Podcast appearances and mentions of Heather Simpson

Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2023 12:03

Thanks for listening to Simply for Women. This show is for that mom who knows the chaos of life, that daughter who knows the challenges of the day, and for those women who want to deepen their faith. God invites us to take Him off our to-do list and to simply be - to simply be with him. www.Jenniferjackson.com Learn more about the host, Jennifer Jackson Invite Jennifer to speak at your event Healing Prayer: Shower of Power (free download) Simply for Women online store (books, merch)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

mothers infants biological heather simpson

Welcome back to The Forgotten Podcast! I am eager to share another story from the foster care community with you this week. My guest today is a foster parent herself, but she primarily works alongside birth parents and infants recovering from drug withdrawal. Heather Simpson is a mom to four biological boys, a foster parent, and a charge nurse at Brigid's Path, an infant recovery center. In today's episode, she is sharing how she got connected to the foster care community, what it looks like for infants to withdraw from drug exposure, and the perspective shift she has made from working closely with birth moms. Listen in as Heather shares her important perspective with us! Show Notes: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/heather-simpson-177/ Learn More About Samaritan Ministries: https://samaritanministries.org/theforgottenpodcast

03: Nourishing Change with Christy Harrison

Can I Have Another Snack?

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2022 78:55

When Christy Harrison posted on her Instagram that “giving birth broke me open in every way imaginable” I knew I needed to ask her about it. The anti-diet dietitian and author of Anti-Diet and the forthcoming Wellness Trap tells me about the heartache and joy, tenderness and vulnerability of becoming a new parent. This is the conversation I wish I'd had as a new parent. We also hear about Christy's exciting new book, and how the wellness industry can be especially dangerous for new parents. And, hear Christy's thoughts on the idea that we are ‘born intuitive eaters' as she navigates milk feeding and introducing solids with her daughter. This is such an enriching conversation, but ngl, it gets heavy in places. Have some tissues handy, and if hearing about traumatic experiences related to birth isn't for you today, then give this one a miss.Find out more about Christy here.Follow her work on Instagram here.Follow Laura on Instagram here.Here's the transcript in full.Christy Harrison You know, again, sort of feeling like giving birth like broke me open, it's like, it's, it kind of released some of that anger and made me like more soft and vulnerable and, you know, just less, less angry and less kind of, you know, I don't have such tightly balled up fists anymore, even when I'm critiquing structures and systems that are harmful.Laura Thomas Hey, Welcome to Can I Have Another Snack podcast, where I'm asking my guests who are what they're nourishing right now and who or what is nourishing them. I'm Laura Thomas, an anti diet Registered nutritionist and author of the Can I Have Another Snack newsletter. Today I'm talking to anti diet dietician Christy Harrison. Many of you will know Christy already. She is host of the Food Psych podcast, author of Anti Diet and the forthcoming book, The Wellness Trap. This conversation is one that I've really been looking forward to sharing. Christy tells us all about what life has been like as a new mother who is nourishing two babies, her human baby and her second book The Wellness Trap. Christy gives us a little peek inside the new book sharing some of the research that she's uncovered about the wild wild west of the wellness world. And how a lot of the really harmful wellness dis- and misinformation really capitalises from parents who are just trying to do the best for their kids. We also talk about her experiences with milk feeding, and then going on to introduce solids with her baby and how that has made her reconsider some of the things she says about intuitive eating being a birthright. I think you'll be really interested in hearing what she has to say about that. And finally, I asked Christy about a post that she shared on her Instagram, which said, giving birth broke me open in every way imaginable. And also, this was a really tough and pretty emotional conversation. It felt like the conversation that I wish I had heard about birth, rather than the conversations about whether you should, I don't know, shave or wax, which are real articles that I've seen in parenting publications in 2022. But anyway, just a heads up that we do talk about traumatic themes in this episode around birth and the early weeks of recovery and medical trauma. So if you aren't up to hearing them right now, then I trust you to do whatever you need to do to look after yourself. We'll get to Christy in just a moment. But first of all, I wanted to let you know that you are listening to the long edit of this episode. From October I'll be publishing a shorter edit here in your podcast player and a special long edit for paid subscribers have the Can I Have Another Snack podcast as a little bonus for supporting my work alongside weekly discussion threads, my dear Laura column, and loads of other fun perks on Can I Have Another Snack newsletter, you can head to laurathomas.substack.com to subscribe. It's five pounds a month or 50 pounds for the year. And if that's inaccessible for you, please email hello@laurathomasphd.co.uk for a comp subscription. I'm keeping all the content on Can I Have Another Snack free for the month of September, and turning on the paid community features and paid subscriber only columns from October. If you value this work, you can help keep it sustainable by becoming a paid subscriber. And last thing if you enjoy this episode, I would really really appreciate it if you could support me by rating and reviewing it in your podcast player and maybe even sharing it with a friend. It makes a huge difference to a new podcast. You can find a full transcript of this episode over on substack. Again, that's laurathomas.substack.com. And I would really love it if you wanted to leave a comment over there to let us know what you thought of the episode. And to keep the conversation going. Alright team, here's Christy.Laura Thomas Christy, I'd love it if you could tell us who or what you are nourishing right now.Christy Harrison That's such an interesting question for me at this moment because I feel like I'm nourishing two very important and very different things. The number one being my baby. I'm breastfeeding and also giving her solid foods and so like really literally nourishing a human being, you know, and it's like incredible and overwhelming sometimes and feels like a huge responsibility and, you know is so fraught in some ways with diet and wellness culture, as I'm sure we'll get into and so, but it's also like beautiful and just such a beautiful bonding experience. And I feel really lucky to be able to breastfeed because, I mean, many, many people aren't. And I didn't think I was going to be able to at first because I had a traumatic birth experience and wasn't able to breastfeed right away. And so the fact that it, like, ended up happening at all is kind of a miracle. And so it's been like this beautiful bonding journey of feeding her and just getting to spend that time cuddling and you know, having time together, but just in the past couple of weeks, she started biting. So got a tooth. And it's like, it's brought up so much, because, you know, it hurts, it scared me, I sort of reacted, and then she reacted and cried, and, you know, and then I got scared and started to feel really anxious every time I was feeding. And so this beautiful bond that we've had that I don't think I even fully appreciated while I was in the easy part. And, you know, sometimes I'd be like, looking at my phone and like, doing other things while feeding her like, suddenly I'm like, no, like, Why did I spend all that time, you know, not paying full attention, not being fully in this moment, when now it's going to be taken away from me, you know, potentially soon, in a way that feels like it's too early. And yet, you know, we have fortunately been able to consult with a lactation consultant, and she's helped a lot in terms of, you know, figuring out a better position and better strategies to kind of alleviate the teething pains so that she's not biting on my boob. And so, you know, it continues, our breastfeeding journey continues, but it's, it's starting to feel like this precious thing that, you know, the sand is slipping through my hands of the time that we have together.Laura Thomas No, I just, I really, that resonates so much, because we also went through the biting stage. But we were able to overcome it. Two years, we're still going. But I, I hear what you're saying as well, just in that, you know, that those, I don't want to over romanticise breastfeeding, because I feel like that's a danger that we can run as well. But I do kind of, do try and soak in as much of it as I can, when I'm, you know, when I'm able to, there are definitely times that I just want to check out and scroll on my phone. And at the same time, you know, he's getting older, I'm trying to sort of let him lead the way in terms of weaning. And then there, there are days where he just doesn't seem that interested. And I'm like, oh, have we had our last feed? And then we had a spate of illness recently, and he was just like, glued to me, just so attached. And then it's almost like the opposite end of the spectrum, where I'm like, Okay, are you ready to ween? So yeah, I, there's, there's just so much emotion tied up in breastfeeding, which is kind of what I'm hearing from you is that it's just this, there's a constant tension with it.Christy Harrison Totally, so much emotion and so much, you know, I didn't, I kind of naively thought, I guess that like, once we were over the really hard part of the beginning, where I didn't have enough milk, and we weren't even sure if it was gonna happen. And I wanted to try, but I was also sort of like one foot in like formula. And just like, you know, if we have to do formula, it's fine. I'm fine with that. But wanting to, like, give it a shot with breastfeeding, you know, once we got through that, and it was going strong, and we had our latching down and our positions, and she was getting more efficient at feeding and stuff, I was kind of like, okay, like, you know, this is how it's going to be for the next, you know, however many months and I'd love to get to a year and like, we'll see how it goes, whatever. And so I didn't sort of reckon with the emotions, I think for a while, you know, it was probably a good four or five months there where it was just kind of easy, smooth sailing, which again, like so lucky, because I know, a lot of people have ongoing struggles with it even at that point. But then now to be sort of coming back to like, okay, like, what is it going to look like to potentially wean her to formula or to stop feeding as much now pumping some time, you know, parts of the day, and just like thinking about all those logistics and dealing with the emotions that come up and knowing that like, hormonally too there're shifts that happen when you, you know, shift over to even pumping more and I'm starting to kind of feel that and I'm like, Okay, how much of this is just sort of hormonally, my, my body is kind of telling me to be more sensitive or making me more sensitive and how much of this is like, you know, just kind of the, the natural emotions of like, something beautiful coming to an end and something that like, you know, was always a little challenging too in some ways. It's just yeah, there's just a lot. A lot of mixed emotions.Laura Thomas Yeah, yeah. No, I, we also had a challenging start, and my supply was low, my baby was in the NICU for two weeks, and the support or lack thereof, I suppose around feeding in the hospital just really left its mark. And, you know, we went through the rigmarole as well of lactation consultants and getting help. And even I would say, it took us a good three, maybe four months to really get the hang of breastfeeding. And, and then, you know, it's almost as soon as you've got the hang of it, you're like onto something else. Oh, while we're weaning now, or like we're introducing solids now, and or, you know, I'm having to pump more, it's just such a, or there's a tooth, there's just a constant roller coaster of, of emotions. And I feel like that's just a perfect metaphor for parenting in general. It's just up and down constantly. Christy you said at the beginning that you have two things that you're nurturing at the moment. So what was the the other thing? Christy Harrison Yeah, so the other thing is, it's also big and just but very different, you know, much more intellectual, which is my second book, I'm working on revisions for that now. And I wrote it while I was pregnant, like pretty much except for the first month of writing the manuscript or something I was pregnant the whole time. And then, you know, turned it in, went on maternity