Podcasts about Swelling

Discover how ankle swelling sabotages athletic performance and why ionic foot spa therapy might be the recovery tool you're missing. We explore oxidative stress, electrical balance, and the surprising science behind soaking your feet. Read more at https://www.healifeco.com/pages/the-ultimate-guide-to-using-an-ionic-foot-spa-for-detox-wellness-backed-by-science Healifeco City: Sheridan Address: 1309 Coffeen Avenue Website: https://www.healifeco.com/

In this candid life update, Leah and Morgan share the highs, lows, and unexpected twists they've been navigating behind the scenes. Leah opens up about the emotional weight of supporting fertility patients through both pregnancies and losses, her husband's exciting startup milestone, and how the "Chinese bamboo tree" analogy is reshaping her perspective on purpose, patience, and growth. Morgan shares a challenging pregnancy season filled with health scares, a surprising viral infection, a powerful experience supporting a home birth, and a frightening family medical emergency involving her father. Together, they explore motherhood, identity, business, resilience, and what it means to keep moving forward when life feels overwhelming.00:00 Trailer: High Highs, Low Lows & Life Updates00:43 Why We Love Life Update Episodes05:28 The Emotional Weight of Fertility Care09:58 Looking Beyond Root Causes: The Bigger Infertility Crisis12:13 Startup Wins & A New Season of Life14:13 The Chinese Bamboo Tree Lesson on Patience18:43 Growing a Podcast Without Clickbait20:43 Work, Motherhood & Identity Shifts24:43 Toddler Sleep, Nursing & Parenting Updates26:58 The Dream Life Formula & Becoming Your Future Self30:43 Morgan's Pregnancy Challenges Begin31:43 Bee Stings, Swelling & Pregnancy Surprises36:43 A Painful HSV Infection & Health Scare41:13 The Doctor Who Showed Up When It Mattered Most44:28 Missing the Dance Recital for a Birth47:28 Supporting a Long Labor & Hospital Transfer53:13 Baby Archer Arrives54:33 A Family Emergency: Dad's ICU Stay01:01:13 Navigating Stress, Caregiving & Pregnancy01:05:43 Preparing for Baby #3 & Summer Plans01:09:28 Therapy, Support Systems & Looking Ahead01:10:43 Final Thoughts & OutroHealthy As A Mother Podcast | YouTubeHealthy As A Mother Podcast | InstagramHealthy As A Mother Podcast | TikTokHealthy As A Mother Podcast | Merch StoreFind more from Dr. Leah:Dr. Leah Gordon | InstagramDr. Leah Gordon | WebsiteWomanhood Wellness | WebsiteFind more from Dr. Morgan:Dr. Morgan MacDermott | InstagramDr. Morgan MacDermott | WebsiteUse code HEALTHYMOTHER and save 10% at EarthleyUse code HEALTHYMOTHER and save 15% at RedmondFor 20% off your first order at Needed, use code HEALTHYMOTHERSave $260 at Lumebox, use code HEALTHYASAMOTHERUse code HAAM and save 10% at Fond

Around 48 to 72 hours after surgery, swelling peaks, the anesthesia haze lifts, and a lot of women look in the mirror and feel like they've made a mistake. Dr. Diana Breister has been in plastic surgery long enough to know that feeling almost never means what people think it means. Most of the time, it's not regret — it's chaos.Dr. Breister, who came to La Jolla Cosmetic after years of reconstructive work at City of Hope, walks Monique through what's actually happening between day one and day fourteen. The first 48 hours are what she calls a “pink bubble” — anesthesia still on board, surgery behind you, mostly relief. Then comes the crash: maximum swelling, pain pills affecting mood, a body shape that doesn't look like the final result yet, and the strange weight of doing nothing while everyone else is productive. They get into the difference between regret and shock, why facelifts feel harder than mommy makeovers, the mean-girl moment that derailed a breast reduction recovery, and what to do when your partner isn't showing up.Three words anchor the whole conversation: trust the process. Dr. Breister explains why she can promise, with 200% certainty, that the feeling will pass — and why the women who say “what did I do” at week one almost never remember saying it by year one.LinksMeet San Diego plastic surgeon Dr. Diana BreisterLearn more about facelift surgery at LJCSCQuestions answered by this episodeWhy do I feel sad or emotional after plastic surgery?When does swelling peak after cosmetic surgery?Is it normal to regret plastic surgery in the first two weeks?What is post-surgery depression and how long does it last?Can anesthesia and pain medication change how I feel emotionally?Why does my face or body look so different right after surgery?How should a partner or family member support someone recovering from cosmetic surgery?Why do facelifts feel harder emotionally than other procedures?What are the biggest mistakes people make in the first two weeks of recovery?How do I tell the difference between normal swelling and a real problem?About this podcastLearn from the talented plastic surgeons inside La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre, the 12x winner of the San Diego's Best Union-Tribune Readers Poll, global winner of the 2020 MyFaceMyBody Best Cosmetic/Plastic Surgery Practice, and the 2025 winner of Best Cosmetic Surgery Group in San Diego Magazine's Best of San Diego Awards.Join hostess Monique Ramsey as she takes you inside LJCSC, where dreams become real. Featuring the unique expertise of San Diego's most loved plastic surgeons, this podcast covers the latest trends in aesthetic surgery, including breast augmentation, breast implant removal, tummy tuck, mommy makeover, labiaplasty, facelifts and rhinoplasty.La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre is located just off the I-5 San Diego Freeway at 9850 Genesee Ave, Suite 130 in the Ximed building on the Scripps Memorial Hospital campus.To learn more, go to LJCSC.com or follow the team on Instagram @LJCSCWatch the LJCSC Dream Team on YouTube @LaJollaCosmeticSurgeryCentreThe La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Podcast is a production of The Axis: theaxis.ioTheme music: Busy People, SOOP

Are your feet and ankles swelling every evening? Discover why your ankles swell at night and how to relieve edema in the legs and feet naturally by addressing the root cause. 0:00 Introduction: Why feet swell in the evening0:50 Common swollen feet causes 2:04 The real reason why feet swell3:21 Potassium and swollen ankles and feet4:28 How to eliminate edema symptoms

You walked out of another appointment feeling unheard. Here's how to flip the next one. In this week's episode of Menopause Reimagined, Andrea Donsky, nutritionist, published menopause researcher, educator, author, and co-founder of wearemorphus.com, sits down with Shirley Weir, founder of Menopause Chicks and one of the original voices in the menopause conversation. Shirley has spent over a decade moderating questions from a community of more than 60,000 women, and she's distilled what she's learned into a practical framework called Script Tips, designed to help you stop being dismissed at the doctor's office and start getting the answers you actually need. This is the conversation every woman in perimenopause and menopause needs before her next appointment. What you'll learn: Why over half of women leave their health appointments feeling dismissed (and the two reasons they went in the first place)Shirley's Script Tips framework: the exact language to use when you walk into the roomWhy "impact" is the single most important word you can say to your doctorWhat's actually covered under Canada's new menopause hormone therapy Pharmacare program (BC and Manitoba launched March 2026)How preventing UTIs in menopause may help reduce dementia misdiagnosesChapters:0:00 Why Women Feel Dismissed at Doctor Visits in Perimenopause 3:15 How Shirley Weir Built Menopause Chicks (And Why It Started in 2012) 8:00 Why "Doctor Google" Wasn't Enough: The Information Gap 12:30 Speak Menopause: Why the Right Vocabulary Changes Everything 17:00 Don't Blame Everything on Perimenopause (Phantom Smells, Swelling, More)21:30 Script Tips: The Method That Flips Your Doctor Appointment 28:30 The Impact Statement: The One Thing Most Women Forget to Say 34:00 Free Menopause Hormone Therapy in Canada: BC and Manitoba Pharmacare 39:30 UTI Prevention in Postmenopause (And the Dementia Connection) 43:30 Tell Three People: The Grassroots Movement Changing Menopause

Medical Mysteries Episode 1: The Case of Suspicious SwellingSUMMARY: This continuing education podcast episode unpacks a perplexing clinical case of steroid toxicity caused by an imported supplement, initially masked as classic Cushing's syndrome. Learners will follow a real-world diagnostic journey that highlights the dangers of unlabeled medications, and the challenges clinicians face in identifying non-obvious sources of endocrine disruption. The educational discussion emphasizes the importance of thorough medication histories, awareness of cultural and international supplement practices, and adherence to clinical safety protocols. This course supports nurses in improving their assessment skills, promoting safe supplement use, and recognizing red flags that may signal hidden pharmacologic risks.  ---Nurses may be able to complete an accredited CE activity featuring content from this podcast and earn CE hours provided from Elite Learning by Colibri Healthcare. For more information, click hereAlready an Elite Member? Login hereLearn more about CE Podcasts from Elite Learning by Colibri HealthcareView this podcast course on Elite LearningSeries: Medical Mysteries CE Podcast Bundle

We open the show on Oz Pearlman — the mentalist who's been showing up on every podcast and somehow keeps reading minds for a living. Adam just caught him on Modern Wisdom, where Pearlman walked the host through his exact internal thought process — what he picked, what he second-guessed, what he settled on — like he had a pipeline straight into the man's head. Adam now rearranges his schedule whenever Oz pops up on a screen. So consider this a formal invitation: Oz, come drink whiskey with us. Tell us our favorite bourbon. We'll pour the Glencairns.Speaking of — this week we're sipping High West Campfire. A blend of straight rye, straight bourbon, and blended malt scotch. Yes, scotch. Peat smoke gives way to orange zest, English toffee, toasted brioche, salted caramel, leather, dark chocolate. It works.Then Adam gives an update on baby Mary. New listeners — Adam's daughter was born very early with a heart condition and a long list of complications. She's been in the NICU since birth. This past weekend was her actual due date, and after a long string of holding-the-line W's, she's turned a meaningful corner. Off the paralytic. Better oxygen, blood pressure, heart rate. Swelling coming down. Still a long road — likely nine to twelve more months in the NICU. Adam and Lady Haylee are deeply grateful. Keep them in your prayers. Both of them.Quick note from Dave: Good Shepherd Sunday in Tulsa. The pastor handed out cards and asked every man in the pews to write down the name of a young man who'd make a good priest. A thousand men doing that work together. Tulsa's per-capita priest count is already top five in the country — and we still need more.Then we get into it. The King in the Tabernacle.If the Eucharist is just a symbol, the Catholic Church is a 2,000-year deception. Flannery O'Connor's line — to hell with it — is the right one. But we don't believe it's a symbol. We believe what Christ said. Body, blood, soul, and divinity. The continuation of the Incarnation, until the end of the age.David's been reading The Real Presence by St. Peter Julian Eymard (Cor Jesu Press). Eymard is the patron of Eucharistic adoration — one homily in him, gave it for a lifetime. And one chapter lays out a battle plan for how to actually spend a holy hour. Not just sit there. Spend it.The four ends of worship — ACTS: Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, Supplication. Eymard breaks the hour into four fifteen-minute sections. First fifteen: adoration. You don't walk into the royal court making demands. You fall on your knees and salute the King. Second fifteen: thanksgiving — for yourself, your family, the world. Thank Him for instituting the Eucharist at all. (Most of us forget that one.) Third fifteen: reparation. Stand in the gap. For your sins, for the world's, especially for the sacrileges against the Eucharist itself. Fourth fifteen: petition. Now you can ask. Ask large graces. Ask for the triumph of His Church. By the time you get there, you're asking for the right things.We talk about the difference between knowing the Eucharist is Christ and acting like it. You don't accidentally get a six-pack at 40. You don't accidentally get holy, either. We're body-soul composites — what we do with our bodies forms our souls. That's why we genuflect. Dress for Mass. Kneel after Communion. St. Charbel had two modes: preparing to receive, or thanking God for having received. The bar he set is the right one.We close with Eymard's image of the guard of honor. Jesus has made Himself vulnerable in the host. Heart pierced. Defenseless. Waiting on His men to show up and adore Him. That's the work. Guard duty. Get to adoration. Change your life.Raise your glass.TOPICS COVEREDOz Pearlman the mentalist — and Adam's open invitation to come on the showBaby Mary's update: off the paralytic, turning a corner after months in the NICUWhy prayer for Lady Haylee matters as much as prayer for MaryGood Shepherd Sunday in Tulsa — a thousand men writing down names of future priestsWhy the Eucharist is the reason to be Catholic — and why "to hell with it" is the right answer if it's a symbolSt. Peter Julian Eymard, the patron of Eucharistic adoration, and his book The Real PresenceWhy the real presence is the continuation of the IncarnationThe actual battle plan for a holy hour: ACTS in fifteen-minute sectionsWhy thanksgiving in adoration is the most perfect act of loveReparation — standing in the gap for sacrileges against the EucharistWhy your petitions get sharper after you've adored, thanked, and made reparationKnowing the Eucharist is Christ vs. actually acting like itWhy you're not going to accidentally get holy any more than you're going to accidentally get a six-pack at 40Body-soul composites: how genuflection, posture, and dress shape the interior lifeSt. Charbel's two modes — preparing to receive Communion, or thanking God for having receivedLady Pamela stopping at every chapel she passed — and why that 60 seconds was worth more than Adam realizedDon't let the perfect be the enemy of the excellentThe guard of honor: Jesus exposing Himself in the host, depending on His men to defend and adore HimBourbon of the week: High West Campfire — the rare rye/bourbon/scotch blendREFERENCED IN THIS EPISODEBooks:The Real Presence by St. Peter Julian Eymard (Cor Jesu Press)Saints:St. Peter Julian EymardSt. CharbelMother Angelica (and her new shoes at adoration)People & previous guests:Joey Spencer — on Christ becoming the fruit hanging on a treeJeff Cavins — on talking to Jesus like He's actually thereFlannery O'Connor / Dorothy Day — "If it's a symbol, to hell with it"Oz Pearlman (mentalist, Modern Wisdom podcast)Lady Haylee MinihanLady Pamela NilesConcepts & references:The four ends of worship: Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, Supplication (ACTS)The National Eucharistic CongressGood Shepherd SundayEucharistic adorationThe continuation of the IncarnationSubstance and accidents (Aristotelian-Thomistic metaphysics of the Eucharist)SPONSOR BLOCKSponsor: Select International Tours — selectinternationaltours.comWhen Adam and Dave decided to lead their first pilgrimage, the same name kept coming up: Select International Tours. Having now used them, we can tell you they're the real deal. Whether you want to lead a pilgrimage or join one, Select has a tour ready for wherever the Lord is calling you. Head to selectinternationaltours.com and take a look.

