Podcasts about elephant circle

Leseliey Welch and Indra Lusero, parents and birth justice advocates, are helping to lead a movement to create community birth centers across the nation. To help address the maternal and infant mortality crisis, they're realizing a vision where midwives are the leaders in care in a reclamation of the normal physiologic process of birth. They say birth centers provide racially and culturally reverent care founded in safety, love and trust. Featuring Leseliey Welch, MPH, MBA, is Co-founder of Birth Detroit (Detroit's first freestanding birth center) and Birth Center Equity, a mom and a tireless advocate for work that makes communities stronger, healthier and more free. Indra Lusero is a Colorado licensed attorney, founder of Elephant Circle and the Birth Rights Bar Association, designed Colorado's ambitious Birth Equity bill package. Resources Reclaiming Birth: The Movement for Safe, Reverent, and Equitable Maternity Care in America This is an episode of the Bioneers: Revolution from the Heart of Nature series. Visit the radio and podcast homepage to learn more.

In this special episode, AMCHP's MCH Bridges teams up with the Maternal Health Innovation podcast to explore maternal health policy successes, challenges and opportunities.  Guest host Laura Powis, AMCHP's Evidence-Based Policy and Practice Program Manager, is joined by Indra Lusero, founder of the Elephant Circle; Demetra Seriki, Midwife at A Mother's Choice Midwifery; and George Davis V, a community member on Elephant Circle's Birth Equity Implementation Steering Committee to discuss Colorado's Birth Equity Bill Package. This recently passed legislation is a comprehensive and community-led response to the maternal health crisis designed to increase access and decrease inequities in obstetric care in the state.Additional Resources:AMCHP's MCH Innovations Database: Colorado Birth Equity Bill PackagePolicy Development HandoutElephant Circle: Birth Equity Bill Package SummaryMaternal Health Learning & Innovation Center: Policy ResourcesHave you been involved in the development, implementation, or evaluation of  a policy that benefits MCH populations? Share  it with your peers through AMCHP's Innovation Hub! Learn more and submit your work here.

In response to racial health disparities in maternal mortality rates, California passed SB-464 (aka the California Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act), which mandates implicit bias training for perinatal health care providers. Sarah Garrett joins us to discuss her research on implementation of SB-464 and Linda Jones discusses the need for and importance of this recent legislation. Futher Reading: https://pretermbirthca.ucsf.edu/currently-funded-projects/multi-stakeholder-engagement-state-policies-advance-antiracism-maternal (Summary of the MEND study) Annie Dade, https://pretermbirthca.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra2851/f/wysiwyg/Implementation%20Analysis%20of%20CA%20SB-464%20%281%29.pdf (Building Ant-Racist Capacity with California's Perinatal Healthcare Providers: Implementation Analysis of CA SB-464), UCSF California Preterm Birth Initiative, 2021.   http://blackwomenbirthingjustice.com/ (Black Women Birthing Justice)  Julia Oparah and Alicia Bonaparte, eds., https://www.amazon.com/Birthing-Justice-Black-Pregnancy-Childbirth/dp/1138191450 (Birthing Justice: Black Women, Pregnancy and Childbirth), Taylor and Francis, 2016.   Linda Jones, Julia Chinyere Oparah, Helen Arega, et al., https://www.amazon.com/Battling-Over-Birth-Maternal-Health/dp/1946665118 (Battling Over Birth, Black Women and the Maternal Health Crisis), Praeclarus Press, 2018.  https://www.m2mpostpartum.org/ (Mothers for Mothers Postpartum Justice Project)  https://www.elephantcircle.net/rights (The Elephant Circle)

