Thrive Families Podcast

Karissa Merrylees joined us on the show this week (she rocked her two-month-old the whole time we recorded... and made it look easy!). Karissa, a registered nurse, realized she had no clue what to do when she started her parenting journey. She grew a passion for educating other moms navigating different challenging situations. In this episode, we discussed how to design your breastfeeding journey. If you're not currently in the breastfeeding phase as a parent but know a new or expecting mom who would benefit from this episode, please share it with them. In breastfeeding, everyone's experience is going to be different. Prenatal education can be a huge help. Skin-to-skin immediately after birth will help cultivate the bond between mama and baby. If you didn't have that experience, it doesn't mean you can't have a fantastic breastfeeding journey. In the first 24 hours, your baby will be very sleepy. Having a support team during the early days can be a huge help. A vaginal or c-section can bring about a lot of tension in one side of the baby vs. the other. Chiropractic and cranial sacral work can be incredibly beneficial. Karissa encourages moms to be patient postpartum and remember all their bodies have gone through. Staying nourished is essential for your energy levels to stay up. Karissa encourages breastfeeding moms to have 3-4 solid meals daily and snacks if needed. Most importantly, listen to what your body needs. We finished the episode talking about common misconceptions around breastfeeding. What your parents did doesn't mean that's what you have to do Surround yourself with moms who have similar goals Breastmilk holds value past 12 months. You decide when you're ready to stop. You can find Karissa here: Instagram: @mamanursern Tik Tok: @karissa.mamanursern Facebook: @mamanursern Website: https://mamanursern.mykajabi.com

On this week's show, Dawn Winklemann from Ms. Dawn SLP shared the Top 3 Misconceptions in Infant Feeding with us.    Sippy cups  A baby being able to drink from an open cup at six months is a developmental milestone.  Leading to the child being able to drink independently at 12 months  Open cup use helps establish a strong lip seal on the cup.  The strong seal protects the child's airway when they need to produce a strong cough by breathing through their nose instead of their mouth.    2. Staying on purees too long Using the baby-led-weaning approach allows you as the caregiver to have a shared eating experience with your child.  The parents don't taste purees to understand the sensory information the child receives. Is the banana too ripe?  Kids who only eat purees all the way to 12 months are seen more often in feeding therapy. 3. Expecting a baby to use a fork. Fork use is not a developmental milestone in infancy Most brands market forks for infant feeding 80% of the babies Dawn works with in a school for the blind lost their vision because a caregiver gave them a fork.  Sharp-pronged objects pose a significant safety risk  Developed wrist rotation is the precursor for fork use.   Don't forget to follow Dawn @msdawnslp on Instagram. If you haven't completed our Choking Prevention and Response course, you can sign up HERE!

After College, Sarah found fitness as an outlet that fueled her passion. After getting pregnant, she was caught with conflicting information on what amount of physical activity was "okay." Sarah encouraged, "As scary as the first 12-16 weeks can be, remaining active while your body is changing is okay." Sarah broke down her recommended calorie increase during different trimesters. Then I asked her, "how can parents prioritize self-care after the child is born?" She recommended: - be creative - go on a walk with the baby. - prioritize what makes you feel best. - make it fit into your schedule - balance your movements with where your body is at postpartum. Be sure to check out Sarah's free guide at sarahbowmar.com.   If you're a parent and need a refresher on your CPR skills use code subscriber10 to save $10 off your online training.    Looking for more free resources to aid you on your parenting journey to raise safe, healthy, and happy kids? Head on over to Instagram and follow along @thrivetraininginstitute.

