Podcasts about La Leche League

In this episode, we sit down with infant sleep educator and Nurture Neuroscience Circle facilitator, Linda Fitzgerald, to explore how nurturing parenting practices shape emotional and mental health starting in infancy. Linda shares her personal story of moving to the U.S. during the pandemic, her journey into neuroscience-based parenting, and why “normal” infant sleep is so often misunderstood. We also dive into research on co-regulation, bedsharing, and the powerful impact of responsive care on long-term well-being.What You'll Learn: • What biologically normal infant sleep really looks like • Why emotional attunement and co-regulation matter • The 7 “Safe Sleep” steps vs. sleep training myths • How nurturing parenting supports long-term mental health • Differences in parenting and healthcare between the U.S. and Czech Republic • The science behind responsive parenting and childhood resilienceLinda Fitzgerald is an infant and child sleep consultant who specializes in attachment-based, brain-informed approaches that honor the parent-infant bond. Originally from the Czech Republic, she blends European and American perspectives in her work. Linda has been mentored by Dr. Lyndsey Hookway and trained as a Nurture Neuroscience Practitioner by Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum. She facilitates the Nurture Neuroscience Circle for new mothers in Fairfax, CA, and offers 1:1 sleep consultations.Links and Resources Mentioned: • Nurture Neuroscience Circle – Fairfax Registration • Instagram: @nurture_neuroscience_circle • The Nurture Revolution – Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum • Sweet Sleep – La Leche League • Why Your Baby's Sleep Matters – Sarah Ockwell-Smith • Evolutionary Parenting – Sleep Resources • KellyMom.comSafe Sleep Resources: • Safe Sleep 7 – La Leche League infographic • Cuddle Curl & Safe Chest Sleeping • Free Co-Sleeping Guide – CosleepyRecommended Book: • Nurture Revolution by Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum — A beautiful guide to infant brain development and the healing power of nurturing care.Instagram Accounts to Follow: • @drgreerkirshenbaum • @lyndsey_hookway • @cosleepy • @happycosleeper • @thebreastfeedingmentorResearch We Discussed: • Maternal Affection & Mental Health: Study linkHigher early maternal affection predicts lower adult anxiety and physical stress symptoms. • Maternal Sensitivity & Brain Development: Study linkLower maternal sensitivity linked to larger amygdala volume—associated with greater emotional reactivity. • REM Sleep & Memory Integration: Study linkREM sleep “replays” experiences, supporting memory consolidation and brain development during milestones.Share this episode with a new parent, birthworker, or anyone curious about infant brain development. Tag us with your favorite takeaway!Connect with Us:@sophiabirth@bayareahomebirth@bornwildmidwiferyStay Wild

In strong labour, birthing her first baby at home, Michelle was unexpectedly met with the news that her baby was breech. Supported by a trusted care team, she went on to confidently birth her big boy in her lounge. High on magical birth hormones, basking in the glory of what she'd just achieved and marvelling at the gorgeous human she'd created, Michelle was unaware that she'd sustained a decent tear. But that wasn't a problem. It went on to heal naturally, without fuss. The real challenge came with breastfeeding. Michelle couldn't make sufficient milk to meet Beren's needs, and had to supplement feed throughout his babyhood. This was a source of absolute struggle and heartbreak for Michelle. Today she shares with us the trials and tribulations of her breastfeeding journey, both with her first born, and then with Willis, her second child, also born at home (but this time, head down). Even now, as she reflects on her 12 years old story, the emotions run high. Oftentimes birth is a breeze compared to the breastfeeding challenges that some are met with. Michelle's story is a testament to this.Also discussed in this episode:* importance of good relationship with midwife* holding boundaries* meconium* Maggie Banks' books - Homebirth Bound & Breech Birth Woman Wise* partially torn cord with birth of head* consuming placenta* donor breast milk* La Leche League support* supplemental nursing system* water birth* sibling at birth

Est-ce que je peux continuer à allaiter mon aîné pendant ma grossesse ?Cette question, je l'ai reçue il y a quelques jours d'une patiente. Elle allaite encore son petit garçon de 2 ans, et elle vient d'apprendre qu'elle est enceinte de son deuxième bébé. Elle a entendu qu'allaiter enceinte, « c'est pas conseillé », voire dangereux…Dans cet épisode de "Questionner la sage-femme", je déconstruis les peurs et croyances autour de l'allaitement pendant la grossesse et du co-allaitement. Est-ce que ça déclenche des contractions ? Est-ce que ça épuise la mère ? Est-ce que ça met en danger le bébé à naître ? Ce que dit vraiment la science ? Et surtout : comment s'écouter, respecter son corps, son rythme, ses limites ?Je vous parle aussi de ce que j'ai vécu personnellement, de ce que j'ai observé chez d'autres mères, et je vous rappelle que le choix d'allaiter ou non, de continuer ou d'arrêter, reste le vôtre. Ce n'est pas une injonction ni une obligation.✨ Et si l'allaitement n'était pas un risque, mais une continuité de lien ? ✨ Et si ça devenait même un coup de pouce précieux à la naissance ou en postpartum ?

On Washington Wednesday, Trump rescinds Stefanik's nomination and Russia-Ukraine peace talks stall; on World Tour, news from Myanmar, Syria, Argentina, and Bosnia; and gender policy changes at a support group for nursing moms. Plus, a doctor gets his own medicine, Janie B. Cheaney on the sexual revolution, and the Wednesday morning newsSupport The World and Everything in It today at wng.org/donate.Additional support comes from LeTourneau University. The Christian Polytechnic University. More at LETU.EDU.

Le thème de cet épisode, c'est l'allaitement maternel et il est consacré à La Leche League. Contrairement aux apparences, c'est un sujet qui nous concerne tous. Tu découvriras pourquoi en écoutant cette conversation avec ma copine Claire où on va débunker certaines idées reçues sur l'allaitement et où on va aussi partager des anecdotes assez drôles et un peu embarrassantes

Ireland needs to address its persistently low breastfeeding rates. That's the call from La Leche League a voluntary organisation that promotes the benefits of breastfeeding, whose annual conference takes place today. Joining Shane this morning on the show was Lynn Carroll, La Leche League Leader.

Ireland needs to address its persistently low breastfeeding rates. That's the call from La Leche League a voluntary organisation that promotes the benefits of breastfeeding, whose annual conference takes place today. Joining Shane this morning on the show was Lynn Carroll, La Leche League Leader.

Send us a textBaby, Oh Baby! How exciting for some new parents. I had the honor of making this podcast for some listners that asked for some helpful tips and what to expect during pregnancy and when baby makes their debut into the world. Congratulations and I am so excited for you. I hope that this podcast helps some with few questions that you might have.A correction on the Nanit breathing band. I misspelled in podcast. NOT nannit it is nanit breathing band. Just in case you're interested in looking into it. I have the number for La Leche League in case you aren't sure what to expect in case you choose to nurse. 1-800-525-3243 or send your questions to info@llli.org and here is the link https://llli.orgGood Books for New Parents:What to Expect When You're Expecting -  Heidi Murkoff What To Expect The First Year - Heidi MurkoffNewborn 101  - Carole Kramer Arsenault, RNp.s. In a few weeks I will have a podcast on first year and living with a toddler. ❤️Henrie Thank you for listening.Go find your Blessings!

Mandolyn Crotts, mom of two and founder of Carry Them Ministries in Nigeria, revealed the horrifying, fatal obstetric practices, fear of breastfeeding and dangerous promotion of infant formula which is responsible for the demise of so many babies.Here in America we often hear trite slogans such as “fed as best!” to make women feel better about formula usage. However in a place like Nigeria, formula feeding is actually killing babies, and breastfeeding saves lives.We learn about the heartbreaking lies women have been told from fearful and misogynistic doctors and nurses who know nothing about birth or breastfeeding. Separation of motherbaby from day 1 is not only common, but it's extremely normalized. Even skin-to-skin is viewed as dangerous.There is a light at the end of this dark tunnel, and that is the success stories of babies who transformed from “failure to thrive” as a result of risky formula consumption, to full on thriving thanks to Mandolyn and her team's lactation support. This support includes some unconventional methods often overlooked here in the Western world.And of course we couldn't ignore the current culture wars, especially in light of La Leche League's woke inclusion policies. Hear what Mandolyn has to say about “inclusive” breastfeeding vernacular in a place like Nigeria where babies are literally on the brink of death.If you are feeling inspired by Mandolyn's mission, please consider making a financial donation at carrythem.org to help save these babies' lives.Follow Mandolyn's non-profit @carrythemministries on InstagramSupport the showJOIN OUR NEW, PRIVATE COMMUNITY! DONATE (Thank you!!

“I don't ever want to make the mothers have to be the ones to gatekeep for who comes in. I'm going to do that for them.”La Leche League is a charity that was set up to offer mother-to-mother breastfeeding support and to protect the natural course of breastfeeding and the mother-baby dyad.Ruth, Rej, and Loreto all had their accreditation as LLL breastfeeding counsellors removed by LLL International for “breaches of the LLL Code of Conduct” and “actions that led to the public discrediting of LLL.” This occurred after they made a public statement and spoke to journalists as trustees about the conflict that had been exposed between the policy of supporting male lactation and the LLLGB charitable objects and beneficiaries, which do not include males.In this episode the former LLLGB trustees and breastfeeding counsellors have a conversation with Julie Bindel about how gender ideology has captured the world's oldest breastfeeding organisation to the point that it has abandoned its mission. You might think that something as essentially female as breastfeeding would be safeguarded for women ‒ think again!

In this special episode, Sasha and Stella pass the mic to honorary guest host, journalist, author, and feminist campaigner, Helen Joyce, who interviews Marian Tompson, in connection with Joyce's recent article about Marian in The Times, "Why I Quit the Breastfeeding Charity I Founded Over Trans Ideology".Marian Tompson, along with six other mothers, founded the global breastfeeding support network, La Leche League, in 1956. In November 2024, Tompson resigned from both the organization and its Board of Directors, believing it had strayed from its original mission to support biological mothers in breastfeeding.Helen's conversation with Marian touches on the physiological intricacies of breastfeeding, the historical challenges women faced to maintain breastfeeding practices, and the broader implications of integrating transgender individuals into traditionally female-centered spaces like La Leche League. Together, they share a candid discussion exploring how biological realities, societal shifts, and ideological debates converge in today's discourse on gender, motherhood, and breastfeeding.For links and resources relevant to this episode, access the full show notes at https://www.widerlenspod.com/p/episode-198 Buy Our Book – When Kids Say They're Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parents at https://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/   Join Our Listener Community to Access Exclusive Content at https://www.widerlenspod.com/   Support the Show at https://www.widerlenspod.com/p/support-the-show   Join the conversation on YouTube at www.youtube.com/@widerlenspod  For more information about Sasha's & Stella's parent coaching membership groups, visit:Sasha Ayad: https://sashaayad.com/parenting-coaching   Stella O'Malley: http://www.stellaomalley.com/parent-coaching  To learn more about our sponsors, visit:Therapy First at https://www.therapyfirst.org/  Genspect at https://genspect.org/  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.widerlenspod.com/subscribe   This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.widerlenspod.com/subscribe