The church at Corinth was boasting and their heads were swelling with pride as we say but not over a good thing! There was a man having a sexual relationship with his stepmom in the church and the church was boasting about this sin instead of putting an end to it. Paul says, “What are yall doing? I'm not even there and I have already judged the guy. Get him out of your fellowship, turn him over to Satan, and don't even have a meal with him.” We can learn a great lesson from the church at Corinth...Sin is serious and it should not be tolerated.

Simon's preview of tonight's ghastly event in Washington, at which journalists who claim to be responsible members of the Fourth Estate will break bread and flatter the politicians they cover.  With David Harper on the UK's rolling news station LBC News.

In this episode, we're getting real about motherhood—like, the stuff no one actually prepares you for. From pregnancy surprises to postpartum realities, we're sharing the honest, messy, and sometimes hilarious truths about becoming a mom. We talk hormones, healing, expectations vs. reality, and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with it all. But more than anything, this episode is a reminder that even in the chaos, the discomfort, and the unknowns—motherhood is deeply worth it. We're leaning into gratitude, laughing through the wild moments, and reminding each other (and you!) that God is present in every single part of the journey. Whether you're pregnant, hoping to be, or just curious about what motherhood is really like—this one's for you.

Bellie presents with persistent bilateral lower extremity swelling that worsens throughout the day. The therapist is selecting an intervention to assist with fluid return. Which of the following interventions would MOST effectively assist with this goal?A) Maintaining the lower extremities in a gravity-dependent positionB) Diaphragmatic breathingC) Sustained isometric contraction of the upper extremitiesD) Passive trunk rotation in supineJoin the FREE Facebook Group: www.nptegroup.com

Welcome back to our weekend Cabral HouseCall shows!   This is where we answer our community's wellness, weight loss, and anti-aging questions to help people get back on track!   Check out today's questions:    Darem: Hey, Dr Cabral. I recently did a health assessment where everything went well except my practioner telling me I'm overweight according to BMI which was 26.0. She then went off textbookedly (sic) saying to exercise more, eat more fruits & veggies etc. I already do all that for years. I'm 5'6, 161lbs, lean, muscular, 6 pack abs. Around 10% BF. How can I still be overweight      Jenny: Hi Dr. Cabral - I have a question about garlic. In a recent podcast you talked about the many benefits of garlic and of consuming at least a clove a day. Do we get the same great benefits of garlic (including cancer prevention) if it is cooked, roasted, baked as part of a recipe, etc., or does it need to be raw? (I know you talked about smashing it and letting it sit for 5 minutes.) Thank you!      Julie: Hi Dr. Cabral, My daughter (age 3 at the time) was diagnosed with Mycobacterium Avium Complex (MAC). It took awhile to properly diagnose and be treated since it is so rare in children. She was put on multiple medications including antibiotics for about 2 years (ethambutol, rifampin & azithromycin). She is now 9 and doing great, but we recently noticed symptoms of Raynaud's Syndrome. While I am waiting for an endocrinologist appointment I was hoping to see if you had any insight as to what would put her in a compromised state to begin with to be able to contract MAC. And now should I be testing and treating her with protocols to make sure her rain barrel isn't overfilling and if so what do you suggest at this young age?      Tricia: Hi Dr Cabral - hope you and the family are doing well! I have a quick question regarding the GLP Tone and Metavolve systems. I've done both and love them both! I am currently on Metavolve and have been for the last few months. I don't follow the diet plan it comes with strictly, but I do follow your baseline of a Mediterranean diet. I feel really good and am losing weight just more slowly. I'm 56 post-menopausal and am healing on the inside out. My question is can both of these systems be used long term? Are they safe to do so and when I do transition off of Metavolve do I need to do it slowly? Thank you for creating such amazing supplements to assist us in this life long journey of health!      Bob: Hello dr Cabral I wanted to ask for your thoughts on what might cause and what to do with this issue. I normally walk about 10k steps a day and either at mornings or nights have a longer walk about 5 to 6000 and make up the remaining steps throughout the day. But when taking the longer walk I have notice it seems my hands start to swell while walking. I have even noticed it in my wrist as my watch band gets very tight. I don't pump my arms very much when walking and feels harder to make a fist when this happens. Any advise on this for me. It does seem to go back to normal after stopping in few hours      Thank you for tuning into today's Cabral HouseCall and be sure to check back tomorrow where we answer more of our community's questions!    - - - Show Notes and Resources: StephenCabral.com/3711 - - - Get a FREE Copy of Dr. Cabral's Book: The Rain Barrel Effect - - - Join the Community & Get Your Questions Answered: CabralSupportGroup.com - - - Dr. Cabral's Most Popular At-Home Lab Tests: > Complete Minerals & Metals Test (Test for mineral imbalances & heavy metal toxicity) - - - > Complete Candida, Metabolic & Vitamins Test (Test for 75 biomarkers including yeast & bacterial gut overgrowth, as well as vitamin levels) - - - > Complete Stress, Mood & Metabolism Test (Discover your complete thyroid, adrenal, hormone, vitamin D & insulin levels) - - - > Complete Food Sensitivity Test (Find out your hidden food sensitivities) - - - > Complete Omega-3 & Inflammation Test (Discover your levels of inflammation related to your omega-6 to omega-3 levels) - - - Get Your Question Answered On An Upcoming HouseCall: StephenCabral.com/askcabral - - - Would You Take 30 Seconds To Rate & Review The Cabral Concept? The best way to help me spread our mission of true natural health is to pass on the good word, and I read and appreciate every review!  

There's been a surprising development with Stef's cheese tree, plus Pooja shares a funny childhood memory ...AND... Coffee The Pooch turns 9!

In this episode of Iron Culture, Eric Trexler and Eric Helms discuss perpetually hot topics in the fitness and bodybuilding community, focusing on recent research findings related to training at long muscle lengths and the implications of muscle swelling on hypertrophy reserach. They explore the nuances of lengthened bias training, the importance of sampling variance in research, and the impact of muscle swelling on hypertrophy measurements. If you're in the market for some new lifting gear or apparel, be sure to use discount code "MRR10" for a 10% discount at elitefts.com Chapters 00:00 Intro 04:39 Research Roundup: Lengthened Bias Training 07:20 Study Findings and Interpretations 10:24 Contextualizing Research in Fitness 13:53 Incremental Improvements in Research 17:10 Understanding Muscle Mechanics and Training Equipment 23:23  Sampling Variance and Its Impact on Research Interpretation 37:33 The Debate on Lengthened vs. Shortened Training 49:20 New Insights on Muscle Swelling and Hypertrophy 58:46 Understanding Muscle Performance and Recovery 01:03:39 The Debate on Training Volume and Hypertrophy 01:12:09 Wrapping up

In this episode, we are joined by Drs. Julie Falardeau and Chloe Gottlieb to discuss the implications and management of inflammatory optic disc swelling.The discussants report no relevant financial disclosures

Dr. Joseph Chow from WNY Immediate Care has tips for determining whether you should go to the ER or urgent care facility if you're feeling sick.

The enemy's plan against us is to use great swelling word that will put us in a state of fear and turn us away from our faith, however if we hold strong to our faith and draw closer to the Lord he will be our protection.

【図解】利払い費、金利と普通国債残高の推移「責任ある積極財政」を掲げる高市政権が編成した２０２６年度予算案は、国の借金である国債の元本返済と利払い費を合わせた「国債費」が３１兆２７５８億円と過去最大になった。 Swelling debt-servicing costs, shown by Japan's fiscal 2026 initial budget drafted by the government, will pose the risk of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's expansionary fiscal policy losing market confidence, experts warn.

Timestamps 2:00 The Runners Zone Spotify Wrapped! 7:30 Knee swelling or knee effusion? 9:00 How to manage post-op knee swelling 11:30 How our management of swelling has changed through our career 15:40 How to assess knee swelling 21:30 The need to look combine patient history, clinical presentation, & swelling measures 26:00 How much swelling is ok to push through?  28:30 Do Chris and Nathan set yearly goals?  Research article Inter-rater reliability to assess knee joint effusion Video Examples 3+ knee effusion 2+ knee effusion 1+ knee effusion Want to work with runners and build a thriving business around it? The Runner's Zone is an upbeat, global community of clinicians, coaches, and trainers who love working with endurance athletes. For over 10 years, we've helped passionate professionals fast-track their skills, grow their confidence, and build beautiful, word-of-mouth businesses that runners rave about. Join us if you're ready to level up—and have fun doing it. Use code "rzpod" for 10% off the annual membership. To learn more click HERE.  

If you've been dealing with unexplained swelling, chronic fatigue, or pain that doctors can't explain, this episode will help you understand what your symptoms are really telling you — and why they're often dismissed or misdiagnosed.Dr. Paula Ruffin (New Hudson, MI) shares three real cases where serious symptoms were overlooked, labs were delayed, or patients were told “you're fine” when they very clearly were not.In this episode:Why swelling, ankle pain, and post-chemo symptoms are never randomThe real reasons behind chronic fatigue and inflammationHow low platelets and immune dysfunction connect back to lifestyleWhy your nervous system can't be “reset” by a drugWhat chiropractic, functional medicine, and root-cause testing uncoverHow to advocate for yourself when your symptoms are dismissedIf you feel ignored, unheard, or stuck in a cycle of unexplained symptoms, this conversation will give you clarity, confidence, and direction.STAY CONNECTED!Free resources:https://drruffin.com/https://www.instagram.com/drpaularuffin/https://www.facebook.com/drpaularuffin/ https://www.facebook.com/NewHudsonChiropracticAndWellnessCenterhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/drpaularuffinFor high quality supplements:https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/pruffinDisclaimer: The contents of this video are for entertainment and informational purposes only and are not intended to be medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, nor to replace medical care. The information presented herein is accurate and conforms to the available scientific evidence to the best of the author's knowledge as of the time of posting. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding any medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of information contained in video content by Dr. Paula Ruffin DC!

If you've been struggling with lower back pain or inflammation, essential oils might be the key to unlocking relief. Read Loving Essential Oils' guide to learn which oils are best for your situation. Click https://www.lovingessentialoils.com/a/blog/essential-oils-for-back-pain now! Loving Essential Oils City: Sacramento Address: 1401 21st Street Suite R Website: https://www.lovingessentialoils.com

Hello lovely, and welcome back to Fly to Freedom.In this episode, I'm opening up about one of the hardest, most confusing, and least-talked-about parts of eating disorder recovery: oedema (fluid retention).For 18 months, I experienced painful swelling in my legs, belly, hands, and face – and not a single professional warned me it could happen. It was frightening, uncomfortable, and made me feel like I was somehow doing recovery “wrong.”If you've been there too, you'll know the shame and panic that can come with not recognising your own body in the mirror. But I want you to know this: oedema is not failure. It's healing.In this episode, I share:What edema actually is and why it happens in recoveryThe physical and emotional symptoms nobody tells you aboutWhy some people get it severely and others don'tHow rest, nourishment, and trust are essential to support your body through itWhy fighting swelling often makes it worseHow edema can help with the fear of weight gain by forcing you to face changeWhy fluid retention is a sign of your body's deep intelligence and protectionEdema might feel overwhelming, but it's your body repairing, rebuilding, and reclaiming its health. You are not broken – you are healing.

Patrick, Ian and Randy talk about humidity control and whole house ventilation in this HVAC-themed episode. Guy, Doug, and Josh share experiences with maintaining comfortable and house-friendly humidity levels. Matt asks about his tenting hardwood floor. Home moisture consultant Guy share insights on humidity control in low-load houses. Doug's Colorado house is too dry. Matt's floor is hitting his door. Chris is trading his HRV for an ERV.      Tune in to Episode 708 of the Fine Homebuilding Podcast to learn more about:  The joy and satisfaction of heating with wood  Why smoke detectors always go off at night  Detailing windows in brick walls  Have a question or topic you want us to talk about on the show? Email us at fhbpodcast@taunton.com.     ➡️ Check Out the Full Show Notes: FHB Podcast 708 ➡️ Sign up for a Fine Homebuilding All-Access Membership ➡️ Follow Fine Homebuilding on Social Media:   Instagram • Facebook • TikTok • Pinterest • YouTube  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and rate us on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you prefer to listen.