leave, came back and got revisions, and now working on those and they're due in a week. So it's actually like, down to the wire. And I'm feeling pretty good about the structure of it. And it's kind of more fine tuning at this point. But that's been a whole journey as well, because the book is about wellness culture, and it's called The Wellness Trap. And I look into, you know, how, in the my first book Anti Diet, I posited that diet, or that wellness culture is the new guise of diet culture that, you know, diet culture has cloaked itself as wellness, in order to kind of evade people's growing suspicion about diets and sort of doneness with diets. And, you know, diets now say they're about wellness and lifestyle change and all this stuff. But in researching the second book, I found, you know, I sort of always suspected there's so much more to it, that it's beyond just diet culture. And then in fact, there's like this symbiotic relationship, I think, between wellness culture and diet culture, where diet culture uses wellness as its cloak and shield against criticism, and to sort of make itself seem more important, because now it's not just about, you know, mere vanity, but it's about this noble goal of health and wellness. But also, wellness culture has really incorporated the tenets of diet culture, kind of wholesale into its own belief system. And I traced the history of that. It was really interesting to see like where that came from, because the first use of the term wellness in the late 1950s by this man Halbert Dunn, who was a public health professional, was actually very similar in some ways to like what I would consider well being and sort of talked so much more about mental health and social relationships and the importance of of those things. And, you know, there's almost nothing about food, other than to say that we need enough of it in his in his major writings, his book, and there was, you know, a tiny, fat phobic statement, but it was sort of, you know, pretty minor in the grand scheme of things kind of just talking more about the effects of fat. And, you know, so the original idea of wellness really wasn't built on diet culture, I think in the way that it is now. And I think the reasons for that shift had to do with a lot that happened in the 1970s around kind of the hippie food movement and sort of the emergence of like naturopathy and other alternative medicine, other alternative forms of medicine, kind of coming a little bit more into the mainstream. And, you know, people who were influenced by that, doctors who were influenced by that, sort of taking up the mantle of wellness, discovering this guy, Halbert Dunn's work from a decade and a half before and being like, yes, wellness, we love Halbert Dunn we're going to proselytise his ideas to the public. And yet, like really twisting them and infusing them with so much diet culture. And so that sort of became the version of wellness that that grew and went mainstream, and that now is, you know, really kind of has really taken over. And so that, you know, there's that piece of it, where diet culture is really built into wellness culture now, but there's also so much more beyond diet culture that is sort of related like clean beauty or clean housekeeping right this this worry about what's in your products and what you're putting into or next to your body and sort of irrational or maybe not irrational, but over over blown, overhyped kind of fears about chemicals and products. And, you know, this sort of fomenting of fear among the public in order to sell products. And then there's also the piece of the internet, which I think is like the most fascinating part of my book and research and has just hit the closest to home for me too, is how the Internet and specifically social media and other algorithmic technologies that, you know, see how people interact with the content, and then feed them more of that content in order to maximise engagement, how those technologies have actually allowed mis- and disinformation to proliferate. And in fact, they feed on that, because mis- and disinformation spreads farther faster and deeper than than the truth. And you know, when things spread and go viral, that tells the algorithm like, Hey, we've got something here that is gonna keep people engaged. And so let's feed them more of that, that tells the creators of that content that there is a market there, right, the creators of mis- and disinformation are able to monetize their content and capitalise on that, you know, social media driven spread. And then also the, you know, way that social media and other algorithmic technologies affect our mental health by keeping us engaged in those ways. You know, it really drives anger and hate and outrage, those are things that are again, engines of engagement. And so the algorithms feed us more and more of that. And it's really having a detriment to people's mental health. It's driving diet culture, because again, the more extreme, the more sensational diets and things that promote eating disorders are the things that the algorithms pick up and feed people more of. And so you can go into and you know, I think probably some, some listeners will have heard of Frances Haugen, the Facebook whistleblower, who kind of blew the lid off of some of this that Facebook knew its algorithms were driving, teenage girls, you know, specifically on Instagram, driving teenage girls who showed an interest in quote, unquote, healthy eating deeper and deeper into extreme diet content and pro eating disorder content. And they did nothing about it. Right. And they are not forced to do anything about it under current US law, and I think laws in other countries as well. But you know, especially in the US, for Facebook, and other social media companies, major social media companies are based. There's this law called Section 230. This is like so in the weeds, but it's so important.Laura Thomas I'm loving it. I said to you off mic that I was looking forward to your book, because I know it's going to be so deeply and thoroughly researched. And I think all of these little rabbit holes are so fascinating. So yeah, go ahead. What were you, What were you gonna say?Christy Harrison Yeah, so So section 230 is informally known as the 26 words that created the internet. It's basically the law that gave rise to user generated content that allowed social media companies to even really come into existence. I think without section 230 we wouldn't have the Internet as we know it today. Laura Thomas And what's it say? Christy Harrison And so it says that internet service companies or you know, at the time it was, it, this was in 1995 that it was passed so like this was way before anyone conceived of social media as it is now but you know, internet service providers are not liable for they're not considered publishers of information that their users post. Right and so that opened the floodgates for user generated content of all kinds and for platforms built entirely on user generated content that monetize it like Facebook and Instagram and Twitter and all that right which you know, kind of use our content as lures to get other people to look and and you know, then serve us ads and that's their way of making money. And in the reason that section 230 was passed is so interesting because in 1994, there was a defamation suit brought against prodigy services, which some people who are you know, like elder Millennials like me and above might remember I that was like my first way of getting on the internet was my friend had prodigy and we went and like, went to weird chat rooms or something. I don't even remember what it was. Laura Thomas I remember the weird chat rooms. Christy Harrison Yes, chat rooms were the thing. And so yeah, Prodigy someone took to prodigy and defamed this. I think it was an investment firm Stratton Oakmont which interestingly is portrayed in The Wolf of Wall Street Leonardo DiCaprio portrays their founder who's like this awful awful finance guy. So someone had taken to prodigy to defame Stratton Oakmont and then Stratton Oakmont sued them for defamation or sued prodigy for defamation rather. It went up to the New York State Supreme Court and New York sided with Stratton Oakmont saying yes, you were, you know, Prodigy is liable for having defamed you because they do some moderation of content on their forums, they have terms of service that you have to agree to. And if you're not, if you're in violation of those terms, you can get kicked off or your content can get removed. And so therefore, they're acting more as a publisher, because they're not just, you know, hosting the content, they're actually edit, exerting some editorial oversight in some way. So like, if that had been able to stand or if that had gone to the US Supreme Court, and they had held it up, we would have a very, very different internet today. But instead, what happened was two members of Congress were really troubled by this because they wanted moderation of content, justifiably, understandably, you know, they wanted some wanted companies to be able to moderate content on their message boards so that the internet wouldn't just become a sea of pornography, which, you know, it is anyway, but, but at least to be able to keep pornography off of certain channels that, you know, kids were going to be on and stuff like that. So they proposed this amendment to the Communications Decency Act of 1995. I believe that is section 230. And it you know, it said that internet service providers can't be treated as publishers, as long as they're not, you know, they're not, they're not to be held liable for content that users post. And they get this protection of like, like free speech protections. And so, you know, from there, we get the internet that we have today, where, you know, Facebook and Twitter and Instagram, which, for many intents and purposes are acting as publishers, right, because they are, their algorithms are promoting different things. They're sort of curating things in a way, right, the way that a newspaper or magazine would, and, or even, you know, an editorial website, right, they're, they're giving things different weight, they're sending things out to different groups of people, you know, they're allowing advertisers to specifically target certain kinds of people so that, you know, someone with a particular identity might see a feed that's completely different than someone with another identity. And that can open people up to like being targeted with antivax content or other really harmful, you know, quote, unquote, wellness content, as well as political content, all kinds of other things. And so, you know, so kind of digging into all this, right, it just, it just showed me how deeply embedded wellness mis- and disinformation are into the social media system and into these algorithmic technologies in general, because, you know, you have YouTube, which is not officially social media, but it acts in very similar ways, where it's recommending things to you, and it's seeing what you like, or what you're, you're spending your time on, and it's driving you further and further down the sort of rabbit hole of extremes, you know, showing you one kind of content and then you can be like, 50, steps down into something really, really extreme, like, going from, you know, some centre right politicians speech into, like q-anon, you know, conspiracy theory territory in like, however many steps. It's terrifying.Laura Thomas And I think that this is kind of where, in some ways your two babies come together, right, this kind of intersection between parenting and wellness culture. And I've heard you talk specifically about the sort of predatory messaging that's directed at new parents, I think that you've even experienced yourself. I'm wondering if you could speak to what's going on in that space? Because I'm not sure if that's something you necessarily cover in the book. But it's, it's obviously very, like I said, that's where your two sort of babies meet. Christy Harrison Yeah, absolutely. I mean, so one thing that I've that I do cover in the book that sort of speaks to that predatory nexus is the anti-vax movement, which has been fomented and enabled by social media and algorithms to, you know, get to these levels that we never would have seen, I think without those technologies, and unfortunately, specifically, a lot of new parents are targeted, even people who are considering becoming parents, even people who are starting to do searches around fertility and things like that will start to see increased levels of antivax content being suggested to them. I interviewed one woman who is a technology researcher who's actually written and spoken out, you know about this for years, Renee DiResta at Stanford University, but she herself is a mom and got interested in all of this when she had given birth to her first child and was looking into cloth diapering. And I think maybe like making her own baby food or something. She's not like a super crunchy person. She actually doesn't identify as crunchy at all but she says that she was looking into these pursuits that are kind of crunchy ish and yeah, crunchy adjacent or could be part of a very crunchy lifestyle but you know, she was she was just sort of interested in them for,Laura Thomas And let's be