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What do you think of this episode? Do you have any topics you'd like me to cover?The latest narrative around online safety, phones and devices, is pushing for bans to keep our kids safer and happier. The idea is to give them back their childhood and prevent them from accessing harmful content.  Catherine Knibbs, a child psychotherapist and cyber trauma expert argues in her latest book that social media bans won't work because we can't even properly define what it is we want to ban, and when we do ban devices we actually leave our kids vulnerable. The thinking is that when we tell our child they can't, we miss out on the opportunity to guide them through what Catherine Knibbs describes as the 'digital city park.' In Tech Smart Parenting, Catherine gives an alternative to the panic and prohibition many parents feel about technology. Instead, she talks about the stages of allowing our kids access to that park, and how a staged approach that is managed by us parents, will offer the safest route.There are four core risks she's identified that our kids face and that need to be discusssed.Content - what people can accessContact - who they can be put in contact withConsumerism - selling to young and vulnerable mindsConduct - the way they behave in a digital environmentIn this interview she explains how we can have open, non-judgmental conversations about technology, gives us strategies for setting boundaries without creating shame, supporting neurodivergent children in digital environments and the importance of sitting side by side with our children and learning with them.The acronym she uses to remind us of our role in this journey is CPR:We need to beConsistent in our rulesPersistent in their applicationResistent to the begging of our kidsPersonally, I worry that many parents don't have much of an idea of what their kids are being exposed to online and that there needs to be a strong culture of support and education around what their kids might see. I'd be a fan of a 'driving licence' approach, which is why I've created this checklist of things to consider, and will produce a booklet of discussion questions to help us parents understand what needs to be covered when we give our kids a phone. CHECKLIST OF THINGS TO DISCUSS: Further details coming on my websiteHow much time and when they are online - Ep. 96Showing up as our best selves online - Ep. 43Family values - Ep. 93 & Ep. 135Downloading apps and what needs to be discussed before they do - Ep. 50Commercialism: how we are being targeted and why it's an issue - Ep. 130Grooming: spotting the signs - Ep. 67Sexting - Ep. 4Porn - Ep. 13 & 64What to do if things go wrong - Ep. 4Support the showThank you so much for your support. Please hit the follow button if you like the podcast, and share it with anyone who might benefit. You can review us on Apple podcasts by going to the show page, scrolling down to the bottom where you can click on a star then you can leave your message. I don't have medical training so please seek the advice of a specialist if you're not coping. My email is teenagersuntangled@gmail.com And my website has a blog, searchable episodes, and ways to contact me:www.teenagersuntangled.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/teenagersuntangled/Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/teenagersuntangled/You can reach Susie at www.amindful-life.co.uk

300- Your photography inquiry process that's been being taught for years is broken. In this episode, Nicole and Heather unpack a bold new approach to make your services easier to book and your client experience smoother from the very first click.What to Listen For:Why the traditional inquiry process is brokenThe psychology behind why clients bounce without bookingHow your website is sabotaging your bookings (and how to fix it)The importance of making your pricing accessible without scaring people offNicole's innovative new strategy to replace phone consultationsHow to build desire for your services like a luxury brandWhy removing friction in your inquiry process increases bookingsThe power of “behind the scenes” opt-ins for your websiteHow to market desire instead of pain (and why it matters)Your inquiry process shouldn't feel like a locked vault to your clients. This episode will help you rethink how you present your services to make booking simple, fast, and confidence-boosting for both you and your clients.Listen now, subscribe to the podcast, and start transforming how your photography business books clients today.More Resources:Master the craft of pet photography at the Hair of the Dog Academy - www.hairofthedogacademy.comStop competing on price, sell without feeling pushy, and reach consistently $2,000+ sales in the Freedom Focus Formula - www.freedomfocusformula.comCrack the code to booking more clients inside Elevate - www.freedomfocusformula.com/elevateDiscover the world of commercial pet photography in the Commercial Pet Photography Academy - www.hairofthedogacademy.com/commercialAre you enjoying the Freedom Focus Photography Podcast? Please leave a rating or a review!JOIN THE PARTY: Connect with us on Instagram Explore valuable pet photography resources here Discover effective pricing and sales strategies for all portrait photographers. Ready to grow your business? Elevate helps you do just that. Check out our recommended gear and favorite books.

