Podcasts about mother wit

Send us a Text Message.How can poetry be a lifeline for mental health?  Tune into this heartfelt episode of Koffee  Chit Chat as we welcome Sharon Jones from Alabaster Moments Consultants LLC.   Sharon, a licensed marriage and family therapist, opens up about her profound journey and how poetry became her beacon of hope. Learn about her upcoming poetry book "Bile'e, a symbol of a nurturing stream that aids in navigating life's turbulent waters. Sharon shares the therapeutic power of poetry, revealing how it helps individuals express and cope with emotions that often remain suppressed. She also touches on the critical importance of addressing mental health within families, shaped by her personal experience of losing her father during the holiday season. The episode continues with a deep dive into ancestral wisdom and spiritual connections, especially within the African and African-American communities. Sharon discusses "Mother Wit," a term our ancestors used for intuitive knowledge, and stresses the importance of staying connected to our spiritual roots and higher selves. We also explore how modern meditation practices can help mitigate mental stress, all while commemorating our heritage. Sharon encourages listeners to appreciate the power of humble beginnings and invites everyone to connect with Alabaster Spirit and Alabaster Moments on Facebook. Ending on an uplifting note, we share an inspiring quote from John Green: "There is hope even when your brain tells you there isn't," leaving you with a sense of optimism and anticipation for future conversations on Koffee  Chit Chat.Support the Show.Hey y'all hey, don't miss the next episode of Koffee Chitchat!!

