Podcasts about Albany Medical Center

We are joined by Dr. Rebecca Stetzer, a geriatrician from The Alzheimer's Center at Albany Medical Center.

Liquid embolics are a relatively new addition to the interventional radiology toolkit—how well do you understand the technical considerations that come with using these agents? Get up to speed in this episode of the BackTable Podcast where Dr. Gary Siskin, Chair of Radiology at Albany Medical Center, shares his expertise. --- This podcast is supported by: Sirtexhttps://www.sirtex.com/us/ --- SYNPOSIS Dr. Siskin provides expert insights into the use of liquid embolic agents, including Onyx and LAVA, with a focus on their practical applications, techniques for safe and effective deployment, and the critical role they play in treating complex cases which range from peripheral and traumatic hemorrhage to portal vein embolization. He highlights the importance of understanding the viscosity and flow characteristics of various liquid embolic agents, providing expert guidance on ensuring optimal catheter positioning, case selection, and avoidance of common pitfalls. Additionally, he shares strategies for tailoring injection speed based on vessel caliber to mitigate reflux. The episode ends with final thoughts on best practices and future directions for the technology. --- TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Introduction02:09 - Historical Perspective on Liquid Embolics06:37 - Practical Applications and Techniques16:14 - Handling Catheters and Reflux Concerns22:38 - Trauma Embolization26:53 - Visibility and Injection Techniques29:06 - Catheter Compatibility and Vessel Size32:53 - Best Practices and Common Mistakes45:55 - Final Thoughts and Advice --- RESOURCES Arslan B, Razavi MK, Siskin G, et al. The LAVA Study: A Prospective, Multicenter, Single-Arm Study of a Liquid Embolic System for Treatment of Peripheral Arterial Hemorrhage. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2025;36(3):436-445.e2. doi:10.1016/j.jvir.2024.11.005 Onyx Liquid Embolic System: https://europe.medtronic.com/xd-en/healthcare-professionals/products/cardiovascular/peripheral-embolization/onyx-liquid-embolic-system.html LAVA Liquid Embolic System:https://www.sirtex.com/us/products/lava-liquid-embolic-system/product-information/

High risk factors for stroke such as smoking and blood pressure are not equally represented throughout the patient population. These are just two of the socioeconomic influences on cerebrovascular disease. One way to view this association is through the lens of the Area Deprivation Index (ADI), a measure of neighbourhood-level deprivation, and this was the approach of the study discussed in this episode. The study evaluated the association between the ADI and the treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms compared with unruptured intracranial aneurysms across multiple centres. Editor-in-Chief of JNIS, Dr. Felipe C. Albuquerque, interviews Dr. Alexandra Paul¹, author of the paper: Multicenter study of association between socioeconomic status and treatment of ruptured cerebral aneurysms compared to unruptured cerebral aneurysms: insights from 4,517 patients using the area deprivation index   1. Department of Neurosurgery, Albany Medical Center, Albany, New York, USA   Please subscribe to the JNIS podcast on your favourite platform to get the latest podcast every month. If you enjoy our podcast, you can leave us a review or a comment on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4aZmlpT) or Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3UKhGT5). We'd love to hear your feedback on social media - @JNIS_BMJ.

We welcome Dr. Jennifer Miller. She specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Albany Medical Center. Dr. Miller sees adult and pediatric patients for new or long-standing muscle, nerve or tendon problems. Ray Graf hosts.

We welcome Dr. Pasquale Passarella, an endocrinologist at Albany Medical Center. Ray Graf hosts.

The Albany Common Council held its usual meeting on March 3. In the meeting, the council took up two resolutions for discussion. One was to declare March Women's history month and the other to express concerns over staffing at Albany Medical Center in the wake of the release of a report finding hundreds of violations by the hospital.

On Tuesday, January 28, 2025, Hudson Mohawk Magazine Roaming Labor Willie Terry attended the Capital Region Nurses Town Hall Meeting, calling for safe staffing and a fair contract at Albany Medical Center. The meeting was hosted at the Albany Black Chamber of Commerce. Michael Fitzsimmons, a nurse and NY State Nurses Association Negotiating Team member, chaired the town hall. In this Labor segment, Willie recorded comments from Mark Emanatian, Executive Director for the Capital District Area Labor Federation, and Margaret Franks, NYSNA Regional Director, who spoke in support of the Albany Nurse's struggle for a fair contract and better patient care at Albany Medical Center. The Struggle Continues. Part 3

On Tuesday, January 28, 2025, Hudson Mohawk Magazine Roaming Labor Willie Terry attended the Capital Region Nurses Town Hall Meeting, calling for safe staffing and a fair contract at Albany Medical Center. The meeting was hosted at the Albany Black Chamber of Commerce. Michael Fitzsimmons, a nurse and member of the NY State Nurses Association Negotiating Team, chaired the town hall. In this Labor segment, Willie recorded the efforts of the various nurses who spoke to support their struggle for a fair contract and better patient care at Albany Medical Center. The Struggle Continues. Part 2

Healthcare Workers For Palestine, a group made up of employees and medical students at Albany Medical Center, and other ceasefire coalition groups have been holding weekly demonstrations outside Albany Medical Center in support of Palestine since July 31st. On January 29th Benno Greene went to one of these demonstrations again. While there he talked with one of the organizers, Alex Hanks, about the ceasefire, the weekly demonstrations, and the Trump administration.

Since July 31st Healthcare Workers For Palestine, the Palestinian Rights Committee, and other ceasefire coalition groups have held weekly demonstrations outside Albany Medical Center. Benno Greene visited one of these protests again and talked to three attendees about the weekly protests, the ceasefire, and organizing going forward.

Today, on the Hudson Mohawk Magazine, First, Mark Dunlea reports on the environmental part of the New York State budget hearings. Then, Benno Greene takes us to the demonstration outside of Albany Medical Center by Healthcare Workers For Palestine. Later on, Elizabeth (EP) Press reports on Jennifer Brunson's plea for her dad's ashes after they were taken and tested after a house fire. After that, A'Livija Mullins-Richard interviews Transcend Wellness, a local dispensary dedicated to promoting healing through cannabis. Finally, Khin Naing and Eve Oathout interview Adam Tinkle about his upcoming music release, “Polyana.” Co-hosts are Khin Naing and Richard Sleeper. Engineer is Jalaya Reid.

On Tuesday, January 28, 2025, Hudson Mohawk Magazine Roaming Labor Willie Terry attended the Capital Region Nurses Town Hall Meeting, calling for safe staffing and a fair contract at Albany Medical Center. The meeting was hosted at the Albany Black Chamber of Commerce. Michael Fitzsimmons, a nurse and NY State Nurses Association Negotiating Team member, chaired the town hall. In this Labor segment, Willie recorded the exerts of the various nurses, labor leaders, politicians, and community allies who spoke in support of their struggle for a fair contract and better patient care at Albany Medical Center—part 1.

NYSNA nurses at Albany Medical Center have sounded the alarm about the staffing crisis at the hospital, bravely sharing stories of patients being cared for on emergency room stretchers instead of hospital beds, nurses stretched too thin, and patient care suffering. On this episode of the Union Strong podcast, we will hear from nurses firsthand about the need for a fair contract that finally addresses safe staffing.    Support the nurses: www.albanymedqualitycare.org

We are delighted to have Dr. Josh Schammel back with us. Dr. Josh Schammel is a fourth-year urology resident at Albany Medical Center specializing in infertility, sexual medicine, and andrology. He will be joining us today to discuss testosterone levels and who may benefit from testosterone treatment. Testosterone is often called the "male hormone" for a reason—it plays a crucial role in overall health, sexual function, and well-being. Produced primarily in the testicles, testosterone is responsible for puberty changes, maintaining energy, muscle growth, libido, and even mental health.   For more free erectile dysfunction education and resources, please visit: https://erectioniq.com/    Mark Goldberg helps men resolve erectile dysfunction. He offers individual, one-on-one services to men throughout the world through a secure, telehealth platform. It's 100% confidential. You can visit the Center for Intimacy, Connection and Change website to schedule a free consultation: https://centericc.com/    

We're joined by Dr. Nagendra Madisi, director of Interventional Pulmonology at Albany Medical Center. Ray Graf hosts.