During this two-part podcast episode, you will listen to a conversation about Health Equity.  This time, we had the honor to have Indra Lusero as our guest.  Indra is the founder and director of Elephant Circle, an organization that brings an intersectional, feminist, reproductive justice, and design thinking approach to birth justice.Listen to how Cecilia and Indra dive into topics like the circles of protection, trauma during birth, health equity policy, the difference between equity and equality, and steps to address structural inequity.Below is the list of resources and thought leaders discussed during this:Elephant Circle  https://www.elephantcircle.net/Birth Place Lab Giving Voice to Mothers https://www.birthplacelab.org/giving-voice-to-mothers/Why Are Health Disparities Everyone's Problem? By Lisa Cooper, MD, MPH https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/12659/why-are-health-disparities-everyones-problemYour Words Matter – Language Showing Compassion and Care for Women, Infants, Families, and Communities Impacted by Substance Use Disorder - https://nida.nih.gov/nidamed-medical-health-professionals/health-professions-education/words-matter-language-showing-compassion-care-women-infants-families-communities-impacted-substance-use-disorder Thought Leaders:Karen Scott, MD, MPH    https://profiles.ucsf.edu/karen.scottDána-Ain Davis, PhD https://www.gc.cuny.edu/people/dana-ain-davisHakima Tafunzi Payne, BSN, RN https://uzazivillage.org/faces/Audre Lorde https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/audre-lorde

During this two-part podcast episode, you will listen to a conversation about Health Equity.  This time, we had the honor to have Indra Lusero as our guest.  Indra is the founder and director of Elephant Circle, an organization that brings an intersectional, feminist, reproductive justice, and design thinking approach to birth justice.Listen to how Cecilia and Indra dive into topics like the circles of protection, trauma during birth, health equity policy, the difference between equity and equality, and steps to address structural inequity.Below is the list of resources and thought leaders discussed during this:Elephant Circle  https://www.elephantcircle.net/Birth Place Lab Giving Voice to Mothers https://www.birthplacelab.org/giving-voice-to-mothers/Why Are Health Disparities Everyone's Problem? By Lisa Cooper, MD, MPH https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/12659/why-are-health-disparities-everyones-problemYour Words Matter – Language Showing Compassion and Care for Women, Infants, Families, and Communities Impacted by Substance Use Disorder - https://nida.nih.gov/nidamed-medical-health-professionals/health-professions-education/words-matter-language-showing-compassion-care-women-infants-families-communities-impacted-substance-use-disorder Thought Leaders:Karen Scott, MD, MPH    https://profiles.ucsf.edu/karen.scottDána-Ain Davis, PhD https://www.gc.cuny.edu/people/dana-ain-davisHakima Tafunzi Payne, BSN, RN https://uzazivillage.org/faces/Audre Lorde https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/audre-lorde

 The U.S is the only developed country with an increasing maternal mortality rate, and in Colorado, that rate has doubled since 2008. Additionally, longstanding discriminatory policies and practices have led to maternal mortality rates among birthing people of color and people using Medicaid that are significantly higher than the mortality rates seen amongst birthing people who are white, or using private insurance. These data make one thing clear: our current maternal health system is not only failing, but also leading to horrific, deadly outcomes. It is time that families, and especially birthing people, have access to systems that allow them agency over their birthing experiences, and high-quality care that helps their family thrive.  Welcome back to The West Steps! This week, we have a full house discussing maternal health in Colorado with our guests, Erin Miller, Vice President of Health Initiatives at the Colorado Children's Campaign; Indra Lusero, founder and director of Elephant Circle; and Kayla Frawley, Manager of Policy and Advocacy at Clayton Early Learning Centers. Our guests provide an overview of the current maternal health landscape in Colorado, including the policies that are taking steps to improve it. They also discuss the rising rate of home and community births, emphasizing the need to make midwifery more integrated in Colorado's maternal health care system. By creating accessible, culturally responsive options for birth settings, the state can better ensure more equitable birth outcomes.  In fact, birthing people across the state agree – systemic racism in birth settings is the number one issue that needs to be addressed by Colorado. This legislative session, HB22-128 – Cover All Coloradans -- hopes to take one step toward improving that. To learn more about this bill and how it would improve health care access for birthing people who are undocumented, click here. Support the show (https://www.coloradokids.org/)