real, we're all a little crunchy.Christy Harrison We're all a little crunchy these days especially yeah, like I think it's I mean, oh my god like that's a whole other thing too is like how far down the crunchy rabbit hole do you want to allow yourself to go and but so you know she was she started to be served group recommendations by Facebook for anti vax groups because of this interest in cloth diapering, she, it was like from cloth diapering to like backyard chickens. She was like, Oh, that's cute, like, let me you know, like this page related to backyard chickens. And then suddenly, these anti vax groups started popping up, you know. And so she started looking into this proliferation of anti vax communities, and how, in the role that social media has played in that and has now become one of the leading voices kind of speaking out against this. But, you know, I think it's really, really interesting to see how quickly that can happen, and how these things that we might think of as, you know, parenting choices to even just look into not necessarily be all in on but like, let me you know, like a group about this and see what, or join a group about this, or like a page about this and see what you know, they have to say what the benefits are, or whatever can can lead you down this path where the algorithm thinks you're susceptible. And yeah, unfortunately, one of the ways that people are kind of the most susceptible, I think is when they've lost a child, like infant loss is one of the ways it's, I mean, just heartbreaking to think about as the parent of an infant, you know, like, I can't imagine what these parents are going through and then to be, you know, systematically targeted, right, and these parents who, you know, have lost infants to sudden infant death syndrome, or suffocation, from, you know, sleeping, co sleeping and stuff like that. And then suddenly, you know, you have anti vax entrepreneurs in their feeds or their messages being like, you know, this was not your fault, which, I mean, who doesn't want to hear that when something so tragic happens. And these parents are blaming themselves and feeling horrible guilt, you know, to say, like, it wasn't your fault, it was the vaccines, right? So they're serving up this, just a horrible misinformation in a moment where people are incredibly vulnerable. And of course, that's going to have an effect, right. And it has an impact even on people who see that, who haven't lost a child, but are terrified of it. Like I'm, you know, constantly terrified of that. And so people who are, you know, parents trying to do the best for their kids, like, looking into all the ways to keep them safe are suddenly made to feel like, if a vaccine, you know, touches their child, it's gonna, it's going to instantly kill them. Like, that's the level of rhetoric and I talked to some former anti vaxxers who are now speaking out and in favour of vaccines, which I think my favourite kind of person to interview, I think, is like a person who is a former, something, you know, like, sort of, I don't know, it's just so interesting, because I'm that way too, like I've gone through some stuff and you know, come to see things really differently. And I just find it really interesting to see like, what are people's journeys through this and I also didn't want to interview any current anti vaxxers because I didn't want to you know, promote harmful messages my book so I thought it would be interesting to kind of get into the psychology of of what drives people into this and one of the women I talked to Heather Simpson who's now really speaking out against the anti vax movement you know, said that it started for her when she was even considering having a child she was having fertility issues she kind of got into wellness culture that way. And so you know, from there started being served all these anti vax, all these pieces of anti vax content and she got so far down the rabbit hole that she literally thought vaccines were poison and would, you know, kill her child? And I mean, we should probably put a trigger warning on this episode because Laura Thomas I 100% will, because yeah, we're touching on some really difficult difficult subjects but yeah, sorry, carry on. Christy Harrison Yeah. So I mean, just in researching all that I started to see like how deep and dark it can get, you know, and I think you know, there are less kind of dark aspects of this that are the start but that can easily pull people down these really extreme paths, right. So like, for example, like I recently you know, with the biting stuff I was talking to my lactation consultant who's wonderful and has helped us so much but is a little crunchy you know, and has has the ways in which she's crunchy tend towards the sort of herbal remedies and stuff like that. Laura Thomas Yeah the brewer's yeast and all that, Christy Harrison Right, and the homoeopathic you know, drops and tinctures and stuff and so I was looking into it because I you know, for the book again, I researched homoeopathy. A lot of this didn't make it into the book but has just been background and forming my perspective on things. And you know realising, homoeopathy just really doesn't have good evidence behind it. And it has been recommended against by, you know, many scientific and health authorities which, you know, have their own problems sometimes, but I think, in many ways are really solid in terms of being able to look at and critique evidence for these alternative pathways, alternative health practices. Anyway, so you know, looking into the homoeopathy, homoeopathic medicines and seeing that, you know, they're part of this unregulated or very loosely, minimally regulated supplement industry, which, you know, dietary and herbal supplements in the US at least, and I'm not sure how it is in the UK. But in the US, there's almost no oversight of these of these medications that can go to market without ever being tested for safety or efficacy, you know, just on the the word of the manufacturer, and the FDA doesn't review them, the Food and Drug Administration doesn't review them for safety or efficacy until someone complains or enough people complain after the fact after they're on the market and potentially harming you know, 1000s or millions of people. And then the FDA doesn't have a huge budget for oversight. And there's, you know, many reasons why they don't, they don't review many things. And so things can be out there just you know, causing tremendous harm. One of which, unfortunately, is like homoeopathic teething products, it was found, I think, about 10 years ago that there were levels have detectable levels of deadly nightshade, which is a poison in some of these homoeopathic teething remedies, and FDA recommended against using any of them because, you know, you don't want to be poisoning your child, obviously. And I think it's just so ironic and so deeply frustrating to me that the reason people would gravitate towards those products in the first place is because of the worry about toxicity of things like Tylenol or, you know, other sort of more standard over the counter remedies, you know, people wanting to do the best for their child and give them something that's that's going to be less harmful. And to see that, like, because of this lack of regulation, literal poison can be slipped into these products without any sort of oversight. It's just, it's just heartbreaking. You know, and really, yeah, yeah. So that's, that's some of the nexus of these two, these two babies I've been working on.Laura Thomas Yeah, yeah. And I'm curious to hear you said, at the beginning that the I don't know, if you're talking specifically about your breastfeeding, sort of journey for one word, or, you know, you're now at the part where your little one is eating solids, and you said that it was fraught, at some point, and I was curious to hear a little bit more about just your experiences with the feeding, particularly from your background as an intuitive eating counsellor, you know, that's what you're really known for, is, is intuitive eating and kind of being on the other side of it now as a parent, and, and having, I suppose, witnessed your little one learning to eat and and kind of what your thoughts are on, you know, some of the things that I know, I've said, and I think you've maybe said similar things about how, you know, intuitively we're all born as intuitive eaters, I kind of get the sense from some of your podcasts, I've listened to recently that you've shifted, you know, how you speak about that a little bit? And I wonder if you could tell us a bit more about that.Christy Harrison Yeah, absolutely. So, yeah, you know, I think it's so interesting to see it from the perspective of a parent and to see a little baby like, actually going through it, because I do think that, you know, we're all born as intuitive eaters in the sense that we don't have diet culture messages installed in us, you know, as when we come out, right, we don't have any of this total sense of like, needing to eat less or exercise more like do things to change the size and shape of our body or, you know, that some foods are good, and some foods are bad, and that we need to be quote unquote, healthy and eat a certain way. You know, none of those messages come to us until later until we're socialised into them. Right. So I think in that sense, we're very much all born, you know, as intuitive eaters in the sense that we're free of the diet mentality. And we're also born with innate hunger and fullness cues and, you know, the ability to like root around and find the nipple on a bottle or a breast and, you know, get our food needs met, and to cry when we're hungry and let people know you know, let the caregivers know and stop when we're full to some extent but it also is like very interesting to see the nuances of that where, you know, a baby will, like, you know, babies it's a learning process, I think for both caregiver and baby To learn how to eat, like to learn how to latch on to the breast, for example, or to learn how to take a bottle or to learn, you know how to eat enough to satisfy them without spitting up, right? Like, sometimes babies are so hungry and taking in so much, but the size of their stomach is just, you know, not there yet. And so they split up. And that's a normal part of the process. Like that's a, you know, I don't like the word normal so much. But I think in this context, I'm just saying, like, that's, that's a part of the process for growing and developing babies is to, like, learn the capacity of their stomach in that way.Laura Thomas And I think older kids as well, you know, I think from the perspective that the kids need to, in order to learn how to self regulate, they need to be allowed to make mistakes. And I think that's where we so often go wrong by when we restrict kids from, let's say, eating sweets and chocolate and things like that, is that they, they don't actually learn what feels like too much and what feels uncomfortable, and they need to, they need to be able to overshoot the mark, they need to be able to undershoot the mark, because that gives them information, if that makes sense.Christy Harrison Totally, I completely agree. And I feel like I've been so much more aware these days of like, friends, kids who have limited access to sweets at home, you know, seeing how they interact with them at our house or things like that. And you know, that that, you know, my, my daughter is very much learning in that way to have like, you know, sometimes undershooting and being hungry again, you know, shortly after, or sometimes overshooting and, you know, having a bit of a tummy ache, having some sped up and stuff like that. And that is kind of a beautiful part of the process. That's something that needs to be fostered and allowed, and that, you know, it's not like, intuitive, easy eating is not as easy as it may be as made out to be and as maybe I've made it out to be in the past for babies, you know, where it's like, oh, yeah, they just know what to do. It's like, well, they, in some ways, there, there's definitely instinct there. But there's also some learning and some aural development skills that have to come into play, right. And, you know, with solid feeding, too, there's the textures, and the different flavours and stuff like that, that babies have to get used to, and sort of learning how to eat in that way versus, you know, just taking in liquid. nourishment is a whole different process. And, you know, seeing seeing my baby be like so excited about food in some, some moments and you know, excited about so many different things, but then also having something she just really doesn't like and making funny faces and not really eating like, even just last night, we were at a friend's house and you know, hadn't brought solids for her. But my friend had, like, some yoghurt and raspberries. And she's like, Oh, should I just make that for her? I was like, Yeah, that sounds great. Let's do that. Not even thinking about how tart and tangy that would be, like, my baby had not had something that tangy. And she was just making horrible faces and refusing it, but then also super hungry and getting fussy. And you know, we had to kind of work it out. And then my friend was like, Oh, wait, we have these pouches, because