We are following up on last week's informative episode on gestational diabetes with a gestational diabetes VBAC story! Samantha's first labor ended in a traumatic Cesarean with her first baby, but she didn't find out many details of what happened to her until she requested her operative report months later. Samantha found out that she had a lateral scar extension. Despite this and other odds that felt stacked against her (i.e. her gestational diabetes diagnosis!), Samantha was determined to do absolutely everything in her power to put her in the best position to achieve her VBAC. And she DID!Additional LinksLeslee Flannery's InstagramNeeded WebsiteHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull Transcript under Episode Details Timestamp Topics2:18 Review of the Week6:32 Samantha's first birth story  9:37 Scheduled induction13:04 Complete dilation, pushing, and stalling15:49 C-section22:15 Official reason for C-section25:15 Recovery26:57 Second pregnancy42:46 Labor52:34 Feeling pushy55:42 “You're not going to need a C-section today.” 1:02:39 Finding supportive providers1:05:53 Prep tips for listenersMeagan: Hello, hello you guys. It is likely a cold winter morning or afternoon. At least here in Utah, it's February and I don't know. It's not something that was intentional, but it seems like this month we are talking about gestational diabetes. We talked about it last week and coincidentally enough, the story today that we are recording talks about gestational diabetes today. So I'm excited to dive more into that and talk a little bit more about that. We were talking about this just before we started recording. It's becoming more common but it's not talked about enough so it's probably fitting that we are doing two episodes this month on gestational diabetes. We have a really great story for you today. We have a C-section that was begun with an induction then she got a double-whammy with an asynclitic and a posterior baby. I'm really excited to hear what your diagnosis was on that, Samantha, because I always get so curious when we know we had fetal positioning if we get that CPD diagnosis and things like that. 2:18 Review of the Week But of course, we have a Review of the Week so I'm going to share this and then we will dive right into Samantha's story. This was by lindseybrynneohara. Shoot. I always butcher names. It says, “An invaluable resource. I found The VBAC Link shortly after my first daughter was born via Cesarean after a planned birth center birth. My second turned home-birth Cesarean as well. I have found a home in a CBAC (Cesarean Birth After Cesarean).” You guys, for everyone that doesn't know this, if you've had a Cesarean birth after a Cesarean, please know that we have a group for you too. We know that sometimes after not having a vaginal birth, it can be hard to be in a VBAC group, so we have created this Cesarean birth after Cesarean group and it's amazing. She says, “I've found a home in the CBAC group these ladies put together. It helped me through some dark days of postpartum and processing my unplanned repeat Cesarean. You can find VBAC groups all over the place now, but a group for those mamas who are grieving the loss of their VBAC, they can't find. Not so much. This is a very special group where I feel completely supported, heard, and respected for a birth I sometimes struggle to call mine and my baby's. I am now diving into all of the VBAC after two Cesarean and VBAC after multiple Cesarean content from over the years and I am finding so much comfort and hope in these brave women who have come before me. I just have this strong feeling I will get to be one of them.” Ooh, that just gave me the chills. “I hope to share my story with you when that day comes. I'm learning so much about birth and myself as a birthing woman. I thought I was informed for the first time, but there are so many layers of understanding past births and planning for future births especially when C-section is involved. Thank you for the well-researched evidence-based content and special stories.” Wow. That review literally gave me chills and made me emotional. You guys, when Julie and I– Samantha can see my eyes. No one else can, but really, they are tearing up. When Julie and I created this group and this podcast and this course, this is why we did it– to help people feel exactly how she was describing. To feel loved, to feel heard, to find a place of education, and to understand that you're not alone because sometimes it can feel so lonely. Just so lonely. So thank you for that review. I am literally crying. Thank you for that review from the bottom of my heart. As you can see and as you know, we love reviews. They truly make everything that we do. It warms our hearts. It helps people just like you find this podcast. It helps people find the course so they can find the information and it helps people find that Facebook group. You can leave it on Google. You can leave it on Apple Podcasts. You can leave it on social media. You can leave it on Facebook. Message us. Wherever. If you love The VBAC Link and you have something to share, please let us know because we absolutely from the bottom of our hearts love it. 6:32 Samantha's first birth story Meagan: Okay, Samantha. Now that I'm trying to soak back up the tears that wanted to flow, I mean, I don't know. Yeah. Sorry for being so vulnerable here. Samantha: No. Meagan: Wow. That just touched my heart. But now that I can see the screen again, I would just love to turn the time over to you. And also, thank you for being here with us. Samantha: Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited. This is my second goal after getting a VBAC. I need to be on The VBAC Link's podcast. Meagan: Oh. Samantha: But same thing as the review was saying, it's an invaluable resource. I had no clue what I didn't know going into my first birth, 100%. My story starts in 2020, I guess. I found out I was pregnant in August on my birthday, actually, I found out. Meagan: Happy birthday to you!Samantha: That was so exciting. My pregnancy went super well. I had a bit of leg pain at some point, but I was seeing a pelvic floor physio. She fixed me up really well and everything was perfect. I had an anterior placenta so I learned a little bit about that, but it shouldn't have been a problem so it was fine. I was due May 7. That was the due date that they gave me. I don't think it was necessarily accurate. I think I was due a little bit later. I think the 11th or 12th. I was tracking ovulation and stuff like that. So at 39+5, I had my doctor's appointment. He sent me for a growth ultrasound. Had I known what I know now, I would have said, “Nope. No, thank you.” 8:19 Blurry vision and feeling offBut he was estimated at being 7 pounds, 10 ounces. Then the week after, Tuesday night, I had this weird episode I want to call it. I was sitting on the couch and all of a sudden, my vision got blurry. I ended up with a headache and I was waiting to see if I should go in or not. I felt off. In the end, I went into labor and delivery because it was the height of COVID. I didn't want to go to the emergency room and all of my symptoms had subsided by then. They thought it was an optical migraine. He said, “Look. We can't do anything for you. You're having some contractions. Nothing crazy.” I wasn't feeling anything, so they were like, “Look. You have your doctor's appointment tomorrow. Just talk with them.” Meagan: Talk to them there. Samantha: Yeah. So the next day I went in and he was like, “Oh, it was probably just an optical migraine. You're fine now, so whatever.” Meagan: I've actually never heard of that. Samantha: Right? Meagan: Optimal– Samantha: Optical, like in your eyes. Meagan: Optical. Interesting. Samantha: Strange. But it put me a little bit on edge so that's why I'm telling that part of the story. Meagan: Yeah, set the story. Samantha: He told me, “You're almost 41 weeks. It means you're overdue.” I'm like, “Okay.” He's like, ”The rate of stillbirth goes way up now.” I was like, “Oh, jeez.” Of course, that puts fear right into your heart.9:37 Scheduled inductionHe's like, “We're going to schedule the induction. It's going to go great. It's going to be amazing. You're going to have your baby in the next few days.” He's like, “Look. We're really booked next week so I'll set you for Thursday. Thursday, first thing in the morning, come in.” They call me. They were like, “We are ready for you.” I got there at 9:00 AM. The plan was to put a Foley bulb in, but the doctor who was on rotation at that time came in and said, “You're already 2 centimeters. It's not worth doing the Foley bulb at this point. We're just going to start you on some Pitocin if that's okay with you.” I was like, “Okay. Whatever you say. I trust you. You are a doctor.” Had I known. Anyway, we stayed in that room until 5:00 PM that night because they didn't have a room to start Pit yet. So from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM, I was just sitting there having random contractions that I never felt and wishing. I had a gut feeling. I told my husband, “We shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be induced. This is not what I want to do.” Meagan: Oh really? Samantha: But I didn't know I could leave. I didn't know that it was a thing. Meagan: Women of Strength, it's a thing. It's a thing. You do not have to be there. Samantha: There was nothing abnormal about the baby's heartrate. There was nothing going on. They did a mini ultrasound just to check his position. He was head down. That's all I knew really. I was at a -2 station. I was 60% effaced, 2 centimeters. Everything was fine. My body was fine. He was fine. We started Pit at 5:00 PM, but they were ramping it up quite quickly. I wasn't feeling anything at this point. Meagan: They took forever and then ramped it up. Samantha: Yeah, they were like, “Hello, welcome.” Finally, they broke my waters the next morning at 6:00 AM. Meagan: Do you know what dilation or what station you were at that point? Samantha: I was around 3.5 centimeters at that point. Meagan: Okay.Samantha: Yeah. They were like, “You've progressed a little bit, but you are not moving fast enough for us.” Okay, cool.Meagan: Oh, so they broke the water real early. Samantha: Yeah, because they checked me at 1:00 AM and he said that baby was still too high to break the waters so he was like, “Okay, we will wait until the morning.” I was still the same dilation so he was like, “Okay, let's do this.” I was like, “Okay, whatever you say.” They did that, and then all of a sudden, the contractions got real. 100% real. So by 10:30, I decided to get the epidural because they were messing with the Pitocin like crazy. They kept upping it. My contractions were back-to-back. I had no break. It was insane. I was like, “What is this? I can't survive this.” Meagan: Yeah. Samantha: I was 5 centimeters at that point and I was like, “I still have halfway to go. That's a lot.” I got the epidural and my nurse was really fantastic actually. She got the peanut ball for me, put me in the bed, was rotating me every 30 minutes. She was actually my biggest happiness point. She was amazing.  Then my doctor, my actual OB wasn't on call that weekend and he had left a note in my file saying that if I gave birth while he was there he wanted to attend because he had seen me since I was 18. We had this really good relationship. So he came to see me and he was like, “I'm leaving for the weekend. Good luck. I'll try to come visit you after the baby's born.” I was like, “Okay, bye. I wish you had been there, but you know, Cest la vie.” 13:04 Complete dilation, pushing, and stallingMeagan: Yeah. Samantha: so then at 4:30 PM I was complete. It went pretty quickly from 10:30 to 4:30. I had done the rest of the remaining 10 centimeters, but they said the baby was still quite high, so they gave me two hours to labor down. Well, they said two hours. It ended up being about three. Then there was a change in staff and that's when things stopped going well, unfortunately. My nurse had to leave. She said her son's birthday was the next day. I was like, “No, don't leave.” She was like, “I was asked to do overtime, but I really have to go.” I was like, “I get it. Go ahead.” So then this new nurse comes in with a student doctor, a medical student of some sort. It's blurry because I was at 10 centimeters and ready to push, but things were really awkward between this nurse and the doctor. He wanted to get in there and help and she was like, “No, this is my job,” so he left and then he came back and he was like, “I was told I have to be here.” She was like, “Okay, fine,” so she came and sat next to my head and let him do whatever he had to do. You know, that type of thing. But it was super uncomfortable in the room. Meagan: Weird. Samantha: Yeah, it was so weird and I was so uncomfortable. Anyways, so then I started pushing and they told me his station was about +1 or +2, but he never moved in the hour that I was pushing. He stopped tolerating when I was on my right side near the end. Meagan: Didn't like that. Samantha: Yeah. I had horrible heartburn too. I felt like I was going to throw up fire. So fun. So finally, we pushed for an hour. The doctor on call came in, didn't even look at me almost, didn't really introduce herself, nothing and just said, “C-section.”Meagan: Whoa. Samantha: I was like, “Excuse me?” At that point, I had a bit of a fever. They gave me Tylenol. They said it could have just been from being in labor and from pushing. I was like, “Okay, whatever you say if that's normal.” They were like, “But we have to get you to a C-section now,” because he had a decel for 4 minutes at 70 beats per minute. They were nervous. At this point, the medical student had his fingers inside rubbing the baby's head to get him back. Meagan: Yeah, sometimes they do have to stimulate the baby. Samantha: Yeah. Between every push, he was doing that. Then this one was the final, I guess, they called it there. It was really strange. She's calling a C-section. She was like, “I'm going to call the doctor.” I'm not sure if she meant the OB or the surgeon. She goes off. The nurse is still getting me to push. I'm like, “How is this an emergency if I'm still pushing?” I was so confused. Meagan: Baby's heart rate returned at this point, I assume. Samantha: Yes, exactly. It was just very strange. 15:49 C-sectionSamantha: Anyways, so then they wheel me down to the OR. We had to go to the regular operating room because they only have certain hours during the day from 9:00 to 5:00 which I guess is when they do the special delivery OR. Meagan: Interesting. Samantha: Yeah and it was a Friday night, so we went to the regular OR. The nurse and the anesthesiologist were amazing. They took pictures and stuff like that before. They gave me the spinal, then my husband was allowed to come in while they were doing the test cut. I didn't feel anything so he was allowed in. Meagan: It worked, yeah. Samantha: Yeah. They didn't tell me much during the surgery at all. I don't even remember meeting the actual surgeon other than them saying, “This is so and so. He's going to do your surgery. He's great. Don't worry about it.” I was like, “Okay. Do what you've got to do.” I never heard from this man ever again. He didn't come to see me post-op. Meagan: Stop, really? Samantha: I don't know who this person was, really. The person who cut into my body never came to talk to me after. I had no clue what happened. Anyway, so it seemed to go pretty routinely. He was pulled out at 9:13 PM. He was 7 pounds, 10 ounces so what they told me he was a week prior was what he was that actual birth. His APGAR scores were 9 and 9 so he was not in distress. Meagan: He was doing okay, yeah. Samantha: Yeah. My husband cut the cord. Everything was fine. Then they brought me to the recovery room, but it was the general recovery room because L&D was closed for the night so I was left alone. My husband took the baby and went to postpartum. When we got there, the nurses said, “Oh no. Not another one.” Yeah. Meagan: Like another C-section baby or another person? Samantha: Any baby. Another person. Yeah, and he was like, “I feel great.” He has all of our bags. I had my boppy. I had his bag. He's carrying everything. He's got the baby in the pushing cart thing and nobody is helping him. They just shove him in a room in a corner and they say, “Do skin to skin. Here. Change his diaper. Done.” They left him there for four hours with a baby. Meagan: Four hours? Samantha: Four hours and didn't go check on him. Meagan: Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry and you were still in that recovery room for four hours? Samantha: My bloodwork and all of my vitals were all over the place because I had hemorrhaged which I didn't know at the time. I was shaking uncontrollably. I kept on falling in and out of sleep. I guess they had given me morphine. I was so itchy. The whole time, I'm just worried because you hear about the golden hour, the golden hour. I was freaking out the whole time because my plan was to breastfeed and I was freaking out. So then a nurse comes at one point and she's like, “Here. Call your husband and ask him what the baby weighed.” I was like, “Okay.” So I call him and he was like, “Yeah, he was 7 pounds and 10 ounces.” I was like, “Okay,” then the nurse was like, “Okay, give me my phone back.” I was like, “What's going on here?” I was so confused. It just didn't make any sense to me what was going on. So finally after four hours, they brought me back up because I guess the spinal had worn off and my vitals were stable enough that they could move me. I got there at 1:15 AM. I finally got to meet my baby for real. They had only brought him over for a picture. He was on my chest for 30 seconds and they were like, “Let's go.” That was that. I found a lot of things after the surgery. I found out I had hemorrhaged because I needed a blood transfusion the next day. I never found out about the extension on my scar until I got my reports when I got pregnant the second time. Meagan: Because no one came in and talked to you. Samantha: Nobody. The medical student came to talk to me about the transfusion. Meagan: And in a controlled– an extension for listeners, she now has a special scar. Samantha: I got it after and it was because of my pelvic floor physio that I had an inkling of it because I went to go see her and she said, “Your exterior scar is very long.” I was like, “Oh, well they told me he got stuck. He was pretty stuck.” They said they tried to push him up during the C-section. He didn't really move so they ended up using the forceps in my C-section which I found out from the pediatrician the next day. I had no clue. Meagan: Really? Samantha: Yeah. Meagan: Wait, so they used forceps externally pushing up or with you cut open?Samantha: Yeah, with me cut open I'm pretty sure because he had the marks on the sides of his head. Meagan: So that's where the special scar came from. Samantha: Yes. They cut me further to get him out and so he ended up with a huge hematoma on the side of his head because he was OP and asynclitic. They told me his chin had been extended as well. Meagan: Triple whammy. Samantha: I don't know what happened to this poor child. Meagan: The baby was high and we broke waters in a less than ideal position and he came down and said, “Whoa, the flood gates just opened,” and came down in a wonky position. Samantha: Exactly. It was great. Meagan: Then we had Pitocin cramming him down there. Samantha: Yes, exactly. So when he came out, he had that huge hematoma on his head that they told me would resolve on his own. He had a pretty intense torticollis looking back now. In all of his pictures, he's got his head completely to his shoulders, this poor child so he did chiro and everything for that. Meagan: Sideways, yeah. Samantha: And I burst all of the blood vessels in his eyes by trying to push him out so hard. So poor baby. Meagan: Oh my gosh. Samantha: Yeah, so my milk took a lot longer to come in because of all of the trauma. Meagan: And blood loss I'm sure. Samantha: Exactly. He was jaundiced. He lost more than 10% of his weight because they had pumped me so full of liquid that he probably lost all of the excess weight that wasn't true weight. Meagan: Yes. Samantha: But they didn't explain that to me so they were all panicked. Meagan: So in retrospect, he was probably smaller than 7lb,10oz. Samantha: Exactly. Yeah, and he also had a tongue tie that we ended up revising at 4.5 months after trying absolutely everything not to, but we did it and everything went well other than that. Our breastfeeding journey was a bit tough at the beginning. But, you know. 22:15 Official reason for CesareanMy official reason for Cesarean was the arrest of descent and fetal distress. Meagan: Okay. Samantha: Yeah. The worst part is in the report, they didn't mention the forceps in some of the reports. Some of them do have forceps in them. Honestly, I don't know what happened. It was on some reports, some not. It was very confusing, but it did have the extension on there. They said it was a 4cm extension on my uterus. That's where the hemorrhaging happened because they hit that nerve on the side apparently. Meagan: Oh. Samantha: Yeah. That's what the doctors at the new hospital where I gave birth to my second told me when they reviewed my chart. She was like, “Okay. This is what happened to you. It shouldn't be a huge red flag for your next birth. You didn't hemorrhage just because. There was a reason.” Meagan: Yeah. That probably actually was nice for you to find out and have that validation a little bit. Samantha: Exactly. On the report, it said my waters had been broken at 6:30 on the night of the 13th when they were broken at 6:30 AM on the 14th. They recorded it as being 12 hours longer than I had my waters broken. Meagan: Interesting. Samantha: So I was like, “Hmm. That's nice. That's nice to know.” They never mentioned my fever and they reported that I pushed for two hours, not one. Meagan: Wow. Crazy. Samantha: Yeah. I was very upset when I read these reports. Meagan: Did you have gestational diabetes with this baby? Samantha: Nope. My sugars were completely fine. Meagan: Crazy. Crazy. Samantha: In the moment, I didn't realize how traumatizing the birth was. I was like, “We've got to do what we've got to do.” Literally, I said, “Put my big girl pants on. Let's go.” But it's when I was going through it in my brain and talking about it that I realized how much it affected me. Meagan: Absolutely. Samantha: That was a huge part of my VBAC prep after. I read “How to Heal a Bad Birth”. I did all of that. Yeah. It was intense. And something they never tell you about C-sections– I had the worst gas pain in my shoulder. Meagan: Oh yeah. It gets stuck up there. Me too. With my second C-section, no one told me that either and I was like, “What? Is this my milk? What is this?” I didn't know. This was literally what I said, “I want to stab a knife in there to release it,” because it was so strong. Samantha: Right? I thought I pulled every muscle in my body from pushing and it was just gas. Meagan: Our body cavities get air after being cut open and sometimes it can get trapped and it travels up to that shoulder. Samantha: It was the worst so just for anybody thinking they are dying from something when they are just healing from a C-section. You know, it's fun. 25:15 RecoveryRecovery went pretty well. I was seeing a pelvic floor physio and did a ton of scar mobilization. We were always working on the scar especially because it was huge. It was so long. That was part of my prep even before I got pregnant. Then at my 8-week postpartum– it's supposed to be 6 weeks but it was just delayed and it was on the phone because of COVID so that was fun recovering from a C-section not knowing if your scar looks okay. They had put Steri strips to close the scar and said, “They should fall off within a week.” Four weeks later, they were still on. I wrote an email and I was like, “Do I take these off?” I started Googling and it says it can cause infection. I was like, “Oh, great.” So another thing they didn't really advise me on so that was fun. Meagan: They didn't give you good post-op care. Samantha: No and we were in a semi-private room. It was just uncomfortable. It was not a great experience. One of the nurses made me cry and it was hard to make me cry in those first few days. I was completely numb and done. I was a shell of a human, to be honest looking back on it, and she managed to make me cry. She came in and she was like, “You didn't do this. You didn't do that.” I was so overwhelmed. I had a brand new baby. Meagan: I'm so sorry. Samantha: It was not great. So at my 8-week postpartum appointment, I asked about VBAC. My OB was like, “Yeah, you'd be a great candidate. You got to 10 centimeters. You were pushing. Everything is great.” So I was like, “Excellent.” He was like, “Just make sure that your births have to be two years apart.” I said, “No problem. I have marked it on the calendar. We're good.” 26:57 Second pregnancySo then I did end up getting pregnant really easily again. My due dates were a week apart. Meagan: Oh no way. Samantha: Yeah, so this baby was due on the 22nd. Meagan: Okay. Samantha: Because my son was born on the 14th, but his due date was the 7th but they ended up being a week apart. I was like, “Well, I got my two years. There you go.” Meagan: So they are 24 months apart? Samantha: Yeah.Meagan: Oh, they are. Okay. Samantha: Exactly. I went to see my OB at 10 weeks. That's when he sees you. He sent me for an ultrasound early around 8 weeks just to make sure everything was good. I was pulled from work because of COVID and for violent children. I'm a teacher, so we just had to make sure that everything was viable and everything. We did that. I went to see him at 10 weeks. First, he tried to date me earlier than I was. I knew for a fact that I was not again. Again. I was like, “No. We're not playing this again.” Meagan: Good for you. Samantha: I had my appointment with him and he told me. He started saying, “I think your best option would be being induced at 39 weeks. But I can't make you do anything. But I need you to go into labor spontaneously before 40 weeks if you're going to have a VBAC.” I was like, “Hmm.” Meagan: Red flag. Samantha: Exactly. I had started listening to The VBAC Link at this point so I was like, “That's not good. Okay.” I spoke to my chiropractor who was working on my son who had helped him with his torticollis and everything and she said, “The secretary had a VBAC and with this doctor at a different hospital so I'll text her. I know her well. I'll text her. I'll get you in.” She got me in with this new doctor.I went to go see her and she was like, “Yeah. You're a great candidate for VBAC. I don't see a problem.” I brought her my operative notes because she had to wait for them to be transferred. She was like, “The extension worries me a little. I just want you to get checked with a specialist.” Meagan: I was going to ask you if she said anything about your special scar. Samantha: Yeah, she did. I made an appointment at the special, I guess it's maternal-fetal medicine. Meagan: MFM, yeah. Samantha: It's called [inaudible] in French. Everything is in French, so it is at-risk pregnancies. I had to go see a specialist there. I made my appointment. I waited and I was panicking. I was like, “I need to have this VBAC. I need this.” I show up to my appointment. I waited for five hours then we were told the specialist had to be called for a C-section. I was like “I get it. If I were that person and I needed extra hands, I get it.” But then she told me, “You haven't even had your ultrasound for 12-13 weeks.” She was like, “There's no point in me looking at your dossier” or whatever.” I was like, “But it's not about anything except for my extension.” She was like, “No, no. Just make another appointment after your ultrasound.” I left there in tears panicking still. I was like, “I don't know if I can even try for this VBAC. I may just have to sign up for another surgery. We don't know.” So I went back a few weeks later. It was about a month later. It was a long time I felt panic and nerves. So then I saw this other doctor and she was fantastic. I literally left that appointment telling her I loved her. She was so nice and evidence-based. She took out files and showed me statistics and everything. She explained my previous birth. Meagan: Wow. Samantha: She was fantastic. She was like, “You made it to 10 and you were pushing. The baby was just in the wrong position. You're a perfect candidate.” I was like, “Okay.” She was like, “And the extension is lateral so it was all in the same direction.” She said, “Same direction or low, we have no problem with. It's if it goes up that we start looking at things a little bit more seriously.” I felt super relieved after that. She told me the reason for my hemorrhage. It was her who told me. She asked me, “Did they try different positions?” I said, “No. They moved me from side to side but pushing, I was all on my back.” She was like, “We would have gotten you up on hands and knees. We would have done squatting. Did they try to manually turn him?” I said, “Absolutely not. Nothing happened. They literally left me on my own.” She was like, “We would have tried all of those things.” It really validated my whole experience. Meagan: Absolutely. Samantha: She is known for doing VBAC after two Cesareans as well. She is one of the only doctors at that hospital who will do it. She is amazing. So that relieved me a lot.In between that, I hired my doula from a company called Mother Wit. She was fantastic. Her name was Megan Tolbert so I felt like I had a little bit of VBAC Link having a Megan of my own. Meagan: I love that. Samantha: I was seeing a chiropractor every two weeks and near the end, once a week. I did pelvic floor physio once a month. I did acupuncture once every two weeks and near the end, I did three intensive types of get-me-into-labor sessions. I did massage therapy just to relax myself because I was pretty high-strung. I did the dates starting at 36 weeks but that was also with the GD diagnosis. It was rough. I did red raspberry leaf tea. I did pumping and hand-expressing colostrum. I had read how important that could be for a gestational diabetes baby. That was something that was really important to me because I had been separated from my first for four hours. I was like, “This poor child didn't eat.” I brought my colostrum with me to the hospital and it can help with their sugars. That