The U.S spends more on maternal care than any other country in the world, and yet, we have worse outcomes than any other developed nation. Racism and structural issues within our health care system are just two of the many contributing factors to the rising maternal mortality rate in our country. The longstanding dehumanization experienced by Black and indigenous women when giving birth has led to mortality rates that are 2-3 times higher than white women. Additionally, the many stigmas surrounding women of color and women with low incomes continue to significantly impact the overall quality of care they receive throughout the perinatal period. Not only do these issues demand a deeper look at the structure of our health care systems, but they also call for a dismantling of the systemic racism that continues to have a detrimental impact on the lives of kids and families across the country.  In episode 12 of The West Steps, we are joined by Christina Yebuah, Research and Policy Analyst at Colorado Center on Law and Policy; Heather Thompson, Deputy Director of Elephant Circle; and Vita Malama, a writer and researcher for Elephant Circle, for the podcast's first-ever discussion of birth equity in Colorado. Our guests explain some of the alarming maternal health inequities that exist in our state, as well as the way racism directly impacts outcomes in the perinatal period. These issues demand multifaceted solutions from our policymakers, health care providers, and advocates in order to help combat the increasing rate of maternal mortality. The small steps we take today can lead to more equitable solutions in the future.  Reach out to your elected officials and urge them to prioritize birth equity this legislative session. Visit Elephant Circle for more information on advocacy, updates on birth equity bills, and to engage with their upcoming virtual event on May 13. Support the show (https://www.coloradokids.org/)

Indra Lusero is founder of Elephant Circle and the Birth Rights Bar Association. Indra's family has been in the Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado area for generations. As a Queer, Genderqueer, Latinx parent rooted in this region, Indra is attuned to the importance of people on the margins and our role in leading the dismantling of oppressive systems to build a more equitable world. Indra helped pass legislation in Colorado to eliminate the shackling of incarcerated women during pregnancy and birth, to improve midwifery and birth center regulations, and to create more humane policies for families impacted by substance use. Indra also spearheaded the creation of "Birth Rights: A resource for everyday people to defend human rights during labor and birth." Listen to Indra as they discuss with Ellen and Jenn: • Their identity and expressing that in a comfortable, authentic way. • Their first relationship and already thinking of plans for children. • In college, actively envisioning their dream family – including a duplex with an inner door connecting the various parents and their living spaces. • Some of the legal questions and hurtles they faced. • Navigating conception with cross country travel and a yogurt cup. • The birth of their first child. • Moving forward with plans for a second child, but now with another dad in the mix. • The work of blending the different parts of their family. • How they decided on a last name for the kids. • Updates on their family and final thoughts. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/ Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/ Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/ Learn more about Indra Lusero: https://www.elephantcircle.net/ Learn more about Indra's Birth Rights resource: https://birthrightsbar.org/

Heather Thompson, MS, Ph.D. Deputy Director of Elephant Circle, a birth justice organization, talks about what exactly birth justice is, why we need it, and how Elephant Circle is helping to create a circle of support to help all parents achieve a healthy pregnancy and postpartum period.   

In this episode, I am joined by two of our distinguished keynote speakers from the 2019 Evidence Based Birth Conference, “Bringing Evidence to Life”: Dr. Sayida Peprah, Psy.D, licensed clinical psychologist, trained birth doula and founder of Diversity Uplifts, Inc., and Heather Thompson, MS, PhD, a molecular and cellular biologist, clinical researcher, birth worker and deputy director of birth justice organization Elephant Circle. The 2019 Evidence Based Birth conference brought together an incredible mix of birth workers and advocates from many professions and backgrounds. Listen as the three of us debrief the conference - what was impactful, what went right, and what went we would do differently in the future. Hear their perspectives as members of a non-dominant cultures, and what they and their communities experienced in a diverse and intense conference setting.  For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Ready to get involved? Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) and our Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class. RESOURCES: Connect with Dr. Sayida Peprah via her website, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more information on Diversity Uplifts, Inc., click here. Visit the Elephant Circle website here. Click here for the Evidence Based Birth Podcast episode, "How to Disagree on Birth Topics - Respectfully!" with Cristen Pascucci.