Today, on the Hudson Mohawk Magazine, We start with Mark Dunlea sharing information about an event scheduled for Saturday October 12th, by Troy's Street Peace Project, to unveil an outdoor sculpture intended to raise awareness about the problem of gun violence in the Lansingburgh community. Then, Andrea Cunliffe talks with Mary Bonczar [BONN-zir] from the League of Women Voters about topics related to registering and voting in the upcoming elections. After that, retired National Weather Service meteorologist Hugh Johson joins us for our weekly look at climate and his weather forecast. Once again hurricanes are in the news. Later on, Lennox Apudo and Jadyen Ida-Peche of the Capital Region branch of the Humane League discuss that organization's advocacy for the humane treatment of farm animals. Finally, correspondent Benno Greene talked with Alex, one of the co-leaders of Health Care Workers for Palestine, about that group's weekly protests at Albany Medical Center.

Healthcare Workers For Palestine, a group made up of employees and medical students at Albany Medical Center, and other ceasefire coalition groups have been holding weekly demonstrations outside Albany Medical Center in support of Palestine since July 31st. Benno Greene attended one of these demonstrations on October 2nd and talked to Alex, one of the co-leaders of Healthcare Workers for Palestine, about how the weekly protests have been going.

Have you ever wondered if you REALLY need to peel those carrots?

Air Date - 27 September 2024Have you ever wondered if you REALLY need to peel those carrots?

We are thrilled to partner with Laborie to bring you this episode of the Prostate Health Podcast. In Episode 91, we introduced the Optilume® procedure, a cutting-edge new solution for an enlarged prostate, or BPH, that requires no heating, cutting, or permanent implantation. Today, we bring you the story of how Dr. Sijo Parekattil, a leading urologist specializing in cutting-edge treatments for men with BPH, was approached by Vinit, his closest friend, who was struggling with the effects of an enlarged prostate.  Dr. Sijo Parekattil is the Director of Avant Concierge Urology in Winter Garden, Florida, and an Associate Professor of Urology at the University of Central Florida. He was an electrical engineer before undergoing his medical training, and he was fascinated by surgical techniques incorporating technology, robotics, and microsurgery.  Dr. Parekattil completed his urology residency training at Albany Medical Center and dual fellowship training in laparoscopy, robotic surgery, microsurgery, and male infertility at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland. He is among the elite urologists in the United States still positioned at the forefront of new technology, particularly for managing benign prostate enlargement.  We are delighted to have Dr. Parekattil and his close friend, Vinit, joining us on the podcast today and have Vinit share his prostate journey with our listeners. Stay tuned to learn about his experience undergoing the innovative new Optilume® BPH procedure. Disclaimer: The Prostate Health Podcast is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this podcast should be construed as medical advice. By listening to the podcast, no physician-patient relationship has been formed. For more information and counseling, you must contact your personal physician or urologist with questions about your unique situation. Show Highlights: Vinit explains the symptoms he experienced that began to affect his quality of life Dr. Parekattil discusses the tests he performed to obtain more information about Vinit 's condition Vinit shares his experience of the initial testing How they selected a treatment option for Vinit  What is Optilume® BPH, and how does it work? How Vinit ended up becoming Dr. Parekattil's first Optilume®BPH patient Vinit shares his experience with the Optilume® BPH procedure  Vinit describes his recovery after the Optilume® BPH procedure Vinit explains how his prostate journey began Links:  Follow Dr. Pohlman on Twitter and Instagram - @gpohlmanmd  Get your free What To Expect Guide (or find the link on our podcast website)   Join our Facebook group  Follow Dr. Pohlman on Twitter and Instagram  Go to the Prostate Health Academy to sign up.  You can access Dr. Pohlman's free mini webinar, where he discusses his top three tips to promote men's prostate health, longevity, and quality of life here. Laborie ​​Optilume® BPH  Avant Concierge Urology Dr. Sijo J. Parekattil  