was really important to me. I walked every day. I did curb walking. I did Spinning Babies Daily Essentials. I read How to Heal a Bad Birth. I read Birth After Cesarean: Your Journey to a Better Birth. There was one story on GD in that book. That's why I bought it. Meagan: Hey, listen. You've got to find the stories, right? Samantha: It was so hard to find gestational diabetes stories at the time. It was really rough. Meagan: Was there a lot of emphasis on your diagnosis of gestational diabetes? Was there a lot of, “Hey, you've got to do this? This has to happen,” Or anything like that? Samantha: They weren't as on top of things as I thought they would be because the doctor I was seeing was a family doctor. She was a GP so everything above a healthy, regular pregnancy, she would send me to the at-risk clinic. They were really the ones who dealt with that. She had sent me for just routine bloodwork. My fasting numbers came back borderline so she was like, “Look. Now you're going to have to do the 75-gram three-hour test, two-hour test, sorry, here.” I did that. I had a gut feeling my whole pregnancy that I had gestational diabetes for some reason. I had no proof. No proof, but it just kept on popping up. It was so weird. I had a feeling that morning and I got my test results that evening. It was really fast. I did them privately. It was 5.3 so here it is measured a bit differently than in the US, but I don't remember the conversion. But the cutoff was 5.2. So at 5.3, I was just over but because gestational diabetes usually gets worse before it gets better, they are very safe in diagnosing. But I never actually got an official diagnosis. I just had the prescription sent to the pharmacy for my monitor. Meagan: Insulin? Samantha: No, thank goodness. Meagan: I was like, what? Samantha: They were like, “You are booked for the information session in two weeks.” It was two weeks after and they sent you some documents to read over. So I was like, “Okay. This is not enough. I need to find more information.” I spoke to friends. I ended up on a Facebook group called gestational diabetes Canada which was amazing and I ended up following somebody on Instagram named Leslee Flannery. She was fantastic so if anybody needs her, look her up. She is amazing. Meagan: I'll have to look her up too. Samantha: She is @gestational.diabetes.nutrition on Instagram and she is just fantastic. She really normalizes it because there is so much stigma with gestational diabetes. You think that you caused it and she really debunks that. I really got in my head about that and I was really afraid for my VBAC chances because if you end up on insulin, they really want to induce you by 39 weeks so I was panicking which doesn't help your numbers by the way. Meagan: It doesn't. We talked about this in last week's episode. We talked about cortisol not helping, lack of sleep not helping, and yeah. It's crazy but cortisol raises things. Samantha: Exactly and for me, it was only my fasting numbers that were the problem. Those are the hardest to control because apparently, those are the ones that are influenced the most by hormones and by your placenta. So that was really rough. Meagan: Yeah. We talked about that as well. We talked about choline and certain foods and not cutting things that impact our hormones. It's this cycling thing. Samantha: Exactly. So a lot of people are told to cut carbs completely, but what I learned is that if you do that, then you end up spiking your numbers even further because your body takes over. Meagan: You have to find a balance. Samantha: It was really intense and all of my chances of my VBAC were going out the window. I was crying at every appointment. At his 20-week ultrasound, the big ultrasound, he was measured at the 96th percentile. I was like, “Oh my goodness.” I left there bawling my eyes out. I could not get a hold of myself for three days. Everything was just crazy. I redid my bloodwork three or four times and finally, there were no more antibodies so that was just let go. We don't know what happened. Meagan: Interesting. Samantha: Yeah. It was just another scary bump. I don't know. It was intense. The gestational diabetes diagnosis really sent me for a loop too. I found this pregnancy I was very stressed because I was so set on getting my VBAC. But thankfully, I had my doula so I could send her all of my crazy emails late at night when I was panicking and she always talked me down from that ledge of panic. I also listened to a podcast from a somatic therapist who said that stress in your pregnancy can be a contributor to things like gestational diabetes and things like that. I know that put a lot of pressure on me and reading about the facts of gestational diabetes really made me feel a little bit better about that. It could have been, but it's not something that you can stop. It was nice to know that but gestational diabetes diagnoses really are hard when you are trying for a VBAC, I would say. Meagan: It is. It is which is why we had Lily on last week because we get the question so often. We get the text, “I was diagnosed. Can I still VBAC?” Asking the question, “Can? Is this still possible?” The answer is yes. Samantha: Exactly. So apparently, there is a spike between 32 and 36 weeks most of the time. That's when your gestational diabetes will be at its worst because apparently, there is something to do with the baby's growth. They have a growth spurt at that time and then usually, it tapers out at the end. My numbers all of a sudden just got better. It was a relief near the end. I was like, “Okay. Let's wrap it up. We're doing all of the things.” I was doing my birth affirmations. One of them was, “I am a Woman of Strength,” let me tell you. Meagan: Yes you are. Samantha: My Hypnobirthing tracks– I did the ones by Bridget Teyler. She's amazing too. All of the things getting ready. So then that leads up to my appointment at 39 weeks and 2 days. Everything with the gestational diabetes was fine at that point. They told me, “Look. We're going to treat you like a regular pregnancy. We won't talk anything until 41 and 4.” My doctor was not a big fan of inductions for VBACs because of the increased risk, but she was like, “Look. If we have to, we will look at it then. Until then, let's get you to go into labor spontaneously.” Meagan: Let's just have a baby, yeah. Trust your body. Samantha: Yeah, but I did opt for a membrane sweep because I was getting not close. I wasn't close because I was only 39 weeks and 2 days but I was like, “Look. I want all of the chances on my side of going into labor spontaneously.” I had started losing my mucus plug so my body was doing what it had to do. I had never had any of that with my first son at all. I was like, “Something is going on.” I started having more intense Braxton Hicks a little bit more often. I was like, “Things are going to happen. We need to do this.” Meagan: You could feel it. Samantha: I had the membrane sweep. After, she checked him on the ultrasound. He was LOA. He was head down. Everything was good. So I was like, “Okay. He's in a good position. Let's do this. Okay.” 42:46 LaborThe next evening, I started getting my Braxton Hicks. Looking back, I was probably in super early labor but didn't realize it because they were starting to get uncomfortable. I'd have to sit there and breathe for a minute. Nothing crazy, but I was like, “Huh. I felt that. That's weird.” I was at my friend's house and I was like, “Okay. That felt weird. I'm just going to go to the bathroom and go pee.” I came back and was like, “There's a bit of blood. I'm going to head home just because I want to sleep.” I went to bed and then I woke up at 4:43 AM with a contraction. I was like, “Oh. That's uncomfortable.” I had listened to so many stories about prodromal labor that I was just convinced that this could be prodromal labor for three weeks. I was in complete denial. I kept on trying to sleep, but they were coming every 10-15 minutes. They would wake me up each time. I wasn't resting super well. They started picking up around 6:30. I texted my doula at around 7:30 and I said, “I don't know if I had a bit of a bloody show. There is a bit of darker blood.” She said, “Probably not considering it wasn't fresh blood,” and all of those things. “But rest. Drink water. Do all of the things. Move around when you need to,” and things like that. It was fine. I said, “Okay. We will continue and I'll let you know if things pick up or not.” So my husband got up at 7:45 with my first son and did all of the things. I stayed in bed because my body just kept telling me, “Lie down. Rest.” I could not fight it. I was like, “Okay.” I lay down in the bed. Fine. I didn't even time my contractions. I was really convinced I wasn't in labor. It was the weirdest thing. I didn't eat enough. Meagan: This happens. This happens where we're like, “No, I can't be.” We want it to be so bad, but we're like, “But it's not. It's not.” Samantha: Exactly. Meagan: We're in denial. From having zero contractions from the first that I felt and having just Pitocin contractions, I didn't know what to think of this. I was like, “They are uncomfortable. They hurt a little, but I'm sure they're just going to fizzle out and we're going to be fine.” So then my first son went down for his nap around 10:00 and my husband had to go to work to drop off his keys because he was changing positions so that was his last day. He went to go say goodbye and everything then he came back home and went downstairs to watch TV and kind of left me on my own. He figured it was better to just leave her alone. She's going to be fine. Meagan: Yeah. Just let her do her thing. Samantha: Yeah. So at 11:55, I texted my doula and I said, “My contractions are still far apart.” I feel like they never got much closer at that point. It was 10-15  minutes, but they were getting more intense. She said, “Okay. Do some hands and knees positioning. Maybe take a bath. Continue breathing. Relax,” and all of those things. So then at that point, I said to my husband, “Okay, call my sister.” She was coming to watch my first son. She was on her way to a hair appointment that I didn't know she had because she didn't tell me. She knew I'd freak out, so we called my mom instead. She came. She was like, “Sam, are you timing these contractions? Is your husband? What's going on?” I was like, “No. I haven't actually taken out my timer. I don't know.” She started following me around with a pen and paper. “Those were four minutes apart. You need to leave right now.” She was like, “You're not going to have this baby on the floor at your house. No. You need to go.” Meagan: Was it active like you were really working through them? Samantha: 100%. I was moaning. I was trying to do a low moan to try to get through them. She said I sounded like a wounded animal at the end of each one because they hurt. She was like “You need to leave right now.” I was like, “Well, I need to shower.” She was like, “No, you aren't showering right now.” I was like, “Yeah, I am.” I had my piece of toast that I took one bite out of. I was like, “Maybe I should eat some more before I go.” Meagan: Yeah. Samantha: I was in too much pain to eat at that point so I was like, “Okay, I'm going to shower. It's going to be fine.” I got in the shower and it was literally the best feeling of my entire life I think. I was like, “Why didn't I do this earlier?” But I was not in the mind space to do it earlier. Every time a contraction hit me, I had the instinct to get up and walk or sit on the toilet. I think  my body knew that those were the positions that helped the most and then in between, I would lay down because that's what my body told me to do. I was just listening. I was along for the ride. Meagan: Hey, that's good. Samantha: Yeah. So then I texted my doula at 12:45. I said, “I'm going to shower, then we are going to the hospital.” My husband, during this time when my mom got there, was packing his bag because he hadn't and was getting all of our last-minute things. I had a list like my birth affirmations. I wanted to bring them with me and things like that. I got in the shower and got out. We left for the hospital at 1:06. It took us about 40 minutes to get there so there was a bit of traffic. Meagan: There was a drive. Samantha: Yep, but I was so lucky. I only had about four contractions the whole time. They had spaced out. My body knew what to do, man. Meagan: I was going to say your body knew what was happening. Samantha: Yeah. So then we got there. My doula had gotten there about five minutes before us so I saw her at the entrance. This guy stopped to talk to me for two minutes while I was in active labor waiting to go to labor and delivery. He was talking to me about my day and asking me when my baby was due. I was like, “Today.” Meagan: You're like, “Right now.” Samantha: I don't think he realized, but then I met up with my doula and I had a contraction on the way while we were walking. A guy passed by like, “Uh-oh.” I think he realized and put two and two together. So then we got there and went to the front desk. He was doing his paperwork going all slow and whatever then I had another contraction and he said, “Oh.” He got up and he walked away real fast and so they got me to triage and the woman, the nurse who came to check me said, “Look. We're going to check you really quickly and see where you are at, but I think you are going to be going to a room right away.” My sister-in-law had given birth at the same hospital two weeks before me and she showed up at 3 centimeters in a lot of pain. I was like, “If I am at 3 centimeters right now, I don't know if I can do this.” But I got in my head. I was like, “I'm going to be super low dilation.” Meagan: Those numbers, they mess with us and they really don't mean anything, but man, they impact us quite a lot. Samantha: Yeah. I remember saying that to my doula. I was like, “If I'm at 3, I'm going to scream and then get the epidural. I can't continue like this.” The woman was checking me and I'm waiting and I was like, “So?” She was like, “You're an 8.” I said, “Oh my gosh.” I was like, “I can do this.” It gave me a new spunk. I was like, “I'm ready. Let's go.” So they put me right into a room and they apologized. They were like, “We have to get everything ready,” so they were bustling around. They turned down the lights. They got me a yoga ball and all of those things. They were like, “Look, we're really sorry to be in here. We're going this as fast as possible then we will leave you alone.” They never even saw my birth plan because we got there at 8 centimeters and there was no time, but they wanted to put in the IV and my doula said to them, “Look, does she need an IV?” They said, “We just want the port at the very least.” I guess just the saline lock. Meagan: The hep lock? Samantha: Yeah, the hep lock, sorry. They did that and they wanted to monitor the baby's heart rate. Those were the two conditions that they wanted to have. Because I was so far along, it didn't really bother me. I didn't want to fight that fight. It was not something that was worth it to me. I was like, “Cool.” I was laboring standing up next to the bed, then the doctor came in and said she wanted to do her own checks so that she had her own line of where things were I guess. So she checked me and by then, I was already 9 centimeters. I had already gone up another centimeter. But what's funny is I guess I went through transition at some point, but I don't know that it was. Everyone always says that transition is crazy. I didn't have that. Meagan: Maybe you went in the car with distractions and stuff. Samantha: Yeah. In between contractions in the car, I was falling asleep. I was so tired. I don't know. Transition was not that bad for me, so I was lucky for that. So then the doctor said, “Look. Your bag of water is bulging. We can either break it artificially or we can wait and see when it breaks by itself.” I said, “Okay, let me wait.” She left and I continued laboring and I was like, “You know what? We are at this point. I'm 9 centimeters. They couldn't tell me his position yet because my water was still in tact.” Meagan: It was probably so bulgy, yeah. Samantha: So I said, “Just call her back.” She was like, “Well, it's going to get more intense.” I said, “It's going to get more intense. Let's do this.” I'm like, “Okay, hold on. I have another contraction coming.” I was on the bed. I turned over and all of a sudden my water exploded. They even wrote it on my report that I saw after, “a copious amount of liquid”. There was so much. So I was like, “That's good that that didn't break in the car because that would have been a mess.” Meagan: Yep. 52:34 Feeling pushySamantha: So then they cleaned up. I was standing next to the bed again and then all of a sudden, I felt pushy. I was doing the pushing sounds and my doula said, “Look. You need to concentrate. Tell me if you cannot push.” So the next contraction, I was like, “No, no. I'm pushing.” They wanted to check me again because they didn't want me pushing before 10 centimeters so they did do a lot of checks, but I wasn't too worried considering how close I was to the finish line for infection and things like that because I wasn't a huge fan of cervical checks going in, but I was like, “We're near the end. Hopefully nothing bad will happen.” So they checked me. I was already 10 and he was at a 0 station at this point, but he was LOA. They checked him, so he was in the right position so that was great. I was worried because my contractions were wrapping around to my back at that point, but I assumed that that is probably pretty standard when you're that low, I guess and things are getting more intense. But I kept on saying to my doula, “If he's OP, if he's OP, if he's OP–” I was so scared that he was going to end up in the same position as my first son especially because I had another anterior placenta. I read somewhere that that could cause positioning issues. I was like, “No, not another one.” He was fine. That was a huge relief in that moment. Then I tried a few different positions. On my hands and knees, I thought I was going to love that but I hated it. I could not push like that. I ended up on my side. I pushed a lot like that, but I was pulling on the rung of the bed and I don't know if I was using too much energy like that, but the doctor looked at me at one point and she was like, “Look. I know you don't want to be on your back, but maybe just try. If it doesn't work, we'll try something else, but try it.” I really trusted my team at that point. They had really been very aware of everything I wanted. They gave me choices. They were really evidence-based, so I was like, “You know what? This is a good team. Let's try.” Meagan: Why not? Samantha: So I went on my back and all of a sudden, my contractions were being used. My pushing was a million times better so I guess that's what I needed in that moment as much as I really hated to be on my back. I was like, “Maybe this is what I needed.” He descended really well to a +3. I had the whole team there around me. I had my husband up here next to my head and then my doula was next to him, then I had the doctor at the foot of the bed, then I had two nurses on the side and they were so good together. Apparently, they are a team that works together a lot, so they bounce off of each other and it was so supportive. They were always there telling me, “You're doing it.”Pushing was so hard for me though. So many women say, “Pushing was really where I felt empowered and like I could do something with the contractions.” Pushing was the most painful thing I've ever experienced, so I don't think I went in there thinking about that. Meagan: Yeah. 55:42 “You're not going to need a C-section today.”Samantha: I was shocked by that, but she also, at one point, said, “You're not going to need a C-section today. We are past that point. This baby is coming out vaginally. No matter what happens from here on out, you're good.” My eyes just filled with tears. I was so happy at that point. Meagan: I bet. Samantha: They started getting stuff ready at the end of the bed and I was like, “This is a really good sign. This means that baby is coming.” Meagan: Yeah. Constant validation. Samantha: Yeah. They were so nice. They offered a mirror which I accepted. Some people say mirrors really helped them. They were like, “Oh, we see his head.” There was a nickel-sized piece. I was like, “No.” I have so much more to do. I found that not super helpful. The doctor– I don't know how I feel completely about this, but she did warm compresses and stretching of my perineum while I was pushing. I didn't end up tearing, so I don't know if that ended up helping for it or not and they poured a lot of– Meagan: Pelvic floor work before too. Samantha: Yeah, exactly. I did a lot of that. They poured a lot of mineral oil on his head to try to get him to slip out a little bit easier because I was having more trouble. I don't know if those things are evidence-based necessarily, but in my case, I didn't tear. They may have helped. They may not have helped. I'm not sure. Though they did tell me I wasn't using my contractions as effectively as I could have been. I guess they said I was starting to push too early in my contraction and then not pushing long enough. They were really trying to coach my pushing. Meagan: Waiting until it built a little bit more.Samantha: Yeah, exactly. I mean, at that point, he was having a few decels so I think they were getting a little bit more serious at that point. They told me every time I put my legs down between contractions that he was slipping back up a little bit. They had the nurse and my husband hold up my legs at some point. I was exhausted at this point. It was 12 hours. It wasn't super long, but I think because I hadn't eaten enough or drank enough water. But they did let me eat in labor even though I was already 8 centimeters. They were fantastic for all of those things so I didn't have to fight that. So yeah, then at one point, his head was crowning, so the doctor actually had to hold his head in position between my contractions because he kept on slipping back in. Meagan: Oh. Samantha: Yeah. It was really intense and the ring of fire when somebody is holding that ring of fire there is no joke. Meagan: Yeah. Samantha: It was rough. Yeah, then at one point, the mood just shifted in the room. She said, “Look, if you don't get him out in the next two contractions, I have to cut you.” I said, “Excuse me? You have to what?” I was like, “An episiotomy?” She was like, “Yes. He is getting serious now.” He had a few pretty major heart rate decels so she was like, “I'm giving you two more.” They got the numbing stuff, I guess lidocaine ready. They dropped the bed down at that point so it was completely flat. I guess she wanted to have a better view of how she was going to cut. I pushed harder than I've ever pushed anything or done anything in my whole entire life and all of a sudden, I felt his head come out. I was like, “Oh, you didn't have to cut me.” It was right down to the wire. I pushed him out by myself and it was just like, “Oh my gosh.” It was the best feeling in the whole wide world.” Then she said, “Okay, stop pushing,” to check, I guess, for shoulder dystocia because of the gestational diabetes for the cord and everything. She was like, “Okay, he's good. Go ahead and push him out.” They said, “Grab your baby.”I pulled my baby out onto my chest. Meagan: Best feeling. Samantha: It was the best feeling in the whole wide world. I cannot describe it. The best. I had my VBA and I just kept saying, “I did it! I did it! I did it!” Everyone was so happy in the room and I had a very, very minor tear in my labia and that was it. It was night and day for my C-section recovery. They put the baby on me. He didn't budge from my body for 2.5 hours. Meagan: Oh, such a difference. Samantha: Oh my gosh. It was fantastic. He laid on me and I talked with my doula and my husband for an hour and a half until my doula left and then they came in and weighed him and did all of the things afterwards and checked his sugars which they have to do for gestational diabetes. They check sugars four times. Everything was good. It was just fantastic. It was the best, the best feeling in the world. Meagan: Oh, I am so happy for you. So happy for you and so happy that you found the support and the team and everything. All of the things that you had done did add up to the experience that you had. Samantha: Yeah. I went into this birth saying, “I'm going to do all of the things so that if I do end up in a C-section again, I know I did everything possible.” I needed that for myself. Meagan: Yeah. That's something to point out too because really, sometimes you can do everything and it still doesn't end the way you want, right? That's kind of how I was. I was like, “I want to do everything so in the end, I don't have the question of what if I did this? What if I did that?” Sometimes that was hard because it meant spending more money on a chiropractor and spending more money on a doula. We had to work on that. Sometimes it's not possible for some people and that's okay. VBAC can be done doing those things, but that's how it was for me too. I mentally had to do all of these things to just have myself be like, “Okay, if it happened. I can't go back and question.” Samantha: That's it. You're at peace with everything you did. It's funny. The doctor that I switched from, so my original OB, my doula had three VBAC clients all at the same time. We were all due around the same time. Two of us switched from him. We all started under his care and two of us switched. I ended up with a VBAC. She ended up with a repeat C-section but dilated to complete so she was very happy. The third person stayed with him and he pulled the bait and switch on her at 36 weeks. Meagan: So she had an elective? Samantha: She ended up with an elective C-section. I was like, “Oh my goodness. Thank goodness I followed my gut and I switched right away.” Intense. Insane. 1:02:39 Finding supportive providersMeagan: Yeah. Support really does matter. Support is important and in our Facebook group, we have The VBAC Link Community on Facebook, if you go under “Files”, you can click our supportive provider as well and this provider will be added to that list. Do you want to share your provider's name? Samantha: Yeah. Her name was Dr. Choquet. She was fantastic. I think I already submitted her name to be added. Meagan: You did, yes. Samantha: I loved her and Dr. Lalande was the one I consulted with for my extension who was super and is known for doing VBACs after two C-sections as well. Meagan: Lalande? Samantha: Yeah. I also submitted her name as well. Both doctors practice at LaSalle Hospital. It was a further drive, but 100,000 times worth it. Meagan: Yes. Sometimes it's hard to go far or you get worried about it, but usually, something good comes out of it. Well, congratulations again, and thank you so much for taking the time today. 1:03:53 3-5 prep tips for listenersBefore we leave, what 5 or maybe 3-5 tips would you give to the listeners during their prep? What were your key things for prepping? What information would you give and suggest? Samantha: I would say that the mental prep is 100% the work that I did the most that I think benefited me in terms of Hypnobirthing tracks. We did the Parents Course by The VBAC Link which was very helpful, I found, for getting my husband on the same page. He can tell you everything about VBAC now because he took that course. Meagan: I love that. So it helped him feel more confident. Samantha: 100%. He was pretty on board from the beginning, but it just solidified everything in his brain. He was like, “These stats. Obviously, we're going to go for a VBAC.” He was super on board after that for sure. Meagan: Awesome. Samantha: Then it armed me with the stats. My parents were very nervous about me trying for a VBAC and things like that so it really helped me arm myself. And just mentally, knowing that my chances of rupture and things like that were so much lower than the chances of actually succeeding in a VBAC so really, the mental prep and knowing that doing everything, I was going in there as equipped as I could be with the most education having done all of the prep work and then you have to leave it up to your baby and your body. Really trusting that and I didn't think the mental game would be that intense. Meagan: Man. It is. Samantha: It is. Meagan: It is intense and really, it can be especially based on what trauma we've had or what experiences we've had. There can be so much that goes into it and we have to find the information in order to even process sometimes and work through that and then you mentioned all of the amazing things you did. You did pelvic floor. You did acupuncture. You did dates. Samantha: I wrote everything. Meagan: You did it all. Samantha: And for the dates, I did them with peanut butter and a nut on them to balance the protein and the sugars. Meagan: That's my favorite way. That's my favorite way that I eat dates as well. Samantha: I broke them into two in the afternoon and then two after supper because that's when my numbers were the best for my gestational diabetes and I always took a walk after supper so that really helped. Meagan: Oh, I love that. Samantha: Because a lot of people, I would hear say they couldn't do dates because of their gestational diabetes but as long as you can balance your numbers, it's still a possibility so that's helpful and just finding all of the information about gestational diabetes was tough to find, but really important for my mental game as well. Meagan: Yeah. Absolutely. Oh, I love those tips. Thank you so much again and congrats again. We will make sure that we get your docs added to and your doula and everybody added to the list so people can find them because support is a big deal. It's a really, really big deal. Samantha: And thanks to The VBAC Link. Honestly, the only sad part is that there is not much of Canada that is covered yet, so finding my alternatives that way, but everything else was covered by The VBAC Link 100%. I tell everybody about The VBAC Link. The other day, I went for my COVID shot and I told my nurse– her daughter had just given birth via C-section and she wanted to go for a VBAC. I was like, “Get her a doula through The VBAC Link.” Meagan: Oh, that's amazing. I love that. Thank you so much. Samantha: Thank you so much for everything you do. It was a game changer, 100%. Absolutely. 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