Learn how I helped transform romance author Jamie P. Bradley's website from a placeholder that lacked personality to a site she's proud to share. If your website feels like it doesn't truly represent your brand or connect with your audience, this episode is for you.YOU WILL LEARN:Why the homepage hero section is the most important part of your websiteHow to guide visitors through a clear and simple customer journeyThe power of using your personality and brand identity in every part of your designWhy every page on your website needs a clear call to actionTips you can implement today to make your website more effective and engagingA website that truly reflects you can make all the difference—listen for tips you can use right now.

I want to hear your thoughts about the show and this episode. Text us here...Is your website working for you — or just sitting there looking cute?In this episode of Casa De Confidence, host Julie DeLucca-Collins sits down with web designer and branding strategist Jenny Belanger of Jenny B Designs to unpack what it really takes to build a website that attracts your ideal client and turns clicks into conversions.Whether you're a coach, consultant, or creative entrepreneur, your website should do more than look good — it should work. Jenny shares practical website design tips for entrepreneurs to improve their online presence, boost trust, and drive real business results.In This Episode, You'll Learn:Why your website strategy matters more than fancy graphicsHow to design a client-converting homepageThe power of a clear call to action (and where to put it)Whether you should include pricing on your websiteHow your Google Business Profile supports your SEOThe biggest website mistakes new entrepreneurs makeA simple 5-minute change that can boost conversions instantlyWhat your About page should actually say (hint: it's not all about you)Need help launching or optimizing your podcast and website together? Click here to book a strategy call with Julie and get the plan you need to build visibility, grow your audience, and attract aligned clients.Listen now and learn how to turn your website into your business's most valuable asset.This is an invitation to join a supportive community of purpose-driven entrepreneurs who are creating an impact in the world.A mastermind is a community of peers who exchange ideas, provide support, and offer sound advice for running a successful business.Join the Confident YOU Mastermind now at https://goconfidentlyservices.myflodesk.com/confidentyoumastermindSupport the showOther helpful resources for you: For more about me and what I do, check out my website. Are you ready to get some help with:Podcast launch/re-launchPodcast growth, to increase your authority and position yourself as the thought leader you are. Or Leveraging your podcast to build your online biz and get more clientsSign up for a FREE 30 minute Confident Podcast Potential Discovery Call In this session I will: Identify the pain point that is holding you back. Suggest a next step strategy for solving the pain point.https://calendly.com/goconfidentlycoaching/30-minutes-free-coaching-sessioin Then we will talk about working together to accelerate the process. Do you want a podcast audit? Check out this link If you're looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call to explore if you'd be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. ...

Try Rocket Money for free: https://RocketMoney.com/calumjohnsonTry Notion Mail for free: https://ntn.so/CalumMailDownload Our Free Supporting Doc that shares the full steps we go through in this episode:https://bit.ly/CJShowAIif you want to join over 600 builders and learn step by step how to build a profitable AI business from Greg Isenberg, click here: https://www.startupempire.co/join?via=calumFollow UsMy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calumjohnson1/My X: https://x.com/calum_johnson9Riley's X: https://x.com/rileybrown_ai?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5EauthorIf you liked this, check out our video on building an AI business with Greg Isenberg: https://youtu.be/07twxy9TpQoTimestamps00:00 Intro (The Game Has Changed!)01:57 Step 1 – The $9M AI Sprint Challenge (Speed over structure)04:35 What Is Vibe Coding? (One prompt, endless possibilities)06:20 Fail Fast, Learn Faster (Riley's rapid-iteration secret)10:08 Step 2 – Live Demo: See AI conjure a fully branded expense tracker in seconds14:13 One Prompt → Building a mobile app18:53 Screenshot to Website (How to Design your landing page in seconds!)22:50 Deploy in 15 Seconds (Instant feedback loop)31:00 Monetize & Scale (Adding payments, security, and growth tactics)35:22 Step 3 – Saturday Challenge (Ship your own AI app by Sunday!)About Riley BrownRiley Brown is a content creator and AI educator who went from marketing analyst to one of the most influential voices in the AI creator space. He just raised millions of dollars for his AI app, Vibe Code which helps people to build apps right from their phone without having to code.