In episode 297 of China Manufacturing Decoded, host Renaud is joined by Sofeast reliability specialist Andrew Amirnovin to unpack why smart wearables so often fail in the field, and how to stop it. They break down real cases across rings, earbuds, watches, and smart glasses (think swollen cells, failing mics, cracked displays, and weak straps), then map fixes to a practical workflow: early DFMEA, designing for foreseeable misuse, test-to-failure (drops, sweat ingress, torsion), and ORT after any supplier or component change. You'll hear how to balance sleek form factors with robustness, set DVP&R with vendors, and avoid costly reliability surprises.   Episode Sections: 00:00:12 – Introduction. 00:01:04 – Wearables & why reliability matters.  00:03:12 – Case 1: Samsung Galaxy Ring battery swelling & safety risk.  00:07:27 – Foreseeable misuse & worst-case design thinking (rings).  00:09:44 – Case 2: AirPods Pro ANC/microphone failures after 1–2 years.  00:16:54 – Testing to failure: drop & sweat, isolate root causes.  00:17:55 – Case 3: Smartwatches (Galaxy Watch 5) screens cracking too easily.  00:24:21 – Xiaomi watch similar issues; plan for misuse; EU risk assessment.  00:28:18 – New categories = unpredictable use; plan reliability up-front.  00:31:13 – DFMEA discipline for wearables; consequences of failure.  00:32:10 – Case 4: Fitbit Versa strap/band reliability complaints; ORT after changes.  00:36:06 – Purchasing swaps, component changes & the need for ORT.  00:38:00 – Case 5: Meta/Ray-Ban smart glasses user complaints, battery/performance.  00:39:45 – Battery life degradation vs. performance drain discussion.  00:44:52 – Closing thoughts: Be patient with cutting-edge form factors.  00:45:44 – Wrap-up & outro.    Related content... Here's a big reason to think twice before buying a smart ring (WaPo) AirPods Pro lawsuit says Apple didn't fix the crackles and ANC faults (9to5 Mac) More users report "red screen of death" on older Galaxy Watch model (Notebookcheck) Fitbit fined $12 million for Ionic smartwatches that burned 78 people (The Verge) Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Finally Ready for Daily Use (Next Reality) Do You Need a Customized Reliability Test Plan? Design for Reliability Secrets [Podcast] How Many Product Samples Do We Really Need To Test For Reliability And Compliance? How To Do Product Reliability Testing? dFMEA: 8 Secrets for a Successful Implementation Investigating the Causes of Product Failure and Improving Design Get in touch with us Connect with us on LinkedIn Contact us via Sofeast's contact page Subscribe to our YouTube channel Prefer Facebook? Check us out on FB

Episode 173 of Limb Lengthening LIVE is an open mic discussion! Patients are invited to join the stream, share their stories, updates, and ask questions in real time.Also the PRECICE nail price could increase significantly after the new year. We'll discuss what this could mean for future patients and the limb lengthening community._____________________Audio Podcast - will be available within 24-48hrs after stream endsTimestamps - 0:00 – Intro1:07 – Noah Update: Halfway Through Lengthening (35 mm Down)2:00 – Pain Management Journey & Medication Challenges3:10 – Slow vs Staggered Lengthening Rates (0.66 mm & 0.99 mm Alternating)4:00 – Evolution of Lengthening Protocols & Surgeon Insights5:03 – “I Need to Stretch” Shares Tibia Correction and Duck-Butt Posture6:25 – Aaron Joins: Bone Healing X-Rays & First Walking Video Reveal8:30 – Proportion Talk: 7.4 cm Gain and Natural-Looking Silhouette10:00 – Aaron on Early Walking & Learning Limits15:00 – New Guest Olympus Joins – Femur Surgery & Fat Embolism Story17:10 – Olympus Recovery Journey & Learning From Complication19:20 – DS Joins – New Tibia Patient (Precice 2) & Biomechanics Motivation22:20 – Pain, Swelling & Nerve Compression Discussion + Compression Tips27:00 – Live Chat Q&A: Work Return, Pain Tips, Gabapentin & Insurance35:00 – Risk Assessment of Surgery (Panel 1–10 Scale) & Real-World Insights43:00 – DS on Surfing, Proportions & Restoring Tibia-Femur Balance55:00 – Lifestyle and Social Questions (Post-Op Work & Telling Friends)1:00:00 – Outro______________________Find Links to Everything Here and Below: https://sleekbio.com/cyborg4life

In this episode of Bladder Cancer Matters, host and survivor Rick Bangs sits down with Dr. Mark Schoenberg—renowned urologist and Chief Medical Officer at UroGen® Pharma—for a wide-ranging conversation about the evolution of bladder cancer research, treatment, and patient advocacy. Dr. Schoenberg shares the story behind BCAN's founding, the early challenges of raising awareness, and the innovations that are reshaping care today, including the development of non-surgical therapies like ZUSDURI™ (mitomycin) for intravesical solution, a prescription medicine used to treat adults with a type of cancer of the lining of the bladder called low-grade intermediate-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (LG-IR-NMIBC) after you have previously received bladder surgery to remove the tumor and it did not work or is no longer working. From his decades of patient-centered work to his role in pioneering new approaches with UroGen, Dr. Schoenberg offers insights into where the field has been and the promising future ahead. Tune in to hear a fascinating mix of history, science, and hope for patients and families impacted by bladder cancer. Please see the link to the full Prescribing Information on the podcast web page or available at www.zusduri.com.  ZUSDURI Prescribing Information ZUSDURI Patient Information Holzbeierlein J, Bixler BR, Buckley DI, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: AUA/SUO guideline: 2024 amendment. J Urol. 2024;10.1097/JU.0000000000003846. ZUSDURI (mitomycin) for intravesical solution is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with a type of cancer of the lining of the bladder called low-grade intermediate-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (LG-IR-NMIBC) after you have previously received bladder surgery to remove tumor and it did not work or is no longer working. ZUSDURI™ Important Safety Information You should not receive ZUSDURI™ if you have a hole or tear (perforation) of your bladder or if you have had an allergic reaction to mitomycin or to any of the ingredients in ZUSDURI™. Before receiving ZUSDURI™, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you: have kidney problems are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. ZUSDURI™ can harm your unborn baby. You should not become pregnant during treatment with ZUSDURI™. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant during treatment with ZUSDURI™. Females who are able to become pregnant: You should use effective birth control (contraception) during treatment with ZUSDURI™ and for 6 months after the last dose. Males being treated with ZUSDURI™: You should use effective birth control (contraception) during treatment with ZUSDURI™ and for 3 months after the last dose. are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if ZUSDURI™ passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment with ZUSDURI™ and for 1 week after the last dose. How will I receive ZUSDURI™? You will receive your ZUSDURI™ dose from your healthcare provider 1 time a week for 6 weeks into your bladder through a tube called a urinary catheter. It is important that you receive all 6 doses of ZUSDURI™ according to your healthcare provider's instructions. If you miss any appointments, call your healthcare provider as soon as possible to reschedule your appointment. During treatment with ZUSDURI™, your healthcare provider may tell you to take additional medicines or change how you take your current medicines. After receiving ZUSDURI™: ZUSDURI™ may cause your urine color to change to a violet to blue color. Avoid contact between your skin and urine for at least 24 hours. To urinate, males and females should sit on a toilet and flush the toilet several times after you use it. After going to the bathroom, wash your hands, your inner thighs, and genital area well with soap and water. Clothing that comes in contact with urine should be washed right away and washed separately from other clothing. The most common side effects of ZUSDURI™ include: increased blood creatinine levels, increased blood potassium levels, trouble with urination, decreased red blood cell counts, increase in certain blood liver tests, increased or decreased white blood cell counts, urinary tract infection, blood in your urine. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects to UroGen Pharma at 1-855-987-6436. Please see ZUSDURI Full Prescribing Information, including the Patient Information, for additional information.  JELMYTO® Important Safety Information You should not receive JELMYTO® if you have a hole or tear (perforation) of your bladder or upper urinary tract. Before receiving JELMYTO®, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. JELMYTO® can harm your unborn baby. You should not become pregnant during treatment with JELMYTO®. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant during treatment with JELMYTO®. Females who are able to become pregnant: You should use effective birth control (contraception) during treatment with JELMYTO® and for 6 months after the last dose. Males being treated with JELMYTO®: If you have a female partner who is able to become pregnant, you should use effective birth control (contraception) during treatment with JELMYTO® and for 3 months after the last dose. are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if JELMYTO® passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment with JELMYTO® and for 1 week after the last dose. Tell your healthcare provider if you take water pills (diuretic). How will I receive JELMYTO®? Your healthcare provider will tell you to take a medicine called sodium bicarbonate before each JELMYTO® treatment. You will receive your JELMYTO® dose from your healthcare provider 1 time a week for 6 weeks. It is important that you receive all 6 doses of JELMYTO® according to your healthcare provider's instructions. If you miss any appointments, call your healthcare provider as soon as possible to reschedule your appointment. Your healthcare provider may recommend up to an additional 11 monthly doses. JELMYTO® is given to your kidney through a tube called a catheter. During treatment with JELMYTO®, your healthcare provider may tell you to take additional medicines or change how you take your current medicines. After receiving JELMYTO®: JELMYTO® may cause your urine color to change to a violet to blue color. Avoid contact between your skin and urine for at least 6 hours. To urinate, males and females should sit on a toilet and flush the toilet several times after you use it. After going to the bathroom, wash your hands, your inner thighs, and genital area well with soap and water. Clothing that comes in contact with urine should be washed right away and washed separately from other clothing. JELMYTO® may cause serious side effects, including: Swelling and narrowing of the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder (ureteric obstruction). If you develop swelling and narrowing, and to protect your kidney from damage, your healthcare provider may recommend the placement of a small plastic tube (stent) in the ureter to help the kidney drain. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you develop side pain or fever during treatment with JELMYTO®. Bone marrow problems. JELMYTO® can affect your bone marrow and can cause a decrease in your white blood cell, red blood cell, and platelet counts. Your healthcare provider will do blood tests prior to each treatment to check your blood cell counts during treatment with JELMYTO®. Your healthcare provider may need to temporarily or permanently stop JELMYTO® if you develop bone marrow problems during treatment with JELMYTO®. The most common side effects of JELMYTO® include: urinary tract infection, blood in your urine, side pain, nausea, trouble with urination, kidney problems, vomiting, tiredness, stomach (abdomen) pain. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit http://www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects to UroGen Pharma at 1-855-987-6436. Please click here for JELMYTO® Full Prescribing Information, including the Patient Information, for additional information.  

Type 2 diabetes directly damages your heart's ability to make energy, leaving you more vulnerable to fatigue, swelling, and heart failure Human heart tissue studies show that mitochondria — the power plants of your cells — lose key components in diabetic hearts, forcing the heart to beat with less fuel Fat and sugar metabolism both become inefficient, and backup fuels fail to provide support, leaving your heart stranded without reliable energy sources Structural changes inside the heart, including scar-like collagen buildup and weaker calcium-handling proteins, make each heartbeat less coordinated and less powerful You can take action by cutting linoleic acid (LA) from your diet, choosing the right carbohydrates, limiting environmental toxins, using sunlight strategically, and tracking your insulin resistance with HOMA-IR to protect your heart's energy systems

Send us a textReducing NICU ventilator days by preventing fluid overload with the CAN-U-P-LOTS standardized bundle.Askenazi DJ, Gordon L, Griffin R, Collins M, Black A, Ambalavanan N, Webb T, Mathis M, Short K, Umberger A, Travers C.Pediatr Res. 2025 Jul 11. doi: 10.1038/s41390-025-04078-x. Online ahead of print.PMID: 40646283Support the showAs always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: nicupodcast@gmail.com. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below. Enjoy!

In this episode we cover: Adequan loading doses vs. monthly injectionsThe protocol for bringing horses back to work after joint injections.Why are Molly's horse, Annie,legs swollen.Garcon was cleared to jump post tendon injury!Upcoming show plans.

Headaches don't punch the clock at bedtime — in fact, for many, night is when they strike hardest. In this episode, we'll:Explore how disrupted sleep can trigger and intensify migraines, cluster headaches, hypnic headaches, and chronic daily headacheExamine the role of sleep apnea in “morning headaches” and how CPAP therapy can make them disappearReview the latest research linking insomnia treatment to reduced headache burden — including new findings from a Seattle study on prazosin for posttraumatic headache in veteransBreak down the brain mechanisms connecting sleep and pain, from hypothalamic circadian control to CGRP signalingOffer practical, research-backed strategies for patients and clinicians to address both sides of the equationProduced by: Maeve WinterMore Twitter: @drchriswinter IG: @drchriwinter Threads: @drchriswinter Bluesky: @drchriswinter The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child Thanks for listening and sleep well!

Welcome to the Celestial Insights Podcast, the show that brings the stars down to Earth! Each week, astrologer, coach, and intuitive Celeste Brooks of Astrology by Celeste will be your guide. Her website is astrologybyceleste.com.  