She's an author, photographer, designer, and actor who's been creating for the last 45 years, but you know her best as Aunt Viv on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. We welcome Daphne Maxwell Reid this week to talk about where her creative endeavors began, being the first African American woman on the cover of Glamour magazine, her experiences working on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, her books Grace, Soul, & Mother Wit and Doors, and so much more. This is another one of those episodes you don't want to miss! DaphneMaxwellReid.com Instagram: @MsDaphne13 CannedAirPodcast.com Twitter: @CannedAirPod Instagram: @Canned_Air TikTok: @CannedAirPodcast If you'd like to show your support, you can either visit our Patreon page at Patreon.com/CannedAirPod or you can leave us a review on iTunes! Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is Sarah Holiday, a long time Mother Wit mama. Sarah (and her husband!) did a lot of hard work in our time together as they worked through mental health challenges, some of which stemmed from childhood experiences, others were related to more current circumstances related to a stressful move, the pandemic and pregnancy itself. No matter what was going on for her, she always knew what she wanted and needed and was always ready and willing to do the hard and introspective work that one must do to overcome or find their way to the other side. She has always kept in touch and she reached out when she was pregnant with her second baby because she was determined to get the in person midwifery care that she deserved that first time around. She is here today to share her two experiences. I feel confident that consumers and providers alike will learn something from her story. Resources At your cervix (Documentary) Consent If you want to deeply learn about the consent process and why is it important for you and/or your clients, look no further. Stephanie Tillman, aka The Feminist Midwife is the best source of information you will find. Also, Birth Monopoly - an incredible resource. Mother Wit General Resources ⁠Thriving After Birth⁠⁠⁠ (an online course) ⁠Comprehensive Care⁠⁠⁠ ⁠60 Min Consultation⁠⁠⁠: Use discount code- FirstConsult10%off Instagram: @mother.wit.maternity NEW ⁠⁠⁠Exercise in the perinatal period: For healthcare providers⁠⁠⁠ (an online course) ⁠Support the show⁠