“My birth stories are my testimony…I have never trusted God more with any situation in my entire life other than with the lives of my children and bringing them into this world.”Shelby's story is one of faith, trust, and surrendering. Shelby joins us today from Indiana sharing her wildly traumatic Cesarean story due to a placental abruption and her peaceful, healing home birth. Shelby was on vacation at a cabin in New York at 34 weeks when she woke up to regular contractions and heavy bleeding. She rushed to the nearest hospital, was put under general anesthesia for her Cesarean, was transferred via a separate ambulance from her baby to a hospital 3 hours away, and had a 23-day NICU stay in the height of COVID 800 miles away from her family and community.She and her husband were certain they would not have any more children. But as they fought for healing through faith-based counseling, their hearts yearned for another baby and a chance at a healing birth experience. She completely surrendered, found holistic prenatal care, and created a birth space for herself where she knew she felt safe. She was brave and vulnerable, and her second birth was everything she hoped it would be. As Meagan says at the end of this episode, “Get educated. Love yourself. Have faith in you and your body and your baby. You are amazing. You are a true Woman of Strength.”How to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull Transcript under Episode Details Meagan: Women of Strength, we have our friend, Shelby, here with us today sharing her HBAC story. In addition to her HBAC story, she's got some other unique things that I think are going to be important for us to talk about today. One is placental abruption. That is something that is definitely a reason for a Cesarean and one of those absolute needed reasons for a Cesarean. We are going to talk a little bit more about that and then we are going to talk about faith and how faith in whatever faith looks like to you, it's so important to cling onto that. Shelby has some messages about that. Then we really want to talk about physiological birth. We hear it. We see it online. I mean, if you go on Instagram and you go into the birth world, you're going to see it almost 100% guaranteed but what does that really mean? We're going to be diving in with that today. Shelby, you are in– where did it say, Indiana? Shelby: Indiana, yeah. Meagan: I have to look at my notes. Indianapolis, Indiana. She's in Indiana so Women of Strength, if you are coming from her area, definitely listen up as well. Okay, so we have a Review of the week and this is by birthing confident. It says, “Invaluable information. I love this podcast. As a mom planning a VBAC and a VBAC-trained birth doula, the information shared on this podcast is invaluable. I have become so passionate about helping all women know their birth options and avoid unnecessary C-sections. I think this podcast is great for all expectant mothers” and I 100% agree with that. This podcast is for anyone and everyone because like she said we are wanting to help people avoid unnecessary and/or undesired Cesareans. We have a ridiculous Cesarean rate. It is through the roof. I would love to see it start dropping and I don't know if this podcast truly is going to impact the Cesarean rate the way I would love it to, but I do believe that it's a starting point. It's a starting place for you guys to learn your options for birth after Cesarean and to learn how to have a better Cesarean experience if you have one because that's also a really important factor that I think a lot of people forget about. Not only do we share just VBAC stories, but we do share healing, beautiful CBAC stories and repeat Cesareans. Thank you so much, birthingconfident, for your review. As always, please if you haven't yet, leave us a review. You can do so on Apple Podcasts. You can message us. You can rate us on Spotify and all of the places that you listen to your podcast. Meagan: Okay, cute Shelby. Welcome to the show. Shelby: Thank you. I'm so excited. Meagan: I am so excited. So let's dive in. I am actually really excited to talk a little bit more about placental abruption as well and hear about your experience. Shelby: Yeah. I don't think I even knew it was a thing honestly before it happened to me. I think it's something that people don't really talk about and it's probably a good thing because it's really scary but also, it would have been good to maybe know what was going on. I know it wouldn't have changed the outcome, but yeah. I just had no idea that was even something that could happen. With my first pregnancy, it was very run-of-the-mill. Everything was good and I was planning on birthing at a birthing center in Indianapolis so I was still going for that natural, unmedicated birth. I didn't really know anything that went into that as you do with your first and I feel like you do the typical making the baby registry and doing all of these things that don't really actually help you with your birth. Not that I would have gotten the chance to even try anyway. I feel like I just definitely didn't really have much knowledge and I think the problem is that you don't know what you don't know which is why I literally recommend this podcast to all of my friends who are even pregnant with their first baby because I'm like, “Just learn the things. Learn all of the things.” We took a very basic birthing course through the birthing center and it was just virtual, like four sessions and it was not super helpful honestly but we also didn't get to implement it. The pregnancy itself was just very normal. I mean, I have pretty much all of the symptoms which is the worst like really horrible rib pain and nausea and heartburn and all of the things. What was crazy though, this was in 2021 and I actually got COVID while I was pregnant also. Everyone I've talked to thinks that's probably why I had a placental abruption.Meagan: That's interesting to know. Shelby: Yeah. I had it in about my 5th month of pregnancy in September and I was due in January. It was horrible for a week but then I recovered and I was back to working out. I was totally fine. I didn't have any blood pressure issues after that. Everything reallly seemed okay. We decided at 33 weeks that we were going to go to New York which is really far away from Indiana on vacation for Thanksgiving to gather with all of my husband's family. My midwives cleared it. Like I said, I was working out. I was healthy. I was fine. The trip was going super well. I was working out while we were there. I was doing barre obviously so I was doing safe things. Fitness is a really big part of my life but also, it's not something I added in during pregnancy. It was just normal for me. Meagan: I used to take barre too. I took barre and was teaching barre with my second TOLAC. It's a very low impact but very, very good for strength and cardio. Shelby: Yeah, and my husband and my father-in-law were doing them with me so we have some really awesome videos of me at 34 weeks pregnant working out with my husband and my father-in-law doing barre. But yeah. Everything was going well and anything that was slightly risky which really even wasn't, I wasn't doing. They did this office chair floor hockey where they were pushing each other around in office chairs and playing hockey in a building and I didn't do it. I sat on the sidelines and observed. I was being really what I feel like was cautious. Meagan: Responsible. Shelby: Right, yeah. We even took family pictures on Saturday and everything, I have pictures of us smiling and laughing and then literally the next day we had a baby which was crazy. I start having Braxton Hicks contractions at 20 weeks. For both of my pregnancies, I just feel like I start having them really early so they are not shocking for me. But that Saturday, I remember several times looking at my husband and being like, “These feel a little stronger than I remember them being,” but with your first, you don't know anything. I kept mentioning that to him but they weren't super regular and there were no other signs of anything, just Braxton Hicks contractions. Then that night when we went to bed, I couldn't really sleep. I was laying there by myself the only one awake. We were all staying in this big cabin together which was great. My husband and I were in our room. At 4:00 AM– this is so funny to me now that I know what labor is actually like. At 4:00 AM, I started timing contractions and they were less than 5 minutes apart when I started timing them. I'm like, What was wrong with me?So after an hour of them being like that, I woke my husband up and I was like, “I think you should go get your mom,” because she is actually a midwife which was good. Meagan: Oh, convenient. Shelby: She was in the room next to us. Yeah. I was like, “I think you should go get your mom because this is not right.” They were not just less than 5 minutes apart. They were pretty uncomfortable. She came over and checked things out. I know now that she definitely knew that something was going on but she was really good at keeping her cool. She was like, “Why don't you go shower and try to relax?” When I went to go to the bathroom and shower, I started bleeding. Like I said, I knew nothing about labor, so I was like, “Oh, well maybe I am in labor” which was really scary because I was only 34 weeks but it was a lot of bleeding. I was like, “Well, I don't know what's normal,” but I know that obviously, my mother-in-law knew what was going on. She was like, “It's okay. We'll have Chad (my father-in-law) just go start the car and we'll go in and get everything checked out.” So we were in the middle of the Adirondacks which is literally nowhere. We had a 25-minute drive to the nearest hospital and this hospital, I mean we were probably the only people there. It was 5:30 in the morning maybe. They didn't have an OB there. They didn't have a surgical team there. They were all at home so we come in and the front desk lady is like, “What's your occupation?” She's typing like a sloth. I was like, “Girlfriend, I am bleeding and I am in full-on labor. Can we just go inside?” So that was crazy. She's asking me to sign stuff and I'm telling my husband, “You have to sign.” At this point, contractions were pretty back-to-back and they were super strong. I could tell I was bleeding with every one. I could feel it. They got me back into the ER and the poor nurse. I know that this was probably so scary for her, especially with an OB not even there but she was asking me, “Have you felt her move recently? I can't find a heartbeat.” I was like, “I don't know. I'm in labor. I don't know if she's moving or not.” Every time I'd have a contraction, she'd just be like, “Oh wow, that's a lot of blood.” I'm like, “Thank you. I know.” Meagan: You're like, “I can feel it.” Shelby: Yeah, it was wild. By the time the OB got there, she checked. She said I was fully dilated and effaced. Meagan: Holy cow. Shelby: This was maybe 2 hours. It was not long. Now that I've been through a full labor, I'm like, that is crazy. My body had to have just been in panic mode like, We have to get this baby out right now.She checked and something that was kind of cool was I knew that my baby was head down. She had been from 20 weeks. She was perfectly always in the same spot because I could always feel her kicks really high and one of the times the OB checked, she goes, “Oh, and she's breech so we're just going to have to go.” I was like, “She's not breech. Check again. She's not breech.” She checked again and she was like, “Oh, you're right.” I was like, “Yeah.” So the nurse brings in all of the scrubs and stuff for my husband to put on and as he's getting dressed and everything, he's fully ready to go. He's all excited because he wasn't really super scared. Meagan: He didn't understand what was going on. Shelby: Yeah, but also, he's like, “I'm going to meet my baby today. This is so cool.” And the literal most gut-wrenching thing of my life was when the OB was like, “No, we don't have time. It's going to be under general. You can't come.” She wheeled me out of the room and I looked back and saw him standing there fully dressed just like yeah. It was awful. In that moment, I wasn't even worried about myself and I wasn't worried about the baby. I was just like, He's going to be traumatized from this. This is horrible. They took me back there and I'm in labor holding onto the top of the bed. I was only in there probably for a minute, but it is scary. The whole room is white and there is somebody over here counting instruments. They stick a mask on your face and you can barely breathe and then the next thing you know you wake up in recovery. I woke up as the only person in this room. There were maybe two guys sitting at the desk but that was it. Nobody else was there. They didn't say anything to me. Nobody told me if she was okay. I knew nothing. Yeah. I was just laying here. Eventually, my husband came in and he showed me pictures of her. He was like, “She's okay. She's on oxygen but she's doing all right.” But