Episode Highlights The Reel Eyes Podcast has once again proven that movie reviews can be more than just entertainment they can be an unexpected classroom for eye care professionals. In this episode, co-hosts Dr. Jacobi Cleaver and Dr. Jacob Wilson dissect the animated blockbuster Superman (2024), using the Man of Steel's cinematic highs and lows […]

The Trends Journal is a weekly magazine analyzing global current events forming future trends. Our mission is to present Facts and Truth over fear and propaganda to help subscribers prepare for What's Next in these increasingly turbulent times. To access our premium content, subscribe to the Trends Journal: https://trendsjournal.com/subscribe Follow Gerald Celente on Twitter: http://twitter.com/geraldcelente Follow Gerald Celente on Facebook: http://facebook.com/gcelente Follow Gerald Celente on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geraldcelentetrends Follow Gerald Celente on Gab: http://gab.com/geraldcelente Copyright © 2025 Trends Research Institute. All rights reserved.

Angioedema – Recognition and Management in the ED Hosts: Maria Mulligan-Buckmiller, MD Brian Gilberti, MD https://media.blubrry.com/coreem/content.blubrry.com/coreem/Angioedema.mp3 Download Leave a Comment Tags: Airway Show Notes Definition & Pathophysiology Angioedema = localized swelling of mucous membranes and subcutaneous tissues due to increased vascular permeability. Triggers increased vascular permeability → fluid shifts into tissues. Etiologies Histamine-mediated (anaphylaxis) Associated with urticaria/hives, pruritus, and redness. Triggered by allergens (foods, insect stings, medications). Rapid onset (minutes to hours). Bradykinin-mediated Hereditary angioedema (HAE): C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency (autosomal dominant). Acquired angioedema: Associated with B-cell lymphoma, autoimmune disease, MGUS. Medication-induced: Most commonly ACE inhibitors; rarely ARBs. Typically lacks urticaria and itching. Gradual onset, can last days if untreated. Idiopathic angioedema Unknown cause; diagnosis of exclusion. Clinical Presentations Swelling Asymmetric, non-pitting, usually non-painful. May involve lips, tongue, face, extremities, GI tract. Respiratory compromise Upper airway swelling → stridor, dyspnea, sensation of throat closure. Airway obstruction is the most feared complication. Abdominal manifestations

Natural alternatives for Trump's chronic leg swelling problems; How certain blood and urine tests can help predict osteoporosis; Dark chocolate enhances cognitive function—with lasting effects; caffeinated black coffee reduces risk of death by 14%; NY Times misses the boat again on supplements for immunity; Man dies after being pulled into MRI machine.

It's Monday, July 21st, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Nigerian Muslims slaughtered 27 Christians including 3-year-old girl At 3:00 a.m. on July 15th, the Christian village of Bindi near Jos in the Plateau State in Nigeria, was plunged into a nightmare. Twenty-seven Christians were slaughtered, including a 3-year-old girl and nine members of Pastor Davou Musa's family, burned alive in their home, reports TruthNigeria.com. These attacks are not isolated incidents. They are part of a coordinated, radical Islamic campaign carried out by Fulani terrorists, with a mission to eradicate Christians from Nigeria and establish a Muslim caliphate. The perpetrators shouted “Allahu Akbar” as they hacked, shot, and burned families alive. One pastor shed light on what that Arabic phrase means. PASTOR: “Allah Akbar. Some will translate that as ‘God is great.' ‘ Perhaps a better translation of that Arabic phrase is, ‘Our God is greater.' This is a declaration that the demon and demons working through these people consider themselves to be greater than Jesus Christ, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. “Ephesians 6:[12] says that our war is not just ‘against flesh and blood, but powers, principalities and spirits.' Practically, what this means is, when you see conflict in the seen realm, there is far greater conflict in the unseen realm. And when you hear, ‘Our God is greater,' that is a declaration of spiritual warfare from a demon against Jesus Christ, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob.” And where was the military? Just two miles away, but they arrived two hours late, a disturbing pattern of complicity that Christians have endured over and over again. Equipping The Persecuted is mobilizing immediately to assist survivors, providing emergency aid, trauma care, food, and security. But they urgently need your help. They are the only organization on the ground whose mission is to stop the persecution, not just clean up after it. This is not just a humanitarian crisis. It is genocide. And the world is ignoring it. Make a donation to Equipping the Persecuted through a special link in our transcript today at www.TheWorldview.com. Huckabee rebukes attackers of Christian church in Palestinian town U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemned recent attacks on a Christian village and its historic church in the West Bank, calling them “a crime against humanity and God,” reports The Christian Post. His statement came after visiting the site of the arson and ongoing harassment. Huckabee travelled Saturday to Taybeh, a Christian Palestinian town that residents say has endured a wave of assaults by Israeli settlers in recent weeks, according to The Times of Israel.  The attacks include a fire set near the ruins of the Church of St. George, which church leaders described as among the most severe incidents to date. Huckabee, a longtime Evangelical supporter of Israel, said during his visit that the desecration of religious sites represented “an act of terror” and that such actions should carry “harsh consequences.” Trump diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency after leg swelling Last Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt gave the press an update on President Donald Trump's health. She told reporters that he has experienced mild swelling in his lower legs, according to a memo from Dr. Sean Barbarella, the physician to the president. LEAVITT: “The president underwent a comprehensive examination, including diagnostic vascular studies. Bilateral lower extremity veinous doppler ultrasounds were performed and revealed chronic venous insufficiency, a benign, common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70.” Leavitt also talked about photos showing some minor bruising on the back of the President's hand. She explained the bruising is a minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin, reports CBN News. Intercessors for America featured this prayer.  Pray with me now, if you would. “Father, we lift President Trump before You. We ask You would heal him and strengthen his body as he continues to serve our great nation. Amen.” Why Republicans defunded NPR and PBS The U.S. Congress voted to defund the Public Broadcasting Corporation by $1.1 billion, reports The Epoch Times. Republican Congressman Brandon Gill of Texas spoke from the floor of the House. GILL: “Tonight is the culmination of months of work from House Republicans to defund left wing state sponsored media outlets like NPR. “During that process, we got to bring in leadership from these outlets, like the CEO of NPR, Katherine Maher to testify before the House Oversight Committee she's written extensively about every single major woke buzz word that you could think of, including, ‘the ravages of late stage capitalism,' ‘structural privilege,' her own ‘cis white mobility privilege.'  Most Americans, including myself, didn't know what that meant until reading this. “She's written about how ‘I do wish Hillary, [meaning Hillary Clinton], wouldn't use the language of ‘boy and girl.' It's erasing language for non-binary people. “This is the person running the outlet the other side of the aisle wants our tax dollars to subsidize non-partisan news outlets are not run by lunatics like this. Republicans are done using the power that voters give us to fund Democrat media machines. We're playing to win now.” Chip and Joanna Gaines promote homosexuality on new TV show And finally, Christians across America are objecting to the moral compromise of self-proclaimed Christians Chip and Joanna Gaines known for their home renovation show Fixer Upper and the Magnolia Network, reports the New York Post. As producers of a new reality show “Back to the Frontier” which premiered on July 10th, they sparked backlash for casting a homosexual male couple. A source close to Chip and Joanna – who cast a faux-married couple Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs and their 10-year-old twin sons through surrogacy – says they have long affirmed perversion. Conservative Christian leaders like Reverend Franklin Graham and podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey both slammed their decision, with Graham calling the casting “very disappointing.”  Graham was clear in his stance, writing: “His Word is absolute truth. God loves us, and His design for marriage is between one man and one woman.” This prompted Chip to pour gasoline on the controversy by tweeting: “The way of ‘modern American Christian culture' is ‘Judge 1st, understand later/never.' ”  Christian author Matt Walsh replied, “Maybe you should endeavor to understand the basic moral teachings of your own alleged religion before you give lectures to other people about their lack of understanding.” And Robby Starbuck, another Christian influencer, said, “Promoting this show means cash is greater than Christianity. When you reduce it to that simple truth, it's eye opening. I hope you correct course Chip. ‘For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?'” (Matthew 16:26) The TV couple – parents to five children ranging between 20 and seven in age – are active members of the traditionally conservative Antioch Community Church of Waco, Texas. On its website, the church proclaims, “God commissions each of us to go into our spheres of influence and represent Jesus so that His Kingdom would come and His will would be done.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, July 21st, in the year of our Lord 2025. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

AP Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports on President Trump being diagnosed with a condition commonly found in older people.

Swelling and bruising is very common following orthopaedic surgery. So, inevitably surgeons are tasked with the question “my knee is swollen, is this normal and what should I do?”  In this podcast, Andrew Scott Murtha, MD a member of the AAHKS Patient and Public Relations Committee sat with Charlie Yoo, MD  and Brian S. Parsley, MD to discuss how they manage the patient’s healing process and their concerns.  As we mentioned, swelling and bruising is inevitable following surgery. It will happen but in the more recent years, about 95 percent of surgeons doing joint replacements are now using the drug tranexamic acid to drastically reduce bleeding during and after surgery. Too much walking or overdoing it immediately after surgery also contributes to swelling. In the podcast, the surgeons recommend you work on getting your range of motion and strength back immediately following surgery and to primarily focus on that.  How long should the swelling last, when to contact your doctor and so many more questions are addressed in this recording. If you are considering a hip or knee replacement, you don’t want to miss this podcast recording.  Enjoy, and thanks for listening to AAHKS Amplified! In This Episode: Andrew Scott Murtha, MD Brian S. Parsley, MD Charlie Yoo, MD  The post Swelling, Bruising and Healing After Surgery first appeared on AAHKS.

Swelling and quadriceps muscle weakness are not uncommon after ACL reconstruction, and can even persist for several months.Athletes want to get back to running and eventually their sport as fast as they can. But sometimes using time-based criteria is not optimal.In this episode, we answer a question about whether an athlete should start running 5 months after an ACL reconstruction, even though they have persistent swelling and very low quad strength compared to the other limb.To see full show notes and more, head to: https://mikereinold.com/how-to-manage-persistent-swelling-after-acl-reconstruction/_____Save on my Rehab of the Fitness Athlete CourseMy online course on the Rehabilitation of the Fitness Athlete with Dan Pope is on sale for $50 off this week. If you want to work with higher-level fitness athletes and help people get back into the gym after an injury, this is the course for you. Head to MikeReinold.com/FitAthlete to learn more and sign up this week. Click Here to View My Online CoursesWant to learn more from me? I have a variety of online courses on my website!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show_____Want to learn more? Check out my blog, podcasts, and online coursesFollow me: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