In this brief episode I answer a listeners question about exercise in the postpartum period and dive my thoughts about why I have a slight bias towards strength training. Show notes Physical Activity National guidelines  Understanding exercise intensity (i.e., low, mod, high)   Why strength training? - EASY READ   The diabetes - Alzheimers connection  Strength training late in life Peter Attia- The Drive Bulgarian split squat Single leg deadlift Push up progression For more visit Mother Wit's YouTube Channel   And Exercise Playlist   Mother Wit General Resources Thriving After Birth⁠⁠ (an online course) Comprehensive Care⁠⁠ 60 Min Consultation⁠⁠: Use discount code- FirstConsult10%off Instagram: @mother.wit.maternity NEW ⁠⁠Exercise in the perinatal period: For healthcare providers⁠⁠ (an online course) Support the show

Tanya Tringali was 19 when she was pregnant and 20 when she had her baby. It took one visit with an OBGYN who didn't treat her with respect over twenty years ago to realize there must be a better way than the traditional system of birthing– and she marched into Barnes and Nobles to read about birth. It was this decision that changed the course of her life. She not only delivered that baby at a freestanding birth center, she started her doula training just 6 weeks after that birth and has practiced as a Certified Nurse Midwife for over 15 years. She is the owner of MotherWit and the host of the MotherWit Podcast.On this episode you will hear Tanya discuss: The breastfeeding information she did and did not receive prenatally Cracked nipples Pumping starting 6 weeks postpartum once she returned to work Low Supply with the pump (and her reflections about why this was– now over 20 years later) Lack of Support for all during birth and postpartum Systemic failures that impact families and practitioners Trying to maintain Milk Supply during a tragedyYou can hear my Episode The Mother Wit Podcast on Apple and on Spotify.Head to Apple Podcasts or Spotify for more Milk Making Minutes episodes!To see all of Tanya's services, visit her website. Follow Tanya on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/mother.wit.maternity/To book a lactation consultation with me, visit my website: www.quabbinbirthservices.com. In many cases I can bill your insurance, or create a superbill for you to submit for reimbursement. I offer virtual consults for clients outside of my service area!To buy books about pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and parenting, and to support the show while doing it, go to my bookshop!Follow me on IG @lonigrosh to laugh about baby feeding (so you don't cry) and to see photos of guests. Follow me on TikTok to answer questions of the day and ponder systemic inequities together: @lonigrosh4