my older daughter still eats them as a snack. So let's try that. And then it was like, brilliant, okay, well, we're satisfied. But, you know, having to kind of go through this trial and error of like, what foods are going to be satisfying, and how much and how to express hunger, you know, it's a little more nuanced and complicated than I think I had realised. Laura Thomas Absolutely. And I feel very similar kind of being on the other side of it now and reflecting on some of the things that I might have said, before becoming a parent, and sort of just giving the impression that that intuitive eating was this, you know, natural for want of a better word thing that everyone is capable of, from, you know, the moment that they're born and maybe not being so considerate of, you know, things like disability, or neurodivergence, or, or some of these other things that can impact feeding on top of just that initial learning curve that everybody has to go through which, you know, I've done a lot of training and reading and things around how, you know, infants and children learn how to eat and, you know, things have completely blown my mind, like the fact that they don't have the oral motor skills of an adult until they're three and a half, which means they literally cannot chew food, in the same way that an adult can until they've been eating for three years. That's kind of it's kind of mind blowing. And, and then, I think another sort of layer of this kind of bringing it back to wellness culture is sort of the messages that parents receive about what and how much and when their child should eat and there's this real insidious sort of narrative and discourse around you know, kind of this idea of the perfect eater, your, your child should be able to eat perfectly, and they're going to eat kale and broccoli. And, you know, they're only going to eat the so called, you know, right amount of food and it just doesn't leave any space for that learning process. And so I think that the the kind of disruption to that, you know, innate, instinctive embodied, you know, just ability to, or not ability, but that exploration of food that happens in those early years, it kind of gets intercepted by adults, and we cause disconnection I think so much earlier on even then, I think I appreciated and realised, from the perspective of even like when we think about infant feeding, and parents receiving the message that they need to kind of feed to a schedule or feed for a certain number of minutes, if they're breast or bottle feeding, all the way through to, you know, pressurising and controlling toddlers to eat or not eat certain foods. I don't know if you have any thoughts on that or even know what I'm talking about? Christy Harrison Oh God, totally, I feel like it has happened, I mean, it happened almost from the instance, she was born for us. Because, you know, like I said, I had a traumatic birth experience, I ended up having an unplanned C section, and then complications from that, that kept me in the hospital for some extra days, and really was in so much pain that I couldn't nurse and my milk was, you know, so early in the process anyway, didn't really have a lot of milk. And so we ended up doing formula kind of from day, you know, maybe day two, and did formula for, you know, several weeks. And so I think when we made that decision, it's interesting that you said, you know, you didn't feel a lot of support around breastfeeding in the hospital where you were, I feel like it was almost the opposite with us, because I don't know if you have this in the UK, but in the US, there's the Baby Friendly Hospital designation.Laura Thomas Yeah, it's a World Health Organisation designation. So because it is UK wide. But the difference Christy is that my baby was intubated in an incubator. So there was no way that I could feed him in those first days, where I didn't feel supported was twofold. I think, first of all, I was discharged after 12 hours. They didn't give a shit about me Christy, I was sitting with a beaten up perineum on a concrete floor, because it was COVID. And there were no chairs in the waiting room. Just sitting outside the ward it honestly, we could devote a whole episode just to my birth trauma, but we're not going to go there. So what happened with us is that someone handed me a syringe and a plastic cup. No, not a syringe, just a plastic cup, like 100 ml beaker, and was like, okay, express colostrum into that. And then the other. I mean, there were a few different things. So then, nobody told me about the hospital grade pump, in, you know, just two doors down from where my baby was lying for quite a few days. And I think that would have helped with my milk coming in. And then the third thing was just the way that I was treated on the ward. While you know, trying to get feeding established after you know, I didn't get to put him to my breast until a week, maybe. So yeah, that's that anyways, that's kind of the context, we do have the baby friendly initiative. I think that's what it's called. But it was kind of just flipped on its head. And in fact, one of the first questions that I was asked when I, you know, finally was able to stand up and walk myself through to the NICU was, I was given a choice between two different brands of formula. And so that even in and of itself, like I was able to register with my like, nutritionist brain, while it doesn't fucking matter, just feed my child, right? It doesn't stop trying to get me to buy into some sort of brand loyalty here when my baby is lying you know, like, intubated. And so like, I was able to access that somehow, through everything else that had happened, and get my baby fed. But yeah, it was almost kind of like an inverse of what you experienced, I suppose.Christy Harrison Totally, that is so sad. And just,Laura Thomas I will put all the content warnings.Christy Harrison Yeah, totally. I mean, there's just so many ways in which we are failed by the healthcare system, and not just conventional medicine, but alternative medicine as well, which I get into in the book, but I mean, so yeah, I'm so sorry, that happened to you. And for me, I think it was, it was a little different. But also, there are some similarities in some ways where but I think the biggest the biggest thing that I'm thinking of kind of going back to what you're asking about, you know, pressure to feed in a certain way or pressure to like, make sure your baby doesn't quote unquote, over eat or whatever it was that, you know, because I ended up doing formula pretty early on. And I've heard so many horror stories of people in Baby Friendly hospitals who had to fight for formula and like, we're like, yeah, my kid isn't getting any nutrition. Like, they seem like they're starving. And yet, you're not like giving me formula, like, fucking give me formula, you know?Laura Thomas Yeah, they don't even keep it in the hospital. I've heard some parents have had to, like send their partner out to, you know, a shop to go and get it. Christy Harrison Yeah, I know, I've heard I've heard that experience, too. And I, we actually packed some formula, just in case for that reason. But thankfully, our hospital was was really good about it. And, you know, pretty quickly, when it was evident that I wasn't going to be able to breastfeed, they were like, you know, and I said, I think we should probably do formula, you know, I talked it over with my husband, he was like, yes, let's do this. And, you know, the nurse came by, and we said, we think we want to do this, and she's like, great, you know, I'll go get you some, we've got these, you know, easy to feed, kind of, like quick bottles that you don't even have to mix. It's just prepared, and we'll give you nipples and everything. And it was it was amazing. So that, you know, we had some nurses that were incredible and super supportive of the whole process, because not only did this one nurse do that for us, but she also brought in the hospital grade pump. And she said, if you want to try it, because I had expressed that I really would love to breastfeed, it just was not going to be possible at this point. She was like, you know, let's get you set up on this pump. And we'll see what happens. Yeah, and brought in the lactation consultant, everything, it was great. So that, you know, I think it's, it's so different with different nurses, though, because then there's a shift change, and we get a different nurse. And we see that this one nurse has really specific ideas and sort of anti formula ideas. And she's suddenly like, well, since you're feeding your baby formula, you can overfeed her let's not, you know, like, she's crying, she I think she's hungry. Like, we changed her we walked her, we burped her, we did all the things like, you know, ocum's razor seems like she's hungry and, and, you know, can we get some more formula? And this nurse was like, well, you know, you really shouldn't be feeding her more than x amount and her stomachs too little, you know, she shouldn't be spitting up like blah, blah, blah. It was like, so much shame coming from this nurse. And she made some comment about, like, you know, her chubbiness, which is just like, it's like, she's not, I mean,Laura Thomas Fresh out the womb and the anti-fat rhetoric starts already.Christy Harrison Right? She's like a few days old. Laura Thomas Like, the other thing that it sounds like is that your instincts were being gaslit as an as a new parent, when what you need, you know, immediately postpartum is people to kind of like back you and trust you and, and, you know, reassure you that actually, you know, what you're doing here.Christy Harrison Totally, I mean, and it was so amazing that we had some nurses that really did that, you know, they're really supported, like, those instincts. And then some others just, you know, I think, because of their own fat phobic ideas, and you know, their own relationships with food, or whatever it is, you know, buy into diet culture, it was like, you know, just from the get go, like, you're only allowed to feed this much, because especially, you know, what, it's formula, it's like, oh, you know, you're you're already doing a bad thing, you're already giving her bad food. So, you know, we have to be really careful with this bad food, right? It's just when formula is a fucking miracle. Like, you know, we wouldn't have, like, I, I shudder to think what would have happened if we hadn't had formula, you know, so. It's, it's so fraught, and I want to say to just for anyone listening, because I know, the parenting space is so tricky, and everybody has their own experience and their own journey with things. And so like, this is no shame to anyone for anything they're dealing with, or choices they've made, like, I support parents and making any kind of feeding choice that works for them, you know, and I just, for me, it was, you know, I think formula was, so the right, the right choice from the beginning. And then we're so lucky that we were able to breastfeed too. And we've been able to, you know, have both experiences. But I think, yeah, feeding is just so complicated. Going back to, you know, again, the sort of ideas about intuitive eating that I didn't really fully understand until being a parent like, it's, it's not just about your child's instincts, it's about like, what's available and what you know, and it gave me sort of a new appreciation for situations of food scarcity, or lack of food availability, and the parents going through the formula shortage that just happened recently too like,Laura Thomas Yeah, that's a whole terrifying terrifying thing. Just kind of watching from here watching it unfold from the UK, and I was like, What the fuck? Like ship some formula like, we've got loads, take it please. You know? And, yeah, yeah, it really, really scary and from what I understand, they are putting measures in place to make sure that something like that doesn't happen again. But it just seemed like the response to that was so painfully slow, yeah,Christy Harrison And then, you know, the shaming responses of like, well just breastfeed, why don't you just breastfeed? It's like if you've been formula feeding, you can't just breastfeed like you don't have a milk supply. Laura Thomas People don't understand basic physiology. Christy Harrison Ridiculous. And then be like, you know, a lot of people formula feed because they can't breastfeed or choose not to, or, you know, whatever, breastfeeding isn't going to work for them. So why are you shaming people for a choice that they need to make and this life saving nutrition for their child is not available. Like, yeah, let's have some empathy for that.Laura Thomas Yeah, I mean, just just shout out to formula where it has literally saved, probably, I don't even I couldn't even guesstimate how many babies lives have been saved by having access. I know, you know, my child would have starved without it.Christy Harrison Yeah. I feel like a lot of us wouldn't be here without formula, you know?Laura Thomas Yeah. 100%. I feel like you've maybe answered this in some ways. And I'm, I'm also a bit afraid to ask you Christy, because I reckon I'm gonna cry. But after the birth of your daughter, on your Instagram, you posted that giving birth broke you open in every way imaginable. And I'm just really interested