yeah. It was totally crazy. Then they moved me to– I don't even know. It probably wasn't actually a postpartum room. I don't even know if they have those at this hospital. I feel like they probably try to send everybody everywhere else. Then basically, they told me, “Hey, you have 10 minutes if you want to go see her and try to hold her before the ambulances get here to transfer you guys,” because there wasn't a NICU there and they probably weren't even– they couldn't have cared for her. I think as soon as we got there, they must have called Albany Medical Center because it's 3 hours away. She was born at 7:30 in the morning. I started timing contractions at 4:00 AM. We didn't leave until after 5:00. The whole thing was so fast. I'm getting ready to get out of bed and get in a wheelchair to go see her and they didn't warn me how much pain I would be in and they didn't really help me get out of bed either. As I went to stand up, I leaned back a little and after you've had a C-section, I almost passed out. Meagan: Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Shelby: Yeah, so I get in this wheelchair and I get in the room where she is. She's got the oxygen mask on and she's got all of these tubes and all of the things and you could tell in the pictures I was barely with it. What I remember bothering me the most is I had obviously been intubated so I felt like there was stuff in my throat because it was so swollen. My mouth was all dry and I got to hold her for a couple of minutes but it didn't even feel real. Then the NICU team got there. She was on one ambulance and I was on a different one and my husband was in a car so we were all separated for 3 hours to Albany. Halfway there, my ambulance– so hers left first, and halfway there, we passed hers pulled over on the side of the road. I started panicking. There was no communication between the two ambulances. Meagan: Oh my heavens. I'm dying right now. Shelby: Yeah. The EMT, bless her heart, was amazing. She was like, “It could be anything. It could be one of the monitors isn't hooked up right and they're just stopping to do that or they need to change out an oxygen tank and they can't do that while driving.” She helped me calm down a little bit. She probably shouldn't have said this, but we got closer to Albany and she said, “We don't need to panic.” I don't remember if she actually said this but she said, “Unless they pass us again going fast.” I kid you not but we were 5 minutes out from the hospital and her ambulance went by us with lights and sirens on. I had maybe seen her for 10 minutes before this and she couldn't contact the other ambulance. So just traumatizing, all of it. Thankfully, when we pulled into the hospital, the first thing that the guy on the baby's ambulance did was come over and say, “Everything is okay.” It was just something. They had a lead or something come off so they needed to stop and take care of it so it wasn't a big deal but it made it feel like a big deal. We are in New York still for all of this. We get in there and I have to get settled in the postpartum section and she has to get settled in the NICU and then finally, hours later, I was still bleeding a lot so they were trying to take care of that. They were doing the fundal rubs and I remember texting my mom and I was like, “If they do it again, I'm going to punch someone in the face,” because it was so awful. They were saying, “It's because the EMT didn't do them on the ride over that you are bleeding so much,” so they kept coming over and doing them. It was so awful. So then we had a 23-day NICU stay in New York, just my husband and I because no one else could even visit us because it was 2021 in New York which was pretty bad for COVID. Once I was discharged after 4 days, technically, the only visitors allowed were my husband and I with our NICU bracelets to see her. Even if they had someone come, they couldn't even come into the hospital. We didn't really want to leave the hospital because we wanted to be there with her. We were Ubering to Target. We didn't have a car because we flew there. We are Ubering to Target and thank goodness they had a Ronald McDonald house there so we were staying there and they supplied a lot of dinners and housing which was the biggest blessing in the world. I literally don't know what we would have done otherwise. Getting discharged without your baby is super horrible and she was only 4 pounds, 10 ounces so she was really little and nursing just never took off for us. I didn't get to try for a while even because she was being tube-fed and she could barely stay awake because she was so tiny. Every nurse that you'd have would tell you their tips and tricks which is great but not helpful when every 3 hours you are being told something different. We tried so hard and eventually got to the point where it was like, “Let's just get home. We are 800 miles from home and if it takes a bottle, that's fine. We just need to get home.” Yeah. After 23 days, my amazing mom drove to New York because we didn't even have a car seat. It was all at home. She picked us up and drove us back home. Meagan: Oh my gosh. Shelby: Yeah, so then you are coming home with this little 5-pound baby and you are like, “How are we even allowed to do this? She doesn't even barely fit in the car seat.” It was so crazy. After that, we were really unsure if we'd have more kids. Especially right after, we were like, “I don't know if we can do that again.” My husband and I always wanted lots of kids and a big family. That has always been something that we wanted so after that first experience– and you do a quick Google search of placental abruption and they say, “Once you've had one, it's 15% more likely that you'll have another one.”You're like, I can't go through that again. That was horrible. I knew that if we got pregnant again, I was like, I'm going to feel like a ticking time bomb. All of these also quick Google searches tell you that it can happen as early as 20 weeks. Thank goodness we made it to 34 but I'm like, If that happens at 20, baby is probably not going to make it. Meagan: That's a scary thought. That's a really scary thought. They really have advanced the medical world so much to a point where even when babies are born really, really preemie, there are higher chances than there used to be, but the thought of that in general is just too much to think about. Shelby: Oh yeah, and my mom who drove to New York to get us– which is probably part of the reason they discharged us. She's a NICU nurse so she actually knew how to feed this litle 5-pound baby who was still causing us feeding issues and all of the things, but I've obviously heard from her too the stories of the really early babies. I mean, even 29 weeks and I was like, It's just too much. But we also knew that we couldn't stay in that place because we both were not in a good place with it. My husband was obviously so traumatized for different reasons and I was too. It was just a lot. We started seeking out some faith-based counseling basically like spiritual reconciliationing kind of to work through it all because I knew even if we weren't going to have more kids, I could not just live with that raw the way it was. Meagan: Both of you needed to process that. Shelby: Yeah. We were just praying for the release of that and we even prayed over our poor baby because I was like, She's probably holding trauma from that too. The losses that I was experiencing were also losses for her. She missed out on the golden hour and a peaceful entry into this world. It would drive me crazy thinking that her first moments in this world were with people she didn't know and it was bright in the room and being hooked up to machines. I was like, That was probably so scary for her too. We could tell for a long time, probably her first 7 months that she was so sensory. I mean, just screamed and hated the car seat, hated transitions, hated bedtime. I mean, it was basically non-stop screaming for 7 months. I was like, You were supposed to be in the womb for 6 more weeks and instead, you were in the NICU with lights and sounds and all of the things. We just started praying really hard over all of it and speaking to some really trusted friends who worked through trauma with people. I started listening to The VBAC Link. This is probably when it started obsessively. I was doing Amazon deliveries just for fun on the side. I could take the baby with me so I'd put her in her car seat. This was eventually when she stopped screaming in the car seat so it took a while. I would put my AirPods in and while I did all of these deliveries, I would just listen to back to back to back episodes forever and for months. I think honestly that was probably what started getting me thinking even about more kids. I started learning about VBACs and how really the odds of having a VBAC are not that horrible and that it's really not any riskier than a second C-section and I was like, I really don't want another C-section because that was– I mean, I couldn't even roll over in bed by myself. My husband told me, “You don't usually need me, but that was the one time you actually needed me.” He was like, “Honestly, that was really hard to see you in that much pain and struggling that much.” I was like, “Yeah. I couldn't even pee by myself.” Meagan: Oh, I remember my husband literally helping with my second. He had to hold me up in the shower. I was like, “I just can't stand the whole time in the shower. Can you just hold me up and shower me?” I remember feeling so vulnerable and I was frustrated because I'm like, This isn't my personality. I'm very independent. Why is this happening? Yes. Shelby: Independent and strong. Yes. But also in my fashion, I was walking to the NICU by myself very slowly by day two. I'm like, What was wrong with me? But also, we didn't have a choice. I was about to be discharged. We had to figure something out. Thankfully, I didn't need to stay for 4 days, but because I had nowhere else to go, they were like, “You can stay all 4 days if you want.” I was like, “Okay, great.” But yeah, so I just started learning everything and consuming as much information as I could about physiological birth and about VBACs and there really isn't a ton of information about placental abruption. There are risk factors which I had none other than COVID which no one talks about yet because it had just started, but I didn't have high blood pressure. I obviously didn't do drugs. Meagan: You didn't have multiples. It was a singleton. Yeah. Shelby: It never happened before. My placenta was in a good location. Meagan: Your membranes hadn't ruptured. Shelby: Yeah, my water never ruptured with her so it was crazy. But around when she was probably 9 or 10 months, I couldn't even believe it, but I told my husband, “I'm not totally opposed to having another baby.”He was like, “For real?” We talked about it and we prayed about it a lot and I told God over and over again, “If I get pregnant again, this is going to be the biggest test of my trust in You ever because I know that if I try to worry about it, I'm going to go crazy. If I try to control the outcome which I can't, I'm going to go crazy.” So it basically was like, “If it happens, I'm just going to have to trust you with it fully. No holding back.” Actually, before we were even pregnant, started shopping around for providers. Meagan: That is key. That is so important. Shelby: Yeah. We do have one hospital locally that has midwives and birthing pools. I was like, “Okay, that sounds like a pretty good option for a VBAC.” We went to talk to them– well, I went by myself. I had my list of questions ready. I walked in ready to not take any crap because I also knew a lot about what they were probably going to say and they said, “Yeah.” First of all, they wouldn't call it a VBAC of course because nobody wants to do that. Meagan: TOLAC.Shelby: That was the first thing. I was like, “No. I'm going to do this.” Yeah, so they were like, “We'll allow you to try.” I was like, “Okay.” They were boasting about their VBAC rates and it was 60%. It was not very high and I was like, “Umm, okay. That's not that awesome, but all right.” They started listing off the things you have to do because I had all of these questions ready because I knew. So you have to have an IV hooked up. I was like, That's annoying. I was like, “Can you at least have the hep lock?” They said, “Yeah, that would be fine.” Then they said, “But you have to have continuous monitoring.” I was like, “Okay. I really, really don't want continuous monitoring,” and they try to make it sound better like, “Well, it's waterproof and it's mobile so you can still move around with it,” but I also knew about the statistics of continuous monitoring and how a lot of times they indicate things that aren't actually an issue and then especially if you are a VBAC patient, they're like, “Well, time for another C-section because baby's heart rate is dropping.” Baby's heart rate is supposed to fluctuate as they are descending. Meagan: Just like ours. Shelby: There was that and then