On today's episode, I have one of the most honest stories any new parent has ever told on this show. If you have been listening for a while, you know that each season, I feature clients who are willing to share. I invite people with all sorts of varied experiences and perspectives. But I do try to shine a light on topics for which people need more information, topics that people need to learn more about and especially where I think a personal story is the best way to talk about it. So today, Patti, a client who stands out in my mind as one of the people who struggled the most with a history of depression and anxiety before, during and after her pregnancy, graciously shares her story. At times, I worried that maybe I wouldn't know how best to help her but she worked hard and was so willing to try almost anything I suggested. I found that to be such a unique quality because as you likely know, anxiety and depression can be debilitating but she was rather persistent in her pursuit of happiness. Warning: This episode could be hard to listen to if you are struggling. So please, take care of yourself and if this one isn't for you, skip it. In fact, skip ahead to the resources listed below. Resources Postpartum Support International If you are in crisis and/or having thoughts of suicide: Call 988, the suicide and crisis lifeline. Maternal Mental Health Hotline: 1-833-943-5746. Call or text 24/7 English and Spanish, interpreter services for 60 languages Mother Wit Options and resources Thriving After Birth (an online course) Comprehensive Care 60 Min Consultation: Use discount code- FirstConsult10%off Instagram: @mother.wit.maternity YouTube Channel Support the show (Thank you!) The Mother Wit Podcast Survey (and guest request) Lo Nigrosh, IBCLC Quabbin Birth Services

Today we are closing out the season with a very special guest. My friend Carolina Murriel is a trauma-informed storyteller, teacher and artist. She is a longtime journalist and podcast producer who co-founded the award-winning podcast studio Pizza Shark. Through all of Season 3, Carolina has been helping me make improvements to the Mother Wit podcast behind the scenes. At the same time, she was training as an end-of-life doula and embarking on a journey to take care of health issues we deal with a lot at Mother Wit. Carolina is joining us today to talk about her work, her health journey and how we ended up here! Resources A related episode A book recommendation from Carolina: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk A book recommendation from Tanya: Being Mortal by Atul Gawande A podcast recommendation and link to Carolina's story: The Duo Lingo Spanish Podcast The Mother Wit Podcast Survey

Gabi Rocha is the co-founder and COO of an impact organization called Laboratoria that runs tech boot camps for underserved women throughout Latin America. She is Brazilian and has lived all over the world, mostly in Latin America and the US. She had a "normal" postpartum yet found herself grateful for the extra layer of support we provide here at Mother Wit.Link to episode with Kim Weiss-Lewit on the virtual care we provided to Gabi as discussed in this episode.Link to episode with Jennifer Hampton, an incredible therapist who works with people in the perinatal period.Link to episode with Kayla Kajiyama, pediatric sleep coach.Support the showThriving After Birth (an online course)Comprehensive Care60 Min Consultation: Use discount code- FirstConsult10%offInstagram: @mother.wit.maternityYou Tube Channel

Everyone's postpartum return to fitness is a personal journey and deserves to be a personalized experience. I also think it can be hard to understand how virtual fitness coaching works when it's anything other than a zoom exercise class. So today, Jessica and I revisit the unique way we worked together and how she learned to give herself kindness and grace in this transformational life stage.Resources12 workouts for $12 includes  warm up, 2 circuits and bonus content for returning to running. Check them out here. This is ideal for you if you are >6w postpartum and have already put in the work to rehab your core and pelvic floor and have seen a PFPT if there were any concerns. Its body weight only but not what you should be doing first.Subscribe to my YouTube pageCheck out my exercise playlist.Support the show

My guest today is Andrea Kirschling, a Mother Wit mama who has grown increasingly passionate about "combo feeding" meaning the use of both breastmilk and formula. She's grown so passionate that she has recently become a Certified Lactation Consultant herself and you will soon find her using the handle/website of ComboFeedingSupport. Ill be sure to update our listeners as her local practice gets up and running.ResourcesSupplemental Nursing System (Medela)Symphony Breast Pump (Medela)TorticollisTongue tie course for parents and professionals created by Lisa Palladino, The Tongue Tie ExpertIV fluids in labor and effects on infant weight loss in the early newborn periodHere is a study on restricting fluids showing that this has no effect- but take note that what we are talking about is when people in labor are given lots of fluid. This study uses 2500 ml but I can tell you that in a long induction for example, we are talking about much larger amounts of fluid.This study uses lower fluid amounts but comes to the conclusion that we should use the weight of the baby at 24h of life to determine future weight loss rather than using birth weight. Related EpisodesTongue tie and other bumps in the roadYour tongue tie questions (and mine!) With Lisa Palladino CNM, IBCLCBirth It Up By Leisel Teen, Mommy Labor Nurse, check out her podcast, episode #74 to hear our conversationOnline Childbirth Education. Choose the program that is right for you! Pop Up Courses for people with Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) and professionalsSupport the show

Guest: Kristen Ross is a Mother Wit twin mama and also a postpartum doula in LA. @twin.postpartum.doula or her website www.twinpostpartumdoula. comKristen was so innovative and creative in her approach to feeding her babies and boy did it pay off. She has mastered the art of exclusive pumping like no other. She has also recently become a postpartum doula and hopes to focus on families with multiples and working with the LGBTQ+ community.Resources (also see transcript):Write your Birth Story (Carrie Murphy, Doula, Writer)The First Forty Days (Essential reading per Kristen) and also, The Fourth TrimesterHealthline: What are Mono-Di twins? (great infographic)Twin Anemia Polycythemia Sequence (TAPS)Westchester Lactation, Dana Hilsenrath, IBCLC - Amazing Virtual IBCLC who works with my clients, especially my twin moms or people who have had babies in the NICUSilverettesErica Davis' Whole Body Pregnancy (Doula Training that Kristen loved)Brands of Breast Pumps used by KristenBaby Buddha (Kristen's favorite!)SpectraHygeia Enjoye (Uses Medela Parts)Medela (Symphony- Hospital rental)Elvie (Hands free- can work for some, but Kristen does not recommend as a primary pump)More tips and tricks available in this weeks blog postBirth It Up By Leisel Teen, Mommy Labor Nurse, check out her podcast, episode #74 to hear our conversationOnline Childbirth Education. Choose the program that is right for you! Pop Up Courses for people with Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) and professionalsSupport the show

Katrina Fields was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 21.  She began a career in healthcare-focusing on patient experience in large part due to her experience and desire to help others. Katrina shares how she actively navigated this trauma when it arose again for her due to nausea and vomiting of pregnancy.  She also experienced a 4th-degree laceration during the birth of her baby.  We talk about her approach to managing all of this (and more) both physically and emotionally.Trigger Warning: This episode may not be appropriate for everyone Guest: Katrina FieldsResourcesGentle birth hypnobirthing appPelvic Floor Birth Prep- Dr. Mel's course (with Tanya as guest/expert midwife)Thrive Pelvic Health (Phoenix)4th-degree tear support group (Facebook) Katrina's 4th degree tear tips (Mother Wit blog post)Birth It Up By Leisel Teen, Mommy Labor Nurse, check out her podcast, episode #74 to hear our conversationOnline Childbirth Education. Choose the program that is right for you! Pop Up Courses for people with Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) and professionalsSupport the show

In this episode, I speak with Jae Bratton, a Mother Wit Graduate. Her baby was born early in the first wave of the COVID pandemic and is already 18 months old. Time has given her the gift of perspective.  Today, she graciously recounts her journey through, what she calls, "sleep anxiety."Guest: Jae BrattonCheck out the Mother Wit website to learn more about the services that we provide people in all stages of parenthood. Follow Mother Wit on Instagram at @mother.wit.maternityLinks to resources:To learn more about postpartum insomnia, click here.Birth It Up By Leisel Teen, Mommy Labor Nurse, check out her podcast, episode #74 to hear our conversationOnline Childbirth Education. Choose the program that is right for you! Pop Up Courses for people with Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) and professionalsSupport the show

Part II:  This episode bookends our March Women's History Month as a tall glass of sweet Virginian iced tea between Tori Reid and her step mother.  We celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series finale (May 20, 1996) of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air". Our Aunt Viv discusses her sweet joy and well lived memories from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion special on HBO Max, the late great James Avery, the surprise first time union with Janet Hubert, and Will Smith’s inspiring journey to growth and acceptance.  From sitcom to reality, they examine their own blended family; decades of blood, sweat and tears in a beautiful, though frank, conversation between two powerhouse women. They make it look easy and beautiful but it is like the graceful chocolate swan gliding in the sometimes murky waters of life’s vast ocean. The two women laugh, keep it authentic and celebrate the victories, valleys, peaks and exalt one another in this piece of Virginian and Hollywood Americana.Here’s to the grace, soul and mother wit of Daphne Maxwell Reid.“We are a blended family. Like the Banks family, the Reids have had an uncommon success. Our harmony has come through the blending of time, belly laughter, family celebrations, bumpy roads and the greatest of all virtues, Love Almighty. So, here's to the love that is earned. The Love that pushes past the hurt, confusion, anger... to become stronger, more resilient, battle tested and true. Here’s to family.” - Tori Reid This week on Here's To Life:•  Reflections on memories of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion special on HBO Max, including the late great James Avery and the warm and wonderful rejoining of Janet Hubert and their meeting for the first time •  Her experience with blended families and insight gained and shared on the bumpy, yet beautiful ride of her own blended family•  How respect is key within blended family relationships especially between step-parents and step-children•  Exploring power couples as the iconic Tim Reid and Daphne Maxwell Reid, and how they make it work Credits:Guest:Daphne Maxwell ReidHost and Producer:  Tori ReidExecutive Producer:  Patrick A. HowellWriters:  Patrick A. Howell and Tori ReidPost Production:  We Edit PodcastsAdd'l Post Production:  Brian K. Jackson at Maven Soundz Post Production Assistant:  Lauren YoungShow Intern Affiliation:  Howard University Voiceover Artist:  Vïntóry Blake Moore Advertising Sponsor:  Vivreau Water SystemsAdvertising Sponsor:  Hilton Sacramento Arden WestAd Voiceover Artist:  Ginger LevertMusic:"Frio Suave" by ElevadorLogo Photography:  Bobby Holland / MPTV Imagesa Victory & Noble production© 2021 Victory & Noble LLC  All Rights ReservedResources Mentioned: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion on HBO MaxConnect with the Guests:Daphne Maxwell Reid's Official WebsiteDaphne Maxwell Reid on InstagramConnect with Tori Reid:Tori Reid on InstagramHere's To Life on FacebookVivreau Water Systems Vivreau Water mirrors Here's to Life's commitments to clear, clean and energizing change and legacy.