Avian Influenza and what you need to know.  Plus snake bites have been on the rise, what you need to do in case of an emergency and records have been broken in the fishing world. Join radio hosts Rebecca Wanner aka 'BEC' and Jeff ‘Tigger' Erhardt (Tigger & BEC) with The Bend Radio Show & Podcast, your news outlet for the latest in Outdoors & Western Lifestyle News! Season 5, Episode 240 Avian Influenza:  2 Types Of Viruses  There are two types of virus: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI): Virus strains are extremely infectious, often fatal to domestic poultry and can spread rapidly from flock to flock. Low Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (LPAI): Virus strains occur naturally in wild migratory waterfowl and shorebirds without causing illness. LPAI can infect domestic poultry with little or no signs of illness. Avian Influenza: The Signs In Birds & Poultry Sudden, unexplained death Decline in water consumption Decreased egg production and depression in layers Purple or dry combs Quieter than normal Frequently laying down Swelling around eyes Procedures For Wild Birds The primary carriers of avian influenza A are waterfowl, gulls, terns and shorebirds. Avoid direct contact with wild birds and observe them only from a distance. Wild birds can be infected without showing symptoms of the infection. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently believes that the public health risk from the current HPAI outbreak is low. They advise avoiding direct contact with sick or dead wild birds. Individuals should also avoid transporting sick or dead birds. Do not handle dead wild birds. Avian influenza surveillance and testing in wild birds is being done by USDA APHIS Wildlife Services and North Dakota Department of Game and Fish. Please report wild sick and dead birds at https://gf.nd.gov/wildlife/diseases/mortality-report. Wild bird avian influenza questions can be directed to 701-204-2161. Reduce the attractiveness for wild birds to stop at your place by cleaning up litter and spilled feed around your domestic poultry housing. When should you move wild bird carcasses? While handling and transporting carcasses is not advised, there may be some cases where it is required to minimize transmission of HPAI and continue normal activities. This would be especially true to limit contact with domestic poultry, or if fields need to be worked in preparation for planting, etc. Handling According to the CDC: “If you must handle wild birds or sick or dead poultry, minimize direct contact by wearing gloves and wash your hands with soap and water after touching birds. If available, wear respiratory protection such as a medical facemask. Change your clothing before contact with healthy domestic poultry and birds after handling wild birds, and discard the gloves and facemask, disinfect footwear, and then wash your hands with soap and water.” Disposal It is critical that carcasses are disposed of properly to reduce the risk for transmission to domestic flocks and other wildlife. Numerous cases of mortality in eagles, hawks and owls have occurred as a result of scavenging on dead bird carcasses. For this reason, moving carcasses to new areas and discarding them on the landscape should be avoided, as this may unintentionally contribute to more cases. Acceptable disposal options for wild bird carcasses include: Move carcasses to the edge of the field. Burial is acceptable for small numbers of birds. Be sure to bury carcasses four feet above the water table with four feet of cover. If possible bury birds in clay soils. Burn carcasses. Be sure to check if you are under a burn ban prior to burning,  Dispose at an approved municipal solid waste landfill. Please contact the landfill to determine disposal protocols. Carcasses must be double bagged. Bags must be disinfected before transporting to the landfill. Be sure to use a disinfect registered for use against AI, https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/antimicrobial-products-registered-disinfection-use-against-avian-influenza Following disposal be sure to disinfect the vehicle used to transport the carcasses. REFERENCES: https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ag-hub/highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/publications/highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-hpai https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/wild-birds https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/commercial-backyard-flocks Snake Bite Are Becoming More Common Snake season is upon us.  Make sure you know the does and don't of what to do in case of a snake bite Do's for Snake Bites: Call for help: Immediately call 911 or your local emergency number.  Stay calm and still: Minimize movement to slow the spread of venom.  Remove jewelry and tight clothing: Swelling may occur, making it difficult to remove these items later.  Keep the bite area below heart level: This helps slow the venom's circulation.  Wash the wound: Clean the bite with soap and water.  Cover the bite: Apply a clean, dry dressing.  Take a photograph of the snake (if safe): This can help medical personnel identify the snake species and determine the appropriate treatment.  Don'ts for Snake Bites: Don't assume the snake is harmless: Always treat a snakebite as serious.  Don't try to catch or kill the snake: This can lead to further bites.  Don't use a tourniquet: Tourniquets can cause serious complications, including blood clots and potential amputation.  Don't apply ice or cold compresses: This can damage tissue.  Don't cut into the bite or try to suck out the venom: These practices are ineffective and can be harmful.  Don't take pain relievers like aspirin or ibuprofen: These medications can interfere with the treatment of snake venom.  Don't give the person anything to eat or drink: This can interfere with medical treatment.  Don't try to identify the snake if it's not safe to do so: Safety comes first.  State Record Fish In Connecticut A new state record has been set for the largest freshwater fish ever caught in Connecticut. In May, angler Rafal Wlazlo landed a massive 45-pound, 8-ounce Common Carp at Lake Lillinonah, making it the heaviest freshwater fish recorded in the state. According to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), Wlazlo's catch now holds the official title for the largest freshwater fish in Connecticut history. Wlazlo, owner of Carp Angler, noted that carp fishing is hugely popular in Europe and is gaining traction as a niche yet growing sport in the United States. Prior to this record-breaking carp, the largest freshwater fish on record in Connecticut included a 29-pound Channel Catfish, Lake Trout, and Northern Pike. REFERENCES: https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/common-carp-fish-connecticut-state-record-lake-lillinonah/3577638/ https://www.carpangler.com/ OUTDOORS FIELD REPORTS & COMMENTS We want to hear from you! If you have any questions, comments, or stories to share about bighorn sheep, outdoor adventures, or wildlife conservation, don't hesitate to reach out. Call or text us at 305-900-BEND (305-900-2363), or send an email to BendRadioShow@gmail.com. Stay connected by following us on social media at Facebook/Instagram @thebendshow or by subscribing to The Bend Show on YouTube. Visit our website at TheBendShow.com for more exciting content and updates! https://thebendshow.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thebendshow WESTERN LIFESTYLE & THE OUTDOORS Jeff 'Tigger' Erhardt & Rebecca 'BEC' Wanner are passionate news broadcasters who represent the working ranch world, rodeo, and the Western way of life. They are also staunch advocates for the outdoors and wildlife conservation. As outdoorsmen themselves, Tigger and BEC provide valuable insight and education to hunters, adventurers, ranchers, and anyone interested in agriculture and conservation. With a shared love for the outdoors, Tigger & BEC are committed to bringing high-quality beef and wild game from the field to your table. They understand the importance of sharing meals with family, cooking the fruits of your labor, and making memories in the great outdoors. Through their work, they aim to educate and inspire those who appreciate God's Country and life on the land. United by a common mission, Tigger & BEC offer a glimpse into the life beyond the beaten path and down dirt roads. They're here to share knowledge, answer your questions, and join you in your own success story. Adventure awaits around the bend. With The Outdoors, the Western Heritage, Rural America, and Wildlife Conservation at the forefront, Tigger and BEC live this lifestyle every day. To learn more about Tigger & BEC's journey and their passion for the outdoors, visit TiggerandBEC.com. https://tiggerandbec.com/

In this episode, we tackle the #1 mistake I often see that makes swelling stick around. We dive into the downsides of swelling, diagnosing the problem, ACLers who feel they're "following the plan", case examples, and a very helpful 4-step framework for you to put into play for your own ACL rehab. If you're someone dealing with swelling or helping others to manage it, this will be a super helpful episode.Ways we can connect:My IG: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dptOur website: www.theaclathlete.comEmail: ravi@theaclathlete.com_________________Submit a topic or a question you'd like me to answer.Check out our website and tons of free ACL resourcesSign up for The ACL Athlete - VALUE Newsletter (an exclusive newsletter packed with value - ACL advice, go-to exercises, ACL research reviews, athlete wins, frameworks we use, mindset coaching, blog articles, podcast episodes, and pre-launch access to some exciting projects we have lined up)1-on-1 Remote ACL Coaching - A clear plan. Structured ACL program. Based on your goals. Expert guidance and support with every step. Objective testing from anywhere in the world.Send me a text and share anything about the podcast - an episode that hit home or how the podcast has helped you in your journey.

The JB and Sandy Show, Wednesday, May 7, 2025Discussion of the Austin City Limits (ACL) music festival lineup and headliners.Personal anecdotes about a biking trip to Colorado, including an accident and injuries sustained.Consideration of whether a teenager should attend the ACL festival with friends.Insights into the challenges of navigating traffic and construction in Austin.Experiences at local dining establishments, including wait times and restaurant atmospheres.Exploration of public transportation options in Austin, including the light rail system.Humor and light-hearted banter about injuries and their social implications.Reflections on changing societal norms regarding parenting and family dynamics.The impact of traffic issues on residents' decisions to move within the city.Engagement with listeners through talkback messages and social media interactions.Sandy introduces the show and co-hosts JB and Tricia.Talkback Message About Actress (00:00:05)  Discussion of a listener's message regarding the actress from "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."Listener's Insight on Nepotism (00:00:46)  A listener reveals the actress is Andie MacDowell's daughter, discussing nepotism in Hollywood.ACL Festival Lineup Announcement (00:01:31)  Sandy shares the headliners for the Austin City Limits music festival.Discussion on Festival Experience (00:02:26)  Co-hosts talk about the crowded experience at the ACL festival and their daughter's interest in attending.JB's Biking Accident Teaser (00:06:49)  Sandy hints at JB's biking accident in Colorado, teasing a story to come.Uber's Senior Pilot Program (00:07:15)  Tricia introduces Uber's new pilot program aimed at seniors for easier transportation.Garth Brooks ACL Hall of Fame Episode (00:08:00)  Discussion about Garth Brooks' recent ACL Hall of Fame episode aired on PBS.Importance of Performing at ACL (00:09:13)  Sandy shares Garth's thoughts on the legitimacy of performing at Austin City Limits.Uber's Senior Account Features (00:11:17)  Tricia details features of Uber's new senior account designed for easier navigation.JB's Cycling Trip in Colorado (00:14:56)  Teaser for JB's story about his biking trip to Colorado and the injuries he sustained.Description of the Gravel Ride (00:15:59)  JB describes the gravel ride he did in Colorado, highlighting the challenges faced.JB's Biking Accident Details (00:18:22)  JB describes his biking accident, including injuries and initial feelings of embarrassment.Swelling and Bruising Progression (00:19:51)  JB discusses the swelling on his hip, comparing it to a "giant love handle."Doctor's Visit and Diagnosis (00:21:29)  JB shares his experience at the doctor, who reassured him he would be fine.Concerns About Internal Bleeding (00:22:09)  Discussion about the possibility of internal bleeding and JB's worries regarding his injury.Reaction to JB's Injury (00:23:04)  Co-hosts express surprise and concern over the severity of JB's injury.Baby Shower Invitation (00:26:06)  Sandy and Tricia discuss an upcoming couple's baby shower and Sandy's reluctance to attend.Couples Baby Shower Dynamics (00:27:57)  Tricia explains the nature of the baby shower, emphasizing it's more of a gathering than traditional activities.Food and Friends at the Shower (00:29:25)  Sandy and Tricia speculate about the food and social dynamics at the baby shower.Reflections on Parenting Age (00:30:14)  Discussion on the implications of having children later in life, referencing their own experiences.Final Thoughts on the Baby Shower (00:32:45)  Sandy and Tricia wrap up their conversation about the baby shower and the expectations for the event.Traffic in Austin (00:34:32)  Sandy comments on the ongoing construction and traffic issues in Austin, describing it as "unmanageable."Discussion about Laura Restaurant (00:36:28)  Sandy and Tricia share their experience at the popular outdoor dining spot, Laura.Traffic Woes on Lamar (00:36:49)  JB and Tricia discuss the challenges of navigating traffic and construction on Lamar.Kentucky Derby Experience (00:37:58)  The group reminisces about watching the Kentucky Derby with reduced audio clarity.Traffic Solutions on Mopac (00:39:58)  Sandy reveals a traffic hack for avoiding congestion on Mopac during peak hours.Light Rail Discussion (00:41:54)  A lighthearted debate about the use of the train service by Cedar Park residents ensues. Show Recap and Call to Action (00:42:07)  Sandy summarizes the episode's highlights and encourages listener interaction via social media.

Story at-a-glance FDA failed to prioritize over 70,000 adverse event reports related to puberty-blocking drugs, raising concerns about regulatory oversight of these medications Side effects from puberty blockers range from headaches to serious conditions like brain swelling and vision loss Puberty blockers disrupt normal development, causing long-term harm to physical development and psychological health in children The FDA's handling of puberty blockers demonstrates inconsistent regulatory standards and inadequate public warnings about significant risks The safety of puberty blockers and other gender-affirming care has not been established, and parents should research risks before making decisions

This week on Health Matters, Courtney is joined by Dr. Aaron Pearlman, an otolaryngologist with NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine. They discuss the most common questions about seasonal allergies, including what medications to consider and lifestyle tips to help ease symptoms. They also explore how to tell whether symptoms like a runny nose and watery eyes are due to allergies or a cold.___Aaron N. Pearlman, MD is an associate clinical professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine and a rhinologist with NewYork-Presbyterian. His clinical focus is on chronic inflammatory diseases of the nose and paranasal sinuses, treating patients both medically and surgically. He is an advanced specialist in endoscopic sinus surgery and anterior skull base surgery. He is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology, a fellow of the American Rhinologic Society, and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and has served on various committees within the American Academy of Otolaryngology and the American Rhinologic Society. He is a leader in the field of rhinology and has presented his research at various meetings within the United States and abroad. Dr. Pearlman is the lead author and co-author of numerous peer-reviewed articles within the medical literature. He has also authored chapters in an array of medical textbooks and has been interviewed and quoted by the Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Self, amongst others.___Health Matters is your weekly dose of health and wellness information, from the leading experts. Join host Courtney Allison to get news you can use in your own life. New episodes drop each Wednesday.If you are looking for practical health tips and trustworthy information from world-class doctors and medical experts you will enjoy listening to Health Matters. Health Matters was created to share stories of science, care, and wellness that are happening every day at NewYork-Presbyterian, one of the nation's most comprehensive, integrated academic healthcare systems. In keeping with NewYork-Presbyterian's long legacy of medical breakthroughs and innovation, Health Matters features the latest news, insights, and health tips from our trusted experts; inspiring first-hand accounts from patients and caregivers; and updates on the latest research and innovations in patient care, all in collaboration with our renowned medical schools, Columbia and Weill Cornell Medicine. To learn more visit: https://healthmatters.nyp.org

https://www.tiktok.com/@natureback.docIn this episode, we dive into a common yet often confusing part of pregnancy: edema and swelling. From puffy ankles to swollen hands, many expectant parents experience some degree of swelling—but how do you know what's normal and when it's time to call your doctor? We break it all down for you with expert insights, practical tips, and clear guidance. What You'll Learn: What is Edema? A quick look at why swelling happens during pregnancy, including the role of increased blood volume and pressure on veins. Normal vs. Concerning: How much swelling is typical, and what signs (like sudden swelling or headaches) might signal something more serious, such as preeclampsia. Real-Life Scenarios: Common areas of swelling (feet, ankles, hands) and when it's just discomfort versus a red flag. Tips for Relief: Simple, safe ways to manage swelling—like elevating your legs, staying hydrated, and wearing compression socks. When to Seek Help: Clear advice on when to contact your healthcare provider and why it's better to be cautious. Highlights: The surprising connection between salt intake and swelling—myth or fact? Why the third trimester often brings the most puffiness. A listener Q&A: “My rings don't fit anymore—is this normal?” Whether you're a first-time parent or a seasoned pro, this episode will help you navigate the ups and downs (and swells!) of pregnancy with confidence. Tune in for a mix of science, stories, and actionable advice!   Connect With Us: YouTube: Dive deeper into pregnancy tips and stories at youtube.com/maternalresources. Instagram: Follow us for daily inspiration and updates at @maternalresources. Facebook: Join our community at facebook.com/IntegrativeOB Tiktok: NatureBack Doc on TikTok A Big Thank You: We're so grateful you're part of this journey! Let's keep supporting, uplifting, and celebrating working moms and parenthood—together, we're building a more nurturing, equitable world for everyone. Grab Our Book! Check out The NatureBack Method for Birth—your guide to a empowered pregnancy and delivery. Shop now at naturebackbook.myshopify.com.

