the communication struggles that come up as one is expecting a new baby and as couples have a new baby in the family. She shares some valuable wisdom and answers some questions sent in by members of the Babies in Common Community.Rachel specializes in working with women related to fertility struggles, pregnancy, birth and new parenthood. She's also a Gottman Method couples therapist. Her practice is located in Northborough, Massachusetts and she also offers consultations via video conference. Find Dr. Smook at http://birchtreepsychology.comRecorded August 12, 2020.

Join us as we talk with two moms (one with a corporate job, Marlena Shaffer, and one who works in a surgical intensive care unit as a nurse, Julie Longchamps) about preparing to go back to work and pumping at work. We discuss their initial breastfeeding experiences, tips for approaching bosses and human resources, finding an appropriate space to pump at the office, laws about pumping at work, making sure you have all your equipment, milk storage, bottles and so much more!

Join us as we hear Dr. Emily Garcia Sega's story of how she switched maternity providers very late in pregnancy so she could increase her chances for the birth she wanted, including discussing her experiences of trying to turn her breech baby. We hope switching maternity care providers isn't something you feel that you need to do, but in case you do, it IS your right and the choice of your care provider is considered the most important choice you'll make as far as determining how your birth will go!

Join us in discussing inducing lactation with Alyssa Schnell, lactation consultant in private practice and author of Breastfeeding Without Birthing, Alyssa Schnell, IBCLC.You can learn more about Alyssa's services for parents, parents-to-be and professions at https://www.breastfeedingwithoutbirthing.com

Join us as we speak with Dr. Julia Reznik, a functional medicine physician in private practice about "preconception optimization", epigenetics, milk supply and the microbiome. Integrating functional medicine into your life might be the best thing you've done for yourself in a long time!

Join us as we talk with Dr. Amy Brown, professor and prolific author, about what influences how we feed our babies, breast, formula and solid foods! Amy Brown, PhD is a professor at Swansea University in Wales, where she oversees the master of science program in Child Public Health. She started her studies in psychology and the arrival of her first baby sparked her interest in the barriers that women face when it comes to breastfeeding. She went on to have two more children and got a PhD, too! She has spent the last 12 years lookin at how psychology, culture and society can put up barriers to breastfeeding, but her work focuses on how we can improve breastfeeding rates by providing better support to families.Dr. Brown has more than research 100 papers on barriers to meeting breastfeeding goals in the first years.What we also enjoy about Amy is that she’s funny and fearless--follow her on Twitter Amy’s Twitter @Prof_AmyBrown and other social media platforms to get a taste of how she does her part to defend the facts about human milk and breastfeeding against those who wish to spread lies and untruths...Professor Brown has authored SIX books (and all in the last five years!):Breastfeeding Uncovered (2016)Why Starting Solids Matters (2017)The Positive Breastfeeding Book, (2018)And THREE books in 2019:A Guide to Supporting Breastfeeding for the Medical ProfessionInformed is Best: How to spot fake news about your pregnancy, birth and babyBreastfeeding Grief and Trauma MatterAND she just released a BRAND NEW book last FRIDAY, which she’ll tell us about! She is also a blogger and international keynote speaker, working tirelessly aiming to change the way we think about breastfeeding, parenting and caring for our babies.

Find out how the law and corporations influence child safety and what YOU can do to protect children. Join us as we go in-depth about childproofing--the practical recommendations, various quality brands, services you can find as well as how the law and corporations influence what is put on the market and what is recalled and when. You'll be surprised! Our guest is Kimberly Amato. Kim is a physical therapist, CPR Instructor, retired Childbirth Educator and retired Birth Doula, founder of Meghan’s Hope, an organization to raise awareness of furniture tip-over and advocate for stronger furniture safety laws. Author of Author of Out of the Darkness: Coping with and Recovering from the Death of a Child and Childproofing and Child Safety Advocate. Kimberly lives in Central Massachusetts with her husband, with whom she does ballroom dance competitions and two almost-grown boys.You can learn more about furniture tip-over on Kim’s website, meghanshope.org.

Join us as we talk with Kelly Shultz, mom of two, about how she navigated through a challenging year (and more) of nursing, continued through her pregnancy, had an unusual birth with her daughter and then tandem and extended nursing with both of them.