Birth trauma is real, and for many families, their birth experience did not go as planned.  Hehe kicked off by sharing the benefits of working with a doula; Reduction in pain medication, lower C section rates, less birth trauma, and overall positive birth stories. She broke down how a doula is a birth coach with unbiased support to help you achieve your desired birth outcomes while keeping you informed about your rights and the latest birth research.  Birth trauma can be a huge reason to seek out working with a doula for your subsequent pregnancy.  Hehe encourages her clients to do the hard work of healing from their trauma.  It's time to look at what caused your trauma to see what you can do the next time to create a different outcome. Where and how did your labor take place? You're allowed to have a good birth experience and still experience trauma.  Questions to ask yourself: "Where was the control taken from me? Where can I reclaim my control in the next go around?" Be diligent in planning your next birth. Every birth is going to be different.  But this will open you up to regaining control.  Nail down your ideal birth, then work your way backward.  Do you want an unmedicated hospital birth with my partner present? Or  An unmedicated midwife birth at home or a birth center? We closed by breaking down how to prepare for the unknowns in labor. "Who knows your body better than you?" Do not miss this episode if your birth experiences have been less than ideal.  Here at thrive, we are rooting for you and your family.  Follow Hehe @tranquilitybyhehe and check out her comprehensive online doula services at thebirthlounge.com.

I was joined on the podcast this week by Taylor Kulik, and we talked about "connection-based Sleep". If sleep with your infant or toddler has been a struggle you do not want to miss this episode! Taylor started her parenting journey with a TON OF pressure to sleep train. Her first six months were miserable trying to get her newborn to sleep independently. Despite her efforts at six months, things got worse. The only way she started sleeping was in bed with them. The shame Taylor experienced through bed-sharing was intense. Taylor's passion was ignited through this process to "reeducate" parents on how their babies are meant to sleep and why they sleep the way they do. There are multiple methodologies to sleep training; the majority are non-responsive techniques. For healthy attachment for children, non-responsive techniques didn't align well with Taylor. For many parents, their intrinsic response to their child's cry is conflicting to them. In response to your child's cry Taylor said “biologically, this is how we are designed.” Babies are created to receive the response of their parent. When you respond to your baby, you teach them about the world and relationships. "Self-soothing” a baby's ability to self-regulate doesn't exist. It doesn't even exist for young children. Though there is much debate on the topic self-regulation begins to develop around ages 3-5 and even into your mid 20's! Infants, however, cannot self-regulate… Depending on your situation, your baby waking up at night is very NORMAL. A simple perspective shift can be hugeeee. When you co-regulate your child they are “borrowing your calm". Over time they will learn to self-regulate through your co-regulation with them. Sleep transformation is a long road, not overnight. Sleep is holistic, and getting to the root of why there is unnecessary disruption can be incredibly helpful. Is your baby just hungry? During the day are they over or under-stimulated? Do they have an oral tie causing tension in the body? Have they had adequate floor time? We covered all of this and more on the podcast. IF sleep has been a struggle for your family, you're not alone. Be sure to check out @taylorkulik on Instagram for tons of free content. Taylor has helped 1,000s of parents through her two comprehensive E-courses Use either link to get 20% off with code THIRVE20. (Discount applied automatically) #1 Infant Sleep Foundations Navigating the First Year #2 Toddler Sleep Foundations: Attachment-Focused Transitions

In this episode, we were joined by Fit Pregnancy Coach Kim Perry. Kim is a certified personal trainer for prenatal & postnatal women.  During our time together, she unpacked her story and how shared women can adopt a healthy, practical mindset regarding fitness and wellbeing.  Check out Kim's Fit Pregnancy program HERE or her Abs After Baby program HERE  Don't forget to follow her on Instagram @kimperrco    If you're a parent and need a refresher on your CPR skills use code subscriber10 to save $10 off your online training.    Looking for more free resources to aid you on your parenting journey to raise safe, healthy, and happy kids? Head on over to Instagram and follow along @thrivetraininginstitute.

Katie Ferraro is a registered dietitian, college nutrition professor, and mom of seven specializing in baby-led weaning. Katie has helped hundreds of thousands of parents give their babies a safe start to solid foods using baby-led weaning through her free workshop "Baby-Led Weaning for Beginners".   You can find Katie on Instagram @babyledweanteam and hosting her own top-rated parenting podcast "Baby-Led Weaning Made Easy".   If you're a parent and need a refresher on your CPR skills use code subscriber10 to save $10 off your online training.    Looking for more free resources to aid you on your parenting journey to raise safe, healthy, and happy kids? Head on over to Instagram and follow along @thrivetraininginstitute.