While we can't control many parts of birth, there is so much we CAN do to quite literally change the trajectory of our birth outcome. First: Feel safe with where and with whom you will give birth.Second (but just as important!): Prepare yourself mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. During her first VBAC attempt, Maria hired a midwife. Her second birth had so much more advocacy, progress, and positivity, but there were still missing pieces, new traumas to process, and things she wished had gone differently.You will NOT WANT TO MISS hearing all of the things that changed for Maria from her first two births to her third. The proactive work, the passion, the prep, the healing, the research, the manifesting, the surrendering, the trust, and to top it all off, the beautiful, unmedicated VBA2C outcome. Just like Maria, our greatest hope is for all of you to unlock this birthing power that is already within you, no matter the birth outcome. Needed WebsiteHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull Transcript under Episode Details Meagan: Hello, hello, you guys. It seems like a common theme lately. A lot of people are wanting to submit their VBA2C stories, and I love it. I love it absolutely so much. We know so many of, these listeners in our community are wanting to know, is it possible? Can we VBAC after two Cesareans? I'm sure you've been noticing the theme in January and February, and now here in March, we have another VBAC after two Cesarean stories coming to you today from our friend Maria. Hello, Maria.Maria: Hi.Meagan: Thank you so much for being here and sharing your stories. We were just chatting a little bit before we got started about kind of where her birth took place, and she'll tell you more. But the VBAC was in Texas, right?Maria: It was. Yes, it was in Texas.Meagan: It was in Texas. So Texans. Texans? I don't know. we have Floridians, Utahns. Is it Texans?Maria: Texans. Yeah. Yep. And you know, Texas is a huge state, so this is central Texas in the Austin area. Yeah, because it's such a big state. It is.Meagan: It is very huge. We know people have to sometimes drive really far away to find support. And when it comes to VBAC after multiple Cesareans, we know sometimes that can be really challenging. And when I say sometimes, it's often. It is often challenging to find that support. So I really like to show everybody where you are in a way because we want people who are in Texas or who can get to Texas or who find it manageable, that they know that there is a supportive provider there. We'll learn more about that. But also, just a reminder, guys, if you're looking for a supportive provider, we have a supportive provider list. How many times can I say "supportive provider" in three seconds? A lot, apparently. Go to Instagram and hopefully at this point we'll have it on our website, so check our website too, but we will have that list.If you want to submit your provider, please let us know. Okay. We have a Review of the Week, so I want to get into that. This is by Whitney Goats, and the review title is "Amazing" on Apple Podcasts. It says, "I've been wanting to write a review for a while, but wasn't sure what I could say that would explain how much The VBAC Link meant to me. I had an unplanned Cesarean with my first and for the longest time, I felt broken and defeated. When I heard Julie and Meagan share their VBAC stories on the podcast, I cried. It was the first time that I felt understood and like I was not alone. Listening to their podcast has lifted my spirits, healed my emotional scars from the previous birth, and given me the confidence in myself and my body again. "I am now 28 weeks pregnant and preparing for my VBAC. Instead of being scared for this upcoming birth, I feel excited sometimes. I never thought it would happen. Thank you, Julie and Meagan, for the work that you have done connecting and educating all these amazing moms, and thank you for reminding me that I am a Woman of Strength even when I doubted it myself." Oh, that gave me chills. That gave me chills reading that. Oh my gosh. We love your reviews. That is amazing. And girl, Whitney Goats, I hope that you had the most amazing birth ever, and thank you for being here. Just like Maria and all the storytellers that have become before her, you guys, they're amazing and so are you. These storytellers are here to do that- uplift you, motivate you, educate you, and find the healing within yourself because it can happen, right Maria?Maria: Absolutely. 100%.Meagan: It absolutely can happen. Okay, you guys, as always, if you do not mind and if you are enjoying the podcast, will you leave us a review? You can go to Apple Podcasts. You can go to Google even and leave us a review there. You can go on Spotify or really wherever you listen to your podcasts, leave us a review. If you feel extra special and the platform that you're listening on can leave a comment, leave us a comment. You never know, it may be read on the next podcast. Okay, Maria, I want to turn the time over to you to share these stories.Maria: Thank you so much, Meagan, and I just want to say again how excited I am to be here. I agree 100% with that reviewer. This podcast was so impactful for me, and I hope that it can continue to be that for other women. I was also so excited that you're getting so many VBAC after two stories because I hope that that will continue to normalize that instead of it being this crazy thing that we're doing. Meagan: Yes.Maria: That's so exciting that it's becoming more common.Meagan: I know. It's actually making me smile so big because in the beginning, back in 2018, we had to search, and I mean search. We had to go on forums and type in "VBA2C" and really look for stories and almost had to seek them out. We had to go and ask, "Hey, would you be willing to share your story on the podcast?" And now we're just getting a flood of submissions which is so awesome. I love seeing it, and I would love to hear even more VBAC after three or four or five Cesareans because it is possible. It's not as easy to navigate through, but it is possible. And yes, there are risks. There are risks with anything that we do including a repeat Cesarean, but I want to help normalize this because, I mean, there are so many women just like Maria and myself who have gone on, done the work, got the education, and been able to have a vaginal birth. So. All right, well, we know with every VBAC or VBAC after two Cesareans, there's at least one Cesarean involved, so let's start with that story.Maria: Yeah. Okay. Thank you. So when I got pregnant with my first baby, this was in 2018, it didn't take me very long to find my way to the natural birth world. I watched The Business of Being Born like a lot of women, and I was fully convinced that I wanted to birth vaginally and naturally if possible. So, when my husband and I decided to move to Costa Rica halfway through my pregnancy, the very first thing I did was research the C-section rate versus natural birth rates in the country. I was pretty disappointed, although I wasn't surprised, to find that the rates there are pretty high. I mean, they're about the same as the US but a bit higher in the private hospital setting which is where I was going to give birth.I didn't want to let that deter me, and I was determined to build my team. From when I was still here in the States, I started researching the best OBs and doctors in the area and hospitals. I found two in the city of San Jose which is where we were living, the two most quote unquote natural OBs.Another interesting thing I found out was that midwives are actually not legally permitted to work in Costa Rica independently.Meagan: Really?Maria: Yeah, at least back in 2018. I don't know if things have changed since then, but they are not allowed to work independently. They are allowed to work alongside an OB. So I was like, okay. I went with one of these OBs, and there was one midwife who practiced in the city of San Jose, and they worked together as a team. And so I was like, okay, all right, well, I guess this is it. I have my team, and I thought I was done. I don't think that I fully understood the intensity of birth or the mental and physical stamina that would be required of me because it was my first baby.Meagan: You don't know what you don't know.Maria: You don't know. Exactly. I took a Bradley birth course with my husband, and I just assumed that everything would be fine as long as I had a good team, and I'd be able to escape the dreaded cascade of interventions that I'd heard so much about. I wasn't informed, but I don't know. I was very intellectually informed, but I didn't really know how intense labor is. So intellectually, I knew what I had to do. But anyway, we were living abroad. I went into labor naturally at 40 weeks, and I had a very long labor which began in the middle of the night which was a common theme in all my birth. They always started in the middle of the night which I think is pretty common. And because it was my first baby and I was so excited, I was unable to really stay calm and rest.I got very ramped up way too soon.I burned through a lot of my energy in the first 24 hours of what I now know was very early labor. So by the time it was actually more intense and I made it to the hospital, I was exhausted because I slept so little. We get to the hospital and my labor slowed down, which again, I know is not uncommon, but I think I was also just not feeling very relaxed. I started actually feeling uncomfortable with this midwife /doula as she told me she was. She said, "I'm a midwife/doula." I later learned that is not a thing. It's like, either you're one or the other. I just didn't feel like she was really supporting me as I expected she would. It seemed to me like she wasn't really a doula. I started realizing, okay, this is not what I was expecting. She was more of a quasi-nurse, really, for the OB and just assisting him. She was like his private nurse, basically. She was sitting there in the room either watching me. She'd come in and give me a position, but then just sit back and she was on her phone. At least that's how I was perceiving it. I just started kind of not feeling very safe with her, and I just shut her out. In hindsight, I think I should have asked her to leave. But at the time, I didn't really know that I could do that, and that I could really advocate for myself in that way, so I just kind of shut her out. She probably felt that it just wasn't a good click. So then I began to feel pressure by the team because I'd been there for probably, what is it, maybe 8 hours or so? They started pressuring me to get things going. And so the OB approached me about using what they call natural oxytocin which is what they call Pitocin.Meagan: Pitocin, yeah.Maria: Yeah. But they're like, "No, no, it's natural oxytocin." And I was like, "Okay, I know what that is." I could already see that I was being slowly kind of backed into this corner. I refused it several times, but I finally agreed to it. Of course, my contractions became excruciating, but I just was just determined to not have the epidural so that I could walk, even though I was already plugged into the IV and really not walking as free as I wanted. Eventually, one of the nurses, after a while, came in and she asked me when the last time I peed was. I couldn't remember. That's when I was like, "Oh yeah, it's been a long time." Nobody reminded me. I just didn't think about it. I had been drinking water, so they had me try, and I just couldn't pee. It's like my body just kind of shut down. So they decided to try and insert a catheter to see if it would empty my bladder and help baby descend. So I was laying on the bed. I had five people around me trying to place this catheter in me. I was on Pitocin, so I was having these intense contractions, and they weren't able to insert it. They said it was because of the way my body was. I guess my urethra was towards the back or something, and they just weren't able to do it. That was really disappointing because I was really hoping that that would be the magic thing that would help baby descend. Finally, the OB came in and was like, "Listen, if you want to avoid a C-section, you should just do an epidural so that your body can relax, and maybe that could help us place up the catheter and then, baby will descend." I was like, "Okay, all right. Let's do it." They did it. It felt amazing for a couple of minutes, and then immediately, my baby's heart rate dropped. The OB basically just called in an emergency, and I was whisked off to the operating room for an emergency C-section. I was traumatized because I legitimately thought I was dying. I thought it was a true emergency. I was like, oh my gosh. I can't believe it. I'm gonna die. Of course, I've learned since then that a baby's heart dropping after an epidural is pretty common.Meagan: Pretty common, yeah.Maria: And that it wasn't really a true emergency that merited a C-section right then and there. That's been a really hard thing to process.Meagan: And frustrating, too, because he was like, "If you want to avoid a Cesarean, this is what you have to do," and then you did that, and then it immediately went that way.Maria: Yeah. I honestly thought he was. I think he was probably just prepping me in advance to just have the epidural so we could just go there.Meagan: Yeah, that's hard.Maria: Yeah. After baby was born, the hospital policy required me to go into the post-op room for 30 minutes to recover, and I would then be rejoined with my baby.Meagan: Oh, so your baby wasn't allowed to be with you?Maria: No. Meagan: What?Maria: Yeah. So my first 30 minutes as a mom, I was separated from my baby. He was with my husband. I was taken to this room where I was recovering alongside other people that I didn't know who were also recovering from other types of surgeries.Meagan: Whoa.Maria: Yeah, so I was like on this bed paralyzed still because of the epidural and shivering. It was a really surreal moment because I felt like, oh my gosh. I just had a baby. Wait, why am I here? What is happening? It was really, really traumatizing, and that was just their policy at that hospital. So it was really traumatizing for me. I was eventually joined back with my husband and baby, but needless to say, it really affected me.I did struggle with postpartum depression and anxiety for a long time. I had a very hard time bonding with my baby for that first year. I felt really robbed of that dream birth I had envisioned, and I felt robbed about the golden hour right after when you get to enjoy your baby and celebrate the fact you just had a baby. I felt like I never got that.Meagan: That would be very difficult. There are a lot of people who get their babies taken away, and it is so frustrating. I just wanted to give a little reminder that if you don't have your baby and you want your baby, it's okay to demand your baby and find someone who will do anything in their power to get that baby back to you.Maria: Yeah, so that was my first birth. So the second birth took place about two years later, and we were back in the US due to the pandemic. As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I was actually in Costa Rica when I found out I was pregnant, and then we moved back to the US halfway through my pregnancy. I just knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was going to try for VBAC. I was extremely confident that I could do it because I felt that if I found a truly supportive provider, there just was no reason why it wouldn't go smoothly. I had a lot of unprocessed anger and trauma that I hadn't fully worked through. I was still very angry at my OB, at the midwife, at the hospital, even though I did do therapy actually in Costa Rica, but I don't think I fully worked through this part. Even though none of it was truly 100% their fault, I still felt really let down, and of course, I felt anger at myself even for my perceived failure of my body to birth my baby. My way, at the time, of avoiding a repeat of this was to just completely avoid the hospital setting and go the complete opposite direction. So I opted for full midwifery care and home birth. I just didn't want anything to do with the hospital. It was traumatic. I was like, no hospital. At the time, we were living at my parents' home in their hometown. I basically hired the only midwife that I knew in town. I didn't really interview anyone else. I just went with her. I think in my mind at the time, as long as you were a midwife, she would be 100% better than an OB. Again, I was very angry at OB at the time. But also, I did meet the midwifery team and they seemed experienced and I liked them, so I felt really confident that everything would work out like it was going to work out. There was no plan B. Meagan: Yeah. Maria: In terms of preparing for my birth, I didn't really do much outside of remaining active. I did prenatal workouts. I walked. I was healthy. I thought that was pretty much what you had to do. I just thought again that not being in a hospital would solve all my problems, and that was the only ingredient I was missing for my dream birth, which, of course, I later learned was just part of the equation.So this time, my labor started actually pretty slowly. I had a premature rupture of membranes. It was a very slow trickle. It took over 24 hours of that for my labor to actually start. That was even after some homeopathic pellets. I don't really know what it was, but my midwife gave it to me and some castor oil that I took. I'm a pretty anxious person, so I was getting very anxious about my labor not starting because I had it in my head that I couldn't go too long without my water breaking. In my mind, I was on this timeline. I don't do well under pressure, so right off the bat, I was already in my head about it.Meagan: Yeah.Maria: I was so antsy to get labor going that I just wouldn't let myself rest. I actually went walking in the middle of the night with my husband instead of trying to rest. I was like, I will get this labor to start. I was just not really saving my energy. I was getting revved up again too soon. So again, once labor got going, I was exhausted.This time, I'd opted to give birth at my parents' home which in hindsight was probably not the best idea because I felt their presence in the home. I'd sense their worry and their concern over me, at least in my head. I was mostly in their bedroom, so I started getting claustrophobic in there. I felt like a caged lion at one point. I was like, ah. Now nobody was actually pressuring me, but I felt it. I just felt like my whole family knew I was in labor. Everyone was waiting for me. Again, hindsight is 20-20, right? I was like, man, I could have asked them to just leave for a while, but I just didn't feel like I could.Meagan: Yeah, it's their house. It's their house. It's their space. Yeah, it's weird. But I will just point out that who you have in your space and where you labor can impact your labor for sure because you're in your head.Maria: Yes, 100%. It took me two labors to learn that. Especially if you're a sensitive person and feel energy and if you're anxious, you have to be really aware of is somebody helping you or not? And if they are re not, then you can say you can ask them to leave. I just didn't know that I could do that.Anyway, I powered through it. Even despite that, I think labor was better in my home than it was at the hospital. I definitely felt more comfortable. I was more free. I was trying all these different positions and shower, bathtub, you know, everything. I felt really powerful. It was really positive at first. It was, despite the fact that I was really tired too. But it was a very long labor. Once again, my body shut down and I could not pee even though everybody was trying to remind me to go. I was trying to go, and there just came a point when my body just stopped wanting to go. We got to that point where they were like, "Okay, well let's try and place a catheter." They were not able to do it. I guess I have a very small urethra or something. Something happens in my body during labor. It's hard to get to it. This was a home birth, so they had their equipment on hand. They didn't have all the options that maybe they would have in a hospital of different sizes or something, so they just weren't able to place it. It was very, very disappointing. They also felt that I was getting weak, and I didn't want to eat anymore. They hooked me up to an IV. They gave me oxygen. This started triggering this fear in me that this was heading in a direction that I didn't like. It wasn't feeling like the peaceful home birth I had envisioned. I eventually got to 10 centimeters, and they said I could start pushing even though I didn't really feel much of an urge to push but I was like, okay, I'm 10 centimeters. I guess I'll try pushing. I started pushing for multiple hours, but the baby just wasn't descending. And at one point, the midwife could see the baby's head higher up, and she actually attempted to pull the baby out with her hands.Meagan: Kind of went in like a soft forceps.Maria: Yeah, exactly. It was very painful. Super traumatic. I was like, oh, my gosh. This is not what I envisioned. But she wasn't able to do it. He was just too high up. After that, I just remember seeing her throw up her hands and with her body just kind of say, I give up. There was nothing more that she could do for me. At that moment, with a surprising amount of clarity and conviction, I decided to call it and request to be transferred to the only hospital in my town that accepted VBAC, any other hospital would have had me go straight for a C-section. So this was my last chance because I wasn't done trying to VBAC. I was like, okay, home birth isn't gonna happen, but maybe VBAC will at a hospital. And so, we got to the hospital. When I got to triage, they checked me, and they actually said I was nowhere near complete and that I was 8 centimeters dilated, and that I was very swollen.Meagan: That's what I was gonna just ask. I'm wondering if you got swollen.Maria: I was definitely very swollen, but they also said I wasn't 10 centimeters. I was like, "What? What do you mean?" Because in my mind, I was like, I'm almost there. I'm 10 centimeters. Maybe all I need is an epidural maybe. Maybe I just need that final little push. At that point, I was okay with drugs. I was like, "Give me whatever." I'm so close, right?Meagan: Yeah, yeah.Maria: But no, they were like, "No, you're 8 centimeters." And also, my contractions had really spaced out, so they gave me an epidural. They gave me Pitocin, and they let me rest.Meagan: Did they give you a catheter and empty your bladder?Maria: Yes, they gave me a catheter to empty my bladder, but baby was just not coming down. And also, the epidural did not sit well with my baby again. They didn't whisk me away to a C-section this time, but they were starting to bring up, "Okay, it's been a long time." They also were pretty concerned that my water had broken two days before, and that was a big red flag for them. They started mentioning C-section as the safest route for me. After, I don't know, probably 8 hours there, I just kind of said, "Okay, let's just do a C-section, and we just went with it." This time was less traumatic because it wasn't an emergency. I chose it. I was also never separated from my baby, and that was very huge.Meagan: Yes.Maria: That was huge. Yeah, 100%. Like, I got to carry him immediately after birth. I was able to breastfeed him. I was like, nobody is separating me from this baby right now, and they didn't. So that was very healing, and I was very grateful for that. That was that birth. After the birth, the midwives did come to see me at my house, and when I asked them what happened, they weren't