 Content creation isn't just about looking good on Instagram — it's about building something that works for your business. In this episode of Show Up Better, C.J. Williams breaks down why your website — not social media — should be the foundation of your content strategy. You'll learn: Why your social media feed is not your websiteHow to turn your website analytics into content ideasThe three must-haves for a high-performing site (SEO, speed, and analytics)Why blog posts, YouTube videos, podcasts, and emails should come before social mediaHow to stop wasting time on content that doesn't move the needle visit the website: www.podcasttitans.comFollow me in Instagram

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Welcome! I'm thrilled to have Clara Cohen with us, a seasoned acupuncturist, educator, and the founder of AcuPro Academy, where she creates East Asian Medicine and acupuncture content for practitioners worldwide. With over 10 years of experience teaching online, and a combined 700,000 social media followers, Clara's passion for empowering acupuncturists shines through in her courses, books, and free resources.In this episode, we talk about: Why success requires business skills, not just clinical expertiseWhy standard office procedures (SOPSs) are key to successHow to make marketing and social media work for youThree tips for getting started with videoPricing on your websiteHow to stand out online as an acupuncturistAnd moreI hope you enjoy this episode with Clara!SHOW NOTES:Clara's website: acuproacademy.comFacebook: @acuproacademyYouTube: @acuproacademyInstagram: @acuproacademyPinterest: @acuproacademyTikTok: @acuproacademyBluesky: @acuproacademyX (Twitter): @acuproacademyMarketing Breakthrough Session with Michelle - $49This episode is sponsored by my new online class, Grow Your Acupuncture Practice with AcuYoga, which is on sale for 20% off this week!This strategy is one of the few marketing methods that pays you to promote your practice while getting in front of warm leads. You'll learn how to:✔️ Increase your visibility in your community✔️ Build trust naturally with people who are already interested in health and wellness✔️ Seamlessly transition attendees into paying patients and✔️ Form valuable partnerships with local yoga studiosThis is a warm, community-centered marketing strategy that benefits everyone involved. Yoga studios love it because it offers a unique class experience for their students—so they're likely to say YES to collaborating with you!The course includes a complete step-by-step strategy and marketing templates to bring in new patients from AcuYoga classes.And right now, it's just $39 until Feb. 25th. The discount code is already applied on the checkout page. Click here to learn more and sign up today!Support the showCurious about Acupuncture Marketing School, the online course for marketing beginners? Join me inside! Click here to learn more.