to hear, I think you've talked about some of your ways, you know, a traumatic birth, but I'm just wondering what else? In what other ways you feel that that just kind of cracked you right open? Christy Harrison Yeah, I think I'm gonna cry this too. It's, I feel like my emotions are just so much more on the surface. And that's one way that it's happened, you know, is that, like, I just, I feel like, I went through so much in those early days of feeling like a failure in some ways, and that I wasn't, you know, like, nobody is. But, you know, having these ideas about how I wanted my birth to go and then having it not go that way, and then having ideas about breastfeeding that didn't go that way. And having sort of a delayed bonding experience with my child, like, you know, having had this this idea of like, bringing her to the breast and just this beautiful oxytocin release, like instant bonding, andLaura Thomas And that, what's that, the golden hour that you're promised? Christy Harrison Yeah, that you're promised. And we did actually have one one breastfeeding, you know, skin to skin moment when I was first out of surgery, but I was so drowsy and, and there were signs all over the hospital room that were like, don't fall asleep with your baby, you're gonna suffocate your baby. It was like, terrifying. I was terrified. And my husband had been up for we had a prodromal labour too. So it was up for like, 72 hours before even getting admitted to the hospital. And then like another 36 to 48 hours of like, labour and delivery. So like, you know, we were exhausted, he hadn't slept. So he like crashed out on the cot. My baby, like, was just sort of in a blissed out dream space nursing. And the nurse got us set up and was like, okay, it seems great. Seems like breastfeeding is gonna go, Well, I'm gonna give you to some time, and left the room. And so then I'm just like, Oh, my God, like, what, I have to stay awake, like, what's going to happen, you know, so like, from the get go, there's just so much anxiety there. And so, you know, and and being in the hospital and having like, my husband having to kind of do everything for her because I couldn't get out of bed. I was hooked up to like, catheters and IVs and, you know, couldn't move and had the, like, things on my legs to keep from getting blood clots and stuff. And so he was like, changing her and rocking her and feeding her and singing to her and just like him singing to her in the hospital. Like, he had a couple of songs that he's sang that I still can't even like, think about because, like, you know, I wanted to be part of that. And, and I couldn't, and I think that was, that's one thing that really, like, really hit me and has been really hard to overcome, even though like we have such a great bond now and it's been so lovely. But, you know, I think also, I had to go back to work after three months. And so I had this incredibly emotional, you know, first probably eight to 10 weeks. I didn't officially have postpartum depression I had, you know, my therapist said it was like kind of an extended baby blues but it just sort of went on beyond when the supposed baby bluesChristy Harrison I think we call that trauma ChristyChristy Harrison Right? I think so too. Yeah, yeah, and it's, uh, you know, on top of existing PTSD, it's been, there's been a lot to recover from. And then I had such a difficult time going back to work because, you know, even though I'm right, I'm working from home, I'm in the same house, I can pop over and breastfeed her, you know, whenever she's hungry, just like the getting back and forth between, you know, the mom space and the mom, part of my brain and the workspace, and this person that I was before I gave birth that I don't even recognise, in some ways, you know, like, I mean, not even just physically, but that's, you know, that's a tiny bit in there too. But like, this person that, you know, was so driven and able to work so hard and efficiently and effectively, and like, get all my stuff done. And, you know, now feeling just kind of, like, not very good at what I'm doing, and are not very efficient and productive. And all of the sort of capitalistic pressures that come with that, right. And the, and the feeling of like, you know, I'm the primary earner right now. And my husband is the primary childcare and like, there's so much on my shoulders that, you know, if I can't do it, my brain goes to these, like, anxious places of like, we're gonna lose our house and our food and you know, like, it just goes to like, it really not true beliefs, when I really sit down and think about it and look at it, I'm like, Okay, this, we have savings, we're okay, we're not gonna, you know, it's not gonna happen. But just having a child I think sort of unlocked a new level of anxiety in a way of like, this existential like, and like protecting, you know, needing to protect her in so many ways that sometimes I feel incapable of, and also just like, you know, I think it has given me more empathy for everyone. And I try to hold on to that all the time. You know, it's sometimes I think it was so on the surface, like, right when I was coming back from maternity leave, because I'm just like, you know, everybody is someone's baby, right? Like, everybody was this helpless once, and everybody hopefully had someone who, you know, felt some sort of way about them, like, a maternal or paternal or parental kind of instinct. And I don't know that just that has, when I really like, tap into that, again, I think it's given me so much more empathy for everyone in every situation, you know, even people who are causing harm, right, even people who, you know, are perpetuating diet culture, right, even people who are because I have always tried and I have always, you know, really attempted to live by this notion that like, I'm not out to attack individuals, I'm out toLaura Thomas Shoot the message, not the messenger, right?Christy Harrison Right. I'm critiquing a system. And, you know, there are people who are participants in that system willingly and unwillingly. And I was one of them. You know, I was a dietician who practised in the traditional weight centric model. And I was trained in that. And so I, you know, we all live in glass houses, right? I think I couldn't fault people for their participation in diet culture to a certain point, you know, then again, I would, I would think, like, but these people who are really profiting off of it, and who really should know better, you know, like, I couldn't help but feeling anger towards them. And I think in a way, giving birth has just helped me soften all of that, you know, like, I, I think, and I wrote about this in my first book, like the importance of anger, you know, the importance of going through that angry phase and getting angry at the system and angry at diet culture, and maybe even angry at the people who perpetuated in your life, as much as you might try, you know, to forgive them ultimately, it's like, you might have to have a phase of, of anger towards them. And I think, you know, for me personally, in my own healing from disordered eating, maybe that was, you know, a part of my stridency in my writing and my podcasting and my work was like me having that angry phase and having to go through that angry energy of getting out that that you know and externalising right the anger towards the system and the culture and the structures rather than turning them in on myself as I had for so long as so many of us are conditioned to do, but I don't know if maybe now I'm in a different phase and if like, you know, again, sort of feeling like giving birth like broke me open it's like, it's a kind of released some of that anger and made me like more soft and vulnerable and, you know, just less angry and less kind of, you know, I don't have such tightly balled up fists anymore, even when I'm critiquing structures and systems that are harmful.Laura Thomas First of all, thank you for sharing all of that with us. And I think we don't talk about what giving birth is really like, because what it's really like is everything that you just spoke to, like we, we talked about some of the physical changes, and you know, snapback culture and all of that stuff. But I think this, I really resonate with this idea of like, our emotions just being so close to the surface, and just having like this, just feeling this enormous amount of empathy for even the shittiest of humans. I remember, I was like, I was looking at the news the other day, and there was this article about these cojoined twins that were separated, and there was like a picture of them just lying next to each other holding hands, and I was just like, gushing for like, hours afterwards. My husband was like, are you okay, like, they're fine, the twins are fine. It's just, like things like that get to me in a way that, like, before I became a parent, like, that just wouldn't have registered in the same way I would have been like, Oh, that's sweet. But so yeah, I really, really feel that. And I think it's just so valuable to have these conversations, because I know that a lot of the folks listening to this podcast are parents too. And I think it's really hard. Because we don't have these conversations, because we don't talk about becoming a parent in this way, that it's really difficult to access the language and the vocabulary to express that experience. And it just when I saw that post, I knew exactly what you meant. I mean you've said it really eloquently. But I knew I could feel exactly what you meant without even having had a conversation or knowing any of the details of what you went through. I knew what you meant. And I don't experience that very often with, you know, mum's parent stuff. So, yeah.Christy Harrison Thank you, that means a lot because I have struggled so much with the language around it too. And with like, expressing anything that doesn't feel cliched, and I think it's cliched for a reason, right, like this idea of like, you know, having a child is like walking around with your heart outside your body, you know, I mean, that's actually sort of a beautiful sentiment, but it's, I think it's become very cliched in sort of parenting circles. And that sort of gets at it a little bit, but it doesn't quite capture, you know,Laura Thomas On a sort of similar thread of I read someone they had written that, like giving birth is like giving birth to your own heart. And, yeah, but you, you have, yeah, in that sentiment, and everything that you've just said, here, you've you've absolutely nailed it. So thank you for kind of opening up that conversation because I don't think some people are as kind of brave to have that, to, you know, just put that out there in the way that you did. So, yeah, it really struck a chord with me.Christy Harrison Thank you so much. Thank you for like facilitating this too. Because, interestingly, although I I mentioned a little bit about my experience on my own podcast, and in my own newsletter, I kind of, you know, back when it's just me talking into a mic on my own, I don't really, you know, I think it's there's something about having someone empathetic, listening, asking questions, and you're such a good interviewer, you know, to be able to, like, draw out this experience, I think is really helpful.Laura Thomas Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing it and I really do appreciate that. And, with all of that in mind, I have a really important question, I think for you, given everything that you've been through this feels really pertinent. Who or what is nourishing you right now? Christy Harrison That's such a good question. Thank you. I think my husband first and foremost and my baby, you know, like the love I have for them. And I mean, the love that, you know, anyone who has been a parent just like you know, seeing the look that your baby gives you the smiles the, the way they light up when you come into a room like that is such nourishment, and my husband like literally and emotionally every day like you know, bringing me lunch while I'm working Giving me you know, the emotional support and the sounding board and the really insightful feedback that, you know, keeps me going. You know, I think like family has just become such a, such a bigger part of my life in so many ways I knew like growing my family would you know, of course, make family more important, but I haven't, I didn't really understand in what ways until now. And it is just giving me such such an anchor and such joy, you know, I think to like, being offline, as much as I can, I mean, I use I've had to use the internet a lot for book research, but I've done it in a way where I'm like, treating it as a library, like I'm looking up things that are interesting to me, I'm going down, you know, deep dives of research that I find important and helpful. I mean , I am officially on social media, like technically on social media, but I don't really post much at all anymore. Other than, you know, when I came back from maternity leave, and occasional things to kind of promote my work and stuff, but I'm not spending time on there, I'm not scrolling, and I'm trying to just, you know, spend time in the real world to like the physical world, like walking around my neighbourhood, spending time with neighbours and friends locally. A