really able to give me an answer. The final consensus was that my hips were likely too narrow. At the time, this diagnosis actually gave me comfort because at that point--Meagan: It validated you.Maria: Yeah, it validated me. I felt like, okay, I tried everything. It felt like an answer. It was a neat and clean end to this journey. There was a lot of mourning still. It was a heavy weight on me, this disappointment of a failed VBAC and something that I would need to process for a long time because I felt really cheated. I really felt like I'd run an entire marathon, and that I could see the finish line only to find myself pulled back to the starting line again and have to run another marathon.I felt like I had gone through two whole births, the super intense home birth and then C-section. So I felt like, oh my gosh. I was wiped out. So, yeah. Those are my two C-sections.Meagan: Yeah. I mean, lots of really forward-moving progress with the second for sure and still work to be done. But also, you had some validation for you at the time. It felt better. Overall, it went better.Maria: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It definitely was better. It was better, but it was, in a way, almost more frustrating though because I got so close. I was like, I'm so close and yet I was pulled back to the exact opposite birth.Meagan: Yeah. I want to talk a little bit about swelling because swelling can happen. You can be 10 centimeters. Swelling can happen. It causes puffiness and causes our cervix to swell which then presents as not 10 centimeters. There are a lot of different factors like a baby that is maybe not putting equal pressure on the cervix during pushing or pushing before our body is really ready for us or going in there and doing that, I call it, soft forceps. This is just me making this up, but my fingers are a lot softer than forceps. So her doing some soft forceps was in effort to help baby come down and move but could have disturbed the cervix a little bit and then sitting in on the way. So I just wanted to point out that is it possible that you could have been 10 centimeters? Yes. Is it possible that swelling could have caused the regression? Yes, there are some hem-- oh my gosh. How do you say it? Hemopathic. Is that how you say it? Hemopathic. They're little tablets.Maria: Homeopathic.Meagan: Homeopathic. Why do I say hemeo all the time? Homeopathics. Just like they had given you those little tablets that can actually help with swelling of the cervix. So if you have a midwife or you want to look into that and have that in your bag at the hospital, if that happens, you might want to check that out. While you're telling your third story, I will see if I can find the exact name because I cannot place it in my mind right now, but I've seen midwives use it, so that's another thing. And then sometimes Benadryl. A lot of the time, I'll see moms be given Benadryl for swelling.Maria: Yeah, I don't think they gave me any of that. I think at the hospital they were just kind of like, "Oh, 48 hours. Okay, let's--".Meagan: Yeah, the typical.Maria: And yeah. I think they knew from the beginning probably that I'd end up in a C-section. I don't know.Meagan: Might have. Yeah. So baby one, baby two. How did things change with baby number three?Maria: Everything changed. So when I found out I was pregnant for the third time, I, was very surprised and excited. But as soon as I actually thought about the birth you, I felt dread. I knew I was out of options mostly because my fate had been sort of sealed with this diagnosis of narrow hips. I was pretty much certain that my only choice was a third C-section. That really filled me with dread because I had a really rough recovery with my second C-section. I was really unhappy with my scar. I just felt really not looking forward to a third C-section. So I was like, okay. It felt very scary. I decided to approach my husband about trying for a VBAC again. I was sort of certain he would be nervous about supporting me about that. I felt like it was gonna be like, "Maria, you've tried twice. Let's just accept it. Let's move on." But surprisingly, he was actually supportive and he told me to just start with doing some research about VBACs after two and to get some opinions. So I did. The first thing I actually did though was I looked into gentle C-sections because I was like, "Okay, I'm going to get my kind of worst-case scenarios out of the way just in case. If I'm going to have a C-section, I want it on my terms." I looked up the best gentle C-section OB in the area. I was like, "Okay, I've got something there." Then I reached out to my midwife for my second birth and asked for her opinion about going for a VBAC again. I reached out to a few birth centers in the area, and my midwife pretty much told me that she did not think I was a good candidate for VBAC again and that I would end up likely in a C-section. Again, because she was like, "You did everything you could. It just didn't work. I just don't think you're a good candidate." And then most of the birth centers in the area declined me because they only did the VBACs after one.Meagan: After one. Yeah.Maria: Only two birth centers in the area accepted VBAC after two. I was like, "Okay, I'm gonna go see one of them and just get a second midwife opinion."Meagan: Yeah.Maria: When I got there, this place inspired a lot of peace and comfort. It was this really cozy little space. It was a little cottage near hospital. The midwife I met with, her name is Galyn. Can we give you the name?Meagan: Yeah, yeah. Uh-huh.Maria: Yeah. So this is called The Family Birth Center. It's just amazing and Galyn is amazing. So she just was very confident. I told her my entire birth story. I was sure to add every single complication and also tell her what my previous midwife had said. I honestly painted a really dire picture for her. I was like, "I have really long labors. I can't pee." You know, blah, blah, blah. I was prepared for her to tell me that I was not a big candidate. Honestly, I almost wanted her to say that so that I could just close that chapter and go get my scheduled gentle C-section and move on because that felt easier and safer. Yet her response was not a no. It was actually a non-hesitant, "Absolutely, you can do this." I was shocked. I mean, she obviously asked for my op-reports and everything, but she said that she didn't see why I wouldn't be able to. She had a ton of experience with VBAC after multiple C-sections. She even said that she had a very special place in her heart for these mamas because, as she called us warrior mamas, who really, really wanted it. She did not believe that I was too narrow because that's actually quite rare. She thought it was likely that the baby was simply badly positioned. So right off the bat, she was like, "Okay, I would start you on some Vitamin C to strengthen your bag," which I didn't even know a thing. She was like, "Pelvic floor therapy right off the bat, and you need a proper doula." I was like, "Yes, yes, yes." I'll do all those things because I realized I had not really had a proper doula in my previous birth. And honestly, every concern or worry that I brought up, she was able to talk through it with me, provide a solution or just remind me that no birth is the same. She couldn't really control or predict the outcome of the birth but there were lots of things that we did have control over.One of the things that I was really worried about was my inability to pee during labor. She was like, "Okay well, we'll place a catheter." I was like, "Yeah, but they tried both times and it didn't happen." And she was like, "Well, I'll get you a really tiny one." I was like, "Okay." So she didn't seem worried about that. I just went with it and went with her confidence. I think I decided then and there that I wanted her because I just felt really heard and I don't know. She provided lots of practical and realistic solutions that we could control. Anyway, this time around, I hired a doula. Shout out to Jenna, my doula. Also an amazing, amazing woman. I went to pelvic floor therapy. I also did therapy again to process my past births. I worked really, really hard on radically accepting whatever this birth came to be. So unlike my first two births where I had a really rigid idea of what it would be, this time I worked really hard to just sort of surrender to whatever it ended up being. I also read several books, including how to Heal From a Bad Birth.Meagan: Yes.Maria: A really good book, and Birthing From Within which I also loved. It was a really impactful book, actually. I started doing some art therapy just to process some of my feelings and just about this pregnancy and birth. I listened to every single episode you guys had on VBAC after two. I took The VBAC Link course. Honestly, I hardly worked out mostly because I had two little boys under four, and I just did not have it in me. But I was still very active with just normal life and taking care of two little kids. I did walk a bunch and did some gentle, prenatal yoga. I also did some exercises recommended by my doula from Spinning Babies. The other thing which was different was that I was really mindful of my body positioning throughout my pregnancy. I was always trying to listen to my body and be mindful of my alignment. When I was watching TV or sitting at my desk, I'd sit on a ball. I'd sit on the floor. I love to go on my hands and knees. That felt really good on my back. So just kind of listening to what my body was asking me to do and just being more aware of my body. My whole motto was, throughout the whole time was, "Get out of my head into my body." Preparation felt really different for me this time. I felt like I was preparing my body from the inside out physically speaking. Like I said, I was going to pelvic floor therapy. I was also making room in my uterus for my baby with these exercises to be in the best position possible but I was also really focused on my mind, my spirit, processing all my fears, my traumas. It felt just so much more holistic. I did HypnoBirthing with an app. I wrote down my own prayer affirmations which actually became a really central anchor during my labor. I felt just really ready this time in a new way. And not just because of my dream team but because I was really just ready to surrender to whatever was to come. And also, what was driving me was this new goal which was this idea of just giving my body a chance to labor was the best thing both for me and my baby regardless of the outcome of the birth. Even if it ended up in a C-section, I was still doing what was best for my body and my baby. That's what I kept repeating to myself. It just gave me a lot of peace because the success of this birth was not tied to what kind of birth it was. You know what I mean?Meagan: Yes, yes.Maria: It removed a lot of that pressure, a lot of that fear, and that was just such a game changer for me. Yeah, that was the preparation. A few weeks before the birth, I'd been starting to get more intense Braxton Hicks, but nothing really consistent. I was really just trying to practice the art of basically ignoring them because my goal for my early labor was to just pretend like they weren't happening. I didn't want to get too excited too fast. I wanted to ignore them for as long as possible especially if they started in the middle of the night which is kind of a theme for me. It ended up being really great practice to do that because on Labor Day, of course, I started getting my first contraction at 2:00AM and I just denied it. I was like, nope, they're Braxton Hicks. I just wasn't allowing myself to get riled up. I managed miraculously to doze off for 20 minutes at a time until they started coming on stronger. Once I realized that this was early labor, I had decided before that I wanted to labor alone for a while. This was actually something that I'd been wanting to do just to have this early early labor be a sacred moment for me and my baby. I wanted to be able to pray, to talk to my baby and to prepare together for the work which we would be doing together, both of us. I went into the living room. I let my husband sleep a bit longer, and it was a really special time for me. I'm so happy that I did that.Meagan: Yeah, I was just going to say that is a very powerful moment. Our babies are so connected and if you can have any time, even if it's just like 20 minutes. "Hey, I'm going to the bathroom." Take 20 minutes in the bathroom and connect with your baby. I just think it's so powerful.Maria: Yeah. Yes. It was amazing because I did feel connected the whole labor in a way that I did not in my previous ones where I was very disconnected to what was happening in my body. I was in my head a lot. So at about 6:00am, my contractions were getting stronger and I was like, okay, it's a reasonable time. I'm going to go ahead and wake my husband up. I also knew that my boys would be waking up soon, so I wanted my husband to focus on them and get them breakfast. And then I explained to my boys that baby was coming soon, that they were going to go stay with their cousins for a night or two. I knew that I wasn't going to be able to fully relax if they were still in the house. It felt really important for me to say goodbye and to make sure that they were going to be happy and in a safe place. As soon as my brother-in-law picked them up, I just really felt my body, okay, let go and things just started picking up. I took a shower. I had breakfast. I knew it would probably be a very long labor, so I wanted to eat. I called my doula. She came over and her presence was just such a game changer because she was just this calm, comforting presence. Not to say my husband was not, but she's just more-- this is her job. She's more objective. She was able to suggest different positions. She knew when to let me be. She pushed me when I had to be pushed and let me be when I had to be left alone. But the best thing she did was she did not let me head to the birth center too soon. I wanted to go and she'd be like, "Okay, let's just wait for 30 more minutes. Can you do 30 more minutes? Yeah, let's try this position. Let's walk a little bit. Let's do this and that." That was so important because I would have gotten there way too soon. She and my husband were in touch with Galyn, the midwife. Everyone was just super chill and relaxed. Everyone ate lunch. I don't think I did, but everyone else did. It was just a nice day. It was a cool rainy day. And then at about 2:00 PM my contractions were about 2-3 minutes apart. They were lasting about a minute, and they were getting intense. I was like, "Okay, I need to go." They were like, "Okay, yeah, let's go." We got to the birth center. I was just wrapped in this fluffy blanket. I just picked it up like I was in this daze. I was listening to my HypnoBirthing app. And Galyn, she was so relaxed about everything. Everyone was just very relaxed. It was during the daytime. She'd come in. She'd leave. I got in the bathtub at point. At one point, she checked my dilation and asked me if I wanted to know. And I said, "Nope, I don't want to know because I don't want to get in my head." She was like, "Even if you're 9 centimeters?" And I was like, "No." Okay. That was so amazing. That was such a push of encouragement. And so that was very helpful. Once again, I ran into the issue of being unable to pee. Of course, not surprisingly. So Galyn asked me want if I wanted a catheter. I said, "Okay, let's try it," but I was super nervous about it.Meagan: Yeah.Maria: But this time it was super easy. It was amazing. It went in right away. She had the right size. I don't know what it was, but--Meagan: Right size, pelvic PT.Maria: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was easy. I had a ton of pee. After that I was like, oh, my gosh. I surpassed these two huge obstacles of being really well-dilated and also, an empty bladder. Like, I got this. It's amazing. I felt this new surge of energy. After that, I just focused on one contraction at a time. Each one lasted four breaths for me. Each breath coincided with a short prayer that I would say to myself. The hardest breaths were always breath two and three because it was the peak of the contraction. But I knew the pattern in it, and so I knew what to expect. I just remember opening my hands every time and surrendering and just trying to just relax my body and just accept it, and let it wash over me. I was doing a lot of visualization of my body, my pelvis opening, my baby coming down. I was so connected to my body and my baby. I just remember communicating with her and visualizing her coming closer to me. And this, like I said, was something so new for me, this connection. After about two hours of labor, there I was fully dilated. They had me do some focused pushing. Unfortunately, I never really felt that overwhelming urge to push that I'd read so much about and that I had wanted to feel. My pushing was more directed, but it felt a lot less forced than with my second birth. I decided to push on the bed on my hands and knees. My husband and doula were each holding a hand. Galyn was encouraging me. Every time I pushed and she would feel the baby come down, she'd let me know. That was really encouraging to know that it was productive pushing. I was just so focused. After about 40 minutes of pushing, she told me, "Okay, the next push, you're going to feel a burn." Before I knew it, it was the ring of fire I'd heard so much about. Although it was painful, I was just in awe that I was feeling it. I was like, oh my gosh, this means something. I'm so close. It was surreal. I was experiencing it in this weird, out-of-body way. And then the next push, baby was born. I was just in shock. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't fully believe that I did it. They passed her to me immediately. I was still on my hands and knees. I will just never, ever forget the feel of her body and her skin when I held her for the first time. It was the birth of my dreams. I think one of the other things I just loved was just that time afterwards that I never got to experience and that moment of coziness where we were just laying in this queen bed, my husband and I and my baby, and just eating together, holding her immediately, breastfeeding her like it was just a dream. I got to take a bath with some healing herbs. It was amazing. And then, after several hours, we just drove home with our baby.Meagan: Just amazing. That is what birth is about right there. All of those feelings, all of those smells and experiences and bonding moments. I am so happy for you. Let's just say you debunked the myth. Your pelvis was great. Your pelvis and your hips were just fine. It really just took someone educated to know that your baby was in a poor position and that okay, instead of doing this size catheter, let's do a smaller catheter. It's just these little things that made such a big difference. I think it's really important to vet our providers when we are interviewing them. I love that you were like, I gave her all the bad. Like, all of it. I just laid it on her. I wanted her to know everything that I was being told or that was said or that had been done. And then for her to be like, "Okay yeah, I hear those. I see these op-reports, but still don't believe there's anything that makes you not be able to," is just so powerful. So those are the types of providers, and if there really, really, really is a medical reason, they can back it up. "Okay, let's consider something." But I do love that you just came in with all of it, just all of it, and expecting her to be like, "No." And then when she said yes, you're like, "Wait, what?"Maria: What?Meagan: "Wait, what? Can you repeat that?" We really are getting more of that flack and doubt, so it's so great to hear that there's such a supportive provider out there in your area because every area needs it. I would love to see more support coming in because the fact of the matter is, it can happen. It can happen. It is possible, and really, the risk is relatively low, right? It's low, and it's something. And then we do know that to some people, it's not acceptable, and that's okay. But know that the risk is relatively low and that the world paints it to be so much bigger than it is.Maria: Right. Well and also, nobody talks about the risks of repeat sections. Right? Nobody mentions it. I'm like, why is this not being even mentioned at all?Meagan: We talk about it here because it isn't talked about. We have providers say, "Oh, uterine rupture, uterine rupture this and that," but they're not like, "Hey, dense adhesions connecting to your bladder for life, scar tissue gaining for life, back pain that you may discover in your 50s that is related to your Cesarean adhesions and pain." And then, not to mention there are a lot of things like hysterectomy, increased blood loss. You guys, there are things to talk about and complications that can come forth in the future pregnancies as well. We don't talk about those to scare you. We don't talk about uterine rupture here to scare you. We don't talk about uterine rupture or share uterine rupture stories to scare you. We are here to educate you. We want you to know there are pros and cons on both sides. If you find a provider who is all about sharing the risk about VBAC instead of repeat Cesarean, you might not want to be with that provider because there are risks for both sides so if you're getting a one-sided risk, there are some concerns there.Maria: Yeah. Yeah, exactly.Meagan: Well, thank you again so much for sharing your stories. Congratulations. I'm so happy that you found the right provider. You found the dream team. Everyone was on your side and supporting you along the way.Maria: Thank you, Meagan. Again, I think that's only one part of the equation. We as the moms have that other responsibility of really healing ourselves and our past traumas and doing more than just, I guess, working out. A lot of people don't think about the inner work that we have to make for our pelvic floor and even the uterus with making space for your baby in there for optimal positioning. I never heard of these things before you. All of that knowledge was very helpful.Meagan: Yeah, there's a lot of work. Before we started recording you were like, "With my second birth, I just hired a midwife and put it in her hands and was like, hey, I did the work. I hired a midwife," but there's so much more than that. And yeah, finding a supportive provider, getting the education, but there's so much work. We talk about this in our VBAC course-- mental and physical prep. We talk about it early on in the book because it is such a big part of how things can go and if we don't do those things, it can impact us. That doesn't mean you can't get through it and have a VBAC. I don't want to say if you don't go to therapy, you won't get a VBAC or if you don't do these things, but these things will impact you in a positive way more than a negative. I also want to talk about trauma and birth and going through and working through it from the inside out. It's not even birth. It's life. It's affecting us for life. We hold trauma in our body. We hold emotions. We pent them up and yeah, it's just you. We gotta work through them. We can't just shove them in and be like, "Well, that was that. I'll let it go," because it's not going to be let go. It's inside of us.Maria: Yeah.Meagan: Yeah. It'll show up. It will show up. It might be years. It might be months, you never know, but it's important to work through it. Okay, well I will not take any more of your time because I know you've already been with me for a bit, and I just wanna thank you again.Maria: Thank you so much, Meagan. It's been such an honor.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