“In that moment, I knew that was the last time I would see her. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I knew I could not go back to her.”How do you feel when you meet with your provider? Are you excited for your appointments? How does your body react? Are you tense or calm and relaxed? Jessica's first birth began with an induction that she consented to but didn't really want. Her waters were artificially broken, and her baby just was not in a great position. After over 4 hours of pushing and multiple vacuum attempts, Jessica consented to a Cesarean. Listen to Jessica's VBAC story to find out what she did when she realized at 37 weeks that her provider was NOT actually VBAC-supportive.Sometimes difficult situations actually work out even better than we hoped!How to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull Transcript under Episode Details Meagan: Welcome, Jessica, to the show. I am so excited that you are here and excited to hear your stories and actually talk a little bit more about what you do. Do you do it for a living, or is this just your passion project or whatever they call it? Is it your side job?Jessica: It's on the side. It's volunteer. My main job is a stay-at-home mom right now. Meagan: Yes. You're homeschooling, right? Jessica: I am. Meagan: Oh my gosh. One of my best friends homeschools. I just praise you guys. Homeschooling is legit. It is very hard. That seems so hard. Jessica: It's definitely a lifestyle. It's different. It's not for everybody, but it's definitely for us. My daughter is only 5 so we are just getting used to it. Meagan: So Kindergarten?Jessica: She just turned 5 a couple of weeks ago, so we are technically doing 4-K right now. We are just getting into it. I'm still wondering every day, “Am I doing everything I should be?” I know as it goes on, I will get more comfortable and confident with it. Meagan: Yes, you will. That's what I've seen with my friend. She was like, “This is what feels right. This is what we are going to do.” It took a little bit of a learning curve, then each kid added in, but she kills it. Yes, you are just a stay-at-home mom, but a full-time teacher. Holy cow. That's amazing. Then yeah, you are doing La Leche League. Jessica: Yes. I have been a leader now for 2.5 years, just over that. I became certified. I think it was on my due date. I was trying to get everything done before my toddler was born. It's been going really great. I really like it. Meagan: Yes. Tell us more about it because when I was– this was in 2014– pregnant with my second daughter. That's when I heard about La Leche League. Tell us more about it and why someone would want to find their local leader, and then what all the benefits are and how to find them. Jessica: Sure. I first heard about La Leche League when my oldest was maybe about 9 months, so right away in my breastfeeding journey, I had no idea about it. I wish I had because it would have been great to have a community of support. I started feeling really passionate about breastfeeding and knew I wanted to help other moms with it because it can feel really isolating, especially because it was in the middle of the pandemic. I started researching ways that moms can help other moms with breastfeeding because I had no other background in it. I'm not a nurse. I didn't work in the labor world. I just stumbled upon it, and I lived in Madison at the time. I saw that Madison had a chapter. They weren't doing meetings at the time because everything was virtual. But I just reached out, and I said, “I want to be a leader. Tell me what I need to do.” They emailed me back, and I got in touch with another local leader there who had been there for a while. She was surprised. She was like, “You want to be a leader, but you don't even know what we do. You've never been to a meeting.” I just said, “Yes. That is what I want to do.” It was kind of a long process to become a leader because everything was virtual. They didn't know how to go about that. Meagan: Yeah. Jessica: So it took a little bit of a long time to become accredited as a leader. Meagan: Does it now or is it in person? Did it stay virtual? For someone who may want to?Jessica: I think everything is back to in-person. At least where I live now, Madison I know is back to in-person now too. Everything is probably running a little bit more smoothly now in terms of if you are interested in becoming a leader. Basically what leaders do is that we get some training within La Leche League, but we are your cheerleaders. We are here to support you. We are the middle ground between if we need to refer you somewhere for some additional help if it's beyond our scope of practice of basic breastfeeding positioning, latching, or if you have questions of, “My baby is doing this. Is it normal?” That's what we do. We have support groups every month for anybody to really join. Meagan: Awesome. Jessica: It's fun. Meagan: Where can someone find it if they're wanting to learn more? When it comes to breastfeeding, it sounds weird because you don't have your baby yet, so why are we talking about breastfeeding? Why are we thinking about it? But I really believe that connecting before we have our babies with an IBCLC or a La Leche group is so important before you have your baby. If someone is looking, where can they find information or try to search for a chapter in their area? Jessica: You can just look up your state La Leche League. There should be a website that has all of the local chapters. They are all over the world, so you should be able to find somebody near you. Even if there's not one near you, you can contact anybody. Let's say they are 2 hours away. You can still call or text or email. They'll usually, if you want to do something more in person, you can do some type of Zoom meeting. You can definitely find anybody to talk to. You're right. It's really important to get support before you even start breastfeeding if you know that's something you want to do. I always say that breastfeeding is natural, but it doesn't always come naturally. You don't know what to do in the beginning unless you talk to somebody. Meagan: Yes. We will make sure to have the website linked in the show notes too, so if anyone is wanting to go search, definitely go check it out. Okay, now we are going to give a little teaser of what your episode is going to be about today. So, with your C-section, give us a little teaser of what your C-section was for. Jessica: So, my first birth went really smoothly and my pregnancy. I really liked my doctor. I really liked the hospital. It was a group of OBs of all women. I met with each of them. I really liked all of them, to be honest with you. They were all very supportive of whatever you wanted to do.Meagan: Which is awesome. Jessica: Yes, it is. I knew I wanted to have a vaginal birth. That was all I really knew, but I was also really young, I think. I was 23 for most of my pregnancy. I didn't really educate myself beyond my doctor's appointments. I trusted them to pretty much tell me what I needed to know, and that was it. That was my bad. Meagan: Yeah. Hey, listen. That is something I can relate to so much. I was also in my young 20s and just went in. Whatever they said, or whatever my app said, is what happened. I think that's a little tip right there that says, “Let's not do that.” Let's not do that. Then for your VBAC, you had a bait and switch. I'm really excited, when we get to that point, to talk about bait and switch because it is something that happens. It can feel so good and then feel so wrong within minutes. It's really frustrating, but I want to talk more about that in just a minute. We do have a Review of the Week, so I want to hurry and read that, then get into Jessica's story. This reviewer is by diabeticmamawarrior. It says, “A podcast to educate the mind, heal the heart, and strengthen the soul.” It says, “Hi. I am writing this podcast from Seattle. We are currently pregnant with my second baby due in March of 2022.” This was a little bit ago. It says, “My first son was born at 28 weeks via classical Cesarean due to severe IUGR.” For anyone who doesn't know IUGR, that is intrauterine growth restriction.“--and after hearing I would never be able to VBAC, I decided to do as much educated research as I could and to find my options was truly needed. I am also a Type 1 Diabetic and have successfully found an amazing midwife who not only feels comfortable and confident assisting in care through my pregnancy with my diabetes, but also with my special scar, and we are aiming for a successful VBAC. I am also receiving concurrent care with an OB/GYN as well to make sure appropriate monitoring of baby looks good throughout pregnancy. Listening to this podcast was one of the first resources I found, and it was a total GAME CHANGER.” It says, “Thank you, beautiful women, who bravely and shamelessly share your stories so that other women can also feel confident in making empowered decisions for their baby and their body. I am soon to join the legacy of women who have fearlessly VBAC'd happy and healthy babies. Much love, Ellen”. Meagan: Wow. What a beautiful review. Jessica: That was powerful. Meagan: Yes. What a beautiful review. That was a couple of years ago, so Ellen, if you are still listening, please reach out to us and let us know how things went. Okay, girl. It is your turn. It is your turn to share, just like what Ellen was saying, your beautiful stories, and empower other Women of Strength all over the world. Jessica: That review just reminded me that a long time ago, I reviewed the podcast, and you read it on one of the episodes. Meagan: Did we?Jessica: We did. I remember thinking, “This is so cool. I wonder if I could be on someday.” I'm sure you hear this all the time, but it's very surreal being here knowing I listened to this podcast to help me heal. I'm just super excited to share my story. Meagan: I am so glad that you are here, and I'm so glad that we were able to read your review. We love reading reviews. It is so fun when we can hear the review, hear the journey, and then now here it is hearing the stories. Jessica: Yes. Meagan: Yes. Okay, well I'd love to turn the time over to you. Jessica: Like I said, I was introducing my story with my first. I just clicked through a birth course breastfeeding course that the hospital provided for me. I clicked through it to get it done and to check it off my list. Meagan: Birth education– yes, I did. Jessica: That's exactly what I did. I'm prepared, whatever. I'm just going to go into this, and everything will happen like it's supposed to. Mentally, everything was going well in my pregnancy. I wasn't super eager to give birth. I wanted to wait to go into labor on my own. I think what started to bother me or what made me a little bit more antsy was when I was 37 weeks. I agreed to have my cervix checked for dilation, and I was 3 centimeters already. I was so excited, and the doctor said, “I don't even think you're going to make it to your due date,” which made me think, “Wow. I'm going to have this baby in the next 2 weeks. I'm not even going to make it to my due date. This is so exciting.” If any of your doctors ever tell you that, don't let it get into your head because that doesn't mean anything if you are dilated. I was 3 centimeters continuously. Meagan: Yeah. You can walk around at 6 centimeters, not even kidding you. My sister-in-law was at 6 centimeters for weeks, and nothing was happening. She was just at 6 centimeters. It can happen when you are just walking around. Try not to let them get into your head, or to get nervous when you're like, “I could have a baby at any second.” It gets in our heads, and then when we don't have a baby, it's infuriating and defeating. Jessica: That is pretty much what happened. When I got to my 39-week appointment, I was still 3 centimeters. I just expressed how I was frustrated. I was tired of being pregnant. My doctor said, “Well, let's set up your induction.” I had never even thought of being induced at that point. It was never mentioned. It never crossed my mind. It sounded so intriguing at that moment to just get this over with. I don't want to be pregnant anymore. My sisters had been induced, and they had a good experience. It will go the same for me. Everything in my head was telling me, “Don't do this. You know you don't want this,” but I did it anyway because I had it in my mind that I should have had my baby already anyway based on what they told me a couple of weeks ago, so it would go so smoothly. She said, “You are a great candidate. You are already 3 centimeters.” We scheduled it. I think it was that Friday I went. It was Monday, on Labor Day, that we had my induction scheduled for. I didn't have a lot of time to even process that. Meagan: Yeah. Did they say how they wanted to do it, or did they just say, “Come in. Have a baby”?Jessica: They briefly told me that they would start with Pitocin and see how my body responded to that. They would probably break my water which is exactly how it happened anyway. Meagan: Yeah.Jessica: Yeah.They started me with Pitocin at 3:00 PM. They kept increasing it, then by 6:00 PM, my body was just not responding to it. I didn't feel anything. The doctor who was on call wasn't my normal doctor, but I saw her a couple of times. I was comfortable with her. She came in and said, “Well, we could break your water. Is that what you want to do?” I said, “Sure. If that's what you think we need to do, let's do it.” Meagan: Yeah, I'm here to have a baby. What's going to get me there?Jessica: Yeah. She was head down, so I thought, “What could go wrong? She's already head down.” I didn't know at the time that just because she was head down doesn't mean she's in a great position. She wasn't. She was– what do they call it?Meagan: Posterior? Jessica: ROT. Meagan: Right occiput transverse. Okay, so looking to the side. Sometimes, when we say transverse, a lot of people think the body is transverse which is a transverse lie, but ROT, LOT, left or right occiput transverse, means the baby's head is looking to the side, and sometimes, that can delay labor or cause irregular patterns because our baby is just not quite rotated around or tucked. They are looking to the side. Jessica: Right. That was pretty much what the obstacle was because when they broke my water, she engaged that way, so her head never was able to turn properly which we didn't know yet. I feel like the doctors could have known that because aren't they supposed to be able to feel and know maybe a little bit of where they are? Meagan: Yeah. So providers can. They can internally, and it depends on how far dilated you are. If you were still 3 centimeters, probably not as well, but at 3 centimeters AROM, where we are artificially breaking it, that's not ideal. Usually, the baby is at a higher station at that point too. I call it opening the floodgates. We get what we get however that baby decides to come down, especially if baby is higher up and not well-applied to the cervix.If baby is looking transverse and hasn't been able to rotate right during labor, then they come down like that, and then we have a further obstacle to navigate because we've got to move baby's head. I will say that sometimes a baby might be looking transverse and mainly through pushing, a provider can sometimes rotate a baby's head internally vaginally, but you have to be fully dilated and things like that. Can they feel through the bag of waters? If they can feel a good head, yes. Sometimes they can. Sometimes they can't, but again, there are all of these things that as a doula anyway, I help my clients run through a checklist if they are going to choose to break their water. Sometimes within your situation, I'd be like, “Maybe let's wait.” But their view was, “Let's get labor going. We are starting Pitocin. The body's not responding,” which we know is a number-one sign that the body isn't ready. Sometimes we still can break water with better head application and with the water gone, it can speed labor up. That's where their mind was. Their mind probably wasn't, what position is this baby in? Where is this baby at? What station is this baby at? It's like, let's get this baby's head applied to the cervix. Jessica: Yes. I mean, it did work. As soon as my water broke, I immediately when into active labor. The Pitocin contractions were very awful. I felt them immediately because not only did my body start going into labor, but then the Pitocin also was making it worse. Meagan: Yes. Yes. Jessica: So I begged for an epidural right away even though I knew that's not what I wanted. I didn't do a lot of preparing for labor, but I know I didn't want an epidural right away. I remember the very sweet nurse I had saying, “Do you want me to run the bath for you?” I said, “Are you crazy? That is not what I need right now.” Meagan: She's like, “I'm trying to help you with your birth preferences.” J: I know. She was so nice. I apologized to her after later on when I saw her. That was the head space I was in. I just needed that pain to be gone. They ended up turning the Pitocin off eventually because my body just did what it needed to do on its own. Meagan: Good. Jessica: I didn't get much rest after that. I couldn't really sleep. I was too excited. But it wasn't very long until I was ready to push after that. I think at about 7:00 PM, I got the epidural, and at midnight, I was ready to push. I kept trying and trying. 4.5 hours went by until she was just not coming over. I don't know if it was my pelvic bone or something. That's when we knew she was not going to turn. They suggested that we try the vacuum. I didn't know what that was. That was very traumatic because the lights were bright. Everyone was in there. I remember my doctor saying, “Okay, we have one more attempt with this vacuum, and that's our last attempt.” Of course, it didn't work because in my mind, I knew it was my last chance. It was not going to work, and it didn't. I was really upset after that. I remember crying saying, “I don't want a C-section.” I was really afraid of it. But, that is just what we had to do to get her out at that point after attempting the vacuum. I remember being wheeled down to the OR and just being so tired and not knowing how I was going to take care of a newborn after having surgery and being so tired. I had been up for 24 hours. The C-section went fine. I was out of it though. I was passing out here and there just being so tired. They had to tell me to actually look up. “Your baby's here. Look up.” I remember opening up my eyes going, “What?” I was forgetting what I was doing. Meagan: Out of it. Jessica: Yeah. I was very much out of it. But after that in the hospital, I wasn't too upset about having a C-section. I was just so excited about having my baby. It really didn't hit me until we were on the way home from the hospital. I started crying and was so upset. I felt like my experience was stolen from me because I felt like  I was so mad at my doctor for bringing up an induction at that point knowing if she didn't, I would have never asked for one anyway. I had a lot of regrets about everything. In those couple of weeks after having her, your hormones are very up and down anyway. One moment, I would be fine. One moment, I would be really, really upset crying about it. I wanted to redo her birth so badly that it almost made me want another baby. “If we just have another kid, we can try again,” even though I had this 3-week-old next to me. Meagan: Yeah. Jessica: I was not thinking very clearly. Meagan: You were craving a different experience. That's just part of your processing. Jessica: Yes. And looking back, I wonder if I was struggling with some PTSD because I would lie there at night not being able to sleep, and I would suddenly smell when they were cauterizing the wound. I would suddenly smell that again and think I was back in the OR. It wasn't very fun. Meagan: Yeah. It's weird how sometimes the experience can hit you in all different stages and in different ways, but right after, you're like, “No. No, no, no. I need something different. Let's have another baby right now. Let's do this.” So once you did become ready to have another baby, what did that look like? What did that prep look like? Did you switch doctors? You liked your whole practice. How did that look for you?Jessica: Well, we moved. I knew I had to find another doctor. I would have anyway in Madison. I would have gone with a group of midwives that somebody I knew had a good experience with, and after listening to the podcast, I wanted a midwife. But unfortunately, where we moved, we live in Green Bay now. I was so limited on which provider I could go with. In one hospital, one group, that was all I could do locally. I couldn't go with the hospital that everybody was recommending or the midwives that everybody was recommending for a VBAC. Meagan: Why couldn't you go there?Jessica: My insurance was very limited. It still is. We can only go to this one hospital and one facility for doctors. Meagan: Okay, so it was insurance restrictions. Yeah, not necessarily a lack of support in your area. It just was insurance which is another conversation for a later date. Stop restricting everybody. Jessica: I was very surprised because when we were in Madison, I could go wherever I wanted and see whoever I wanted. I ended up just choosing somebody. I liked her. She was initially very supportive of having a VBAC. I had mentioned it in my very first appointment that this was what I want. She said, “Oh, I'm so excited for you. This is going to be great.” I even mentioned that I was still breastfeeding my daughter when I was pregnant. They just seemed very supportive of all things natural and all things birth. Meagan: Everything. Jessica: Yeah. There were no issues whatsoever. I had already hired my doula when I was 6 weeks pregnant. I had already talked to them before I had even saw my doctor. I told them about how I was really limited and this was where I had to go, but I felt very supported knowing I had a doula and knowing I had somebody on my side It didn't really bother me at the time that I just had to pick whatever doctor I could. This was also a practice where the doctor I had wasn't going to be probably who I would give birth with. That also didn't bother me because I thought, “I have a doula. I have support. I know after listening to this podcast what I need to do to defend myself if that time were to come.” Meagan: Advocate for yourself, yeah. You felt more armed. Jessica: I did. I really did. I ended up seeing a chiropractor as well which was very helpful throughout my pregnancy. I loved going to the chiropractor. Not only did it help get her in a good position, but I also just didn't really feel body aches as much as I did, so there were a couple of benefits to going there. I definitely recommend a chiropractor. Meagan: I agree. I didn't go until my VBAC baby. I started going at 18 weeks, and I'm like, “Why didn't I do this with the other babies?” It was just amazing. Jessica: Yeah. It really is. But my doctor's appointments this time were very different. They were very rushed. They felt robotic. “How are you feeling? Great. Let's get the heartbeat. Any questions? No.” I really kept my questions for my doulas anyway because I really trusted them. I don't know. I didn't feel like I had many questions anyway because I knew what I wanted. I knew I wanted to show up to the hospital basically ready to push. One of the red flags, I will say, that looking back now with this provider that I had initially is that she never asked for any type of birth plan. She knew I wanted a VBAC, and I thought it was a good thing that she wasn't really asking details. I felt like, “Oh, she's letting me do my thing.” But looking back, I think it was just because she knew that's not what was going to happen. She knew. Meagan: Yeah. You know, it's interesting. We've had providers who have told people here in Utah. The client will say, “Hey, I really want to talk about my birth preferences.” The provider will say, “You're really early. We don't need to talk about that right now. We could talk about that later.” Or, “Hey, I was thinking I want to talk about this. Can we talk about that?” “No, not today. It's fine. Whatever you want.” Then it comes, and we'll hear more about your experience. I'm sure it will relate to a lot of people's bait-and-switch stories. Jessica: Yeah. They sound so supportive in the moment, and then it's not looking back. It continued on through my whole pregnancy. Even when I was 35 weeks, she suggested a cervical dilation check. I denied it at that point. I thought it was too early. 35 weeks is very early. Meagan: 35 weeks? Yeah. Jessica: I'm really glad that I stood up for myself and said no, because I was having one of those moments of, do I just do it anyway? I said no, and she was very fine with it. She said, “That's fine. You don't have to if you don't want to. We don't have to.” I also thought that was a good sign. Meagan: You're like, “Yes. If we don't have to, why are we suggesting it in the first place?” But I can also see where you're like, “Well, sweet. She's respecting my wishes. I didn't want to. She's saying, ‘Okay'.” Jessica: Exactly. But I made the mistake of agreeing to it at my next appointment because my curiosity got the best of me. I knew that it wasn't important for me to be dilated, but I was trying to compare it to my last pregnancy. At 37 weeks, I was 3 centimeters with my first. I wonder if I'm going to have a different experience this time. Let's see where we're at. I was at 0. I just thought, “That's totally normal. I have a lot of time left.” Her demeanor changed very much. It was like at my appointments before, she was a different person now. Meagan: Oh. Jessica: She said, “Well, if we're not showing any signs of labor by 40 weeks, we need to schedule your C-section.” Meagan: Oh no. Jessica: She must have noticed I was surprised. I said, “But I don't want a C-section. Did you not remember that I'm going to have a VBAC?” She said, “Well, you don't want to risk your baby's life.” Meagan: Bleh. Barf. No. Jessica: Yes. Yes. I knew that was just a scare tactic. I luckily was not phased by it. I was educated. I mentioned something along the lines of, “Well, wouldn't we try to induce me before we jump ahead to the C-section? There's no medical need.” My pregnancies were so boring. There was nothing that would indicate anything, not even an induction, but I thought, “Why not even just mention that before a C-section?” She said something like, “There are too many risks involved.” That was the end of the conversation on her end. She pretty much wrapped it up and said, “It's pretty slippery out there. Be careful,” and walked out. Yeah. The conversation was over. In that moment, I knew that was the last time I would see her. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I knew I could not go back to her. I went back to the parking lot. I was crying. I texted my doulas right away what happened. I said, “I need to figure something out very quickly. I'm 37 weeks. I know I can't go back to her. Can you please help me figure something out?” They were so, so extremely helpful with helping me figure out my options. I thought that at this point– in the beginning of my pregnancy, I knew, “I'll just stand up for myself. I know what I want,” but when you are very big and pregnant, and you are very vulnerable, you don't want to do all of that arguing. You just want somebody who is going to support you. I just knew I couldn't go back to her. I didn't have the energy to try to defend myself or advocate for myself. I just needed somebody who was already going to support my decisions. They encouraged me to look a little bit further out of Green Bay which I didn't initially want to do. I wanted the hospital to be close. I had a 2-year-old. I didn't want to be far away from her. But knowing I had limited options, I looked a little bit farther out. I texted them, “Hey, there is this doctor who I can go to in Neenah. It's pretty far. I said her name. I don't know if I'm supposed to say doctors' names. Meagan: You can. Yeah. You can. People will actually love it so they can go find support themselves. Jessica: Yeah. I said, “There is this doctor, Dr. Swift, who is down in Neenah. That's the only one who is really popping up on my insurance who I can go to.” They immediately texted back, “You need to go see her. She's amazing.” My doula had actually had her VBAC with Dr. Swift. They were like, “You need to go see her. This your other option.” Meagan: Oh, Sara Swift is on our list of providers. Jessica: She is. She's amazing. Meagan: She is. Okay, so you're like, “I've got this doctor's name.” Jessica: I called them to make myself an appointment, and I wasn't able to get in until the following Friday. It would have been after I was 38 weeks. I told doula– Meagan: That's when you had your last baby, right?Jessica: No, actually my last baby was at 39 weeks, but I didn't know what was going to happen. I told them, and my doula was actually personal friends with her. She said, “No, that's not going to work. I'm going to text her, and I'm going to get you in sooner.” I think it was a Wednesday at that time. I was able to go see her Friday. Yeah. Meagan: A week earlier than you would have been able to. Jessica: Yeah. I helped me to feel more relieved knowing that if I had gone into labor before that next appointment, I would have known where to go. I would have had a doctor established. I was very, very relieved to see her. It was such a different experience than my other doctors. I had to bring my two-year-old with me, and at that point, she was getting antsy, so Dr. Swift actually sat on the ground with my daughter and was coloring with her while we were talking to keep her busy. I just remember thinking, “There's no other doctor out there who would do this for a very pregnant patient.” It felt very much like a conversation between friends. It didn't feel like a robotic type of conversation I had with my previous doctor. She very much upfront said to me, “Our hospital has VBAC policies. Here they are. You can deny anything you want. They're not going to allow you to eat food, but if you say you want to eat food, you can eat. They're going to want continuous fetal monitoring, but if that's not what you want, tell them what you want.” It felt like she just was supportive of what I wanted to do. She said something along the lines of, “I'm going to trust you and your body to make the decisions that you need to, but also know that if I need to step in, trust that I'm going to do what I need to.” It felt so mutual there. I was so excited to go back and see her every week. I'm actually kind of mad that I waited that long to see her. Meagan: Yeah. Mhmm. I'm sure you felt like you were breathing in a whole different way. Jessica: I was. I felt very excited. The drive was longer, but it didn't even matter at that point. I went from a 15-minute drive to 45 and it didn't feel like there was any difference. It was all worth it. Meagan: I agree. It's sometimes daunting with that drive or the time, but you guys, it's so worth it. If you can make it work, make it work. I'm so glad. Okay, yeah. So you found this provider. Everything was feeling good. Jessica: It was feeling great. I actually ended up going past my due date. Meagan: Okay. Jessica: I was feeling a little bit– not defeated– I wanted to make it to my due date because I wanted to make it there with my first. I was excited when I got to my due date, and then I thought, “Okay, when is this actually going to happen? I've got a two-year-old.” My in-laws were coming up to watch her when we were going to the hospital. They live 2.5 hours away. I was starting to worry about, how is this all going to work out? But it really did. I felt my very first contraction two days after my due date. It was a Friday night at 6:30. We were getting my daughter ready for bed, and I felt that first contraction. I knew it was different than Braxton Hicks. I just knew, but I don't even know to say if that's when my labor started because that continued all throughout the weekend every 15 minutes. It was not a fun weekend. I kept thinking things were going to pick up, and then they would die down. Meagan: Prodromal labor maybe. Jessica: Yeah, I think so. At one point, I had my doula come over in the middle of the night. I didn't know when to go to the hospital. I didn't know if it was time or whatever. She came to my house in the middle of the night just to help me with the Miles Circuit and just the different position changes I could do. I believe that was on that Friday night that I started labor. I was also able to get into the chiropractor that weekend. They were closed, but again, my doula was very close friends with the chiropractor and texted, “Hey, Jessica could really use an adjustment. She's not in labor, but it's not progressing. Can you help her?” I went to go see them on Saturday and on Sunday just to get things moving. She was in a really great position. Everybody could feel that she was just in the perfect position. It was just that these contractions could not get closer together no matter what I tried. Something told me, “Hey, you need your water broken for this to progress,” because I couldn't do it anymore mentally or physically. I was exhausted. I didn't want to initially because I knew that's what prevented me from having the birth that I wanted in the first place with my first experience, but something also told me, “Hey, you need to go do this.” My intuition was super strong in those moments where I knew. My intuition was strong enough to switch doctors that late in my pregnancy. There wasn't another option. This time also, my intuition told me, “You have to go in, and they have to break your water.” I knew Dr. Swift would be supportive of that because she was supporting any type of birth plan I really wanted. She told me at any point, I could be induced, but that she wouldn't bring it up again. It was my decision. On Sunday night after we got my daughter to bed, we drove to the hospital. We let them know we were coming. Our doula met us there, and we just told them our plans. Dr. Swift, I remember, said, “Well, if I break your water now, you're so exhausted from the whole weekend. Do you want to try sleeping for a little bit and we will do it in the morning?” I said, “I can't sleep. I'm having these contractions every 15 minutes.” It was really funny. She said, “Well if you want to sleep, I'll give you something to help you sleep.” If anybody has ever met her or knows her, she's got a great personality. It was just funny in that moment. It's what I needed in that moment to have a good laugh. I was like, “Yes. Give me anything I need right now to rest just a little bit before the morning.” In the morning, she came back in around 8:00 or 8:30. I don't remember what time it was. She said, “Yep. Let's do this.” They double-checked me again to make sure she was in a great position. At that point, I was actually 4 centimeters. I forgot to bring that up. Meagan: Yay, okay. Great. Jessica: Yes, so those contractions I was experiencing over the weekend were productive. I felt better about that. I didn't want to break my water with being one of two centimeters. I felt good. Again, my intuition was telling me, “You need to do this.” Yeah. They did, and once again, it immediately put me into active labor. My doula was helping me with counterpressure, then they ended up running a bath for me which was very helpful. I was skeptical. I did not think that was going to work. When they were filling it, I remember thinking, “This is a waste of my time. This is not going to work,” but it was very helpful. At one point in the bath, I just remember feeling, “Okay, now I have to get out and I have to start moving around.” As soon as I got up, I just remember feeling things intensify. I got that feeling in my head like, “I can't do this anymore.” I knew that at that point, it was getting close because of that feeling of, “I can't do this anymore.” Meagan: Yeah, mhmm. Jessica: I had just a moment of weakness and I said, “I want an epidural right now.” Even though I knew in my mind that it was too late, I couldn't help but ask them for that epidural. Thankfully, my doula knew that's not what I wanted, so she helped prolong that process. She said, “Well, why don't we start with a bag of fluids and we'll see how it goes from there? We can ask them, but they might be busy.” That's exactly what I needed. I knew that's not what I wanted. Meagan: She knew that, and she knew how to advocate for you, and she knew you well enough what you needed to prolong it. Jessica: Yes. I'm very thankful for that because she could have said, “All right, let's get it right now.” But she knew and I had made it very clear that was not what I wanted to do. We started with a bag of fluids, and at that point, I could feel my body start to push itself. This was about 3 hours after my water was broken. It was a very quick process from then until that moment. While I was pushing, the anesthesiologist did come in the room. I remember the anesthesiologist did come in the room, and I remember he said something like, “Who's ready for the epidural?” My doctor said, “No, we're having a baby. Get out.” He came in in the middle of me pushing, and I feel like I scared every other mom there with how loud I was, but I couldn't help it. Meagan: Sometimes you just have to roar your baby out. Listen, it's okay.Jessica: I really did. I really did roar her out in 20 minutes. Meagan: Wow. Jessica: After that, I don't remember feeling any other pain. The pressure was gone, and I remember just feeling like, oh my gosh. I did it. She's here, and I get my skin-to-skin with her which I didn't get the first time. I get to have this experience. I can't believe I actually did it. Meagan: And you did. Jessica: I did. Meagan: You did it. Jessica: There is so much more than you just having that VBAC. Throughout the journey, you grew. You grew as an individual. You grew as a mom listening to your intuition. You really, really grew, and then to have that baby again placed on your chest, oh, how amazing and how redemptive. Meagan: It was so redemptive and healing. In that moment, I didn't feel any type of way about my C-section anymore. I wasn't upset about it. I really had a feeling that it happened for a reason because if it didn't, I don't think I would have tried to educate myself about birth. I would have probably done it a second time, an induction, if it went well the first time. I also don't think I would have fought so hard the first time to breastfeed because I felt like I had to make it work. I didn't get the birth I wanted, so I had to make this work at least. I personally think that my C-section happened for a reason the first time. In that moment, I remember feeling a wave of, “I'm not upset anymore. I got this experience.”Meagan: Yeah. You know, it's interesting. I kind of had that same view to a point. I do feel a little grumpy with how my births went because knowing what I know now, I am realizing that they didn't need to happen that way. I likely never needed a Cesarean ever. I just probably didn't. But, it's the same thing like you. I wouldn't have focused so hard on this. I wouldn't have done this. I would not be the person I am today. I would not be the birth doula that I am today. I would not be the podcaster today. I don't think I would have ever started a podcast on any other topic because I'm so deeply passionate about this topic and birth and helping have better experiences, so I really hold onto those experiences and cherish them. It sounds weird because it wasn't the birth we wanted, but it's what brought us here today. Jessica: Yeah, exactly. I also wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't have my C-section. I don't think I would have been interested in birth. I love it now. I think in the future, I would love to be a doula. I just recently took an exam to become a certified lactation consultant. I haven't gotten my results back yet, but I don't think I would have gone down that path yet either if I wouldn't have had my C-section and fought so hard for breastfeeding to work. I felt like I found my passion within that circumstance that was very unfortunate, and it shouldn't have happened, but it did. Meagan: But it did, and you've grown from it. We want to avoid unnecessary Cesareans. If this podcast is for VBAC moms, it's just as much for first-time moms in my opinion because we obviously have an issue with the Cesarean rate. We do. It's a serious issue. Jessica: Yeah, it is. Meagan: But with that said, I encourage you if you are listening, and maybe you haven't been able to process your past experience yet, or you are fresh out of it, and it's very thick, and it's very heavy and dark because we know that can sometimes be that way, I hope and I encourage you to keep listening, to keep learning, and to keep growing, because that darkness will become light again. Those feelings– I don't know about go away, but they will lift. I don't know how to explain it. Jessica: You might feel different about it. You might feel different about it than you did originally. Meagan: Your perspective will change. It's going to take time. It's going to take processing. It's going to take healing. It's going to be finding the education, finding the right team, finding the right support system, but it is possible. It is really, really, really possible, and take Jessica and my word right now, because we really have been there. We really understand so many of the feelings. I know that we all process feelings differently, and we're all in different places, especially depending on the types of births that we had. I know that there are way more traumatic experiences that happen out there, but this community is here for you.We love you. We are here to support you. Keep listening to the stories. Find the groups. Find the healing, and know that it is possible to step out of this space and to grow. It's weird to think, but one day, you're going to look back and say, “I might be grateful. I might be grateful that happened.” Yeah. Like I said, I'm not happy. I'm not happy it happened, but I'm going to cherish that. I'm going to try and flip it. I've made it a positive experience that it's brought me to where I am today. It's brought me to be in a place where I can share my story just like Jessica and all of the other Women of Strength before her to help women feel inspired and to avoid those future devastations and unfortunate situations. Jessica: Yeah. Don't let anybody try to tell you not to feel a certain way about it because I've had plenty of people tell me, “But you're healthy. But you have a healthy baby, you can try again next time.” I just said, “You don't understand. You're not in my position. I know there are people who do understand me.” Most of you who are listening will understand that yes, you have a healthy baby and you're fine, but it was still not what you wanted. That experience is so personal. You want what you want. Meagan: You want what you want, and you're not selfish for wanting it. You're really not. I think that's really important because sometimes I think we are made to feel that we are selfish for wanting a different experience especially out there in the world, a lot of people say, “Why would you want that? Why would you risk that? You are selfish. Just be grateful for what you have. Just be grateful that you do have your baby and that you and your baby are okay.” No. No. The answer is no. Last but not least, I really wanted to share a little bit more about the bait and switch and how to recognize that because you guys, it can be hard to recognize. I don't ever believe that these providers are sneakily trying to fool us, but maybe they are. I don't know. I'll tell you, they do. They do fool us. I don't know if that's because our judgment is clouded or what, but I think it's important to feel that inside. What does your heart do when your provider walks in? What do your hands do? Do they clam up? Do they clench? Do they freeze? What does your body do? Are your shoulders rising up? Are they relaxed? Does your face have a smile on it? Really tune into who your provider is making you be. Are they making you a tense ball, or are they making you relaxed and excited?I mean, really Jessica, the way you are talking about Dr. Swift, it sounds like she is amazing. She's like, “Here. Here are the policies. I want you to know these. These are things that you are going to be up against. You might have to fight for intermittent monitoring instead of continuous. You might have to fight for this and this, but hey. I'm here. I'm on your side. We have these policies, but I'm here. Use your voice.” That was just so amazing. Jessica: It was amazing. I'm sad that I'm not going to have another child because I don't get to go see her for appointments then. I really wish I would have met her sooner. That's the type of doctor your need is when you actually want to go see them. That's a big difference. You're not thinking ahead of your appointment, “Well, I wonder if there is anybody else.” Meagan: Okay, I love that you said that. Check in with yourself and see if you are excited to see your provider. That's how I was. I would look forward. I would look at the calendar and be like, “Oh my gosh. I get to see my midwife this week. This is so exciting,” because I would remember the way that she made me feel when I would get there. She would embrace me with a hug. “How are you doing, genuinely? How are you doing? How are you feeling?” We would chat, and it was a conversation like you said, like two friends. It really should be that connection. I know sometimes, providers don't have the actual time, but tune into how you are feeling about seeing your provider. Are you dreading it? Are you worried about what you're going to say? Are you worried that you're going to have to be educated and come at them and say, “Well, I don't want this, and I don't want that”? What are they making you feel? If they are making you feel those genuine warm fuzzies, lean into that. Jessica: You have a good doctor then. Meagan: If you are feeling tense and anxious, I don't know. It's never too late to switch. You were switching later on. You had a further drive. There were obstacles that you had to hurdle through, but it is worth it. It is so worth it. We have a provider list, everybody. If you are looking for a provider, go to our Instagram. Look at our bio. Click on it. The very first block is supportive providers. If you have a supportive provider that you want to share, I was literally going to put Dr. Swift on this because of your testimonial of her, but she's already on it. Jessica: She was already on it too when I checked. Meagan: Yeah. If you have a supportive provider and you checked this list and they are not on it, guess what? We have made it so you can add it. Definitely add your provider because Women of Strength all over the world, literally all over the world, are looking for this type of support. Jessica: Absolutely. In case you're wondering if my other doctor ever reached out to me, I never heard a single word from her ever again. I canceled all my remaining appointments. Nobody reached out to say, “Hey, we noticed that you're not coming back. What's going on?” Anything could have been wrong when you're that pregnant and you just disappear. It was upsetting that nobody said, “What's going on, Jessica?” I was ready to let them have it because I was wanting them to reach out to say, “Why are you not coming back?” But they never called ever. Meagan: A lot of us stay because we are so worried about how our provider will feel or we have been with our provider this long. They deserve for me to stay. No. Do what's best for you. I love that you pointed that out so much. I just want to thank you again so much for sharing your journey with us and all of these amazing nuggets. I know that they are going to be loved.Jessica: Thank you so much for having me. This just feels amazing to be able to share my story when I've heard so many on here before that were so helpful.Meagan: Yeah, and here you are. I love how full circle this always is, so thank you, again. Jessica: Yeah. Thank you for having me.ClosingWould you like to be a guest on the podcast? Tell us about your experience at thevbaclink.com/share. For more information on all things VBAC including online and in-person VBAC classes, The VBAC Link blog, and Meagan's bio, head over to thevbaclink.com. Congratulations on starting your journey of learning and discovery with The VBAC Link.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vbac-link/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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Helen Joyce reveals the insane conflict in the La Leche League breast feeding charity, where men can now breast feed babies. Follow her on X here: https://x.com/HJoyceGender  Get her book Trans: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trans-When-Ideology-Meets-Reality/dp/0861540492  Support Heretics: http://andrewgoldheretics.com  Andrew on X: https://twitter.com/andrewgold_ok  Insta: https://www.instagram.com/andrewgold_ok Heretics YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@andrewgoldheretics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This video/podcast discusses the illegal long count in Pennsylvania, the exodus from X, the La Leche League's founder going out with a “transphobic” bang, the Antifa fan in the Secret Service, and how Britain is going pre-modern with Net Zero.