If you are looking for VBAC inspiration, Kelsey's episode is a MUST-LISTEN.Kelsey is a VBA2C mom and speech-language pathologist living in Erie, Pennsylvania. You will feel literal full-body chills as she tells her birth stories on the podcast today. As a first-time mom, Kelsey chose a Cesarean over physiological birth thinking it was the safer, easier route. But after experiencing the reality of two C-sections, she went from fearing vaginal birth to trusting in the labor process even more than her providers did. With her VBA2C, Kelsey got just about every type of pushback in the books. She was coerced, persuaded, questioned, and fear-mongered by multiple providers. Yet Kelsey was able to ground herself by listening to VBAC stories on The VBAC Link Podcast, seeking refuge in her doula and Webster-certified chiropractor, and connecting with other VBAC moms. Kelsey knew her body could do it. She just wanted a chance. Going up against a hospital practice that was saturated with skepticism, Kelsey's labor was beautifully textbook. Her labor progressed quickly, and her biggest baby yet came out in two pushes– “like butter” as described by her doula!VBAC-Certified Doula, Tara Van Dyke's WebsiteHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull Transcript under Episode Details Meagan: Hello, Women of Strength. We have another amazing story for you today. And actually, it's stories. We have a VBA2C mama coming your way. And as you know, this is a hot topic because lots of people want to know if vaginal birth after two Cesareans is possible. So Kelsey will be sharing her stories with us today. But guess what, you guys, I have a co-host today and it's Tara. Hello, Tara Van Dyke.Tara: Hello. Hello.Meagan: She is one of our VBAC link doulas. As you probably heard back in 2024, we are going to randomly be having co-hosts from our VBAC Link doulas. I think it's so awesome to have them on. I love hearing the topics and things that they want to suggest to talk to you guys about because again, just like we talked about years ago, we just in Salt Lake City, Utah, can't share enough. And so we want other doulas from all over the world to share as well. So Tara, tell us more about where you're from and then your topic on partners and being prepared.Tara: Yes. So thank you for having me here with you. This is so fun to hear a story live. I'm a doula working in the Chicagoland suburbs. I've been doing that for 20 years and now moving to more of childbirth education as well as like a lower caseload of doula work partly because I just welcomed my first grandchild this week, so I want to be available in a different way in my life. Meagan: Congrats. Very valid. Tara: So I do a lot of childbirth education. But along the way, what's always been really important to me and I feel really passionate about is the partner connection with the person giving birth and their preparation. The research supports it too, that a prepared partner makes a really big difference in outcomes too. I know we talk a lot about doulas and increasing the positive outcomes of birth, and that's been shown over and over in studies, but the actual dream team is a doula and a prepared partner.Meagan: Yeah. I love that.Kelsey: I tell the dads who come to my classes that the doula is important, but we are replaceable in this situation. The partner is so important because of that connection because they bring the oxytocin. They bring the safety. They have that history with you already. And what even bumps that up to being really helpful in the birth room is their preparation and their understanding of what to expect and being completely on board. So theres lots of ways for partners to get prepared, but they get left out a lot. So I feel really strongly that partners are so much better in the birth room when they're not feeling anxious about what's going on, when they know what to expect and they have a few good tools in their pocket for how to help.Meagan: Oh yes, I could not agree more. I always talk about, I make things up, and I call it the doula sandwich. So it's just what I call it in my practice of my doula work. One bun has all the oxytocin and all the knowledge of who you are, and then the other side is the doula who has the education in birth work and the ideas of how to help navigate through the birth space, but also can then support the partner in doing that and educating the partner. So then, we've got two really great sides and then we sandwich the doula. We have great buns. We have really great buns. And we sandwich that mom together and with love and support and education and oxytocin. Like you said, it really creates that dream team. I love that so much. My husband didn't educate himself. He was just, "Okay fine, if you want a VBAC, go do it. You do the research." I did HypnoBirthing with my cousin who luckily was pregnant around the same time, but we did that together, and he just really didn't know. When I told him, "Hey, I want to VBAC after two caesareans out of the hospital," he was like, "Yo, what?" because he was uneducated. I truly feel that it is so powerful. That's