they also said, “You can labor in the water, but VBACs aren't allowed to push in the water.” I was like, “Doesn't that defeat the purpose?” Especially if it's a VBAC patient, we should be doing everything we can to ease the labor. Why would you make them get out right when they are feeling like they need to push? They were like, “Oh, well it makes the OBs uncomfortable.” I was like, “Well, the OBs aren't delivering this baby so I don't really care what makes the OBs uncomfortable.”So they made me schedule out all of my prenatal appointments and I went to one of them but I told my husband, “I just don't want to have to fight for it. I know I can. I know that I can go in there and say ‘No thank you' and be confident in myself, but I don't really want to.” So I had never ever even considered a home birth. I don't even remember how, but we somehow heard about the only home birth midwife in our area and I scheduled an appointment with her. I didn't even get established with her until I was 19 weeks. I pushed out the OB care for a really long time when we found out we were pregnant because I knew we didn't really love them. So I just didn't go for a long time. I felt like everything was good. I felt like I was pretty in tune with everything. But yeah, I skipped a little bit but when we got pregnant with our second, it was a lot more immediate where I started praying about it all like, Okay God. This is for You because You are the only one who knows how long this baby is going to gestate and you're the only One who knows if it's going to end how we hope it does. I started praying. This is something. I started praying really specific prayers. I believe that God cares even about the little things which really aren't little things in this, but I prayed that my placenta would be in a good spot and I prayed that my placenta would be strong and that it would make it all the way to term and I prayed that this baby would make it all the way to term. Literally every little concern I had, I pretty much sat in the shower every day and just spoke it aloud. I was like, God, I know that You are a God of healing and restoration and I know that You can do that for me. I believed that through this birth, He was going to heal the trauma from our first because I was like, that feels like this is how it has to go at this point. We went and we met this midwife. She didn't doubt for a second. She didn't say anything that was like, “I'll let you try.” She was like, “You sound like a perfect candidate for a VBAC.” I told her that I had COVID and she was like, “Well, that's probably why your placenta ruptured.” She told me that the placentas she had seen throughout COVID and recently, she was like, “They are not healthy and they are not sustaining a lot of them until the end of pregnancy or if they are, they don't look good by the time they get there.” She wasn't surprised. But yeah, she said, “You sound like a perfect candidate. I think you can do this.” At every appointment with her, we'd sit there for an hour and we'd talk and she totally respected all of my wishes. She'd ask me if I wanted to do something. I'd ask her for information and then she'd let me decide either way which was cool too. With our second pregnancy, we didn't use a Doppler until I was in labor. I could feel her moving first of all so I knew that she was well but we actually started using a fetoscope which was really cool. You can't start using it until after 20 weeks so we had to wait for a really long time to hear her heartbeat but our toddler would watch us do it too. It was really cute because she would walk around with this fetoscope around her neck and she would go put it on daddy's belly and say, “I'm listening to Daddy's baby,” or she'd put it on her belly and it was really sweet. Yeah, we took a full 180 with this pregnancy. I had learned so much at this point that I was so confident in my body and in my instincts and all of it. We didn't find out the gender which with our first one, we found out at 8 weeks with the blood test. We didn't find out gender. I didn't do much prenatal care. We didn't do genetic screening anyway with the first one either because that didn't really matter to us. But yeah, I didn't even do an ultrasound until we were 32 weeks or something. We waited a long time because I had learned a lot about ultrasounds and how we actually don't know as much about them as we might think we know. Meagan: Might think we know. Yeah. Shelby: I read about how sometimes the techs are like, “Oh, they're moving away from it,” because they can feel it and I'm like, “We're not going to do that.” We waited and just had the technician who worked in our midwife's office which was perfect because we could tell her we wanted a very minimal one just to check basically the heart and vital organs and the brain to make sure everything was okay. She would pause the screen and take the measurement she needed and take the Doppler off and everything so it was very minimal. I was like, “I don't really care if they have 10 fingers and toes. We'll figure that out later. Just check the important stuff. Don't tell us the gender.” We did that and she basically was like, “Everything from as far as I can tell looks good.” That was pretty much all we did. My lifestyle was still very active and I was eating as best as I could. I didn't really feel like I had anything that was anything of concern which was perfect. I remember at my 30-week appointment, my midwife looked at me. We hadn't really talked about specific expectations I think for the birth because I didn't really know what I needed or what I wanted but she looked at me at my 30-week appointment without prompting and said, “I think what you really need from me in this birth is for me to just be there and for you to just do your thing.”Meagan: I love that. Shelby: I was like, “That's actually perfect. That's exactly what I want,” because at that point, I had listened to hundreds of birth stories and watched hundreds of birth videos and shown them all to my husband. Everything I was learning, obviously I was soaking it in but if there was anything I felt was pertinent to me, I was showing to him too. He really benefited from that because we went into birth also with him not being afraid. He would watch birth videos with me and he'd be like, “Wow, that's amazing.” That's one of my things. Knowledge is power and educate your husbands too or whoever is going to be with you at your birth. Physiological birth especially, they should be comfortable with it. They should know what it looks like and how it progresses and how to best support you in that. That was huge for us. I made him watch a lot of birth videos and he wasn't even weirded with it by the time it came around. But yeah. She said that and I was like, “Yeah, you know, that sounds great.” We made it all the way to 40 weeks and I just felt completely at peace the whole time. I wasn't worried and I was like, “She's going to come when she's going to come.” Another thing they had told me at the hospital was, “We only let VBACs go to 41 weeks and once you go past 41 weeks, you have to have a C-section.” I was like, “I'm not going to do that. I don't even know what my typical gestation is because I haven't made it term.”Meagan: I was going to say, you didn't even make it to 40 weeks. Shelby: Yeah, so my midwife was like, “Well, if you get to 42 weeks, we'll do an ultrasound and make sure everything is okay,” but she wasn't putting a timeline on it which was so great. I did a lot of courses. I stay at home with my daughters so I just listened to a lot of courses. I did the Christian HypnoBirthing one, our midwives did a course. It was really cool. They got us all together at one of their houses and went through a course with us and our spouses with all the moms who were about to have babies. I also did the Free Birth Society course which I was kind of so/so on but I was like, “If I want to know how to home birth, I just want to know about everything. I want to know about the complications that could happen and what you should do in those situations,” so even though I wasn't planning to free birth, I still wanted to learn all of the things. That was one of the things that I did and I was just listening to constant everything. When we made it to– I guess it was two days before my due date, so July 29, I was having fairly consistent contractions in the evening and so we were all excited. We're timing them and we were texting our moms but then they stopped the next morning which was a Sunday before church so we were getting ready to go to church but then I lost my mucus plug in the shower. I was like, “Okay, just in case something is going to happen, we should probably watch online.” We stayed home, watched online, and nothing was happening all day. We knew that we shouldn't get our hopes up but also you make it that far and you're like, “I'm just ready.” Our church had a picnic that night at a local water park so I was like, “Well, nothing has happened all day. We might as well go because we didn't go to church.” We went to this picnic and we were doing the mini playground with our 1-year-old at the time who is water crazy. I think I jumped to get into one of the tubes and felt something kind of funny then around 8:30 PM, I had a really strong contraction. I was like, “Okay. That was unusual.” I went to the bathroom and had bloody show so I went back out and got my husband. I was like, “We've got to go home.” On the drive home, contractions were 8-10 minutes apart. I showered and we called the midwife and our photographer and my mom and grandma who were coming to get my daughter and the dogs because we didn't know how it would go so we didn't want anybody else there who needed care obviously. Meagan: Well and your last labor was actually pretty dang fast. Shelby: Right, yeah so I was like, “I don't know how this is going to go.” My mom came and helped us clean up the kitchen which is where we were going to put the pool and everything. The midwife and her student arrived at around 10:30 PM. At this point, I was between the coffee table and the couch on my knees holding a comb and my husband was pushing on my back. I labored just in that one position for a long time and that felt as okay as it can feel. Then at around midnight, the midwife heard one of my contractions and was like, “That one sounded a little different. Let's get in the pool.” So I got into the pool and that was instant relief. I was able to sit between contractions and try to relax then after a little while, I was too afraid to feel. We did zero cervical checks. I didn't want to know. I was like, I just want to go. After a while, it was so cool how in tune she was with it all. She goes, “Why don't you see if you can feel your baby's head?” I was like, “Are you serious?” So I reached up and I could feel her head. I was like, “Okay. That gave me a little bit of encouragement to keep going.” I would say probably about an hour after I got into the water, my body started pushing. I didn't push voluntarily once. It was wild. I felt something at one point. We were about to change positions again. I had been in the tub for a little while and they were getting the bedroom ready. I was like, “Hold on, something just happened.” I reached down and a big hand-sized bulge of my amniotic sac was sticking out still full of fluid.Meagan: Yeah, I've seen that. It's so cool. Shelby: I told my husband, “Do you want to feel it?” Meagan: It's like a water balloon sticking out of your vagina. Shelby: Yeah, then the midwife was like, “Okay, we're not going to move. We're going to stay here. Obviously this position is good.” I held a comb in my hand the whole time and I had my husband push on my back because with both labors, I have had total back labor. I don't know why. I just have. I mean, she said I pushed for less than 40 minutes which was crazy. I felt her head come out but we didn't know it was a girl yet so that was fun and then I tried to slow down because I knew that sometimes you need a push or a contraction between and you don't want to get pushed too hard and tear but I couldn't. My body literally just pushed her all the way out in one push. That fetal ejection reflex is definitely a thing. So at 2:14 AM was when she was born and my first contraction was at 8:30 PM. I caught her by myself in the water and pulled her up. She had her cord on like a backpack. It was around both arms and her neck so I had her head out of the water but I could barely get her up. The midwife came over and untangled her and I mean, my husband and I just sat there for probably over 5 minutes before we even checked what the gender was because we were just in awe. We didn't even care. We were like, “Whatever. It's fine either way.” So when we finally looked, we saw it was our girl and we already had a name picked out, Elowen Ruth so we got to hold her for a long time but obviously, my midwife could tell that I was bleeding a lot so she had me get out and I had planned not obviously to do Pitocin unless I really needed it especially before