Flora est maman, doula spécialisée en post-partum, accompagnante et formatrice en allaitement maternelle, autrice.Dans une première partie, Flora revient sur sa naissance de maman, avec une grossesse incommodante par moment en raison d'un épuisement déjà présent en amont de celle-ci. Elle qualifie d'ailleurs sa grossesse comme "une claque du féminisme". Elle n'avait jamais entendu parlé d'allaitement avant sa grossesse ; du moins, elle avait vu une fois une femme allaiter son bébé et avait été paniquée de voir ce dernier tout le temps au sein : cette dépendance lui faisait peur.Flora a mené une aventure lactée assez tumultueuse, avec beaucoup de mastites. Elle a pu trouver une première aide sur le forum de La Leche League, avant d'être véritablement soutenue par l'Allaitement Tout Un Art. Elle est d'ailleurs lactaidante depuis au sein de cette dernière association. Elle comprit rapidement que le lait artificiel n'était pas une solution aux problèmes digestifs ou autres de nos bébés... Après sa naissance de maman, Flora a décidé d'arrêter son travail de conseillère juridique et a commencé un stage sur les conférences gestuelles. Sa première conférence avait pour sujet "La place de la femme dans la société au travers de l'allaitement". Flora se questionnait alors sur : pourquoi elle avait eu ce sentiment que l'allaitement n'était pas naturel...Elle s'est ensuite formée pour être doula spécialisée en post-partum, puis accompagnante et formatrice en allaitement. Elle a donc créé Mille et une tribus qui est un organisme de formation certifié qualiopi pour les professionnels.Dans une deuxième partie de l'épisode qui est le cœur du sujet de notre échange, Flora vous partage ses nombreuses recherches historiques et sociologiques sur l'allaitement. Notamment, sur l'histoire de l'allaitement en France, l'évolution du droit sur l'allaitement en Europe, le lobby du lait en France et dans le monde...Aujourd'hui, Flora mène des actions de sensibilisation autour de l'allaitement maternel, tel qu'Instants libres, "Mon lait mon corps et moi", elle a son propre podcast lait it be ou plus récemment la galerie Seinpristi. En 2022, elle a également sorti son premier livre au revoir tétée.Un épisode passionnant, extrêmement enrichissant qui vous nourrira de connaissances nécessaires à mieux comprendre la place qu'a l'allaitement en France !Je vous souhaite une belle écoute les MaMaS !Pour retrouver Flora sur Instagram : @milleetunetribusPour retrouver MAM'ELLES sur Instagram : @mamelles_lepodcastMon site internet : mamelles.frHébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