Ep. 62: Getting Back to the Vax

Vax Talk

Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2022 42:57

Vaccine hesitancy can be exhausting for everyone involved. Those who are uncertain may feel badgered by well-meaning friends, and well-meaning friends may feel frustrated by combatting misinformation. But we know that the hesitant can become confident because our two guests have been there. Join this fun conversation about how we can all talk to each other, featuring Lydia Greene and Heather Simpson from Back to the Vax (https://backtothevax.com/) Don't forget to download our app to help you have those tough conversations: https://www.voicesforvaccines.org/resources/

vaccines getting back vax heather simpson

Why Community Matters for Female Business Owners and Entrepreneurs with Founder and Director of She Leads Me, Heather Simpson

The Hey Hey Emmy Show | Faith and Social Media Business Marketing

Play Episode Play 20 sec Highlight Listen Later May 23, 2022 45:08 Transcription Available

An entrepreneur's life is like a rollercoaster, it has its ups and downs. The rewards are incredible, but it isn't for the faint of heart. My guest today is Heather Simpson, founder, and director of She Leads Me. A business consultant and growth strategist, she opened the doors of a beautiful coworking location for women business owners called The Her Connection Hub. Today we are having a real raw conversation about her journey and expertise in creating a wildly successful business. In order to be successful as a business owner, Heather believes you should have these three characteristics. Let's explore them now. The first step is to build a community around yourself. You need the right people in your corner to bounce ideas off of in a safe space that helps you see your situation. When we look at one of those funhouse mirrors, the reality is often distorted, which is why it's important to have a community that actually reflects your perspective. We don't see the clear reality of who we are and how we show up in the world or what impact we are having. So, we need to surround ourselves with honest truth-tellers who can help us reflect on who we are and what we're doing accurately so that we can take their feedback.Secondly, I would hire a business coach. Even before you hire your first help, make that investment in an aligned coach your first priority. Even though you can help other people see things so clearly in their business, we cannot see the same things for ourselves.It was once said that the world's best hairdressers get flown around the world to do other people's hair. Unfortunately, they hit a blind spot when cutting their own hair. You must have people who can guide you, coach you along the way, and point out your blind spots. That might cost you more money or time now, but in the long run, we'll save you a lot of pain and help you avoid some big mistakes.A third thing: recognizing when you are self-doubting. Any advice that you hear from your family, your partner, or anyone in your circle is coming from a place of trying to keep you safe. That is not always the advice we should take. We can recognize that in ourselves. We need to acknowledge ourselves and our beliefs. This is another reason why it is so important to have a coach or someone outside your inner circle to help you back in. You need that outside perspective. Connect with Heather on the GRAM or her Website Connect with Emmy on the GRAM @heyheyemmy or hang out on Facebook. You've always wanted a VIP invite to the coolest party, right? Then you want to be an Instagram Insider. You will get all the current algorithm hacks and tips to grow your following, bring in new potential clients (and friends), and make some MONEY with the GRAM Here's your invitation to the VIP INSTAGRAM INSIDER SCOOP INVITE!

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219 Heather Simpson, anti anti-vax mother and influencer

The Department of Conversation with Pat Brittenden

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2022 66:17

Heather Simpson is a former antivax mother who is on a journey back to evidence-based medicine. Heather was popular in the antivax community as the influencer mom who dressed as measles for Halloween, the least scary thing she could think of

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Episode 204 - Requiem for 2021

Bellingham Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2021 35:52

What we discussed in 27 episodes (and two bonus AE episodes)Analog ResolutionsSustainable, Minimal, and save money? 2-partHi-fi audiophiliaLo-fi audiophiliaTech that taught us something new in the pandemic5-year anniversary - New cover art - AJ’s blog postForced ResetCollection Culture 2-partHey World - Chris’ tech episodeCaptain Get-Out - AJ’s outdoor episodePNW x UK Wanderlust w/UK Dan @timely_momentsMotorcycle culture and rides, west coast x east coast w/Navy Dan @rising_sun_sailorChris’ Walden PondWelcome Back to Bellingham mini-series - Episodes 191 to 197Getting Out in BellinghamDining Out in BellinghamGetting a Drink in BellinghamGetting to know the new downtownWandering in Whatcom County 2-partGetting Comfy in BellinghamPPE or Post-Pandemic EDC 2-partEpisode 200 at the Oyster DomeFinding the FlowPNWetGift Guide’nLots of helpful information in our accumulated Quality Assurance sections.New Sponsor - MinimaLifeAJ, I’m not sure if you are aware of this, but I have been a devotee to the minimalist lifestyle for over a decade now. Yup, I’m so minimal I don’t like using vowels when I type. I’ve eliminated so much clutter from my life in these 10+ years that there’s not much left. Just me, my family and friends, and the plaque on my teeth. Wouldn’t you know that I nearly squee’d (without the E’s) when I saw a new subscription box service coming in early 2022! That’s right, the fine folks at MinimaLife have the soon-to-be must-have subscription box service of this new year….Rad or Sad - A tasty conversational topic!AJ - Digital avatar editions of Live Concerts- future of post-pandemic entertainment Streaming Services - now in the OTT era Chris - Her Connection Hub, a working space for women in the old PSE building downtown, owned by for Community Connections Conversations…converser Heather Simpson! Paywalls requiring accounts and memberships to read a story online. And the antidote? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bellinghampodcast.substack.com

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Introducing: Immunity in our Community Episode 5

4 Things with Amy Brown

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2021 27:05

Making health care decisions for yourself -- or the people in your care -- are some of the most important choices you will ever make. It's understandable to have questions about the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines. Community health care navigators are there to help ease vaccine-related concerns, and bridge the gap of trust between their communities and the health care providers that serve them. These navigators can be a local nurse or pharmacist, or even just a faith leader or friendly neighbor. This episode, we hear from Heather Simpson, a mother who was once part of the anti-vax community. Thoughtful discussion helped change her mind, and now she's been vaccinated against COVID-19. She talks about the best way to open up discussions with vaccine-hesitant people. Then, we hear from Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about the importance of these health care navigators, and what the CDC is doing to support them. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

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Business commentator Pattrick Smellie

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2021 23:12

Keith Turner and Heather Simpson have turned up on the board of the national grid operator, Transpower. Pattrick delves into what that means. And the billion dollar government IT project you've never heard any fuss about has just been completed after 8 stressful years by the Inland Revenue Dept. He also talks about what to look for in tomorrow's half year fiscal and economic update and Budget Policy Statement.

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Business commentator Pattrick Smellie

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Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2021 23:12

business economy economic fiscal commentators ird heather simpson pattrick smellie

An Anti-Vaxxer's Change of Heart

The Delve

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2021 35:12

In this episode, we address covid vaccine hesitancy through a conversation with Heather Simpson, a reformed anti-vaxxer.