baby was born but it was a lot of bleeding. I tried one of our tinctures first and it didn't really slow it down. So we did some Pitocin. She just did it. I didn't even notice. I was sitting there holding my baby and I was like, “You can't make this moment not perfect.” So we did some Pitocin and delivered the placenta. Then we went out and just sat on the couch and my husband made a snack plate and we all– the photographer and the midwife and her student and my husband and I just sat there talking about the birth and eating snacks.Then after a while, my husband got to hold her while I got cleaned up. I did end up having a lot of bleeding.Meagan: I was just going to ask if the bleeding resolved or did it continue?Shelby: I mean, it stopped pretty well. I didn't end up having to go get checked, but about a week later, my mom and when I took the baby into her first appointment at our nurse practitioner, I wasn't even there for me and she was like, “We are running iron labs on you because you look super pale.” I was really anemic and we didn't know so I think that probably was something. Now I know for the future, if I have a lot of bleeding again, I need to get it checked out really fast because I think it really slowed down my healing. Other than the initial pain of a C-section, my vaginal birth recovery was much more difficult. I could barely walk or stand for 4 weeks. I could not believe it. I remember going to my appointment and I was like, “Is this normal?” The birth went so well. I know it was fast but I think it was because my iron was so low. My body just couldn't heal. I did end up having a little bit of tearing but we didn't stitch it or anything. It healed pretty well on its own. It was super painful when I would have to pee and all of the things but eventually, it healed up on its own. But yeah. I mean, we got to sleep in our own bed. Well, I mean, the husband and the baby got to sleep. I could not. That high we were on, my midwife told me, she was like, “Okay. She's probably going to sleep for the next 5 or 6 hours and you should try to also.” I laid there and I was like, “There is no sleeping. There is none.” After that, she's like, “It's time to nurse 24/7.” Meagan: Of course. Shelby: She's 9 months today and we are still breastfeeding which is huge because with my first, I exclusively pumped for 8.5 months and that was so hard. I was so determined. I also took breastfeeding courses leading up to this baby because I was like, “We are going to make this work because I do not want to pump again.” I love nursing. I have to leave for an Army training here in a couple of weeks and I'm planning to take her with me and still nurse her at night time. I'm like, “We're going to make this go as long as we can.” Yeah, I mean, it was wild but so good. Meagan: Wild but amazing. Shelby: Yeah. Meagan: Did you find it healing? Because sometimes I feel like when you have a harder postpartum where you're like, “I'm not walking as well and I'm feeling gross with the iron,” that can be defeating and frustrating. But did you find that healing or were you like, “I would still take this over the other?” Shelby: Oh absolutely. I mean, I definitely had times where I would just break down not only because of the hormones but everything else. With my husband, I'd be like, “I did it. Why is this so hard?” I had prepared for postpartum. I made sure we had help lined up for our daughter and for meals and for everything so I was really able to take the time I needed. I think if I hadn't done that, I don't know what would have happened honestly because I needed it. I couldn't even sit on the couch. I had to be laying down in the bed or I was in pain. Meagan: Dang. Shelby: I think preparing for it definitely helped and the birth itself made it all worth it. Now, I'm like, Yeah, that was really hard for a couple of weeks but that experience made up for it for sure. Meagan: Worth it. Shelby: Overall, with the recovery, I'm like, Man, that was really hard with the C-section. it was two really hard days with the C-section but everyday is a little better. With my vaginal birth, I was like, Man, everyday is gettig worse. It's hurting more. But it was still really good. Meagan: What was it that was in pain? Was it your pelvic floor? Was it your abdomen? Shelby: It was probably my pelvic floor honestly and also because I think I had torn and she came so fast and there was no slow stretching, I mean– Meagan: Fetal ejection. Shelby: From the first one, it was crazy. I think it really was pelvic floor. I remember one of my friends describing it as she just felt heavy. I was like, “Yes. That is what it is.” It just felt heavy and it ached. Yeah. That was hard. I mean, even being in the shower didn't fix it and that was how my husband and I had planned to bond postpartum was showers together and stuff and I would be in there and I'm like, “I cannot stand up. I have to go back to bed.” Meagan: Too much pressure. Shelby: Yeah, for sure. Meagan: That makes sense. Okay, so let's talk about faith and getting yourself through a really, really rough first birth and you finding that faith. Do you have any advice for the listeners to gain faith in their ability?Shelby: Yeah. I mean, for me it was just knowing that God created my body to do this. No matter what had already happened, my body knew how to birth. I think what helped was I was like, Okay, it's already gotten fully dilated and effaced in my first labor. Maybe not gradually or the way it should have, but I was like, I've kind of already done it. I didn't get to the pushing but just knowing that I was designed to do it and through a lot of prayer and speaking and speaking, “God, you created me to do this. You gave me this baby to grow and to birth,” and just the knowledge is the same thing. Learning about how your body was made to do this is just huge and like I said, just praying those specific prayers for me was so important and proclaiming the promises that God has that He is a healer and a redeemer and He cares about our birth stories. He totally does. That was part of His plan from the beginning. I think for me personally, my birth stories are my testimony. I feel like until these two babies, I really was like, Oh, I grew up in the church and I don't really have a cool story which is fine but also with these babies, I'm like, I have never trusted God more with any situation in my entire life other than with the life of my children and bringing them into this world. For me, that was something I didn't really realize until recently too. That same friend was like, “I think this is your testimony.” I was like, “You're so right.” Meagan: That's cool. Shelby: It totally brought beauty from the whole experience. From the first one, you are like, Why in the world did this happen to me? What good could possibly come of this? We're traumatized. My baby is having sensory overload and I'm not at home. It was all of these things and then realizing that I shared about my story and I was able to connect with so many other moms who were like, “I had an emergency C-section” or “I had a really scary birth story” and now when I hear that a mom had a baby, my first thought is, How did her birth go and how is she doing? Did it go the way she planned and is she hurting? Those are my first thoughts instead of, Oh, is the baby okay? Okay, the baby is okay. It's made me really passionate about postpartum moms and at some point, I'd love to do something with that not while I have a 9-month-old and a 2-year-old but just knowing that there can be beauty that comes out of every story because in the moment, it totally did not feel like it with our first baby. Meagan: Right, yeah. That is the case a lot of the time. It feels like there is no beauty at all anywhere in that story and then you go and you listen to these stories and there is beauty in every single story and growth in every single story. There is learning. I think there is just so much to take from these stories. Then I wanted to go over physiological birth. There's a women and infant's blog or website and it says, “A normal physiological birth and birth are defined globally by midwife organizations as a birth that is powered by the innate human capacity of the birthing person and fetus.” The innate human capacity. “This means that there are no interventions performed that disrupt the normal physiological process in the absence of complications that warrant interventions supporting the physiological process of labor and birth has the potential to enhance birth outcomes and experiences.”I do believe so wholeheartedly that there are sometimes here. You had a real thing happening, a real medical–Shelby: Right. Thank goodness for the medical system in that situation, you know?Meagan: Yes. Thank goodness for intervention in that situation but that doesn't mean that we always have to just get all handsy with birth. It does show the benefits of supporting and fostering physiological birth of individuals include reduced Cesareans, increased breastfeeding success, improved birth experience, and reduced cost of care. Now, this world is very cost-minded especially with insurance and all of those things, but in the end, if you look at the reduced amount of money that we are spending when we are not paying for all of the interventions that happen during birth– and they don't always happen. We know that this is not a blank statement where it's like, “Every birth ends this way,” but usually when there's one, there are more. That adds up. Right? In the end, it's like, is that experience worth another experience? Even if you're in the hospital, you do not– you can totally have a physiological birth in a hospital. I love that so much. Some people don't feel safe out of the hospital. Shelby: Right. That's physiological birth. The key is being where you are safe because your body cannot progress as it needs to if it doesn't feel safe. I majored in animal science and I think about how animals won't have their babies if they don't feel safe. I think that we are mammals and our bodies are the same way. If you feel safest at home, awesome. If you feel safest in the hospital where you know you can get care right away, awesome. Yeah. You definitely just have to make that decision for yourself. Meagan: Yeah. I had a client who really wanted a home birth really, really badly. She decided not to, but decided to labor at home as long as possible and she was laboring and she was laboring and she was laboring and I was like, This labor. Something is off. Something is off. It was going but it wasn't really going and through chatting with her and doing a fear-clearing and fear-release to see if we could get over to that next stage, she never said, “I want to go to the hospital.” She didn't say those words but everything else that she was saying to me, that's what I heard. I said, “Why don't we go to the hospital? If we end up coming back home, that's okay but let's go and let's just see how things are going.” She was like, “I don't know,” because she was steering off of her plan in her mind of laboring at home. I said, “Okay, cool. It's going to be your decision.” About 25 minutes later, she was like, “Yeah, let's do it.” I'm not kidding you. The second she got into that car, it was a game changer. Shelby: Oh my gosh. Meagan: Because her mind was like, I'm going. She immediately felt better and safe. She didn't realize that's where she felt safer. We went. We had a total physiological birth. In fact, we didn't know if we were going to make it. She had the baby on the bed and the doctor was not there. Shelby: There's so much mental work that goes into it and everything. For me, knowing that I was going to my house. I hate packing and knowing I didn't have to leave and go somewhere, that was how I felt safe but I know a lot of people who are like, “No, I want to be in the hospital.” I'm like, “Great. Do it. Just make sure you are informed.” Meagan: Make sure you are informed. That is the ending tidbit here to this story. Be informed. Take a VBAC class. We have our VBAC class online. If you have any questions online, you can always email us on Instagram or in our email at info@thevbaclink.com. Hire a doula if you can. Hire a provider that you really, really trust to support you. Find that birthing location. Get the information. Learn what is important to you because what's important to you is going to stand out that day that you are in labor. Get educated. Love yourself. Have faith in you and your body and your baby. You are amazing. You are a true Woman of Strength. Shelby: Yes. So good. Thank you so much. Meagan: Thank you. ClosingWould you like to be a guest on the podcast? Tell us about your experience at thevbaclink.com/share. For more information on all things VBAC including online and in-person VBAC classes, The VBAC Link blog, and Meagan's bio, head over to thevbaclink.com. Congratulations on starting your journey of learning and discovery with The VBAC Link.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vbac-link/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