In this episode of the MamasteFit Podcast, Gina and Roxanne interview Dr. Morgan MacDermott, a naturopathic doctor specializing in women's and perinatal health. The discussion focuses on strategies for successful breastfeeding during the early postpartum weeks, addressing common issues such as clogged ducts, engorgement, mastitis, and identifying a bad latch. Dr. MacDermott offers practical tips, resources, and shares her personal experiences to guide new mothers through the breastfeeding journey. The episode also includes advice on how to prepare for breastfeeding while pregnant and highlights the importance of finding lactation support. All resources mentioned are linked below!  Resources From This Episode: Morgan's Mastitis Manual: https://milkmedicine.com/mastitis-manual/  Happy ducts tincture by Wish Garden: https://www.wishgardenherbs.com/products/happy-ducts-lactation-support Klaire Labs Ther-Biotic Target B2 probiotics: https://us.sfihealth.com/tb2-target-b2 Biogaia Elactia Breastfeeding Probiotic: https://www.biogaia.com/products/elactia?srsltid=AfmBOoqe4UY4SrpciwcDOHvSIKCZx6u9noy_q1VAlPEeXghZsb30Dj5v Sunflower lecithin, brand not as important but fans of Legendairy: https://www.legendairymilk.com/collections/frontpage/products/organic-sunflower-lecithin?tw_source=google&tw_adid=707678161593&tw_campaign=8401036448&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw59q2BhBOEiwAKc0ijQtGtJv9GYfAcbyWguMml0D_-jXaQ_t7Q62aBRuzcflBYBoMOTkDeRoCtXYQAvD_BwE Haakaa colostrum collector: https://haakaausa.com/products/haakaa-silicone-colostrum-collector-set-4-ml-6-pk-pre-sterilized?srsltid=AfmBOopYHLDUGzfefHoveW9IBrBnvVDON5J6t8fryB6E2YdczTnUEM1a&variant=43769398755566 Lansinoh Soothies: https://lansinoh.com/products/soothies-cooling-gel-pads?_pos=1&_sid=fa277130e&_ss=r The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by the La Leche League: https://www.amazon.com/Womanly-Art-Breastfeeding-Completely-Revised/dp/0345518446/ref=asc_df_0345518446/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693381391885&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12853538813409396259&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1021225&hvtargid=pla-434335872153&psc=1&mcid=8d1b7b5dc7da3c45aff8e88f1fd831dc  Jack Newman website: https://babyfriendlynl.ca/resources/dr-jack-newman-website/ Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding: https://www.amazon.com/Ina-Mays-Guide-Breastfeeding-Nations/dp/0553384295 Kellymom.com: https://kellymom.com/ Medela Nipple Shields: https://www.medela.com/en/breastfeeding-pumping/products/breast-care/contact-nipple-shields?productId=4065&package=m-20-mm Find a local IBCLC: https://lactationnetwork.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=performance_max&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw59q2BhBOEiwAKc0ijVA4zMOPGitoF7q7Bm-5_0K0oGbCQmp3gTCWuivexc-c72IlGXiJ7BoC4H0QAvD_BwE Join a Local lactation support group! 00:00 Introduction to the MamasteFit Podcast 01:19 Meet Dr. Morgan MacDermott 04:27 Understanding Breastfeeding Myths 05:56 The Physiology of Breast Milk 13:13 Dealing with Engorgement 21:14 Clogged Ducts and Mastitis 25:54 Sponsor Break: Needed Nutrition 30:19 Understanding Milk Supply and Mastitis 30:44 Personal Experiences with Mastitis 31:51 Inflammatory Mastitis Explained 32:38 Misconceptions and Misdiagnoses 33:51 Probiotics and Biofilms 36:07 Reducing Inflammation and Feeding Normally 40:42 New Guidelines for Clogged Ducts 45:34 Preparing for Breastfeeding Challenges 49:27 Finding Support and Resources 58:08 Final Thoughts and Resources 59:39 Podcast Outro and Additional Resources ===== Pre-Order Training for Two on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3VOTdwH —— This podcast is sponsored by Needed, a nutrition company focused on optimal nourishment for your perinatal journey. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Use code MAMASTEPOD for 20% off your first order or three months of subscription.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 

Join our Patreon Community!https://www.patreon.com/badassbreastfeedingpodcastDid you find it difficult to have sex after you had a baby?Were you afraid your sex life would not be the same again?You have to hear the stories from other breastfeeders who felt like this.  You aren't alone. If you are a new listener, we would love to hear from you.  Please consider leaving us a review on itunes or sending us an email with your suggestions and comments to badassbreastfeedingpodcast@gmail.comWE HAVE TRANSCRIPTS!!  You can also add your email to our list and have episodes sent right to your inbox! Things we talked about:How this episode came about [3:54]Abby's story [5:32]First story – sex after c-section [7:37]Second story [11:54]Feeling dry, hormones, and vaginal changes [12:44]Story 3, things are changing [14:25]Story 4, adult breastfeeding [22:06]Story 5 about zero sex [24:05]Bill Clinton sex [25:47]Dianne's favorite story [27:19]Facebook stories [31:05] This week's shout out [21:06]@MswrightswayAshley Wright *This Episode is sponsored by Kindred Bravely and Fairhaven Health Links to information we discussed or episodes you should check out! https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/episode/079-boobs/ Set up your consultation with Diannehttps://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.com/consultations/Follow our Podcast~https://badassbreastfeedingpodcast.comHere is how you can connect with Dianne and Abby~Abby Theuring  https://www.thebadassbreastfeeder.comDianne Cassidy http://www.diannecassidyconsulting.com Music we use~Music: "Levels of Greatness" from "We Used to Paint Stars in the Sky (2012)" courtesy of Scott Holmes at freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott Holmes

Nearly 20 years ago Oprah Winfrey had a segment on her show encouraging women to get fitted, saying "change your bra, change your life." We'll talk to our own local expert on what makes a good bra. And then we turn our attention to a group of women who support each other in their time of breastfeeding. The members of La Leche League, an organization with chapters across the world, meet to share resources, tips, and advice for this crucial point of nurturing a new life. Guests: Adrienne Francis, owner of Rebecka's Lingerie Stephanie Kuhr, owner and designer at Dottie's Delights  Juanita Benz, group leader of La Leche League of Nashville Kendra Southerland, La Leche League participant Jill Scott, La Leche League participant

Thank you for reading Evolve Lactation with Christine Staricka IBCLC. This post is public so feel free to share it.Happy IBCLC Day! In celebration, I have a really special episode of the podcast for you. I am so excited to share with you my conversation with my dear friend and fellow IBCLC, Adrienne Guirguis. I cannot begin to count up how much I have learned from Adrienne over the years. She is everything you want your IBCLC to be: brilliant, compassionate, humble, confident, open-minded and accepting. She is a whiz at lactation triage on the hospital inpatient floor, patient and gentle with everyone who is in the room for a lactation consultation, and absolutely ravenous for new knowledge and information. I would never hesitate to refer a client to her for any lactation issue, and I believe she represents the ideal in an IBCLC. Let's get to know Adrienne!Adrienne Guirguis, a board certified lactation consultant, has over 25 years experience in helping breastfeeding infants and their families. She began her journey into the world of lactation after struggling to breastfeed her oldest son. She became an accredited La Leche League leader and was able to help babies breastfeed. Her experience with La Leche League led Adrienne to become a International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She has been board certified for 20 years and has experience with a wide range of problems that may be experienced by new families. Adrienne has worked in hospital for over 10 years and then worked in community health for many years. She is a clinical practitioner, working hands on with families to improve feeding outcomes.Adrienne continues her lactation education, constantly attending conferences and courses to stay up-to-date on the information and skills needed to benefit those who most need breastfeeding help. She is a certified Specialist in Orofacial Myology. In 2022 Adrienne completed the Holistic Integrative/Functional Lactation course, a year long program followed by a residency. This course has increased her skills to provide the best care for the families with whom she works.Adrienne also is an educator, working within the community to teach others the skills necessary to become lactation counselors and eventually board certified lactation consultants. She is the President of the Central Valley Lactation Association, an official chapter of USLCA. Thank you for reading Evolve Lactation with Christine Staricka IBCLC. This post is public so feel free to share it.Adrienne joined me on the Evolve Lactation Podcast for a conversation where we take a look back over all of the settings in which she has practiced lactation care. The diversity of practice settings really sets her apart and gives her unique perspectives on how best to care for mothers and babies. Over the span of more than 25 years, she has seen breastfeeding unfold over the hours, days, months, and years along the entire spectrum of infant and child development. From teaching prenatal breastfeeding classes to private prenatal consultations, from seeing newborns nursing in the hospital to the community clinic to the home visit, and babies and toddlers of all ages in support groups, Adrienne has seen a lot in her lactation career. One of her strengths is connecting with mothers and fathers, building relationships with them so that they can trust her with their lactation needs. Having a newborn brings the new parent into a vulnerable space, and Adrienne has a gift for engaging them in a way that brings them comfort and support so that they can enjoy their baby.In fact, her connections with her clients are so strong and so important to the parents she serves that her private practice's strongest referral source is word of mouth. People trust her with the lactation care of the people they love, and there is no greater testimonial than that. In this episode, we take a ride in our time machine (because we've known each other and worked together for a LONG time!) and reflect on how lactation care has evolved over the years since we first met when she was my La Leche League Leader with my second and third daughters. I love interviewing people on this podcast - even when I already know them, I learn a surprising amount about them by asking questions I'd never think to ask otherwise. Come along with me and Adrienne for our conversation about our work, together and separate, as IBCLCs over the years! If you'd like to learn more about (and from!) Adrienne, check out these links:Visit Adrienne's Website HereFollow Adrienne on InstagramSee Adrienne's recent presentation at the 2023 GOLD Tongue Tie Symposium Mentioned in the Episode:Learn more about Baby Café Bakersfield here Get full access to Evolve Lactation with Christine Staricka IBCLC at ibclcinca.substack.com/subscribe

Part 2 with Sydney Taylor. The conversation with Sydney continues as she shares how her birth experience led her to birthwork and becoming a homebirth midwife. We talk about being doulas who only take on clients who want unmedicated births and the benefits, to both client and doula, of showing your biases as a doula. In this episode we discuss: -How being a mother prepares you to be a doula more than any doula training program -The affirmations we love to hear from dads in the birth space. -A doula for every woman doesn't mean doulas have to support everyone and the types of doulas we wouldn't hire. -Taking every birth client, even when it's not a good fit, just because you can support them often leads to burnout, doulas leaving birth work, and bad google reviews. -Doulas who are unapologetic about their biases will find the right clients and this is exactly how Sydney is booked out for the year. 114 | We crashed a formula marketing meeting, the Back Off Bobbie campaign, with Natasha Vargas-Cooper and Andrea Haskins100 | Becoming a self taught doula 92 | Inclusive language is excluding your main audience, DONA and La Leche League's inclusive language policy is erasing women, with Dr Sarah 70: Doula certifications suck, with Kallie Caton Want to become a doula? Download the self-taught doula guide. It's FREE  Learn more about my doula business membership Want to work with me? Unmedicated Academy: The signature program for moms who want to be the boss of their unmedicated birth and be educated, informed and empowered. We will chat each week and you'll be blown away by how much support is inside. Join the empowered mom club Submit a question or testimonial for the show: Leave me a voice message

Breastfeeding is universal, something that all humans, all mammals have done since the beginning of time.   Lactation as a profession is new and has different norms throughout the world.   Rosa Sorribas is an IBCLC in Barcelona, Spain who focuses not just on supporting new parents with lactation and infant feeding support.  Rosa focuses on training new IBCLC's, encouraging more students to learn about lactation to support more and more families.  In this episode Katie Oshita and Rosa Sorribas discuss teaching, lactation, tongue tie and world views on this and more.Podcast Guest: Rosa Sorribas is an IBCLC in private practice in Barcelona since 2008. She is a Computer Engineer working on Internet and databases since 1986. In 2002, after her first daughter was born, she and her husband created CrianzaNatural.com, a Spanish portal and forum with information for an attachment parenting style of life. Since then, she's been involved in breastfeeding groups, such as La Leche League and Areola, which she still collaborates with. She offers breastfeeding and babywearing education in Spain, Portugal, Poland, and online. She's been working as doula in home and hospital births. Her website has been the source of dozens of support groups, many breastfeeding conselours and IBCLCs, and has helped hundreds of thousands of families around the world to get their maternity goals. For the last few years she's been very focused in nutrition after a cancer treatment left some issues on her health. She is now running a weekly podcast and video interview to relevant people addressing topics from conception to teens. In February she will launch a training course to become IBCLC, with the help of several new and experienced IBCLCs that she's been mentoring, in a site called ecrianza.com. She lives near the beach of Castelldefels with her two daughters who were homeschooled for 6 years, her lovely husband and her dog Timi.Podcast host: Katie Oshita, RN, BSN, IBCLC has over 22 years of experience working in Maternal-Infant Medicine.  Katie is a telehealth lactation consultant believing that clients anywhere in the world deserve the best care possible for their needs.  Being an expert on TOTs, Katie helps families everywhere navigate breastfeeding struggles, especially when related to tongue tie or low supply.  Katie is also passionate about finding the root cause of symptoms, using Functional Medicine practices to help client not just survive, but truly thrive. Email katie@cuddlesandmilk.com or www.cuddlesandmilk.com

On this episode we speak to Sheila who is from Central America and moved to Japan 7 years ago with her husband (Japanese-Hondureños).  An online prenatal course helped her decide on her birth plan, however when it came to delivery time both her and her hospital were happy to make changes. Care facilities: + Yamaguchi Womens Hospital, Funabashi -------------------------------------------------  Show notes: Chiba, vacuum delivery, episiotomy, La Leche League, kangaroo care vs skin to skin, postpartum rage Join our Birth Stories of Japan Facebook group! ------------------------------------------------CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Opening 01:07 - Intro 02:41  - Journey to Pregnancy 04:43 - Pregnancy 12:26 - Birth Story 26:15 - Postpartum recovery 30:59 - Costs 31:46 - Bottle time 34:53 - Outro

Today, I'm interviewing, Kelila Green Siciliano. She is a mom, a surrogate, a pregnancy loss survivor, a speaker, the founder of OursAndYRS, and the host of the podcast, “Pushing Through Loss” where Kelila speaks about her experience with surrogacy, pregnancy loss, and creating a survival toolkit in order to help her audience feel empowered to use their own struggles to work with them and not push against them. Today, Kelila shares about: The challenges of trying to learn how to breastfeed with her first. How she used a washcloth to get her first baby on the breast. Her experience using a nipple shield and the MyBreastFriend Pillow How her nipples chapped even though there was only 6 months in between breastfeeding her first and her second. The multiple healing properties of breastmilk Weaning her third at 17 months in order to become a surrogate Why she hand expressed for the surrogate baby The difference between night milk and morning milk Nipple flange sizing and how your nipple size changes during breastfeeding Breastfeeding and pumping in public Becoming a doula Pregnancy Loss - Kelila lost her second surrogate baby at 16 weeks, 5 days. From this created a pregnancy loss workbook you can find on her websiteYou can find Kelila at: https://www.instagram.com/oursandyrs/ or https://www.kelilagreenspeaker.com/Resources: Nipple Shield: https://amzn.to/3vm5FZA My Breast Friend Nursing Pillow: https://amzn.to/48vgiro La Leche League: https://llli.org/Thank you so much for listening. If you enjoyed today's episode, it would mean the world to me if you'd be willing to take 30 seconds to rate and review the podcast.And, if you're interested in coming on to share your own baby-feeding story, head to mollyrider.com and click on "Share Your Story."