Does Getting Back With An Ex Ever Work Out? Ex Anti Vaxxer Shares Her Story +Cliffo Reveals His Fear!

Cliffo and Gabi - hit103.1 Townsville

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2021 28:57

Face your fears Guidance Gabi - does getting back with an ex ever work out? Ex anti-vaxxer Heather Simpson shares her story The ultimate bedtime routine VS the actual bedtime routine The Bunnings brick return - who's side are you on? QLD's biggest social media earners See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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An Ex Anti-Vaxxer Shares Why She Changed Her Mind And Got The COVID Jab!

Cliffo and Gabi - hit103.1 Townsville

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2021 4:33

Heather Simpson was prominent in the anti-vax movement but has since changed her mind and encourages others to get vaccinated See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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EP. 12: Back to the Vax: How Two Former Anti-Vax Moms became Vaccine Advocates

Emerging Topics

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2021 26:26

In this episode of Emerging Topics, Lydia Greene and Heather Simpson, the co-founders of the blog, Back to the Vax: A Guide to Inoculating Yourself Against Anti-Vax Propaganda, tell us about their journey from being former anti-vax mothers to finding their way back to evidence-based medicine and becoming vaccine advocates. Heather Simpson is a mom, an activist, a podcaster, and a freelance writer. When she's not chasing her three year old daughter, she frequents coffee shops and loves long walks down the aisles at Target. Lydia Greene is a married mom of three, living in the Canadian Rockies. When not parenting, writing, or podcasting, she is studying to become a public health nurse to fight hesitancy on the frontlines. In her spare time, she nerds out on PC gaming, D&D, and enjoys walks in the fresh mountain air.

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Conversation: Heather Simpson (Part 3)

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2021 12:03

Thanks for listening to Simply for Women. This show is for that mom who knows the chaos of life, that daughter who knows the challenges of the day, and for those women who want to deepen their faith. God invites us to take Him off our to-do list and to simply be - to simply be with him. Learn more about the host, Jennifer Jackson Invite Jennifer to speak at your event Healing Prayer: Shower of Power (free download) Simply for Women online store (books, merch) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conversation: Heather Simpson (Part 2)

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2021 12:00

Thanks for listening to Simply for Women. This show is for that mom who knows the chaos of life, that daughter who knows the challenges of the day, and for those women who want to deepen their faith. God invites us to take Him off our to-do list and to simply be - to simply be with him. Learn more about the host, Jennifer Jackson Invite Jennifer to speak at your event Healing Prayer: Shower of Power (free download) Simply for Women online store (books, merch) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conversation: Heather Simpson (Part 1)

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2021 12:02

Thanks for listening to Simply for Women. This show is for that mom who knows the chaos of life, that daughter who knows the challenges of the day, and for those women who want to deepen their faith. God invites us to take Him off our to-do list and to simply be - to simply be with him. Learn more about the host, Jennifer Jackson Invite Jennifer to speak at your event Healing Prayer: Shower of Power (free download) Simply for Women online store (books, merch) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Fact with Chelsea Clinton

Vaccines (with Dr. Peter Hotez & Heather Simpson)

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2021 46:59

When it comes to vaccines, spreading truth, facts, and evidence are urgent public health priorities -- and so is confronting the anti-vaccine movement. This week, Chelsea sits down with Heather Simpson, a mom and former anti-vax influencer-turned vaccine advocate. She also talks with vaccine researcher, advocate and Co-Director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Hospital and Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Peter Hotez, about how we can fight the powerful tide of disinformation, overcome distrust, and help get more people the facts they need to make the right health decisions for themselves and their families. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Behind the Scenes of Business Consulting with Lynsey Riemer and Katy von Kuhn

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2021 60:52

Behind the scenes, Heather Simpson goes in-depth with 2 business owners; Lynsey Riemer and Katy von Kuhn.Follow us on :Web: sheleadsme.comInstagram: @she.leads.me LinkedIn

Addressing Hesitancy with Caregivers and Health Care Navigators

COVID-19 Immunity in Our Community

Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2021 27:06

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Unscripted with Heather Simpson

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Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2021 17:03

Heather turns to the mic for an unscripted episode around the conversations she is having with women right now. Looking to make a shift or change in your life right now? Not sure if it's the right time for you? Lean in as Heather shares some action you can take today to make decisions and move forward in life.

Episode 35: Purposeful Leadership with Heather Simpson

Revenue Insights

Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2021 40:26

2020 brought many lessons to leaders and one of the main takeaways was a renewal of how we lead. In episode 35 we talk with Heather Simpson, Founder & Director of She Leads Me about purposeful leadership. Visit sheleadsme.com to learn more about Heather Watch this episode on VOS News Network http://bit.ly/VOSNewsNetwork

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Let's talk about your business featuring Cinder Coaching and Graber Fitness Academy

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Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2021 59:35

Let's go inside a couple of Business Consulting sessions with Heather Simpson from She Leads Me as she talks with female business owners about their pain points and where Heather recommends they go from where they are. Live us some feedback on Instagram: @she.leads.me, and for more information visit our Website: sheleadsme.com

Heather du Plessis-Allan: DHBs won't be missed - but Māori health authority a tough sell

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2021 1:52

On the health overhaul, I think few of us are going to complain about the plan to get rid of the DHBs and replace them with a single health organisation.The DHB idea hasn't worked. Few us can be bothered voting for our DHB members. Few of us know the names we are voting for. Ultimately, the idea of accountability to your community doesn't work if your community doesn't care.We've ended up with post code lottery, where some DHBs provide better care or worse care for certain ailments than others.We've also seen the wastage that happens, where according to the Health Minister, 20 cents out of every dollar is spent on admin. So, this overhaul is welcome but it is the easy part of the plan.The hard bit is going to be selling the idea of the Māori health authority. That's controversial, because it is proposed to alongside the new single entity - Health NZ - and will have veto power over that body's decisions.So not only is the proposal that it will have control over Māori health, but it could end up exercising control over all health.Plus, it is already being called divisive by opposition parties for proposing to create a separate race-based system.That's the tough sell. Not even all six of the authors of the Simpson review agreed that the Māori health authority should have this level of power.Four agreed, two disagreed - one of them was the lead author, Heather Simpson.So, if the woman who lent her name to the review that led to this disagrees with this, you can imagine quite a proportion of the public might too.

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Health Minister on reforms: 'A truly national health service'

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Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2021 11:11

The sweeping health reforms outlined today have gone further than what was recommended by the expert panel review of the health and disability sector chaired by Heather Simpson. Health Minister Andrew Little tells Kathryn the new system will be a "truly national health service".

Health Minister on reforms: 'A truly national health service'

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Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2021 11:11

Researchers have little hope for change in health system

RNZ: Morning Report

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2021 6:01

A pair of prominent researchers say there's little hope the reforms proposed by the Heather Simpson report will make a difference. A paper published in the New Zealand Medical Journal this morning notes that there have been more than 50 reforms of the public health service since it was established, and its authors argue that, without fail, all of these have been essentially pointless. Professor Des Gorman from the University of Auckland is one of the paper's co-authors. He spoke to Guyon Espiner.

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46: Back to the Vax (w/Lydia Greene & Heather Simpson)

Conspirituality

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2021 144:30

The "Disinformation Dozen" really doesn't like getting deplatformed.

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Ep. 50: Switching Sides on Vaccines

Vax Talk

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2021 48:36

Don't worry! We aren't switching sides. Heather Simpson, former anti-vaccine influencer, already switched sides. She took a look at the science and decided she needed to vaccinate herself and her daughter. This is the audio from a previous Facebook Live event. If you prefer to watch with your eyes and ears, go here: https://www.facebook.com/279714615481820/videos/1107546256424937

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S1E65 / Vaccines and Motherly Love / Heather Simpson, Elena Conis, Rebecca Onion, and Jonathan Berman

EPIDEMIC with Dr. Celine Gounder

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2021 25:16

"We easily have never had as high a level of vaccination acceptance as we have now but we've asked a lot more of the public. The resistance that we see today is a response, in part, to that compounded request over time." - Elena ConisThe vast majority of Americans accept vaccines but concerns about the effect vaccines could theoretically have on kids have been some of the oldest and most resilient drivers of vaccine mistrust. At this recording, the COVID vaccines authorized for emergency use have not yet been approved for children but if the United States is to eventually reach herd immunity, children will need to be vaccinated. In this second episode in our series on vaccine confidence, we'll hear from a mother who went from being an anti-vaxxer to an advocate for vaccines. This podcast was created by Just Human Productions. We're powered and distributed by Simplecast. We're supported, in part, by listeners like you.#SARSCoV2 #COVID19 #COVID #coronavirus

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Founder of She Leads Me, Heather Simpson

ceo founders leads professional women podcast for women heather simpson

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2021 17:56

www.SheIGNITESConference.com Heather shares more of her story going from a negative bank account and watching her car be repossessed, to becoming a CEO by the time she was 30. She tells the story the of where the idea and concept of She Leads Me came from. All of this she shares as we prepare for our Annual SheIGNITES Conference coming up on March 19th, 2021. Check out the speaker lineup, topics and register at www.SheIGNITESConference.com

Andrew Little: Pharmac review to focus on speed, transparency of decision

Kerre McIvor Mornings Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2021 4:55