why I encourage partners to take the VBAC course with, the mom or an education course in childbirth. Really understand what the mom is going through, but also know how you can help because I do feel like a lot of those dads kind of get shoved aside. They want to help, but they don't know how to help, and they don't really know what's going on. Is that noise good or is that noise bad?Tara: Yes. Yeah. And they're going through the birth, too. This is the birth of their child. So they can also feel, as far as traumatized, hopefully not trauma, but they can feel a lot more dissatisfied or upset by a birth if they didn't know that what was happening was normal. So it's good for them, too, to learn how to take care of themselves as well as their partner.Meagan: Love it so, so much. Everybody, get your partners educated. It is so, so important. Thank you so much for that tip. Meagan: Okay, Ms. Kelsey, it is your turn, my love.Kelsey: Okay, so as you know, I had a VBAC after two C sections which I didn't even know was a thing. You played such a huge part in giving me education and the motivation to pursue this. My story starts in October 2018. My husband and I found out we were pregnant with our first. It was really special because it was actually our two-year wedding anniversary. It was that morning that we found out and we had a special trip plans to Niagara Falls, just up in Canada. It's a special place for us. It was where he proposed to me. It was just a really special time. It was also kind of crazy because up until that point, up until just prior to that, we had been together eight years, and we didn't think we were interested in having kids. I'm so grateful that our mindset had shifted, but it was just kind of a lot at once. We had agreed that we did want to start a family, but it happened really quickly, and it was just a lot to process. I didn't educate myself at all about birth. My husband and I took a class in the hospital, but it was pretty much just how do you take care of a baby. It wasn't how to bring a baby into the world.Meagan: Yeah, yeah. Sometimes those can be a little more what to expect after than really what to expect during.Kelsey: Exactly. And, I don't know what it was. I don't know if I just couldn't really picture myself giving birth just because we had just kind of come into this or if I just was not believing in my body, but I just felt the opposite of a lot of people on this podcast. They say, "I never thought I would have a C section. I never expected that for myself." For me, I just went into it thinking I'm intimidated by all of this. A C-section sounds easier and I cringe saying that now. But, I just thought not having to go through labor and not having to push a baby out, I just always had that in my head. That comes into play with how my first ended up. I was told throughout my pregnancy that my baby was big and specifically it was driven home, "The head is big. The shoulders are big." They were telling me about shoulder dystocia, and I didn't know anything. So I'm thinking, oh my gosh, not only am I already intimidated by the idea of birth. I know nothing about birth, but now you're telling me I have this big baby. My OB was really telling me maybe a C-section should be considered. And then she threw it out there. "Well, we could induce 39 weeks and see how things go." And again, I was just trusting her. She had been my gynecologist since I was a teenager. To me, I thought, okay, that makes sense. Baby's big. And again, I hadn't done any research on my own. So we did what I referred to as a half-hearted induction. I feel like it was just done to humor everyone. Like, "Oh, we tried." But I went in the night before at 39 weeks on the dot. Nothing was going on with my cervix. Surprise, surprise at 39 weeks. They did Cervadil and I just lay in the bed. My husband and I watched the fireworks out the window. It was the fourth of July. We were just completely not prepared for anything. Just going along with this and thinking, oh, we'll just have a C-section tomorrow if this doesn't happen. They came in the morning and nothing had happened. So they were like, "Oh, well, we could start Pitocin. We could do this." I just wasn't interested in any of that. I wasn't motivated to have a vaginal birth. I guess that's okay. That's just where my head was at the time. I've accepted that's just where I was at. So we had the C-section. It was a surgery. Just being there and as baby comes out, just hearing everybody in the OR talk about, "Oh, look at her cheeks and look at the hair." It was minutes before I'm ever able to get a quick flash of her around the curtain before they swoop her off. It was just a weird experience, but it was all I knew. I was grateful that it went okay, but it just makes recovery so hard, so painful. When I think back to it, just think about just crying while my husband's trying to do my abdominal binder, not being able to get in and out of bed, struggling to breastfeed, even getting in a position of breastfeed with that searing surgical pain. We struggled, and I ended up exclusively pumping. So it