Joel Embiid will miss an additional 7-10 days after experiencing swelling in his left knee after going through an on-court workout yesterday. That means Embiid will miss a stretch of games that include the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers.With the Sixers sitting at just 15-24 going into this brutal stretch without Embiid, can Tyrese Maxey and Paul George do enough to keep the season alive, or is it time to look towards the future?  Join the PHLY Sixers team as they react to another devastating press release. 

Ever wonder how your mom friends with all boys or all girls handle parenting? Do you often wonder how in the world a “boy mom” or a “girl mom” views the opposite?  Today my good friend Courtney DeFeo is here to have an in-depth conversation about her experiences as a “girl mom” and asks me tons of great questions about what life with four boys is like (spoiler alert- active and crazy). Courtney is an author, podcaster, and creative mom of two girls. We bring the conversations we have had many times over the lunch table to the podcast today. Often our worlds feel opposite, her girls used to sit and play with playdough for thirty minutes, and my boys sit for three minutes. Her girls love clothes, nails, and coloring while my boys were in a bouncy house, eating my decor, and moving their bodies constantly.  We end by starting to break down the teen years and how the emotions show up differently for each gender. By discussing some of the gender stereotypes that come up we hope this conversation helps you support your mom friends better. And don't forget to go over to Courtney's podcast to finish the conversation later this week.  Connect with Courtney DeFeo:  Website:  Home - Courtney DeFeo Facebook: Courtney DeFeo | Facebook Instagram:  Courtney DeFeo (@courtney_defeo) Podcast: Pardon the Mess - Courtney DeFeo Links Mentioned:   Foundations: by Ruth Chou Simons The Worry-Free Parent: by Sissy Goff What in the World?!: by Leanne Morgan The Tech-Wise Family: by Andy Crouch Whoobli Ninja Inflatable Kids Punching Bag Trampoline with handle Skylight Digital Picture Frame ZELUS Balance Ball Trainer with Resistance Bands Water Blaster 2pcs Water Gun Fight Shooting Water Guns for Kids Roller Skates for Girls Boys Ages 4-12 KidKraft Vintage Wooden Play Kitchen LEGO Creator 3 in 1 Mighty Dinosaur Toy Related Episodes: Shrinking or Swelling to Fill Your Space :: Courtney DeFeo [Ep 406] RWYB wk 5 Uninvited :: Lysa TerKeurst, Kay Wyma and Courtney DeFeo {Ep 131} Art of Nurturing Boys :: David Thomas [Ep 119]   Raising Worry-Free Girls :: Sissy Goff [Bonus] Featured Sponsors:  Betterhelp: This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp. Let the gratitude flow, with Betterhelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/dma today to get 10% off your first month. Vegamour: This holiday season, give the gift of great hair with Vegamour. There's something for everyone, including you! Visit Vegamour.com/DMA code DMA to shop.  Greenlight: Greenlight is a debit card and money app made for families. Sign up for Greenlight today at Greenlight.com/dma.  Find links to this week's sponsors and unique promo codes at dontmomalone.com/sponsors.