On August 19, the Albany Common Council took up a resolution supporting the nurses at the Albany Medical Center as they attempt to get a new contract and remedy what they call unsafe staffing procedures. Local nurses spoke in favor of the resolution following its introduction by 6th Ward Council member Gabriella Romero.

Today, on the Hudson Mohawk Magazine, First, Mark Dunlea reports on the nurses push for renewed contracts at Albany Medical Center. Then, we talk with Meredith Kooi of WGXC about what goes into programming a community radio station. Later on, we honor Dr. Alice Green with an interview from earlier this year with producer Marsha Lazarus. After that, for this week's comedy interview we speak with local comedian Mike Bernat. Finally, Thom Francis introduces us to local poet Rico Frederick.

On Tuesday, August 20, 2024, Hudson Mohawk Magazine Roaming Labor Correspondent Willie Terry attended the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) informational picket for safe staffing and a fair contract at the Albany Medical Center at New Scotland Avenue. In this labor segment, Willie spoke to Tonia Bazel, who has been a nurse for 30 years, worked at the Albany Medical Center for six years, and is also an NYSNA activist.

The Nurses Union is organizing to convince Albany Medical Center to agree to renew the recently expired contract, holding an informational picket line at the hospital on August 20. A key issue is getting the hospital to agree to the safe staffing levels for nurses as required by a recent state law. Tonia Bazel, a nurse and member of the bargaining committee, talks with Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine. (full version)

We are joined by Dr. Rebecca Stetzer, a geriatrician from The Alzheimer's Center at Albany Medical Center. Ray Graf hosts.

On Tuesday, July 23, 2024, Hudson Mohawk Magazine Roaming Labor Correspondent Willie Terry attended a "Speak Out and Safe Staffing Care for Patient" at the New York State Nurses Association Headquarters in Albany on Washington Avenue. Nurses, labor leaders, and community allies came together to discuss the issues surrounding the ongoing crisis in safe patient care at Albany Medical Center. In this labor segment, Willie recorded the presentation by Margaret Frank, a Nurse at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, New York, explaining why patient care is suffering at hospitals. Part-2.

We're joined by Dr. Nagendra Madisi, director of Interventional Pulmonology at Albany Medical Center. Sarah LaDuke hosts.

On Tuesday, July 23, 2024, Hudson Mohawk Magazine Roaming Labor Correspondent Willie Terry attended a "Speak Out and Safe Staffing Care for Patient" at the New York State Nurses Association Headquarters in Albany on Washington Avenue. Nurses, labor leaders, and community allies came together to discuss the issues surrounding the ongoing crisis in safe patient care at Albany Medical Center. In this labor segment, Willie recorded some highlights of speakers explaining the reason why patient care is suffering at Albany Medical Center.