was tough as a first-time mom just dealing with all of that. But again, I didn't know any different. I think that was a blessing that I didn't know what I was potentially missing. For my second birth, we knew he wanted more than one child. You just never know how things are going to happen. We just weren't trying to not get pregnant, and it happened right away. The babies were 16 months apart, so when I showed up to my appointment, my OB, the same one who had said, "You have this big baby, and you should have a C-section or induce at 39 weeks." Oh, the ARRIVE study was hot off the press at that point too. So he was excited to show me the ARRIVE study back.Meagan: Oh, yeah, but you're not even a first-time. I mean, you were a first-time vaginal mom. So the ARRIVE trial, you know. You've been with us. Hashtag eyeball.Tara: Yeah, yeah, it changes. It's changed everything.Meagan: It really has. And I don't know if it really has changed for the better in my opinion.Kelsey: So sorry, that was for my first birth. I forgot to mention.Meagan: Oh, oh, oh, sorry. Yes, that would make sense. Yes.Kelsey: So with the second, it was the same OB, and she's like, "Okay, since your births are so close together, you'll just be a repeat C-section. You can make appointments with me, and I'll do your surgery. Easy peasy." I'm thinking, oh, okay. That makes sense because she's talking about uterine rupture, and they're so close together and I didn't research on my own. Is there another option? How risky really is this compared to a repeat C-section? I just trusted her so much. I had been with her for so long. I figured she must have my best interests at heart.Meagan: Yeah.Kelsey: I didn't even think to myself, my own mother had a VBAC with a 13-month age gap. I was a C-section, and my brother was a VBAC at 13 months 30 years ago. Meagan: Uh-huh.Kelsey: You only know what you know at the time. And so even though I didn't look into it in the ways that I should have, I did know that I wanted the experience to be a little different. So I found out about gentle C-section which I think is a funny term. Meagan: I was happy to see that you could request a clear drape, and you could request not to be tied down to the table. We did implement a few of those things. I had the clear drape. It was nice to see her coming out just for a quick flash before they swooped her away. It was nice not to be completely-- I had one arm free which is funny these things that we consider luxuries when you're having a C-section. So it was a little bit better in that way, but there were things that were also worse. They couldn't get the needle in, and they had a resident doing things. I was having trouble. I was starting to pass out during. They were having to adjust. It was stressful in its own way. I had some things that were a little better. But also, it's just's a C-section. Also, during, my OB made a comment as she has me completely open, all seven layers of me. She said, "Yeah, who was it the did your last C-section?",I told her and she made no comment. I said, "Why are you asking me this as you're inside my uterus?" She said, "There's just more scar tissue than I would have expected." She said, "Hey, you can have another baby if you want, but just wait more time in between. Just not so close together." So that was something that got in my head too. Anyway, we thought there was no way we would ever have a third. It was really hard having two under two recovering from another C-section. It was November 2020, so it was the first COVID winter. It was cold. It was dark. Everything was closed down. Everybody was in masks. It was so depressing. It's like, postpartum isn't hard enough. As if two under two isn't hard enough, then adding COVID.Meagan: Yeah, adding zero support and zero resources. Yeah.Kelsey: Nowhere to get out and do anything. It was a bummer. So anyway, it was a lot, and we thought, no way are we ever going to have three. It was just a hard season. So I donated everything. I put all my carriers and all my stuff out on the porch and said, "Come get it," to the local moms group. I just couldn't see myself having a third. Well, then the years pass, and things get easier. You come into an easier season. All of a sudden, we're not dealing with diapers and bottles. It's like, we could leave the house. Things are opening back up. My husband and I had talked about a third and toyed around with the thought of it, but it's just hard to pull the trigger once you've come into this easy season. The thought of hitting the reset button is intimidating. But all it really took was watching him take down my youngest's crib with her. And it was like, okay, this is something that we want to do. It was a funny conversation that night. I said, "If we were to get pregnant this cycle, we would have a June baby, and that would be really nice." So that's what happened. I was playing it with my third. That's when I realized. I mean, I had thought about it, obviously, but I realized, oh, my gosh, I have to have another C-section, a third C-section. Talk about being years away from it and thinking about