Heather Thompson is back on the podcast to share her birth stories! You may remember her from episode number 25 when she came to talk about the work she does with the birth justice organization, Elephant Circle. Heather is a queer birth worker and scientist with extensive experience working in the birth and social justice fields. She lives with her partner Tom and their two children in Denver, CO. Here’s an overview of what’s covered in this episode: Heather’s experience with birth work and her feelings about the importance of having adequate postpartum support Her family background (Christian and conservative) and what it was like for her to come out as queer The origin of her relationship with her partner, Tom, and their story of getting married and starting a family The story of her first pregnancy, including what it was like to be living in a new city and trying to find a supportive and queer-friendly care provider/birthing location Heather’s sexual and gender identities and her experience with having body dysphoria during pregnancy A great explanation of the difference between sexual identity and gender identity The story of her first birth – an unmedicated birth at home – and how the postpartum period went for her The story of her second birth – a precipitous birth center birth with the same midwife she used for baby #1 How she healed from her births and how/when she made the decision to return to work outside of the home Some suggestions for birth workers/care provider for how to be sensitive and supportive to non-traditional families (queer, same-sex, etc.) The Gender Unicorn graphic mentioned by Heather The Gender Inclusive Language Experiment that Heather conducted (posted on the Elephant Circle Blog) --- If you liked this episode of the Birth Kweens Podcast, tell your friends! And go to iTunes, Stitcher, GooglePlay, and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. For more from us, visit www.BirthKweens.com to sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens, join our Facebook group the Birth Kweens Podcast Community, and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback. Also, be sure to click here so that you can support the show while doing your regular Amazon shopping!

In this episode, Karly interviews Heather Thompson of Elephant Circle, a birth justice organization in Colorado. Heather is a molecular and cellular biologist, clinical researcher, birthworker and queer parent.  She has worked on issues related to reproductive health for more than 25 years, advocating for equity, access and autonomy in childbirth. Currently she is the Deputy Director of Elephant Circle, a birth justice organization where she gets to combine her background in increasing access to physiologic birth with science and community organizing. She is passionate about supporting the family unit and helping families navigate their own journey, particularly as it relates to maternity care, birth and legal marijuana in Colorado. In recent years, Heather has also increased the time she spends creating conversation with white people about whiteness and racism.    Here's a summary of our conversation:  Heather introduces herself, and talks about herself, her colleague Indra Lusero and what they do at Elephant Circle. Heather clarifies that she is not an activist for cannabis in pregnancy or breastfeeding Marijuana is actually a racially derogatory term, Heather prefers to use the word cannabis  Because some people are using cannabis in pregnancy and lactation, Heather aims for "harm reduction" and arming people with the best legal and scientific information possible the harms and risks of cannabis use are very different conversations cannabis in pregnancy has been studied for a very long time Heather discusses the different findings and difficulty in interpreting extracting helpful information from the studies Social beliefs about cannabis use in pregnancy in our dominant culture The "crack baby" and their cognitive outcomes  the legal aspects of using cannabis during pregnancy even when its legal in your state the role child protective services can play in your life if you are using cannabis while pregnant or breastfeeding What every parent should know about the laws around cannabis in their state Medical providers are mandatory reporters of drug use among pregnant women How long after you use cannabis you can test positive Discrimination associated with cannabis use --- Did you like this episode? Please subscribe, rate, review, and share! The Birth Kweens get down to the nitty gritty of pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and women’s health. For more from us, visit birthkweens.com. Follow us on Instagram @BirthKweens and email us at birthkweens@gmail.com with your questions, suggestions and feedback.  