DONAs inclusive language policy isn't new, but how they responded to the women speaking against the policy is new and it's contributing to the erasure of women and the mother. In this episode, we discuss: DONA and LLL erasing comments and blocking women who want to be called women. How society tries to make women equal to men, completely ignoring our biological differences Inclusive language has been normalized for many years, starting in public school and health education.  We took feminism too far, it's okay to say girls can play with trucks but men and women ARE different. Fed is best is the same as saying McDonalds is better than grass fed burgers.  Shame can teach you something if you let yourself feel uncomfortable first.  Our society makes it almost impossible for you to be a mother and a woman. Certification programs are part of the system, the only way they will change if they are not making money. Meet the guest: Dr. Sarah is a chiropractor, birth educator & mother of three who wants you to know you have more options than you're being told. After an unnecessary c-section led her to have an unassisted birth with her 2nd son, her eyes were opened to the lack of information & informed consent being given to mothers. Because of this she created Birth Uprising, through which she shares everything you won't learn in your 7 minute OB appointments so you can make the best decisions for yourself and your family during pregnancy & birth. Dr. Sarah can be found on Instagram at @birthuprising, on the Birth Uprising Podcast, and on her website at www.birthuprising.com. Mentioned on the show: The Word is Woman #15 - Milli Hill's Substack DONA's inclusive language policy 

Lourdes Santaballa is a community activist and organizer, with a background in domestic violence, affordable housing, and economic equity advocacy. A La Leche League leader from 2009 to 2017 and IBCLC since 2011, she was the founder of the lactation program at sePARE, providing coordinated services to low-income families, leading it to receive the ILCA Care Award and received the Wilson-Clay Hoover Award for Research. Lourdes received the notorious Drs. Ruth Lawrence and Audrey Naylor Legacy Scholarship in 2016 by the United States Breastfeeding Committee, the Miriam H. Labbok Award for Excellence at the Breastfeeding and Feminism conference in 2018 and is currently completing her master's degree in clinical nutrition. In October 2017, following Hurricanes Irma and Maria, Lourdes founded Alimentación Segura Infantil or ASI, an Infant and Young Child feeding program focused on increasing breastfeeding, leadership and training in marginalized communities in Puerto Rico. She also hosts a podcast called Teta y Pecho. More: - Link tree: https://linktr.ee/problematica - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ibclcpuertorico/ - APPLE PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teta-y-pecho-lactancia-interseccional/id1465491540 - Gold Learning: https://www.goldlearning.com/speaker/643/lourdes-santaballa - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lourdes-santaballa-msc-ibclc-claas-iycfs-081957b3/ - Alimentación Segura Infantil (servicios y certificación) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asi_iycf/ - Media Company Problematic Media Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/problematicamedia/Follow Us:Instagram: @mr.dreaminspireobtainhttps://www.instagram.com/mr.dreaminspireobtain/ @dreaminspireobtain @diotalkpodcastMore info:- Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/dreaminspireobtain- Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d-i-o-talk-podcast/id1562933810?uo=4- Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/54SDtx0CFJ58FfpDoSg4Bz- Google podcast:https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy82NmI3MTVjYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==- Anchor F.M. Podcast:https://anchor.fm/s/66b715cc/podcast/rss

Ready to master the art of breastfeeding? Join us as we sit down with the brilliant Arya Pretlow, a certified nurse midwife, lactation consultant, and yoga therapist, whose wealth of experience guarantees a comprehensive guide to successful breastfeeding. The conversation takes off right from the hospital setting - preparing you to navigate through the complexities and challenges that new parents often face. Arya emphasizes the crucial role of prenatal breastfeeding classes, the potency of a strong support network, and the benefits of a lactation consultant and local La Leche League meetings.Our discussion with Arya delves deeper as we explore the nuances of the first feed, the importance of patience, and how to best support your newborn during this time. Arya imparts vital tips on achieving a deep latch and highlights the must-know techniques and considerations surrounding breastfeeding. She also addresses the potential influences of spinal anesthesia and the epidural on breastfeeding, underlining the necessity of evaluating the larger picture of labor and delivery when identifying breastfeeding issues.As we progress, Arya guides us through the fraught process of making informed decisions for infant feeding, particularly for preterm and early-term babies. She stresses the need for healthcare providers to offer more comprehensive education on potential outcomes. Furthermore, we take a closer look at lactation support for pumping and nipple shields and the significance of finding the perfect fit for you. By the end of this episode, you'll be armed with invaluable insights and practical tips from Arya's vast expertise to ensure a rewarding breastfeeding journey. So, why wait? Tune in now!Connect with Arya at apwellnesservices.com Coaching offerSupport the showConnect with Kelly Hof at kellyhof.comMedical Disclaimer:This podcast is intended as a safe space for women to share their birth experiences. It is not intended to provide medical advice. Each woman's medical course of action is individual and may not appropriately transfer to another similar situation. Please speak to your medical provider before making any medical decisions. Additionally, it is important to keep in mind that evidence based practice evolves as our knowledge of science improves. To the best of my ability I will attempt to present the most current ACOG and AWHONN recommendations at the time the podcast is recorded, but that may not necessarily reflect the best practices at the time the podcast is heard. Additionally, guests sharing their stories have the right to autonomy in their medical decisions, and may share their choice to go against current practice recommendations. I intend to hold space for people to share their decisions. I will attempt to share the current recommendations so that my audience is informed, but it is up to each individual to choose what is best for them.

In this heartwarming episode, we met with the woman we believe is our oldest and wisest podcast fan and devout member of our Patreon community: Lee Roversi, a CSA farm owner in Hawaii, mother of three adult children, and grandmother. Lee begins by reflecting on her upbringing in Connecticut during the 1950s and how it shaped her perspective on motherhood. Her traditional family background contrasted with her later path toward holistic childbirth choices. Lee's story unfolds with anecdotes from her three home births, defying the norm of hospital deliveries at the time. Her first childbirth experience, in Manhattan with a midwife, was marked by a marathon 36-hour labor, yet it was a transformative experience that set her on a unique path.Lee spent most of her time with us sharing her thoughts on the changing landscape of childbirth practices over the decades. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing the inner strength within every birthing woman -- a lesson she learned firsthand. Lee's journey wasn't without its challenges, but her conviction in the power of intuition and her commitment to natural childbirth prevailed.The conversation takes a poignant turn as Lee discusses the significance of postpartum support and community. She highlights the value of support groups like La Leche League and the importance of maintaining connections in the age of isolation. Lee's heartfelt advice to new mothers centers on cherishing the fleeting moments of early motherhood and finding solace in the knowledge that women are never alone in their struggles.We engaged in a heartfelt dialogue about the transformative journey of motherhood, the power of community, and the enduring strength of the human spirit. This episode reminds us to savor the precious moments of motherhood, to seek support and connection, and to trust in our innate abilities as women. Connect with us on Patreon for our exclusive content.Email Contact@DownToBirthShow.comInstagram @downtobirthshowCall us at 802-GET-DOWN Work with Cynthia: 203-952-7299 HypnoBirthingCT.com Work with Trisha: 734-649-6294 Please remember we don't provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed medical provider for all your healthcare matters.

We're setting sail on a journey through the complex sea of new parenthood, with a special focus on baby health and vaccinations. This episode is chock-full of insights, from navigating the current vaccination schedule to the importance of informed decisions when it comes to protecting your little one. We'll also touch on good hygiene practices to accompany live vaccines, and address symptoms and treatments for dreaded RSV in babies. Our special guest is Maria Tempany - a mother of three, a devoted doctor, and an inspired poet. Maria's journey of motherhood has deeply influenced her poetic creations. She'll share her experience of being the first among her friends to have a baby and how she found her support system in local mommies groups, her formidable mother, and the La Leche League. Listen as Maria opens up about her diverse experiences from sleep deprivation and anxiety to changes in breastfeeding experiences between her first and third babies.Our conversation doesn't stop there. We delve into the emotional side of parenting, discussing the struggle of achieving work-life balance and guilt related to taking parenting breaks. We'll also explore societal expectations of mothers and fathers, and the various support systems available for new parents. Maria will share how the pandemic has been her unexpected muse, helping her express her experiences through the art of poetry. This episode is a fine blend of practical insights, emotional discussions, and poetic reflections, curated to enlighten and comfort all new parents navigating this beautiful journey.

In this heartwarming episode, hosts Stetson and Margaret invite you into their personal lives as they share captivating stories that shaped who they are today. Join them for a touching conversation that explores the early years of Stetson's life, how she got her name, and the inspiring path that led Margaret to become a La Leche League leader, touching the lives of countless families. Get ready for a blend of nostalgia, insight, and empowerment that highlights the beauty of human connection and nurturing. Hi! We're Margaret and Stetson, the mother-daughter team and CEOs of Everything Envy. As content creators, we inspire women to create stylish & organized systems with the latest trends & home finds. As entrepreneurs, we strive to inspire other business owners through our journey of running a successful online business, and this is what our podcast is mostly about. But we also talk about other stuff too that come with just living life. Have a listen and if you like what you hear, do us a favor and give us a 5 star review and tell us what you love about the podcast! Oh, if you shoot us a DM, we can shout you out on an episode! XO, Margaret & Stetson Follow us on Instagram @Everything.Envy Watch the Everything Envy Livestream on our Amazon Storefront Start a 14 Day FREE Trial with Click Funnels Start your Free 30 Day Pro Version of Canva... Our Favorite Graphics Tool --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/everythingenvypodcast/support