how you're all healed. It's been a few years, and to think about them cutting open again and just knowing what that entails, I was just in a whole different headspace. I was thinking, how is there a way that I can avoid this?Before my first appointments, I did a quick Google search, "vaginal birth after two C-sections" just to see if this was something anybody had done or was doing or was even possible. I was so excited to see that people were doing this. It looked like it was actually potentially a good possibility. So I was thinking, I've got to be the right candidate. I didn't even need those first C-sections. I knew this now, reflecting back. Yeah, I had my first screening where they do your intake, and they were asking a bunch of questions. And I had said at the RN, I said, "Would I be able to maybe have a vaginal delivery after two C sections?" And she was like, "Oh, they consider it after one, but once you've had two, you're a C-section for life."Meagan: Oh, jeez.Kelsey: Something about her saying that and the way that she said it, I went from being a little bit curious and oh, this might be good, to no, this is something I'm going to pursue. It just didn't feel right. She didn't know my history. She didn't know why I have my C-sections. So to tell me, "Oh, no. You need to have a third major surgery for sure. No option." Tara: It was this moment when it brings a fight out in you. Like, I am gonna do this now.Kelsey: I'll never forget how I felt at that moment. So I started to have my appointments with the OBs, and I would bring it up. Everything was perfect. It was going really smoothly. So the appointments would be like two minutes, and then at the end they'd say, "Do you have any questions or concerns?" And I'd say, "Yeah, I wanted to see what my options are for delivery." They were like, "Well, we decided as a practice to support VBAC after one C-section, but we actually have a policy against VBAC after two C sections."Meagan: How did I know that was coming? The policy, I swear, every time it's like, "We decided as a practice or as a practice, we--". It's always like, they created this stupid policy that actually is against evidence based care. But okay.Kelsey: I'm thinking to myself, so then what do you do? Anyway, I was just mind blown by that. I went to a couple of more appointments there. You'd go every month and they'd say, "Any questions?" I'd say, "Yes. I'm just really not feeling good about the idea of a third C-section." I said, "The risks of a third Cesarean intimidate me much more than doing a trial of labor." I've never given my body a chance. It's not like I've been through this before and things went wrong. I've never been given a fair chance. They were very nice, but they just look at me and smile and nod and say, "Well, it's gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay," and not even entertain the idea for a second. So I'm thinking to myself, okay. I've gotta figure something out. So at that point, when I had talked to a couple of providers, and they were all very consistent about, "Nope. Nope, not even going to entertain it," I knew something had to change. I'm reaching out. I'm searching in the local moms group about C-sections. Has anybody had a VBAC after two? It was crickets. Nobody was responding. I was looking back years trying to find anybody who had done this, in the area. Wat I was finding is, "No, it's not going to happen in Erie. You need to go to Pittsburgh or try a home birth." And I'm just really not comfortable with the home birth even though I know that's a perfect option for plenty of people.Meagan: It didn't feel right for you.Kelsey: Yeah. It just wasn't what I was feeling like I wanted to do. So I reached out, and I had not known anything about doulas until your podcast. I hardly even knew what they did before listening. I just searched "doulas in Erie." I called the first one I saw. I left a message that was probably pretty unhinged just like, "Help! What do I do? Is this something I can do?" She called back, and it was the first time that I had any validation at all. Up until then, it was just people telling me no, people telling me policies and not safe. It was the first time that I was heard. I was heard. She said, "There's really no reason why you can't have a chance. We'll figure this out." I kept doing my research. I dug really deep, and I found a few people who had referred to providers being supportive. I was reaching out. I was sending people DMs saying, "Hey, sorry to be huge creep, but can you tell me more about your experience?: I found out that at the other practice there were providers who would consider this. So it wasn't looking super promising, but it was better than where I was at. So I kind of took a chance. I switched practices at 28 weeks. Prior to that, I had an amazing appointment at 24 weeks. I had one last appointment at that office with the policy. He was amazing. If you could have just copied and pasted him, he was just like a midwife. I mean, he was very upset about the policy. He said, "How do you even enforce that?" He said, "What are we going