In this episode, we talk about the world of pregnancy, breastfeeding, and marijuana use. To help make sense of this topic – and sort the science from the pearl-clutching - I brought in a special guest: Heather Thompson, PhD. Heather discusses the research and helps make it relevant to worried moms and birth workers. Heather has a doctorate in molecular and cellular biology and has worked in clinical research in maternal and infant health for 25 years. She is now Deputy Director at the reproductive justice organization Elephant Circle. http://www.elephantcircle.net/ > First, a note about the relevance of most drug research. As a whole, drugs are not tested on pregnant women to see how they respond. Most drugs are tested on a “control” made up of white men, and we cannot always extrapolate drug effects onto other groups. The female metabolism, especially in pregnancy, differs greatly. *What are the benefits of marijuana use during pregnancy/post-partum?* During pregnancy, it is often used for morning sickness and extreme nausea (hyperemesis gravidarum), as well as migraines, pain, cancer, and other pre-existing health issues. Research indicates that about 2 to 4% of pregnant women in the U.S. use marijuana. It’s important to remember that for people using marijuana as medicine--for example, to relieve debilitating nausea--there is an exchange of risks and benefits, all of which must be weighed against the alternatives. It may be more acceptable to one mother to manage a condition with careful use of marijuana instead of exposing a developing fetus to prescription drugs with known risks, or in lieu of stopping medications altogether in pregnancy. > What do the studies say? There are three primary longitudinal studies on perinatal marijuana use, which report that the main potential adverse newborn outcomes are pre-term birth, low birth weight, and increased NICU admissions. It is important to note that marijuana alone does not cause lower birth weight or pre-term birth, especially with moderate use. Separating out the effects of other factors, like tobacco smoking and poverty, is challenging but critical to understanding the independent effects of marijuana use. We have been studying marijuana for quite a long time from the perspective of looking for harm, but we haven’t shown that harm definitively. One of the primary authors on the Canadian longitudinal study, Dr. Peter Fried, says that despite decades of research, it has been found that the harms to babies are small, resolved in a few weeks or months, and that the child’s environment plays a larger role in development than marijuana itself. Language matters. “Harm” has punitive connotations. “Expected outcomes” helps parents make reasoned decisions and brings less loaded language into the conversation. > What birth workers need to know Investigate your state’s mandatory reporting laws. Remember that you can add narrative to reports made to the state; nurses’ commentary about patients holds a lot of weight. Any time you feel you must act as a mandatory reporter, keep in mind that use does not equal abuse. Prenatal providers need to help clients understand both the health and the legal risks (such as investigation by child welfare services) for a complete risk/benefit analysis. Resources mentioned: "Hard labour: the case for testing drugs on pregnant women" by Emily Anthes https://mosaicscience.com/story/pregnancy-testing-drugs Check out Heather’s blog for more on this topic. http://www.elephantcircle.com/circle WANT TO LEARN MORE? Go to www.birthmonopoly.com WANT TO CONNECT? Email: birthallowedradio@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/birthmonopoly Twitter: www.twitter.com/birthmonopoly Instagram:  www.instagram.com/birthmonopoly WANT TO SUPPORT US? Review us on iTunes, SoundCloud, or wherever you listen. Businesses and organizations: Underwrite the show!  For more information, contact us at birthallowedradio@gmail.com

#92 — CPS and Medical Marijuana Guests //Indra Lusero, Esq and Heather Thompson, PhD  Host // Valerie Borek, EsqAcross the country, states are legalizing marijuana use. Parents are discovering that medical marijuana can offer life-changing relief for their chronically ill children. But when child protective laws are not simultaneously updated, families can be caught in the middle.Join co-host Valerie Borek, Esq as she interviews two activists in the trenches. They explore this disconnect, with a lively and important discussion on personal, medical, legal, and privacy rights, and how to protect our families:How legal marijuana use can have negative consequences on families.The importance of informed consent in maternity care.The problems with the dissociation between criminal and child protective laws with respect to legal marijuana.Understanding your options if you or your newborn tests positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) when you are pregnant, a parent, or breast feeding.Understanding what we know, what we think we know, and what we believe about marijuana use in pregnancy and breastfeeding.ResourcesElephant Circle — website and Facebook page“Clearing the Smoke” Blog and Webinar (register for 12/9/15 event)Family Law and Cannabis AllianceNational Advocates for Pregnant WomenBirth Rights Bar AssociationHeather Thompson, MS, PhD is an applied molecular biologist, parent and birth worker. She is Research Director at Mountain Midwifery Center, Inc. and on the leadership team of Elephant Circle, a reproductive justice organization based in Colorado. She is passionate about supporting and educating Colorado families on the health and legal consequences of legal marijuana use.  Indra Lusero, Esq is a longtime advocate of family privacy rights. She is on theElephant Circle leadership team (“supporting strong people during a vulnerable time,” and President of the Birth Rights Bar Association.