Enjoy as I sit with my new fav AUNT, Mrs. Daphne Maxwell Reid,  best known as "Aunt Vivian for three season on the hit comedy "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air".  She helps me close out Season 5 with love, laughter, wisdom, and light as we discussed her vast life and 40 plus year career in Hollywood .  When I think of Mrs. Reid, and her career, I think of a trailblazer, revolutionary, ground breaker,  love, longevity, and wisdom.  Her career has not stopped once! We discuss her views of the world we are in now,  recent work in Harriet, Jacqueline & Jilly,  and her new book  Grace, Soul, & Mother Wit.  Enjoy!  Special Guest:Daphne Maxwell ReidActress | Producer| Writer | Author| Photographer | Fashion Designerwww..daphnemaxwellreid.com

Revolutionary Hoodoo New Orleans Voodoo Secrets and Recipes and Our Sacred Stories, Denise Augustine! NOON US CST on Blog Talk Radio! Host | Member since Dec 23, 2008 Pan African Spiritualist Practitioner Author and Advisor Voodoo is NOT witchcraft! Voodoo is stronger than witchcraft! Ancestors are more POWERFUL than witchcraft! Join Us on Camera LIVE! STREAMYARD: https://streamyard.com/3c2ctxpwhn I will be FORWARD (NOON US CST) at the top-of-the-hour! ATR Spirituality and Religion from a Pan African Hoodoo World Spiritualist perspective. LIVE at NOON DAILY! (Weekdays) Call Me during LIVE airing broadcast ONLY! GUEST CALL-IN Toll-Free 1-845- 277-9143 Listen in and Call in (And ALWAYS In-Archive at Your Leisure and Convenience) https://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-divine-prince/ All is a Blessing! #RespectTheVoodoo

This week on the WoMed, we have the pleasure of hearing from our first ever certified nurse midwife, Tanya Tringali! Tanya discusses midwifery school, distanced education programs, and the vast range of care midwives offer. She also shares the need for continuing education for older midwives to ensure they can offer transgender healthcare and to ensure their practice is able to serve all women. D and Tanya dive into the primary barrier she believes her patients face, which is the systemic issue of the postpartum care gap. We also learn about Tanya’s company, Mother Wit, which services a wide-range of people; she will take care of anyone in need of support, but is the first to involve a third party if necessary. Throughout the episode, D and Tanya also touch on the relationship between fitness, nutrition, midwifery and pregnancy.  You can connect with Tanya at Motherwitmaternity.com and @Mother.wit.maternity on Instagram!   To join my Patreon community, head to patreon.com/thewomed & to check out The WoMed necklaces head to https://becomeunlocked.com/collections/unlocked-x-danielle-maltby  Plus, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @TheWoMed. Remember to submit your weekly Nurse D Energy moments to D on Instagram — we love reading and sharing them!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Daphne Maxwell Reid joins Tom to talk about appearing in two of The Whispers' music videos, playing Aunt Vivian on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, her career in fashion and her cook book, "Grace, Soul and Mother Wit". This episode is brought to you by dBud, who make Volume Adjustable Earplugs. These are incredibly effective at filtering noise at the right level, giving you the hearing protection you need whilst retaining the clarity of the sound you are exposed to. Go to earlabs.co to check out dBud's earplugs.

TVC 518.1: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with actress, photographer, clothes designer, educator, activist, and author Daphne Maxwell Reid (The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Sister, Sister, Jacqueline and Jilly, Simon and Simon, WKRP in Cincinnati, Frank’s Place). Topics this segment include Daphne’s mini-memoir, Grace + Soul & Mother Wit, in which she shares many recipes from her family (and the stories behind them); how her marriage to actor Tim Reid stems, in part, from their mutual interest in photography; and the pivotal role that Robert Conrad played early in her acting career. Daphne’s new holiday movie, The Business of Christmas, premieres Tuesday, Dec. 1 on BET+ (with additional airings throughout December). Want to advertise/sponsor our show? TV Confidential has partnered with AdvertiseCast to handle advertising/sponsorship requests for the podcast edition of our program. They’re great to work with and will help you advertise on our show. Please email sales@advertisecast.com or click the link below to get started: https://www.advertisecast.com/TVConfidentialAradiotalkshowabout Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our favorite TV aunt Daphne Maxwell Reid from 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' joins Chelsie Overocker on the House of Hallmark to talk about the shows reunion that will be available on HBO Max starting November 19th. Daphne also has a holiday movie coming out on BET + called 'The Business of Christmas' available starting December 1st. Plus she discuss her cookbook 'Grace + Soul & Mother Wit' and why this book will be special addition to your kitchen. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/chelsie-overocker/support

How did Black travelers use Mother Wit—common sense insights—to help them survive during the Jim Crow era? We hear how this intuition helped individuals and families navigate the roads, stay safe, and build networks and businesses that provided the services they were being denied. Visit www.drivingthegreenbook.com or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/greenbookpod for more, including bonus content, photos, and transcripts. Explore the Green Book on our exclusive Apple Maps Guide at https://apple.co/explorethegreenbook.  Listen to the show's Apple Music Playlist at https://apple.co/listentothegreenbook.  Find recommended reading in Apple Books at https://apple.co/alvinhallcollection. To share your own Green Book stories with us, email greenbook@macmillan.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Talk about a perspective swtich! Remember back when the worst problem you faced was your teen's backtalk or an annoying co-worker? Rev. Ree and Reise talk about the major life interruption that is happening right now due to the Coronavirus. How are you really doing?  

Venice Johnson is a Chicago artist, writer, and storyteller sharing her grandmother's old school lesson about maintaining a mutually beneficial romantic relationship.

Listen to part two of the Mother Wit boot camp to step your common sense game up. Learn why you need to know two mandatory things about yourself to avoid being taken advantage of. Enjoy and engage. Books mentioned: How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren: https://amzn.to/33lyzXh http://michellespiva.com/Amz-MortimerAdler-HowToReadABook Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://amzn.to/2GWaRHu http://michellespiva.com/Amz-MortimerAdler-HowToReadABook MicroMastery: Lear Small, Learn Fast, and Unlock Your Potential to Achieve Anything by Robert Twigger: https://amzn.to/31qP2aP http://michellespiva.com/Amz-RobertTwigger-Micromastery Choose Yourself: Be Happy, Make Millions, Live the Dream by James Altucher: https://amzn.to/2Kro917 http://michellespiva.com/Amz-JamesAltucher-ChooseYourself Don't forget to use our Amazon link to support the podcast by using our Amazon Shopping link! http://MichelleSpiva.com/Amz To send a message to the show: https://anchor.fm/michelle-spiva/message For Interviews, sponsorship, or coaching/consulting, please send inquires to: MichelleSpiva at gmail dot com (no solicitation-spam; *You do not have permission to add this email to any email list or autoresponder without knowledge or consent) _____________________________ Further support this podcast, please do so by using any of these methods: All your Amazon shopping: http://michellespiva.com/Amz Venmo: @MichelleSpiva1 CashApp: $MichelleSpiva PayPal: http://bit.ly/Donate2Michelle Patreon: https://Patreon.com/MichelleSpiva Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, rate, and review. Follow Michelle here: Facebook: facebook.com/FollowMichelleSpiva Twitter: @mspiva IG: @MichelleSpiva Find out more about Michelle's alter-ego fiction writer side: Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2lIP6Om Facebook: facebook.com/MychalDanielsAuthor Twitter: @mychaldaniels IG: @MychalDaniels Website: MychalDaniels.com/connect --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/michelle-spiva/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/michelle-spiva/support

Time to grow our Common Sense! Listen to part one of this boot camp to strengthen or develop your mother wit. Book mentioned: How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren: https://amzn.to/33lyzXh http://michellespiva.com/Amz-MortimerAdler-HowToReadABook Don't forget to use our Amazon link to support the podcast by using our Amazon Shopping link! http://MichelleSpiva.com/Amz To send a message to the show: https://anchor.fm/michelle-spiva/message For Interviews, sponsorship, or coaching/consulting, please send inquires to: MichelleSpiva at gmail dot com (no solicitation-spam; *You do not have permission to add this email to any email list or autoresponder without knowledge or consent) _____________________________ Further support this podcast, please do so by using any of these methods: All your Amazon shopping: http://michellespiva.com/Amz Venmo: @MichelleSpiva1 CashApp: $MichelleSpiva PayPal: http://bit.ly/Donate2Michelle Patreon: https://Patreon.com/MichelleSpiva Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, rate, and review. Follow Michelle here: Facebook: facebook.com/FollowMichelleSpiva Twitter: @mspiva IG: @MichelleSpiva Find out more about Michelle's alter-ego fiction writer side: Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2lIP6Om Facebook: facebook.com/MychalDanielsAuthor Twitter: @mychaldaniels IG: @MychalDaniels Website: MychalDaniels.com/connect --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/michelle-spiva/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/michelle-spiva/support

Debra Peek Haynes' First Show

In this epidsode, Mother Wit takes on two blows to our kids: the tragic murder of Nipsey Hussle and the college admissions scandal.

Mother Wit brings in the new year with resolutions and wit. We will tackle brand new challenges for the year and identify what needs to be released.