“Labor is an event of the mind, the body, and the soul. We have to make sure that we are preparing in each of those elements so that we can then know at the end of the day that we are true to ourselves.”Sarah, one of the founders of Birth Made Mindful, joins Meagan on the podcast today to talk about how to mindfully approach motherhood in the way that is best for you, your body, your baby, and your family. She also shares her Cesarean and two VBAC stories!Sarah and her sisters created the Made Mindful platform to help women find their own innate power from within. All VBAC Link listeners will receive 30% off any of their courses by using the code “vbaclink” at checkout on www.birthmademindful.com.Additional LinksBirth Made Mindful WebsiteSarah's YouTubeSarah's TikTokHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsReceive 20% off on Needed Products The VBAC Link Facebook CommunityFull Transcript under Episode DetailsMeagan: Hey mommas have you ever looked at the back of your prenatal vitamin and wondered if you are truly getting everything you need? I know I didn't when I was pregnant. Well today I wanted to share with you the #1 prenatal I suggest to all my doula clients, friends, family, and YOU women of strength. It's by a company called Needed. I honestly don't think I was the only one that didn't really understand just how important certain nutrients were for myself or or my growing baby. And that is why i love needed. They have gone above and beyond to create solid products not only that have the key nutrients but also have the optimal amount. Don't be overwhelmed picking a prenatal. Check out all Needes products, including their prenatals, pre/pro biotics, immune support and more at thisisneeded.com enjoy 20% off by using code VBAC20Meagan: Hello, hello Women of Strength. It is Wednesday and we have another great episode for you. Normally we have VBAC stories, but today we are going to be chatting about a lot of topics actually. We have our friend, Sarah. She is actually a VBAC mom and she has been on the podcast before so welcome, Sarah. Sarah: Thank you so much for having me today. Meagan: Thank you. Thank you. I'm so excited to have this discussion and this episode because it's something that truly we need to remember. I love sharing all of the VBAC stories of course. That's what this podcast is about, but it's also really good to get education and empowerment through other episodes. Review of the WeekWe are going to get into this episode after I share the Review of the Week. I'm going to tell you a little bit more about our friend, Sarah. This review is by spicyhotcurrie. I love that name. That's fun. It says, “The best education for all pregnant mamas.” I just love that so much because really, I mean, Sarah would you agree? At this podcast, we obviously talk about VBAC stories and how to empower people to make the best choices after Cesareans, but this really could be a podcast for all pregnant moms. Wouldn't you agree?Sarah: Absolutely. Meagan: Yes. We share so many tips. It's something that I wish I had when I was pregnant and preparing for my VBAC. Even if I didn't know if I wanted a VBAC, this would be a great podcast to listen to and see what options were out there and then even what led to Cesareans so I could learn how to avoid them. I love that topic. She says, “After one unmedicated hospital birth and one medicated hospital birth, my third birth ended in a physically and emotionally traumatic emergency Cesarean. The VBAC Link Podcast started soon after. I listened to them for over a year before getting pregnant. This podcast has made me laugh and cry and given me so much knowledge I didn't have even after three births and working in the postpartum unit at the hospital. This podcast has made me so excited for my VBAC in November. Thank you, Julie and Meagan.”This was back in 2020 so spicyhotcurrie, if you have your story to share, I would love to know. Contact us at info@thevbaclink.com. If you haven't left a review yet, we would love your review always anywhere you want to leave a review– Apple Podcasts, Google, or you can email us. Wherever it may be, we would love your review. Sarah From Made MindfulMeagan: Okay, Sarah. Welcome. Sarah: I'm just giddy to talk to you about birth today. Meagan: I am giddy to have you here to talk about birth. I don't want to share your story. I want to let you share your story, but I do want to tell everybody who you are. You are an amazing person, an amazing individual, and you're a mom of course. Of course, you're a mama of three now. Sarah: Three boys. Meagan: Yes, a boy mama. You're a birth coach, an educational coach, a doula as well which you guys, I'm just going to point out that Utah is amazing. I'm just saying that if you're in Utah and you're listening, you're spoiled. We've got some good doulas here. Let's see what else. You're the founder of Made Mindful, right?Sarah: That's right. Meagan: Made Mindful. Okay. Tell us more. Tell us more about that. Sarah: Made Mindful came out of all of our experiences, me and my two sisters, with the different births that we have experienced together. Meagan: It's Carly–Sarah: Carly and Christina. Meagan: Christina, yes. Carly and Christina. Sarah: That's right. Meagan: I love that you're all sisters. That's so cool.Sarah: We have our website, Birth Made Mindful. We want to encourage women and families to empower themselves with education, positivity, and most importantly, just believe that they have the strength within themselves to create the birth of their dreams. Meagan: Absolutely. I love that. It's so hard sometimes because it's so overwhelming. There's so much going on and we're getting so many opinions coming from all of the other places to know and you hear things like, “I wanted to do that but my body couldn't and this but I couldn't, and this but I couldn't,” so then we start doubting ourselves like, “Can I? Can I do that? Is that possible?” Don't you feel like that is happening all over the place? Sarah: It is. It's just an overwhelming amount of information that we have to sort through. I think that also adds confusion. When we can look inside ourselves, we can find out really what matters most important to our families and to us as mothers and blossoming mothers if we are first-timers. Knowing what our options are, knowing some of the medical events that could take place with birth, and then being able to be in tune with ourselves and our bodies to know how to proceed. Meagan: Absolutely. You have experienced very different experiences. Do you want to share just a little bit more about your experiences and what truly led you here?Sarah: I would love to. My first son was five years ago, his birth. My water broke prematurely. I wasn't in labor. After about 40 hours at the hospital, we had a Cesarean section. It wasn't an emergency at that time, but he was sunny-side up so I just wasn't having meaningful dilation. His Cesarean was necessary, but after that experience, I started looking back and just thinking, “I want to have a vaginal birth for my next birth.” I just didn't want to be in pain and have the recovery and some of the problems that stem from abdominal surgery right after birth. So I prepared a lot. I listened to your podcast. I just researched as much as I could when I was pregnant with my second son. It was right around COVID. His due date was March 20th, 2020 so about three days before his due date, my obstetrician let me know that she could no longer support me in a vaginal delivery. Meagan: Did she tell you why?Sarah: I share that entire story in Episode 132 so if you haven't had a chance to listen, it was just a remarkable story. I think it was mainly because of COVID. The hospital had updated their policies that all of the women in the queue for delivery that week and that month would either need to have an early induction or a repeat C-section and that they weren't going to be able to support VBACs. But because I armed myself with knowledge, I had gotten myself a doula, I just felt like that wasn't the route I wanted to go. I wanted to allow my body at least the chance for my first VBAC. I know that a lot of women even after having multiple Cesareans will attempt a VBAC but your chances of getting support in the medical system are a lot stronger the first time. So I knew that this was my window. I was actually able to find a midwife who took me on. This is just a couple of days before he is born. I ended up having a beautiful, redemptive VBAC at a birthing center. It wasn't short labor. He was actually also in a sunny-side-up position so it was about 30 hours. My wonderful, supportive midwife confirmed, “If you would have been in a hospital, they would have done another C-section in the amount of time it took you to dilate again with being sunny-side up and all of those twists and turns of our labor.” But we did have a VBAC and it was amazing. The feelings, the emotions, all of the energy that I felt, I literally wasn't tired for three days after his birth because all of those chemicals were appropriately working within my body. I was able to breastfeed and latch in a much easier way with that child so I knew that I wanted to start sharing my story and offer encouragement to other women. So in between his birth and then the birth of my next son which was about two years later is when my sisters and I put our knowledge together and created digital courses. We created affirmation cards and just decided that we were going to try to start sharing our message with all of our sisters and our community so that they could have great experiences in their birth. Meagan: Yeah. Sarah: For my third son, we actually delivered with that same midwife but I opted for a home birth. The reason why I wanted to have him at home was mainly because of tracking contractions. There's always that question, “When do I go to the hospital? Am I too early? Am I too late?” If you show up and you're only 3 or 4 centimeters dilated, are you then a burden on your medical staff? And they're starting the clock if you're in the hospital. So I thought, “I wonder if I was just at home if my body would relax enough that there wouldn't be any halting from my body.” I just said, “It doesn't matter how long it takes. I'm prepared to labor as long as this baby needs.” I also had made peace with the fact that if we needed to transfer to a hospital, I would not feel like a failure. I would approach that with the understanding that I was going to the hospital and utilizing the tools and the help that I might need if we did need a transfer because a lot of people are afraid of what a home birth means if there's a transfer. Most of the time, it's not an emergency if there's a transfer that's needed. Meagan: Yeah. Really, most of the time it's due to a hangup and there are resources at a hospital that aren't at home anymore. We've exhausted our resources. Maybe there is a little bit of Pitocin that is needed. I say needed, but it is something that could help and they've exhausted breast stimulation with the breast pump or maybe it's been a really, really long labor and we're just tired, and that epidural is something that really can help to actually have that final outcome that we were looking for. It's just going to be in a different place. But it's rarely an emergency and it's okay. It is okay to transfer. It's okay to make that choice. No failing or giving up. They don't go together. There's no failing. Sarah: Exactly. Meagan: Just because there's a change of plans doesn't mean there is failure involved. Sarah: Yeah. That terminology is so tricky when people consider a transfer from your home as a failure but most women just choose to transfer to the hospital before they plan to push their baby out. So his birth was remarkable. It was a few days after his due date again. I had started feeling a little bit anxious about when he would come. I decided that I needed to release all of that. I went swimming and I just told him, “I know that you're safe, but I also want you to come as soon as you're ready.” My labor started that night. I could sense that the contractions were ramping up, but I wanted to rest as much as possible. I didn't want to have the mindset that I needed to walk around or be upright because with my prior births, it had taken me a full day and I didn't want to feel exhausted myself. So at about 1:00 in the morning, I went into the guest room so I wasn't waking up my husband and I just tried to sleep in between my contractions and it was successful. I was able to listen to some meditations and to find that quiet comfort within my bed. With sunrise, the contractions started ramping up and after about one hour of steady contractions, I thought, “It's time to wake up my husband. It's time to let him know that things might be started.” So after observing me for a few minutes, he decided that we should call the midwife right there. I definitely didn't think that I was ready because I had really only been in what I would consider active labor for an hour, but when our midwife came to my home, I was 8 centimeters dilated and they were ready to fill up the birth pool and have me hope right in. It was just peaceful and quiet. My midwife and her team almost seemed like they were just working in synchrony in the background. There wasn't any coaching. There wasn't any interruption to what I was experiencing and having my husband and I there. We did send our toddlers off to Grandma's house so that we could just have the house to ourselves. But it was amazing. I got in the birth tub and my water broke probably 20 minutes after that. And then after about 20 minutes of pushing, I was able to deliver him and just have that same concoction of hormones that just make you feel so elated, so happy, so grateful for your baby being born that immediately, any of those feelings of pain that come with pushing have gone and just being able to snuggle him there in my own home and be tucked in our own bed just minutes after. I felt like a home birth really was the birth of my dreams. I felt like a queen and it is what made me want to help encourage women to create the environment that they want so that they know that they are the leader of their birth. Yes. Oh, I love it. I love it. I love it.Meagan: I want to take a quick moment to hear about our partner Needed. The leading women's health supplement brand recommend by nutritionally trained practitioners. Needed was founded by two incredible mommas who were navigating their fertility journey. They were shocked to realize that 97% of women take prenatal vitamins, yet 95% of us are nutrient deficient. Is that not eye opening or what? Getting the right prenatal vitamin is super important. So how do we know what one is best. While most perinatal supplements include the bare minimum of the nutrients women and babies need, Needed has all of your needs covered from your prenatal vitamin, to pregnancy specific pre/pro biotic, immune lactation and nausea support, as well as supplements that help us with our protein needs, balancing our blood sugar, and helps with postpartum healing. Needed's Complete Plan delivers unparallel nourishment for every phase. Weather you are thinking of conceiving, pregnant, postpartum, or deeper into your mommy years like me, these supplements are amazing. I take the prenatal collagen protein every single day, and absolutely love it. Learn more about Neededs complete line of perinatal and women's health suppliants at thisisneeded.com use code VBAC20 for 20% off that is V-B-A-C-20 at thisisneeded.comMeagan: I really do love it. I really, really do. It's just so amazing. And it connects with me so well because of the same thing. After my second Cesarean, I learned more about doulas. The doula work just called to me. I was like, “This is what I want to do. I want to help people know that they can have different experiences.” One of the hardest things during our pregnancy journey is the preparation and knowing what preparation to do. There are so many things out there. You've prepared differently each time especially because you are preparing for different scenarios with different locations and stuff but are there any tips that you would have for birth prep in general and self-empowerment? How do you truly believe in your ability to do what you want to do and then create the environment to do that?Sarah: With my first son, I prepared with HypnoBirthing. I wanted to be able to find that meditative state so that I could move forward with an unmedicated birth but one of the disservices that the course instructor did for me was she said, “We're not going to study Cesareans because you're not going to have a C-section. We don't need to start focusing on that because it won't be an option.” So looking back, I would advise women to actually get as educated as they can with the medical system and know about inductions and know about options for inducing labor both natural and medical options regarding induction. But I also think one element that is most missing in the system is for our doctors or our providers to help us know that we have the power within us. We're not taught about the physiological process of birth so we don't understand that there are hormones within us and messages that our baby will signal to our body that it's time to start the process. Right? Knowing that our bodies are made to go through this and that everything is intended to stretch, I think that we can eliminate a lot of the fear that we have if we only believe that we will be successful with an epidural or with vacuum assistance. Just knowing that our bodies are made to birth our babies whatever size they come, whatever date they choose to arrive, that our bodies have the answers within them. I also think it's important to realize that the perception of pain is also internal. One thing that I have been learning a lot about is that our body only feels pain because of the messages that our brain then starts to comprehend. So if we begin to feel a contraction and our brain's message is, “This is wrong. This is bad. This has to stop immediately,” all of a sudden, we create an environment of tension and stress within us. This is the opposite feeling that we need in order for our baby to continue to dilate and for the baby to be born. So what I try to instruct women and families to focus on is that the contraction is the method by which the baby is going to continue to descend and it's the correct feeling that we should be having at the time. Now, I'm not saying it's easy. I'm not saying it's absolutely pain-free, but understanding that the waves are the only way for our uterus to contract and expel the baby then will give us power inside. We also have different pain-blocking receptors within our body. So as our contractions rise with each stage of labor as they start to get more intense through transition and then as we start to feel that natural urge to push, we have also been experiencing the counteracting force within ourselves of being able to block that pain. Then when our baby is born, having the skin-to-skin time completely erases all of those feelings that we had. So knowing that our bodies are perfectly designed to accommodate everything that we will experience gives us so much confidence that we can then proceed and we are able to labor as long as it takes. We are able to continue to breathe. One thing I like to think about as I'm experiencing a contraction, and one of the reasons I think that my labor was so much faster, was because every time I had a contraction, I would try to breathe as if I was allowing his head to push into my toes. I wasn't pushing, right? You're not supposed to push until you feel the urge to push, but I was allowing myself to think open thoughts so that my body could open and be in that state for cervical change but I was also trying to focus on the down and out of the baby being born.  When we have a contraction and we're not grounded or we're not prepared for those feelings or those really strong sensations, it's a lot harder for our bodies to then continue to progress in a way that is unhindered and allows us to feel safe and secure and that everything is a correct sensation. In both of my vaginal deliveries, I actually did not feel like transition was a stage of torment or suffering for myself. I know a lot of women say that they can start to feel when they are in transition. For me, that always came in the pushing element. When I felt that pressure, that's when I decided, “I really need to get grounded here because this is happening.” So for my third birth, I knew that the more that I can focus and feel what was happening inside of me and utilize those feelings to help push the baby, the sooner I can come through this situation. Right? Sometimes people talk about a hard scenario and they say, “The only way out is through.” That's another thing for labor where you have to go through all of those feelings. Meagan: Yeah and those feelings can be really intimidating, right? Really intimidating so through our prep, prepare for those feelings. Prepare for the way to change up your breath because there are those moments sometimes where it's like, “I don't know if I can do this,” and our shoulders raise and our faces tense. If we can breathe through that, breath is so incredibly powerful. It's so powerful. But if we can breathe through that, it can really, truly help. Just our breath alone and then like you were saying, how our mind relates to pain if we can change our mindset– this is totally not birth related but I am really big into cold water therapy like Wim Hof and all of the things. My husband and I converted our deep freezer into a cold plunge in our backyard and I will tell you, when I am in that, it's freezing. At 40 degrees, it's really cold, but when my mind connects to, “It is cold. It is cold. It is cold,” my whole body just trembles and I'm freezing. I'm telling myself, “It's so freezing.” I'm trying to work through it, but I can't. I'm just shaking. Then when I breathe and I'm like, “Okay. Calm down. You're okay. You're right here. You're strong,” and I start coming out of that space of fear and exactly what's happening if that makes sense– I'm telling myself that I am freezing. I am cold. I mean, I am cold but I'm also okay and I'm also going to get through this. It's crazy. I just did it with some friends and they witnessed it. They were like, “Wow. That's crazy.” I audibly have to say it out loud. I can't even just do it internally. They are like, “Wow. That is really cool.” It's the same with labor and with birth and all of these things. Sarah: Knowing that you are exactly where you need to be is what then will give your body confidence to do what it needs to do. I think that's why birth affirmations can be so positive because as we speak out loud, our brain believes what we say. So if you are in labor and you are saying, “I can't. I'm in pain. Make it stop,” all of a sudden your entire body starts to feel that tension and starts to feel that panic. But if we can use affirmations to say, “I am safe. I am secure. I am strong,” saying these things will then solidify to our bodies that that is how we feel. Meagan: Absolutely. Absolutely. I want to talk about changing plans and things like that. If we have a birth that is going another way which is maybe undesired, maybe a Cesarean or a repeat Cesarean. Maybe we're at home and we are transferring to the hospital or you wanted to go unmedicated and you're getting an epidural, I wanted to talk about the word failure and how impactful that word can be and how we have to offer ourselves grace. Do you have anything to say about that? Sarah: Absolutely. I think the first thing to do is to understand that when you share a birth story that didn't have the outcome of your desire, a lot of people will say, “At least there's a healthy baby. At least there's a healthy mom.” While those things are most important and unfortunately, the opposite can happen at birth. It's devastating. We also have to know that our mindset can control how we feel about an experience. So just as I shared that I had made peace knowing that a transfer to the hospital would not equal that I'm a failure, knowing that you have done everything that is within your power to achieve your main goal will help you then to feel like you've had the most beautiful birth. Sometimes I think that it's more about just knowing that you're respected and knowing that your wishes were granted during birth, that you had a birth partner or a support team that listened to you, and that made you feel like the goddess that you are in birth. Meagan: And heard. Sarah: And heard. Sometimes what we want is we want that epidural or we want that induction and we have reasons within ourselves knowing why we want the birth that we want. When we can create an environment within ourselves that then fosters that, that's when our birth feels like it's unstoppable. That's when we know that we have achieved everything that we set out to do. I think one important way to prepare in that regard is to do what I call a fear release. When we're thinking about all of the options that can go wrong, we tend to stop that thought immediately because we don't want to think about a worst-case scenario. We don't want to fill our minds or our bodies with that negativity but if we can approach it before it happens and we can actually say, “What is my plan? If my water breaks before my labor has started, what is my plan? If dilation isn't happening at a good rate, what are my options? Can I get a Foley bulb? Is Cervadil an option while I am laboring?” we can actually walk down the path of each of our fears and we will start to see that we have the same amount of knowledge essentially that our providers have in what paths would be available. For me, I was writing everything down and every single thing that I would feel prior to birth. If I was feeling frustrated, if I was feeling scared, if I was feeling nervous about adding another child, “How am I going to take care of all of their needs?” all of those things are real and can feel overwhelming. If we don't have the support externally, then we have to find where we stand within ourselves. Labor is an event of the mind, the body, and the soul. We have to make sure that we are preparing in each of those elements so that we can then know at the end of the day that we are true to ourselves and that we have listened to the promptings that come and that we follow what makes us feel like we are driving the car that will get us to the destination of our baby's birth. Meagan: Yes. So in saying that, we have to act on the promptings that we feel and sometimes it may be something different than what's being suggested. For a long time in birth, I didn't realize that I could say no or could say, “I would like to do this,” or “Talk to me about this,” and have that discussion and that active conversation about what I was feeling. With my second C-section, I didn't want to go down to the OR. I didn't want to have a repeat Cesarean and I didn't feel like I could say much more than, “Okay, let's go.” So I want to talk about that. We have these feelings and then how do we act on them? Obviously finding that supportive provider and having that supportive team, but then how do we find the courage within ourselves to say, “Hold on. I hear you. I hear what you're saying, but I would like to talk about this,” or “My heart is telling me this. Can we talk about that?”Sarah: I think the first step that we take is knowing our rights. Just like you said, if we have a provider that is suggesting an intervention. Maybe it's a position that doesn't feel comfortable to our bodies. We have to know that we are allowed to say no and that when informed consent is a part of our birth plan, we can always ask them what the options are. So if someone comes in and says, “Your labor hasn't progressed for 4 hours. You don't have anymore dilation. It's time for Pitocin,” we can say, “What are my options? What might happen if I do not choose to have Pitocin at this time? Is it something that we can look into 2 hours from now?” Because I have had a hospital birth that ended in a C-section and then my other two births outside of a hospital, I recognize that it's not always as easy as we might think if our providers are–Meagan: Pushing back. Sarah: If they're pushing back and if they have a protocol that they have to follow based upon their hospital. Those are put in place to protect them as providers with liability and also to protect mothers and babies, right? No doctor would want to take a risk for a mother and a baby but when we feel like the request that we have should be honored and that we can ask those questions to then receive a response that we are able to then come together and work as a team. Knowing that everybody who is there really does want the best for you and your baby, knowing that you might offend someone by letting them know that, “Hey, I don't want this to happen at this time,” but that you have the right to do that and that if needed, you can actually switch providers. For me, that was very scary. Meagan: A couple of days before. Sarah: It was a stressful event to have to be finding someone. I went to a few other obstetricians and they said, “You're far too late. You're too far along in this pregnancy to be coming to me.” That's when I decided that even if having a VBAC outside of the hospital presented an added element of risk because I might have to transfer to a hospital if something went awry, I knew that was the route that I needed to take in order to achieve what I felt like was my right to attempt a VBAC. I love the work that you're doing because so many women, as they are deciding if they should have a C-section or if they can try for a VBAC, find that there are roadblocks that are in our way. I don't want to say all of the time, but a lot of the time, our providers want the very best for us, but some of their suggestions might not be what helps us achieve a VBAC. One example I can think of is an early induction. Right? We know that the highest chance for a VBAC is for spontaneous, vaginal delivery to occur and yet we are also under pressure for our babies to be delivered by 40 weeks. Meagan: Or 39 even sometimes. Sarah: Or 39. And just as a woman's menstrual cycle is not always a 5-day event or our cycles aren't always the same amount of days– Meagan: 14 days apart, yeah. Sarah: Exactly, that maybe you knew exactly the date you conceived or you had IVF so you knew exactly when your egg was implanted, it's very hard to know if that 40-week date is accurate. Both of my VBAC babies were born at 40 weeks and 3 days. To me, that's interesting because I think, “Maybe my body is regulated enough that that is just when my babies are developed.” You know? So knowing that if a provider is telling us, “You have to have your baby by 40 weeks,” we can say, “What are my options if I choose? Can I take a non-stress test after the 40-week mark to find out how my amniotic fluid is doing and to make sure my baby is healthy and strong?” Meagan: Yeah. Sarah: And if you do find that there are complications, then there is no regret when you have the induction at that time. Meagan: Right. Yep. Sarah: Or when you seek medical assistance or when you elect to have that repeat Cesarean because you knew that your wishes were honored and that you were able to be number one. Meagan: An active participant of your birth. Being an active participant in your birth is so important. Like she said, if you choose an elective Cesarean, that's okay because you were a part of that decision making or if you choose to be induced or if you choose to keep going or whatever it may be, being an active participant in your birth can truly impact the way you reflect in your postpartum experience.Last but not least, I would love to talk about the postpartum too. I think we would both agree that a lot of the times– I don't want to say this with everybody preparing to give birth, but I feel like it's very much so in the VBAC world, we are so focused on how to get a VBAC, a vaginal birth after a Cesarean, and how to have this end result that we forget about what comes after the birth whether it's a vaginal birth or Cesarean. We are so focused on how to get this birth and this outcome that we forget what happens in that last period. Sarah: Exactly because our bodies know how to birth a baby without the knowledge that we possess. Even after we gain all of this knowledge, it really is our body's job and our baby's job to be born. But the postpartum period then falls all the way back on the families. So if you're not prepared, if you don't understand what will be happening physically within your body and how long it takes to heal, you could find yourself underwater at that time. Your baby requires food every few hours so if you're attempting breastfeeding and you're having struggles with breastfeeding, all of a sudden it feels like the postpartum period is harder than the birth for a lot of women. We have a separate course for the postpartum period. We call it “The Fourth Trimester”. In it, we dive deep into sleep both for parents and for infants. We talk about breastfeeding or feeding your baby if you elect formula. We go into postpartum depression and anxiety and really just try to help women understand that the time to prepare for the postpartum period is during pregnancy. It's not just the 38th week of pregnancy because your baby might come at that time. I remember with my first son, my hospital bag wasn't even packed when my water broke because it was in that 38th week and I thought I still had a few more to go. Everybody said that first-time moms always go overdue. So even knowing that the La Leche League offers free consults over the phone at any time of the night or day, knowing that alone is just a resource that we can use. I have to tell you for my third birth, I thought, “Okay. We will just have this set. Everything is going to go swimmingly,” and my little baby boy just was not latching correctly which causes so much pain as you're trying to nurse but it also caused one of my breasts to be engorged in a way that he wasn't extracting the milk but I was still experiencing those letdowns. So after a few days of just struggling– and I had met with the hospital lactation consultant– and feeling like, “I don't have the resources I need,” I met with women from the La Leche League multiple times and finally, one of the pieces of advice that she gave us was the turning for my son. She mentioned, “When you sit down to feed your baby, you're not going to think of it as a feeding session. You are going to try latching.” She actually gave me a number. She said, “I want you to try 20 times to latch.” I thought, “That is way more than I have been trying.” I usually start to feel defeated after the 5th or 6th time of trying to get this all to work. Then she said, “Your baby might be angry. Your baby might be hungry, so feed them an ounce of milk from the bottle or spoon feed however you want to feed them, and then try again 20 times on the other side.” I cannot tell you what a difference this made knowing that I was going to sit down and try 40 times to latch my baby. After the 8th attempt, he latched and we never had problems again. All that it took was for me to change my mindset as far as what I expected. Right? So even though I was an experienced mom, I had breastfed before, my little baby is just learning this for the first time. He's awfully small. He has the reflexes to suck, but he needs to be trained just as much as I do. We had to come together and work through that. I don't think that I could have made it happen without the support of the La Leche League. A lot of the time I think, “There are always excuses,” when we're in the postpartum period when we're tired or we don't have a store open when we need something and Walmart is closed at 11:00 and all of a sudden, you're having a fight with your partner in the middle of the night because you're not prepared so knowing just the amount of supplies that you're going to need and how long you're going to bleed after birth, all of these little details can be really overwhelming. Thank heavens that we have more people talking about it. We have companies that are responding to these needs. I think that we have more individuals offering support at this time where they say, “Oh, I”m just going to buy you that gift basket that has all of the support that you'll need.” Having a friend that can bring over their old nursing bras that they're not using anymore so that you're just ready to go with the supplies that you need, can make your postpartum period feel like you are off to a great start. Meagan: Absolutely. There was something you had mentioned too, and this goes for birth, where you were like, “I never had problems before. I nursed my other babies just fine and this baby's brand new and a new experience.” That goes with all things in life and with birth and postpartum. Just because we birthed this way or this is how our birth went or this is how or breastfeeding journey or this is how my postpartum went, doesn't always mean that we shouldn't prepare for the next baby and the next birth and the next postpartum. It doesn't always go exactly the same. Then also, remember these babies. Yes. Is it instinctual? Yes. They know where to get milk but again, their mouths are different. Everything is different so it can change so having patience and getting to that spot where you get to your nursing station, you take a deep breath in, you are taking a deep breath out, and you try 40 times. You are trying and not letting number three get so infuriating because your baby is going to feel that too. Your baby is going to feel that stress. It's the same thing in birth where if we have someone bring in some stressful feelings, we're going to all react to that. Our bodies react so remember to find your breath, find what you need to do, and have the patience to walk through that.Sarah: The reason we named our company Birth Made Mindful was because the word mindful in and of itself just means that you are taking in everything around you and you are allowing yourself to feel without judgment what is happening. It's the hardest thing whether you are in birth or whether you are having a challenging experience as a mother, just know that you have enough time to pause, you have enough time to think, and to really find out what answer feels right to you. What is your heart telling you? What is your mind telling you? Can those two things come together in a way that then you can make a decision that will empower you? I've been writing the book for our company, “Birth Made Mindful”, and it has just been an amazing process of going even a level deeper than just a digital course to explain to women that they have the strength within and that each of us is powerful. We are champions. I love the phrase “birth warrior” but I don't want anybody to feel like they have to have their sword and their shield as they go into birth. We want it to be more of a collective feeling where all of us are working together so that we can have an experience that will then launch us into motherhood or maybe it's our second child so launching us into having multiple children in a way that will really give us vibrancy. It gives us energy. It gives us meaning in motherhood and the support that we know that we can do it. It really does come from having an understanding of where we are at inside and allowing anything that doesn't feel congruent, that we can work through those things and we can then find out where our true passions lie and make sure that we honor ourselves and honor our desires. Meagan: Our intuition. Oh, well tell everybody where they can find more about your courses and your blogs and hopefully soon, your book. Sarah: Yes! We are at birthmademindful.com and most of our social media handles are at Made Mindful. That way we can cover Motherhood Made Mindful as well as we continue to grow our course offerings and continue to try to help our community find joy in birth and motherhood. That is our mission to have every family feel like they are armed with knowledge and that they have all of the support that they need to take on the most important event of their lives. Meagan: Absolutely. Thank you so much for sharing a little bit more about your other birth story and sharing these tips with the listeners. It really is so important to prepare our mind, our body, and our soul for all of the experiences. Obviously, we know that things happen sometimes and there are going to be unexpected things that come but even through preparing and being in that space and taking that time to say, “Wait, what is happening?” just processing it in the moment and having the question be asked can help you as well for after. I love that you talked about doing the fear release. We talk about doing the fear release too. Sometimes we don't realize that we have traumas because we don't look at it as a super traumatic experience but then as we walk through our birth and things, we realize, “Oh, that might be a traumatic thing I need to process. That's a fear,” or “Maybe it's not traumatic but it's a fear of mine. It's enough to hang me up.” So it's important to walk through these situations as well. I think it's awesome that you offer the two courses. Postpartum. Obviously, I love VBAC and I love the prep but there's so much to postpartum that is just forgotten about so I think it's really important that we talk more about that so thank you so much. Sarah: Absolutely. We want your listeners to get a discount when they come and buy your courses. So they enter VBACLINK into any of our courses, then they'll get 30% off of both of those courses if they want to come to check it out. Meagan: Wow. That is amazing. Sarah: We just hope to continue to provide education, knowledge, and support to families. Like I said, birth is a transformative event. It's the day that your baby is born but it's also the day that a mother is born. In this day and age, we need all of the help that we can get. Meagan: Absolutely. Thank you so much for taking the time to be with us today. Sarah: Thank you so much for having me. ClosingWould you like to be a guest on the podcast? Tell us about your experience at thevbaclink.com/share. For more information on all things VBAC including online and in-person VBAC classes, The VBAC Link blog, and Meagan's bio, head over to thevbaclink.com. Congratulations on starting your journey of learning and discovery with The VBAC Link.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vbac-link/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In this episode, I speak with Kim Hunter, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) who is passionate about helping families navigate their postpartum and breastfeeding journeys successfully. Kim is a mom of two amazing kids who felt called to help families in their pregnancy, labor & postpartum journeys. She had hired a doula for the birth of her son and realized the importance of birth doulas.Kim became certified as a postpartum doula with DONA International in 2019, certified as a birth doula with DONA International in 2019, became a Lactation Educator through UC San Diego in 2019, and then completed her Lactation Consultant education and clinical training to become an IBCLC.Key takeaways from this episode include:Breastfeeding can be challenging at first but with the right support and resources, moms can overcome these challenges and successfully breastfeed their babies.Proper latching is crucial for successful breastfeeding. Moms should seek the help of a lactation consultant if they are having difficulty with latching.Breastfeeding is a supply and demand process, so the more a baby nurses, the more milk the mother will produce.There are many lactation support resources available.Breastfeeding should be a comfortable and enjoyable experience for both mom and baby. If a mom is experiencing pain or discomfort during breastfeeding, she should seek the help of a lactation consultant.Connect with Kim  ⤵️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doula_kimhunter_ibclc/Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DoulaKimHunter Website: https://www.doulakimhunter.com/Resources:KellyMom - an evidence-based website with information on breastfeeding and parenting.La Leche League - a nonprofit organization that provides education, information, and support to breastfeeding mothers.International Lactation Consultant Association - a global network of lactation professionals that can connect moms with a lactation consultant in their area.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------       Let's Connect!✨ The Birth Junkie Website: www.birthingcometrue.com/thebirthjunkiepodcast/15✨ Follow me on Instagram: @thebirthjunkiepodcast✨ Check out the transcript here! Breastfeeding is Hard... But It Doesn't Have To Be✨ If you'd like to be a guest: Fill this out!✨ A topic you'd like for me to dive into: Fill this out