A review of the Government's drug buyer Pharmac will focus on the timeliness and transparency of its decisions.Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Health Minister Andrew Little announced the independent review's terms of reference at Parliament today.The Pharmac review will focus on two areas:how well Pharmac performs against its current objectives and whether this could be improvedwhether Pharmac's current objectives maximise its potential to improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders as part of the wider health system and whether these objectives should be changed.It will also consider factors including:the timeliness of Pharmac's decision makingthe transparency and accessibility of its decision makingequity - including access to medicines and devices for Māori and Pacific peoples.The independent review panel will be chaired by the former Consumer chief executive Sue Chetwin and will include corporate governance consultant Frank McLaughlin, experienced health and governance expert Heather Simpson, pharmacist prescriber Leanne Te Karu, preventative and social medicine professor Sue Crengle and disability advocate Dr Tristram Ingham.The review is intended to run until the end of the year with an interim report in August and a final report in December."I expect that the review committee will decide its own consultation process but that it will include at a minimum the appropriate input from consumers, Māori, Pacific peoples, clinicians and industry," Little said.The budget for the review is expected to be between $1.5 and $2 million.Ardern said the review would help New Zealanders have confidence in the system.Ardern said broadly the Pharmac model worked well but they'd heard concerns about the model and the Government believed there was scope to improve it."Pharmac is a model that's critically important to the health sector and viewed as world leading - but let's make it better if we can."Little said concerns raised about the drug-buying agency included access to new medicines, timeliness of decision making and its priorities."In addition there have been concerns about the safety of substituting medicines due to cost and availability, and access to products that are funded in other countries but not here in New Zealand."Nearly 4 million New Zealanders received medicines procured by the drug agency.The review was committed to by Ardern during an election debate with National leader Judith Collins who also promised to review the agency if elected.Ardern said when asked if Labour would commit to a review, she said: "If it gives people faith in our system, then yes."Newsroom reported this morning the review will investigate how the government drug-buying agency can better respond to specific government health priorities relating to emerging drugs and more.In 2019 the Health Select Committee voted against a politician-led inquiry into the agency. The National Party said it appeared Labour only committed to the independent review when it was "politically palatable".Little confirmed the Government was planning an independent inquiry into Pharmac and that Labour just didn't support it being led by politicians on the Health Select Committee.Little said they wanted it to be independent and considered it "inappropriate" for MPs to do it."It needs to be at arm's length from politicians. It's not right for politicians making political judgments about Pharmac and its decisions."There are high-level policy decisions but it is better that they are reviewed at arm's length and independently," he said last year.He said work is under way to establish terms of reference and an appropriate review body.

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Ep. 49: The Other Dr. Sears on Vaccines

Vax Talk

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2021 56:26

Dr. Peter Sears is the not-famous brother of Dr. Jim and Dr. Bob Sears and a family physician. He is also an strong advocate for on-time immunization, even as his brother Bob is perceived as having close ties with the anti-vaccine world. We invited Dr. Peter to the podcast to talk about alternative schedules, ingredient fears, and vaccine mandates. Don't forget to check out our FB chat with Heather Simpson, former anti-vaccine influencer: https://www.facebook.com/VoicesForVaccines/videos/1107546256424937

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Exposing closely guarded secrets and Healing towards Success with Stephanie Thornton Plymale

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Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2021 40:02

For 50 years, Stephanie Thornton Plymale kept her past a fiercely guarded secret.No one outside her immediate family could have guessed that her childhood was fraught with hardship: neglect, hunger, poverty, homelessness, truancy, foster homes, a harrowing lack of medical care, ongoing sexual abuse, and a perpetually absent mother—a mentally ill woman who was in and out of jails and psych wards. Stephanie later uncovers that the terror and fear that she experienced as a child are the insidious ripple effects from an appalling crime that occurred in the summer of 1953 in Baltimore, Maryland, and made national news.Stephanie began a series of “interviews” with her mother in an attempt to find answers and to get her mother to take personal responsibility for the past. The two embark on a journey of discovery in American Daughter as a series of shocking revelations forces Stephanie to see every aspect of her painful childhood and her mother with fresh eyes.About the author: Stephanie Thornton Plymale is the CEO of Heritage School of Interior Design and the founder of the Heritage Home Foundation, a nonprofit serving families transitioning from homelessness. Stephanie has supported hundreds of students in achieving their dream careers. Many alumni have gone on to win prestigious awards and begin wildly successful businesses. Stephanie continues to balance family life with promoting Heritage, the success of its students, staff, and continually growing community and philanthropic efforts. Stephanie also serves on the board for Project Lemonade. She lives with her husband and three children in Portland, Oregon.More at: www.american-daughter.com

Living a Limitless Life with Lauren Lake

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Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2021 39:21

Meet Lauren Lake, one of our incredible guest speakers of our upcoming event SheIGNITESMulti-faceted attorney, author, television personality, Lauren Lake is a Renaissance woman who believes in a limitless approach to life. Currently, Lake serves as Executive Producer and Judge of the Emmy Award Winning nationally syndicated daytime legal show, Lauren Lake’s Paternity Court. Sharp–witted and opinionated, Lake helps litigants resolve legal issues involving paternity using DNA results. While presiding over a range of emotionally charged cases, Lake’s powerful persona resonates as she provides the perfect blend of inspiration and tough love with her no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is advice and analysis of each case. Lake further explores the dynamics of complicated relationships in her book Girl! Let Me Tell You…Advice on Life and Love for Single Successful Women. Lake doesn’t just talk the talk when it comes to living a limitless life. In addition to practicing law for over two decades and empowering families, Lauren also brings new life to living spaces as an interior designer and real estate developer. She served as host and designer on HGTV’s Spice Up My Kitchen for six seasons and her work has been featured in Good Housekeeping and Ebony Magazine. The savvy business woman and mompreneur strives to be a living example of life’s infinite possibilities. Lake is committed to helping others find their passions and purpose, think and live outside the box, break generational curses, grow their faith, create multiple income streams and launch their limitless lives. Conference Topic | Living a Limitless Life

Sarah Symons | Founder and Director of Her Future Coalition

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Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2020 44:52

Sarah is the founder and Director of Her Future Coalition, an international charity that has helped thousands of girls rise out of poverty and exploitation to become free and independent.Her Future Coalition has been selected for a collaboration with Michelle Obama's Girls Opportunity Alliance, a campaign to promote and support education for the most vulnerable girls, around the world. Over the years they have served tens of thousands of survivors in India, Nepal, Cambodia and Thailand. Most exciting to Sarah is the fact that the survivors who joined our programs a few years ago are now managing the programs, working as trainers and mentors to newly rescued girls. They couldn’t imagine any future at all when they were living in brothels. Now their dreams are limitless! To get a sense of Sarah, here’s her Ted Talk and long-form bio. On the podcast, she could talk about all things women's empowerment and overcoming obstacles in the human trafficking.

Peter Dunne: Last minute release of Covid report suggests we don't have things under control

The Weekend Collective

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2020 7:49

The Government has been criticised for leaving two major announcements to the week before Christmas. On Thursday, the Government announced it is buying the land at Ihumātao from Fletchers for $30 million under a deal that will see it used for some housing – and could eventually see it passed into the ownership of tangata whenua.Then on Friday, a prepared by the COVID-19 Surveillance and Testing Strategy advisory group, co-chaired by Heather Simpson and Sir Brian Roche, slated the Ministry of Health for bad communication around the criteria for testing, and keeping ministers in the dark about concerns raised by other government departments.Former Minister Peter Dunne told The Weekend Collective that all Governments do it, but this year was particularly bad with the Covid report and the Ihumātao decision.He says that they held the Covid report until this week, and it looks like media management in its highest form. "Particularly with the Covid issue as it's flared up again in Australia right now, we need to be absolutely certain that we've got the best systems in place in New Zealand to manage this, and I think delaying the report gives a little bit of anxiety that perhaps we don't." He says both of these issues were live all year and they should have come out earlier. Dunne agreed that the Covid report, which was finished several months ago, should have been released much earlier. "I think particularly when the Prime Minister herself said she had never taken politicos into account when making any decision on Covid. They acted politically."He says that releasing the Ihumātao deal this week also raises the suspicions about potential consequences. LISTEN ABOVE

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Peter Dunne: Last minute release of Covid report suggests we don't have things under control

Politics Central

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2020 7:49

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Bonus Episode | Stepping Confidently into your Brilliance

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Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2020 10:39

The epidemic that is taking over the business world: The Copy and Paste Model. Heather Simpson speaks loud and clear about what it looks like to step into your brilliance, and how to do so with that #CEOBoss confidence.

SDR 188: She Leads Me Interview

Smart Digestion Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2020 41:15

This episode is a bit different than usual because you’ll hear me being interviewed by my good friend, Heather Simpson, of the She Leads Me podcast (which is where this interview first aired!). After being diagnosed with uterine cancer last year, Heather looked to alternative methods to overcome cancer and heal her body, and as a result, became interested in functional medicine and healing from within. Heather was able to beat her cancer using methods that felt right to her, and in this episode, we discussed why it’s important to make sure that we put a focus on our health and listen to what our gut is telling us—in more ways than one. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: http://thedigestiondoctor.com/188

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Bonus Episode | 5 ways to show value in the workplace (even during a pandemic)

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Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2020 14:01

“How do I show value in the workplace?”How do we continue to show value, gain recognition, and support others when we are not in our normal, face to face environment?How do we address the normal conversations we would have face to face like getting a pay raise, promotional opportunities, and gaining recognition and winning awards. What if business takes a turn? Many already are, or are on their way… how do we prove that we are worth keeping around as they make budget and job cuts?These are all excellent questions to be considering, especially during a time like this. Heather Simpson walks you through 5 ways to show value in the workplace (even during a pandemic). Arrive at work with a winning mindset to set yourself apart from the rest.

Bonus Episode | Building Habits for Better Productivity