July 17, 2024 - Paramedics have the tools to revive someone from an opioid overdose, but they are limited in what additional treatments they're able to provide. Dr. Michael Dailey, chief of pre-hospital medicine at Albany Medical Center, explains why emergency medical responders should also be authorized to administer buprenorphine.

We welcome Dr. Kelly Beers, a nephrologist at Albany Medical Center. Ray Graf hosts.

June 25, 2024 - Dr. Michael Dailey, chief of pre-hospital medicine at Albany Medical Center, discusses legislation paving the way for ambulance providers to provide blood transfusions at the site of trauma scenes in New York.

We welcome Dr. Matthew Leinung, an endocrinologist at Albany Medical Center who specializes in endocrine disorders in adults. Ray Graf hosts.

Our Ability has a long-standing relationship with Albany Medical Center. Over the years, Albany Med has supported our Journey Along the Erie Canal, a hand cycle trip to support individuals with disabilities in upstate New York. As we have grown our employment outreach throughout New York State, Albany Med has come on board to support our work, most importantly, sourcing candidates. Sandra "Sandy" Castilla represents Albany Med, and we have an open and enjoyable conversation.   Castilla is Vice President for Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer for the Albany Med Health System. Castilla joined Albany Medical Center in 2005 as the Associate Director of Compensation and Benefits. She was subsequently promoted to Director of Human Resources, Assistant Vice President of Human Resources, and then Vice President. In her role, Castilla oversees benefits, compensation, and human resources management. She leads the team responsible for executing retention and recruitment strategies for clinical departments and non-clinical business departments. Along with her extensive experience in the healthcare sector, Castilla has held human resources leadership roles in the finance, manufacturing, and gaming industries. Castilla holds a bachelor's degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from the State University of New York at Potsdam and a master's degree in Business and Public Management from the State 

We welcome Dr. Jennifer Miller. Dr. Miller specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Albany Medical Center. She sees adult and pediatric patients for new or long-standing muscle, nerve or tendon problems. She also aids in the rehabilitation needs of patients with amputation, spinal cord injury, stroke, brain injury, neurologic disease, and cerebral palsy. Ray Graf hosts.

Dr. Dana Cohen MD, is a nationally renowned internal and integrative medicine specialist whose multi-disciplinary approach has helped treat thousands of patients using a variety of conventional and complementary therapies. She trained under the late Dr. Robert Atkins, author of the iconic “Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution,” and Dr. Ronald L. Hoffman, a pioneer of integrative medicine and founder of the Hoffman Center in New York City. Dr. Cohen was certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and was appointed to the Board of Directors of the American College for the Advancement of Medicine (ACAM), the leading voice of integrative medicine for more than 1,500 MD, DO, ND and master-level health care providers, and served as advisor to the Board of Directors and advisor to the education committee. She earned her medical degree from St. George's University School of Medicine and completed a three-year internal medicine residency at Albany Medical Center and was board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in 1998. Dr. Cohen is the author of “Quench: Beat Fatigue, Drop Weight, and Heal Your Body Through the New Science of Optimum Hydration” (Hachette Books, 2018). Contact: Connect with Dr. Dana Cohen at:  Website: www.drdanacohen.com and https://www.drdanacohen.com/Quench-Book Facebook: www.facebook.com/danacohenmd  Twitter: @DRDanaCohen https://twitter.com/DRDanaCohen  Instagram: @DrDanaCohen: https://www.instagram.com/drdanacohen/ and @QuenchtheBook: https://www.instagram.com/quenchthebook/ 

Joining us is Dr. Brian Arnold, a thoracic surgeon at Albany Medical Center. Ray Graf hosts.

Can you play Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall (Part I)" using only your brain (and a little help from AI)? It may be muffled and distorted, but scientists recreated the 1979 song using the brain signals of 29 patients at Albany Medical Center. It's a feat, they say, that offers new insight into human brain activity. On this episode of "The Eagle," reporter H. Rose Schneider explains this ground-breaking research. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We welcome Dr. Paul Singh, Bariatric Program Director at Albany Medical Center and associate professor of surgery at Albany Medical College. Ray Graf hosts.

Dr. Jay Carruthers is Director of the Suicide Prevention Center of New York At New York State Office of Mental Health and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Albany Medical Center. September is Suicide Prevention Month, so we wanted to discuss this enormous public health problem and learn how New York State's Office of Mental Health is responding.

We welcome Dr. Marjorie Bunch, a neurologist and medical director of Albany Medical Center's Adult Comprehensive Epilepsy Program. Ray Graf hosts.

 Today's guest is Heather Franz. Heather is a scleroderma warrior. She is also the executive director of the patient safety and clinical competency at Albany Medical Center. Heather volunteers with the Steffens Scleroderma Foundation interpersonal educational event in teaching the art of interviewing and active listening. Let's learn more about her and all that she does.

Hear about Engeye, a nonprofit that sponsors a health clinic in Ddegeya, Uganda, to provide services to 15,000-20,000 patients per year, including the only maternity clinic in a large rural area. Matt Liquori, VP for Communications, explains how the clinic was co-founded by an Albany woman from Albany Medical Center about 20 years ago, and continues a strong connection with volunteers in Albany. Amy Haven, VP for Scholars, shares how the organization has grown to suport 20 scholars from the area in a variety of professions. Both Matt and Amy are alums of Union College, a school that had strong connections with Engeye for 12 years. Both have spent 9 months on site, and each has visited later with their mothers. Matt talks about many ways that listeners can help the organization in Uganda or from here. For information, visit www.engeye.org. Produced by Brea Barthel for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

Cheryl and Tammy sit down and talk about:Two Truths and a LieYouth SportsThe Loss of a ChildNeck BallsThe Next Phase of LifeGluten AllergiesI know...they just can't seem to stay on one topic for too long, but we promise you this, you will learn a smidge, cry a little and a laugh a lot. Visit: Brave Will Foundation  (bravewill.org)Brave Will Foundation raised money to develop the Brave Will Room for families at Albany Medical Center. This room is used for families to spend time with a child in palliative care,  in a way that is unlike any other.  They have also created a program, SOAR (Steer Onward and Remember) to support families and honor their child after their passing.There are several videos on bravewill.org so that you can learn more about these programs and about Will.  Not everything happens for a reason, but everything that happens has a purpose. Thank you for listening.Please subscribe and leave a rating if you are enjoying listening to these stories.Follow @rassy6 on InstagramBetween Me and You is sponsored by The GoodLC (@thegoodlc)

We welcome Dr. Kelly Beers, a nephrologist at Albany Medical Center. Dr. Beers has a special interest in glomerular disease and pregnancy-associated kidney disease. She also cares for patients with general kidney conditions, including chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, and hypertension. Call with your question at show time (2pm.) 800-348-2551. Ray Graf hosts.

Joining us for Medical Monday is neurologist Dr. David Hart of Albany Medical Center. WAMC's Ray Graf hosts. To join the conversation, give us a call at 1-800-348-2551 or you can e-mail us at VoxPop@wamc.org

What does it mean to be a resident in an OB-GYN residency? Meet Dr. Jaworski and learn why she chose to be an obstetrician-gynecologist and what her world looks like at Albany Medical Center. Questions of comments? Call 845-307-7446 or email comments@radiofreerhinecliff.org Produced by Jennifer Hammoud and Matty Rosenberg @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff

May is National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month. Dr. Nira Madisi is an endocrinologist at Albany Medical Center who specializes in bone health and in treating patients with bone diseases, including osteoporosis and parathyroid disease. Ray Graf hosts.

In this episode of Lessons in Leadership, we are joined by Dr. Jeff Marcus, current division chief of Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Oral Surgery at Duke University, and Dr. Ash Patel, former division chief of Plastic Surgery at Albany Medical Center now current professor of surgery at Duke University. We explore the role of emotional intelligence in leadership, experiences of having been both residency program director and division chief, impact of mentorship on personal and professional development, and change management.