Tiffany Belanger attended UCLA and adventured in the television and film industry prior to parenthood. In 2020 she founded cosleepy.com, a cosleeping one-stop shop to help modern parents keep their babies safe and close at night. She and her husband are currently bedsharing with their two little boys in Sacramento, California. Connect with Tiffany https://www.instagram.com/cosleepy/ https://cosleepy.com/links Safe Infant Sleep book (Dr. James McKenna) https://amzn.to/3ycVnqh   Sweet Sleep book (La Leche League) https://amzn.to/3z9cb2Z   How Cosleeping Can Help You and Your Baby article https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_cosleeping_can_help_you_and_your_baby e: Elizabeth@ElizabethJoy.co w: www.ElizabethJoy.co fb: https://www.facebook.com/groups/311455916387591/?ref=bookmarks in: https://www.instagram.com/esandoz/ This podcast is sponsored by Dime Beauty and Athletic Greens! This episode is sponsored by Dime Beauty.  Use code mamas20 at https://dimebeautyco.com/ for 20% off Get FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs with your first purchase! Go to: http://www.athleticgreens.com/CHAVA References: Why Chava? Episode 248: https://podcasts.apple.com/jm/podcast/ep-248-welcome-to-morning-chava/id1343507855?i=1000593089125 Chava Meaning https://www.chabad.org/multimedia/video_cdo/aid/3506698/jewish/Inside-the-Name-Chava.htm Episode on Normal Infant Sleep : https://podcasts.apple.com/dk/podcast/the-norms-and-myths-of-infant-sleep-with-taylor-kulik/id1343507855?i=1000532112356&l=da Episode with OBGYN Dr Sterling https://podcasts.apple.com/jm/podcast/how-to-overcome-the-over-information-of/id1343507855?i=1000541070433

We're sharing our most downloaded episode in 2022!One of the first things on our minds as soon as we have our babies is feeding them. Those first few days can feel like a blur and if you're choosing to breastfeed you may be feeling overwhelmed by ALL of the things you need to learn seemingly overnight. If you're worried about if you're producing enough or whether your baby is eating enough, or what the heck is happening to your nipple, don't worry.Today, I'm here with our special guest, Sally Wright, an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) and mother of five, to help clear up the confusion and pump out the facts you actually need to know!Sally grew up in Hawai'i and now lives in Utah. She is the mother of five children, including a set of twins. She has been an IBCLC since 2016 and has served as a volunteer Leader with La Leche League since 2006, providing community breastfeeding support. Sally especially loves helping parents of multiples meet the joys and challenges of a life with abundance. When she's not working with nursing families, Sally is driving her kids around to basketball or skating, or playing with her dogs. Sally shares a collaborative practice with three other experienced IBCLCs called Motherfed, located in downtown Salt Lake City.Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @myessentialbirth and for even more great info head over to www.myessentialbirth.com to check out the totally FREE Pregnancy Guide & other incredible downloads.Looking for all the FREE downloads and links mentioned in this episode? Go to www.myessentialbirth.com/podcast, click on this week's episode, scroll to the bottom of the page and download away!Links Mentioned:My Essential Birth CourseMy Essential Birth InstagramHow to find Sally and get care from Motherfed!

August is National Breastfeeding Awareness month so our conversation today gave us great information about the ins and outs of breastfeeding. It is part of our community health partnership with Valley Health where we talk each month with administrators, physicians, and other Valley Health staff about health topics, events, and the community. Two lactation consultants from Winchester Medical Center joined me today: Tammy Alkire, RNC, IBCLC and Anna Stewart, NP, IBCLC (in training.) We discussed: Prenatal education and breastfeeding preparation prior to delivery that include online breastfeeding classes offered at WMC and reputable resources parents can seek out prior to delivery. Those include: https://firstdroplets.com/ and https://kellymom.com/ Tools for getting off to a good start with breastfeeding Thinking about who is in your community circle (friends, family, community resources) that can help along the breastfeeding journey.  They mentioned La Leche League of Northern Shenandoah Valley. The importance of mother's follow-up with a primary care provider to ensure good health and birth recovery. We also discussed all health benefits for mom and baby that breastfeeding offers as well as ancillary benefits that some moms (and particularly employers) might not realize. We also talked about situations where medications may have an impact on the breastfeeding process. Tammy mentioned an app for research/education: MommyMeds that you can find in the Apple and Google app stores. Finally, Anna discussed the "fourth trimester" and how it's changing how parents and doctors look at pregnancies, their long-term treatment and planning.

Nora is a twin mom who has been breastfeeding for 17 months! In today's episode, she's discussing her experience with:PreeclampsiaVaginal delivery with one breech babyTrouble with latchingMom guiltMom IntuitionExpecting twins? Twiniversity has you COVERED with online classes on:Breastfeeding TwinsTwins After SingletonsBaby Safety (CPR, First Aid, Car Seat Safety, Childproofing)Click here to sign up for a class!Follow us on:YouTubeTwitterInstagramPinterestFacebook

Dr. Noor Jihan Abdul-Haqq joins us for National Breastfeeding Awareness Month. Dr. Noor is a board-certified pediatrician with her own practice, Peace of Mind Pediatrics, in Del City and NW OKC. She shares what she's experienced personally as a mom of three, but also what common issues, questions and expectations she sees with her patient. Dr. Noor believes “Fed is best,” and that the mental and physical health of the mama need to come first.   If you are breastfeeding and need more urgent help than what doctor office hours provide, please visit La Leche League of Oklahoma or the Oklahoma Chapter of Chocolate Milk.

Andrea Haskins is a lactation counselor with Childbirth International and a La Leche League leader who focuses on fostering parent confidence and restoring mamas relying on their instincts to parent. Some of the topics we cover this episode are breastfeeding, bed-sharing, weaning and combo feeding. Andrea shares research, statistics but most importantly talks about following your instincts in mothering.  Connect with Andrea: https://www.instagram.com/instinctualmothering/?hl=en SIDS Enzyme Link https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352396422002225#! Safe sleep seven https://www.llli.org/the-safe-sleep-seven/ Paced Bottle Feeding https://www.mamanatural.com/paced-bottle-feeding/ Weaning info https://www.instagram.com/sebtheseries/?hl=en Connect with Elizabeth: https://www.miraculousmamas.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/miraculousmamas/ Download Best Fiends FREE on the Apple App Store or Google Play!