Amy S. Hilliard is the owner of three businesses: consulting, speaking and licensing. As principal of The Hilliard Group, a strategic marketing consulting firm, her clients have included Nielsen, IBM, BET, American Express, HBO, the Art Institute of Chicago, Jaguar and PepsiCo. At 48 years old, because banks wouldn’t give her a loan, Ms. Hilliard sold her home to start The ComfortCake Company®, makers of “Pound Cake so Good it feels like a Hug®“. The Company commercialized Ms. Hilliard's own recipes for a variety of pound cakes, and now licenses them and Sugarless Sweetness®, a patent-pending proprietary sugar substitute. Launched in 2001, the company gained national distribution with United Airlines, Walmart and Home Shopping Network among others. A proven thought leader on entrepreneurship, empowerment and marketing, Ms. Hilliard speaks to audiences worldwide. With a unique background of senior corporate experience and established entrepreneurship, Ms. Hilliard was recently President of Fashion Fair Cosmetics, the global legacy cosmetics company focused on women of color.  She rebuilt the sales, marketing and operations teams, enhanced the brand’s imagery, increased promotions and focused the e-commerce efforts of the business to deliver the highest annual sales revenues ever for that channel. During Ms. Hilliard’s tenure, Essence Magazine named her as one of the nation’s key beauty industry influencers. Ms. Hilliard was also the former Senior VP of Marketing for L’Oreal’s Soft Sheen division, and launched two multi-million dollar brands in one year for the division. A former retailing, senior marketing and acquisitions executive with Bloomingdale’s, Gillette, Pillsbury and Burrell ommunications, Amy Hilliard successfully raised two young adults through college as a single mother. Her branding and marketing skills building the White Rain franchise into a $100 million dollar business have been documented in a case study for the Darden School of Business of the University of Virginia. A native Detroiter, she is an honors graduate of both Howard University and the Harvard Business School. Amy Hilliard and her sister, Gloria Mayfield Banks are the only two African-American sisters to have graduated from HBS in its entire history. She is the author of “TAP INTO YOUR JUICE -- Find Your Gifts, Lose Your Fears and Build Your Dreams” – a motivational E-book endorsed by First Lady Michelle Obama, and “Mother Wit” for the NY Times bestseller, Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul. Ms. Hilliard’s latest project, Sizzling After 60 – Thriving at Every Stage of Your Life - a blog focusing on Health, Wellness and Spirituality as the foundation for success launched this year. For more info on Amy Hilliard visit  www.amyshilliard.com www.sizzlingafter60.com Keep in contact with us, sign up and get our free gift to YOU: http://drgenevaspeaks.com Follow our hashtag #ignite2impact  Please share this podcast & let us what you think, *subscribe in iTunes and leave a review

Dr. Malaika Horne is the author of the new book, Mother Wit. She is also the founding director of the Executive Leadership Consortium – College of Business Administration at the University of Missouri – St. Louis (UMSL). Previously she served as a professor at Webster University and has served as the managing director of Narcotics Service Council. Dr Horne is a journalist, academic writer, and serves as a leader and consultant to a number of community organizations and non-profits. Gwen Moore is the curator of urban landscape and community identity with the Missouri History Museum. Moore is responsible for the museum's remarkable exhibit, "#1 in Civil Rights," which closed in Aprli 2018 after a nearly 400 month run in April 2018. These celebrated sisters are daughters of Flora Horne, the inspiration for Dr Horne's book, Mother Wit: Exalting Motherhood While Honoring a Great Mother. Hank asks Moore and Horne to talk about their mother and wonders what the world would be like if their were more Flora Horne-like mothers in our communities today. Andy Heaslet is the show's engineer and Dhati Kennedy provides the beats behind Tangazo. Listen to more of Hank's interviews on KDHX from his time filling in for DJ Wilson on Collateral Damage; check out episodes 122-134.

In honor of Women's History Month we salute International Women's Day and take Reise's son to school when he asks is there an International Men's Day. The news feed gets heated when we ask is arming teachers the right choice for our children in response to the Parkland mass shooting. We close out the news feed segment with the blockbuster Disney Marvel hit movie, Black Panther, and the search for Wakanda. In the business this episode Reise celebrates a (bitter) Sweet 16 and Rev. Ree riffs on being dismissed by her son. Join us for all of this and plenty of laughs (we laugh a lot) in this powerful episode of Mother Wit. (Recorded 3/9/18)

Mother Wit Lives! This is just a brief introduction to Mother Wit. Just a peck on the cheek. In this short episode, we wanted to give you a taste of who we are and what Mother Wit is all about. Sometimes, Mothers have to push the baby out the nest, even though they may not be quite ready.  That was truly the case of this podcast launch!  As Reise would say, "don't let ready be the enemy of ready." (Maybe you had to be there, but that was deep.) Hang in there, we'll get more familiar as our relationship grows. We hope you enjoy a lil taste of Mother Wit. And stay tuned in. #FeminineWisdom #MotherWit

01:21 - "Bad Date" at Leapfest with Stage Left Theatre. http://stagelefttheatre.com 07:46 - Another role of Shariba's, Mother Wit, in "Insurrection." http://stagelefttheatre.com/season-35/season-36/ 10:17 - What it's like to be an Instructional Coach at Betty Shabazz International Charter Schools. 15:17 - An amazing lesson plan witnessed by Shariba. 18:44 - About Betty Shabazz International Charter Schools. http://www.bsics.org 23:41 - There are stupid questions. 28:15 - Being a casting director with MPAACT. http://www.mpaact.org 37:00 - How does being a director affect Shariba as an actress? 41:39 - Shariba has a lot coming up: Understudying Lady Capulet with "Romeo and Juliet" with Chicago Shakespeare w/Shakespeare in the Park She will be going up on August 19th at Ridge Park https://www.chicagoshakes.com Chicago Theatre Marathon "Long Canoe" https://www.chicagotheatremarathon.com Erasing the Distance "Breathe With Me." in September http://erasingthedistance.org "Starting Over" at Governor's State http://www.mpaact.org MPAACT at October 21st and 22nd, 2017 City Lit http://www.citylit.org J.B. in Fall 2017 "Insurrection: Holding History" with Stage Left - Winter 2017/2018. http://stagelefttheatre.com/season-35/season-36/ "Dontrell Who Kissed the Sea" directed by Chika Ike with First Floor Theater - Spring 2018 http://www.firstfloortheater.com (re)discover theatre http://www.rediscovertheatre.com "For One" A Series of plays built for an audience of one Aug. 30th - Sept. 30th Black Lives, Black Words https://www.facebook.com/blklivesblkwrd/ "Our America Project" Aug. 14th, 21st and 22nd "Black Lives, Black Words" was founded by previous podcast guest, Reggie Edmund. http://areyoufamousyet.libsyn.com/webpage/entreponegroes-blaculas-and-the-mind-of-reginald-edmund-episode-92 Follow us on Twitter or Facebook Intro Music: "Are You Famous, Yet?" - Laura Scruggs. Outro Music: "AYFY 1" - Christopher Kriz

Shaluum and what up ppl of TMH. To the blessed ELECT, be of strong courage and commit thyself to the work of uplifting the lost and the blind by empowering them with TRUTH. Tonights show I simply want to talk about the difference between females who (never) experience the opening of the WOMB ceremony also called child birth. And barren females who choose to not have children whether it be voluntary or involuntary. I have observed a marked difference in femiNINE comphrehension between the two sets of FEMALES vs WOMEN. We have heard the saying that all men are created EQUAL. Well I have (never) BELIEVED that. Neither do I believe that (all women) are created equal. Differences are not a crime folks and the attempt to make everyone be on EQUAL footing when the evidence remarkebly shows otherwise is simply those with the lowest attributes of humanity. Making themselves (equal) and on the same footing with those who are in every way SUPERIOR. When we refuse to acknowledge the superiority of that which is indeed superior. We are only deceiving ourselves as well as lieing to ourselves which in the long run can have serious negative consequences. Well lets address this tonight. 9MIND calls are always welcome but if if this is indeed unchartered terriotory for you. Then I suggest you just sit back and LISTEN and download or save and listen some more. Because what has been done to we as a ppl was intentional and designed to weaken we in the areas where we need to be the strongest which is FAMILY. 713.955.0709 call in  https://twitter.com/El_Shiloh9 http://www.blogtalkradio.com/shiloah https://www.facebook.com/el.maat.73  

Stop putting all your business all out on front street. Do yourself a favor

How many of us have them?

Boxes serve as storage in more ways than one

A basic tutorial on manifestation method

It's very real

Don't start none. Won't be none

Indigenous Black Americans have been turned into perpetual entertainment addicts that live, sleep and eat to do nothing more than to see a (show) or either be the show. This obsessive need for attention whether postive or negative has literally turned we into the most sought out for racialy debasing reality shows but we fail to SEE that the joke is really on US. Black Americans willing to show the world how dysfuctional and miseducated we truly are in exchange for a paycheck is a clear sign that we lack the common sense and mother wit once possessed by our not to distant Ancestors. The question is, how do we, The Hebrew Israelite Black Americans now having taken on many diverse identities and social allegiances recover from our (willingness) to divide ourselves into a permanent place of absolute powerlessness? I'll give you my 9MIND frequency point of view.

Indigenous Black Americans have been turned into perpetual entertainment addicts that live, sleep and eat to do nothing more than to see a (show) or either be the show. This obsessive need for attention whether postive or negative has literally turned we into the most sought out for racialy debasing reality shows but we fail to SEE that the joke is really on US. Black Americans willing to show the world how dysfuctional and miseducated we truly are in exchange for a paycheck is a clear sign that we lack the common sense and mother wit once possessed by our not to distant Ancestors. The question is, how do we, The Hebrew Israelite Black Americans now having taken on many diverse identities and social allegiances recover from our (willingness) to divide ourselves into a permanent place of absolute powerlessness? I'll give you my 9MIND frequency point of view.

Indigenous Black Americans have been turned into perpetual entertainment addicts that live, sleep and eat to do nothing more than to see a (show) or either be the show. This obsessive need for attention whether postive or negative has literally turned we into the most sought out for racialy debasing reality shows but we fail to SEE that the joke is really on US. Black Americans willing to show the world how dysfuctional and miseducated we truly are in exchange for a paycheck is a clear sign that we lack the common sense and mother wit once possessed by our not to distant Ancestors. The question is, how do we, The Hebrew Israelite Black Americans now having taken on many diverse identities and social allegiances recover from our (willingness) to divide ourselves into a permanent place of absolute powerlessness? I'll give you my 9MIND frequency point of view. 

Indigenous Black Americans have been turned into perpetual entertainment addicts that live, sleep and eat to do nothing more than to see a (show) or either be the show. This obsessive need for attention whether postive or negative has literally turned we into the most sought out for racialy debasing reality shows but we fail to SEE that the joke is really on US. Black Americans willing to show the world how dysfuctional and miseducated we truly are in exchange for a paycheck is a clear sign that we lack the common sense and mother wit once possessed by our not to distant Ancestors. The question is, how do we, The Hebrew Israelite Black Americans now having taken on many diverse identities and social allegiances recover from our (willingness) to divide ourselves into a permanent place of absolute powerlessness? I'll give you my 9MIND frequency point of view.