Breastfeeding can be challenging, but help is available for new mothers. Lactation consultants, either at the hospital or through organizations like La Leche League, can help with learning the positions that work best mom and baby, and offer tips that can help with learning this new skill of breastfeeding.While breastfeeding benefits for the baby are well-known, the mother also benefits."It's definitely a great healthy choice for moms to breastfeed," explains Rebekah Huppert, a lactation consultant and nurse at Mayo Clinic. "We know that with breastfeeding, we see a reduction in mom's risk for cancer, primarily breast and ovarian cancer; we see a reduced risk for diabetes; and a reduced risk for cardiovascular issues later in life. It can help reduce bleeding right after delivery by causing some contractions of the uterus. Evidence that shows that breastfeeding helps with weight loss, as well. It just takes a lot of calories to make breast milk, so we burn through those quickly when we're lactating. Those are just a few of the benefits, but they're big ones for moms."The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding of infants for the first six months of life before introducing nutritious complementary foods. The organization also encourages social and systemic changes to support mothers who choose to breastfeed.This summer, the American Academy of Pediatrics released new recommendations supporting mothers to continue breastfeeding for two years or beyond. These recommendations align with guidelines provided by the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Huppert advises women to not feel undue pressure with these new guidelines."It's a sensitive topic for women, especially those who want to do more and find that their body isn't cooperating or sometimes their job isn't accommodating," says Huppert. "So it is important to make sure that moms know that there are multiple ways we nourish our babies. We nourish them by holding them, and by talking to them and reading to them. It isn't just food. And at the end of the day, maternal health — having a mom who is happy and healthy — is going to be the most important thing for a child's growth and development." On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Ask the Mayo Mom host Dr. Angela Mattke, a Mayo Clinic pediatrician, is joined by Mayo Clinic Children's Center lactation expert Rebekah Huppert to discuss practical approaches to breastfeeding.

Welcome back and get ready for this juicy episode today! I polled all of you on IG and got almost a hundred questions about breastfeeding! It seems all of us have real questions about breastfeeding, how to set ourselves up for success, the down low on pumping, how to keep milk supply up, things that prevent breastfeeding success, tips to avoid mastitis and more! Whether you are a mama or planning to breastfeed in the future, I think everyone will learn something interesting in this episode.    This episode is part of our #cyclicalbirthseries    Today's episode is brought to you by Cozy Earth, my FAVORITE super soft sheet. Try it for 100 days and love it or get your money back  Take 40% off your order with code “goddesspodcast” at https://cozyearth.com/products/bamboo-sheet-set?variant=40252110405812   And as always with everything on my platform and podcast, this is educational and never to invoke shame.    In this episode we talk about: What a lactation counselor is How often a baby needs to eat Common struggles with breastfeeding Avoiding painful nursing and cracked nipples How to keep milk supply up Pumping Nourishment while breastfeeding How many calories are needed for breastfeeding Mastitis prevention Can you breastfeed and use a bottle? Milk storage Teas and lactation cookies And so much more

In this episode, Kaitlin talks with Katherine Duclos. A New England native that Kaitlin has known since their high-school days, Katherine is a prolific artist who received her MFA in Painting and Drawing from Pratt Institute - Brooklyn, NY in 2012. She then moved with her family from New York City to Vancouver, BC where she maintains an active multi-media studio practice delving into concepts of motherhood, identity, neurodivergence, materiality, and more.  Episode 3 is a 2-part installation, and in this first part, Katherine and Kaitlin talk about: How Katherine has navigated her growth as an artist through the different phases of her life, especially the stark contrast between her life before and after motherhood. What drove Katherine to start her Low Supply project, for which she made art using what she referred to as artifacts of breastfeeding. (Did you know breast pumps cannot be resold on Facebook? We didn't!) Katherine's shifting art practice as her personal relationship to breastfeeding changes.  Capitalist society and the expectations on mothers to produce something meaningful, as well as the critical importance larger communities have on breastfeeding and early caregiving support. Follow this link for the complete show notes: https://www.postpartumproduction.com/episodes/03/1 (postpartumproduction.com) Related resources: Check out Katherine's Low Supply Project:https://www.katherineduclos.com/lowsupply (https://www.katherineduclos.com/lowsupply) The Low Supply Project Statement:https://www.katherineduclos.com/lowsupplystatement (https://www.katherineduclos.com/lowsupplystatement ) The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, La Leche League https://www.llli.org/resources/womanly-art-breastfeeding/ (https://www.llli.org/resources/womanly-art-breastfeeding/) To The New Mum Quietly Suffering From Breastfeeding Grief - Marternal Mental Health Awareness, HuffPost https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/holly-leppard/to-the-new-mum-quietly-su_b_16512266.html (https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/holly-leppard/to-the-new-mum-quietly-su_b_16512266.html) Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and give us a rating. This will help us reach more listeners like you who are navigating the joys and pitfalls of artistic and parenting identities. Find out more about Katherine and her art through: Her website: https://www.katherineduclos.com/sculpture-2022 (https://www.katherineduclos.com/sculpture-2022)  Her instagram:https://www.instagram.com/katherine_duclos_rose/ ( https://www.instagram.com/katherine_duclos_rose/)  For regular updates: Visit our website:http://postpartumproduction.com/ ( http://postpartumproduction.com)  Follow us on Instagram: @postpartumproductionpodcast https://www.instagram.com/postpartumproductionpodcast/ (https://www.instagram.com/postpartumproductionpodcast/)  Subscribe to our podcasts newsletter on Substack:https://postpartumproduction.substack.com/ ( https://postpartumproduction.substack.com)

On the podcast today I have 2 special guests, my aunt, and my mom, who have decades of parenting experience and a huge amount of knowledge around Attachment Parenting. If you're interested in learning more about how to increase attachment with your children, tune in!Pam Thompson, MSW/RSW is a counsellor and mom of 8, who helps families work on attachment with themselves, with others and with the Divine.Mary-Rose McMullin is a mom of 9 and wife to 1. She has a BS in Child Development and Family Relations and worked as a family and parent coach for 20 years. She also served as a La Leche League leader for 20 years.In this episode we cover:What Attachment parenting isThe 6 roots of attachment and how to nurture themWhat peer-oriented attachment looks like and what it can lead toHow to work on your attachments with your familyConnect with Pam here: www.wolfcreekcounselling.caDr Deborah MacNamara website: https://macnamara.ca/Neufeld Website: https://neufeldinstitute.org/---Are you new to the podcast? I've made a roadmap to help you start breaking the parenting cycle and parent through connection, not coercion:Get it hereI would be honored to help guide you on your journey. The work that I talk about in my podcast and use in my coaching has completely turned my life around and healed my relationships with my children. I know what it takes and how to make it happen. You can use the links below to get more of my content and to learn what we do in my coaching program. I love helping people have better relationships with their strong-willed children, and better relationships with themselves in the process.My coaching program: 12-week intensiveFind me on the ‘gram: The.Parenting.CoachWork with me 1:1: click here

Welcome to the show! Today I've got a former student on, Mary Ann Hill.  I think you are going to like this discussion about mom's being the true CEO's.  Oftentimes we don't think about the leadership that being a mom takes but truly, mom's are the ultimate leaders. In today's episode Mary Ann is sharing her concept around mom's being the ultimate leaders, the ultimate CEO's. We talk about the role of the mom, why mom's tend to think less of themselves when they should think more, labels, beliefs and what it takes to lead. I think you are going to like this conversation!   Guest Bio Mary Ann loves good food, good stories, and really good chocolate. Her favorite title is Mom - with Grandma, recently added. Mary Ann is an educator and a coach transforming moms from the role of janitor to CEO in their homes. She has a B.S. in Educational Psychology and is graduating in 2022 with a master's degree in Organizational Leadership. She believes that motherhood is the ultimate training ground for leadership and that raising heroic humans is within the reach of every mom.   When she's not doing schoolwork, coaching, or teaching piano, she loves to hang out with her adult daughters, go on walks with friends, and obsessively organize her calendar.   Her 5-minute claims to fame include being on the cover of a La Leche League's book Mothering Your Nursing Toddler and having her picture on the MTV website in her Alice costume during the height of her Twilight obsession.   You can find her on Facebook and Instagram @coachingwithmaryann

The average maternal mortality rate for women in the United States is higher than any other industrialized country. In this episode, we're joined by Emily Barney to talk about how doulas can play an important role in creating a more consensual, safe, and empowering birthing experience. This is part one of a two-part special we're calling Disparities in the Delivery Room, where we'll be unpacking the harsh realities of maternal mortality rates within the American medical system. Tune in to learn what's going on, what's being done, and how your actions can contribute to a better future.  __________________________________________ How to connect with and learn more about Emily's work: Visit her website www.doulapurposes.com and follow her on instagram @ doulapurposes   For new parents  Medicaid families: If you are a resident of Nevada, are pregnant, and currently enrolled in Medicaid - birth doula services are now being offered* as a member benefit. Ask your healthcare providers for more information on how to begin the process of finding the doula that is right for you.   ** Check out the news segment that Carah and Emily were a part of back in 2021**   All parents: Local to Reno: Thrive Wellness - Behavioral and Mental Health Services in Reno, NV (other locations in Nevada, California, and Texas) Biggest Little Baby - Family community center for classes, groups, rentals, and shopping in Reno, NV Northern Nevada Breastfeeding Coalition - Non-profit organization of community breastfeeding advocates, professionals, and parents   For existing and aspiring Doulas in Nevada: If you are interested in becoming a doula or have already supported folks through labor in a non-medical role and would like to expand your scope of practice to include Medicaid families, learn how to become certified at: www.nevadacertboard.org/doula-certification/doula-certification-requirements Pregnancy/childbirth education - Evidence Based Birth - www.evidencebasedbirth.com  Childbirth Connection - www.childbirthconnection.org  Spinning Babies - www.spinningbabies.com  Film - The Business of Being Born  American Pregnancy Association: Home birth benefits/tips      National non-profit breastfeeding support organization -  La Leche League - www.llli.org 

In this episode, we discuss a form of depression that doesn't get dressed nearly enough in postpartum. Captain Nostalgia sits down with Kate Webster to discuss her own past with postpartum, defining what it is, the warning sides and more. If you or someone you know currently experiencing postpartum depression, consider these resources: Support Groups like La Leche League. The Dovetail Project (https://thedovetailproject.org/), OBGYN and our mental health resource library. Information from this episode comes from these resources: Postpartum Depression in Men (https://bit.ly/ppdmen421), Postpartum Depression in Women (https://bit.ly/womenppd421), and general information (https://bit.ly/genppd421). If you or someone you know is reading this right now and struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message, or tweet at us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!This episode of Victims and Villains is written by Josh “Capt. Nostalgia” Burkey. It is produced by Josh “ Captain Nostalgia” Burkey. Music by Mallory Jameson (https://bit.ly/expandmal) and Purple Planet (https://bit.ly/ppcoms). The picture for this episode is provided by Lucxama Sylvain (https://bit.ly/421picture). Help us get mental health resources into schools and get exclusive content at the same time. Click here (http://bit.ly/vavpatreon) to support us today!

Chose to become a full-time parent after earning a PhD-left the academic world because I knew I wanted to be a full-time parent-even when this was hugely unpopular and viewed as not being for "women's rights" (and I thought all along it was about having Choices! --I got criticized fiercely by other mothers who said "I will never be on the Mommy Train!' and I thought to myself-Dang! I'm the engine of that train! I had a hospital birth-my daughter struggled to latch on-She didn't gain weight-very scary-I was very committed to breastfeeding-got support from a gifted lactation consultant-and got to do a combo of supplementing at the breast with the Hazelbaker finger feeder, then a bottle with a tube that rested on my breast-so my daughter could continue to breastfeed And have the supplement. I Home Birthed my son almost 3 years later and Loved this Experience with a gifted midwife. I felt completely empowered as a woman with a healthy pregnancy-I did all the research, had a backup plan, and learned what EMTs had in their ambulance to assist me. The experience became a bonding one for my entire family-we read books to my daughter about a baby arriving-she got to see her brother being born while being held in the arms of her dad. My daughter cooed as my son emerged into the world. I intuitively knew the gender of both of my children before they were born--I did not have any tests to back this up. I just knew... I loved being a full time parent-honored by the transformational journey this became for me-to break the cycle, to "give the love that heals." I breastfed my son with no issues whatsoever and did so until he was 3 years old (was not verbally open about this as breastfeeding-like full-time parenting--seemed to get people all prickly and agitated). I'm so grateful I followed my gut and heart. I'm grateful for the midwives who supported me and the lactation consultant, too--and for my compassionate friends who were a part of La Leche League. I also adored reading Mothering Magazine-a lifeline of love and support! I passionately support people thriving in a holistic transformation of heart, mind, soul, and space. I'm a trained and certified feng shui consultant and an author of four books, a columnist with BizCatalyst360, and the OWL publication with Sacred Stories. I write personal essays about emotional health, feng shui, love, and wisdom gleaned from my own inner/outer transformations. I see myself as a compassionate guide who asks meaningful questions, listens deeply, and shares ideas as offerings on the table. FIND LAURA HERE: cherishyourworld.com loveyourspaceloveyourlife.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurastaley1/ https://www.facebook.com/laurastaleycherish https://www.instagram.com/cherishyourworld/channel/?hl=en OTHER PODCAST EPISODES: https://youtu.be/M-W4u6qNR9I https://youtu.be/OqCuwNvT3qE --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/becoming-parents/message

One of the first things on our minds as soon as we have our babies is feeding them. Those first few days can feel like a blur and if you're choosing to breastfeed you may be feeling overwhelmed by ALL of the things you need to learn seemingly overnight. If you're worried about if you're producing enough or whether your baby is eating enough, or what the heck is happening to your nipple, don't worry.Today, I'm here with our special guest, Sally Wright, an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) and mother of five, to help clear up the confusion and pump out the facts you actually need to know!Sally grew up in Hawai'i and now lives in Utah. She is the mother of five children, including a set of twins. She has been an IBCLC since 2016 and has served as a volunteer Leader with La Leche League since 2006, providing community breastfeeding support. Sally especially loves helping parents of multiples meet the joys and challenges of a life with abundance. When she's not working with nursing families, Sally is driving her kids around to basketball or skating, or playing with her dogs. Sally shares a collaborative practice with three other experienced IBCLCs called Motherfed, located in downtown Salt Lake City.Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @myessentialbirth and for even more great info head over to www.myessentialbirth.com to check out the totally FREE Pregnancy Guide & other incredible downloads.Looking for all the FREE downloads and links mentioned in this episode? Go to www.myessentialbirth.com/podcast, click on this week's episode, scroll to the bottom of the page and download away!

We've all heard the phrase "breast is best,” but for moms who have breastfeeding pain, low milk supply, or other breastfeeding problems, that may not be the case, and trying to figure out a solution isn't always easy. Moms are told to feed more and pump more. They try supplements, teas, and cookies to increase lactation. They check their latches, change their positions, and do everything they can to get breastfeeding pain relief. But for some women, no matter what they do, breastfeeding doesn't work. There are wonderful midwives, lactation consultants, and La Leche League support groups women can turn to, but even among the medical community, there's no consensus about how to analyze and treat moms and babies. Perhaps even more surprising is that terms like "posterior tongue tie" and "lip tie" may not be accurate and can lead moms to make uninformed decisions.  In this episode, I sat down with Dr. Linda D. Dahl, an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor in New York City and the author of the new book, “Better Breastfeeding."  Dr. Dahl started her own breastfeeding practice and developed a methodology to help moms breastfeed without pain. She has treated more than 23,000 baby/mom pairs over nearly two decades with a nearly 90% success rate.  We talked about the latest research around breastfeeding rates in the U.S., the most common breastfeeding myths, and the surprising reason many moms have breastfeeding pain and aren't able to breastfeed. We also explore how moms can figure out what's going on with their babies, where they can turn for help, and what needs to change in the U.S. to better support them.  Welcome 1:57 Let's talk about your story! 5:07 “Breast is best” continuous to be a hot button issue for women in the U.S. Why do you think that is and what needs to change?  9:44 What does the latest research show about breastfeeding rates in the U.S.? 11:19 In what way do you think the U.S. and the healthcare system are failing moms? 15:36 What are common breastfeeding challenges? 19:30 How do you figure out what's going on in your baby's mouth and address it? 24:27 How do you know if the procedure is indicated? 28:13 What are the other breastfeeding obstacles that you learned about while researching your book? 29:02 What are the most common myths about breastfeeding? 30:57 Where can moms turn to start investigating the issue at hand and get support?  33:02 Where can moms turn if they can't afford care? LINKS MENTIONED IN THE SHOW Dr. Dahl talks about The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and the origins of La Leche League  Dr. Dahl mentions data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in November 2021 which shows 84.1% of infants start to breastfeed, but only 58.3% are breastfeeding at 6 months.  Purchase a copy of Dr. Dahl's book, "Better Breastfeeding."  Learn more about Dr. Dahl on her website DrLindaDahl.com and follow her on Instagram. FROM OUR PARTNERS Kids Cook Real Food eCourse The Kids Cook Real Food eCourse, created by a mom of 4 and a former elementary school teacher, is designed to build connection, confidence, and creativity in the kitchen. The course includes 30 basic cooking skills, 45 videos including several bonuses, printable supply and grocery shopping lists, and kid-friendly recipes. The course is designed for all kids ages 2 to teen and has three different skill levels. More than 18,000 families have taken the course and The Wall Street Journal named it the #1 cooking class for kids. Sign up now for the Kids Cook Real Food ecourse and get a free lesson for being a “Food Issues” listener. Thrive Market Thrive Market is an online membership-based market that has the highest quality, organic, non-GMO, healthy, and sustainable products. From groceries, clean beauty, safe supplements, and non-toxic home products to ethical meat, sustainable seafood, clean wine, and more, Thrive Market is where members save an average of $32 on every order! Through Thrive Gives,