to do? What are we going to do, strap you down and take you to the OR?" I wish that he had a podcast episode because he took so much time. He explained to me  the history of C-sections and how, in his words, the pendulum has swung so far from only doing C-sections when they were needed to they're safe now. Let's do them whenever we can. He talked about the whole policy thing and how they met as a group. He said, "Some of these younger JOBs have only been practicing now that C-sections are so common. They haven't seen the success." He said, "You have just as much of a chance of success as a 20-year-old walking off of the elevator because our C-section rate is so high. You have just as much of a chance." He laughed at the fact that macrosomia was in my chart, which I forgot to mention with my first. She was 9 pounds, 1 ounce. She was big.Meagan: Okay. I wanted to ask you though because they had said, "Oh, big baby, 16 months apart." I wanted to ask, but 9 pounds, 1 ounce is actually not macrosomia. It's a bigger baby, but it's not a huge baby.Kelsey: Exactly. It's not 12 pounds, which also, people have done. But anyway, he put so much wind into my sails, and he fully supported me switching. He said, "Honestly, I think this is great. I think this is the best option for you. You need to go for it." He said, "But if you were to stay here, you would face nothing but doubt and bullying and scary." He said, "If you were my wife, I would tell you to switch over to this other practice." So that's what I did. I also forgot to mention in my anatomy scan, the sonographer is going about doing it and she said, "Were your other babies big?" I'm like, no, we're not gonna start this. It was already with the big baby comments. So they had me do a growth scan to switch practices. It was refreshing to be in a place where they entertained the idea. They said that they decided as a practice to follow what ACOG says, but it was also very clear the difference between support versus tolerance. So although I was grateful that they were entertaining the idea, I still had, "Oh, 90th percentile. Oh, you've never labored before. You don't have a proven pelvis."Meagan: Proven pelvis. Tara: Yeah, proven pelvis.Meagan: There's a lot of eye rolls in this.Kelsey: Thank goodness, again, if it weren't for this podcast, all of those little comments would have swayed me. I would have said, "What am I doing? Listen to all these things they're saying. This isn't right for me." Once you know, it's just so hard to listen to the VBAC calculator. "Oh, let's just type your stuff in and see." I think it gave me, like 50% chance. Like, I don't know. So anyway, I'll get back on track. My low point was at 32 weeks. It was with my provider who was convincing me that a C-section or induction was right, and then telling me, "Oh, you'll just be a repeat. We'll schedule it." I was dreading my appointment with her. I knew that I needed to meet with her because she could possibly be the provider who was on call. I wanted to tell her what my plan was, and assess her thoughts. I thought that I was invincible because now I knew all of these things, and I wasn't going to let anybody bring me down. That appointment was pretty terrible. She came in hot. She said, "You're 32 weeks. Baby is 5 pounds, 4 ounces, and he's off the charts." She actually referred to him as massive. She said, "He's massive. He's huge." She said, "Put him in a room with 100 babies, and he is enormous."Meagan: Enormous. Tara: She's comparing him to other babies already. Meagan: And he's not even born. Tara: Can I just add a little tidbit here because there's so much talk in your story about the fear of big babies, and the research has shown that what leads to more problems or interventions in a birth with a big baby is not the actual size of the baby, but the provider's fear of the big baby. They're already getting themselves stirred up, and nothing has even happened. Kelsey: I was really discouraged by that because I had come across those facts too. And looking at the research and looking at what are the real risks of a big baby, that's actually just the providers. Yeah, se was just disgusted with my plan. She said, "Are you sure?" I said, "Yeah." I really stood my ground. I was so proud of how I stuck to my guns. She pulled out all the stops. She just kind of sighed and she said, "Okay." And then she pulled it out of me as I was  trying to justify. I said, "We're not sure how much we want to grow our family." I said, "If I have three C-sections, I'm not going to want a fourth." I said, "I just think it's worth a try." So she took that and she ran with it. She said, "Well, for what it's worth, I would rather do two more planned C-sections. I would do two more planned C-sections on you, and I wouldn't bat an eye. I'd rather do that than have you TOLAC." I thought, oh, my gosh. So again, I stood my ground. She went out. She was visibly upset. I was so proud of myself. But then I spiraled that whole day. It just chipped away at me all day. I came home.  I had been doing nightly walks religiously. That's when I would listen to The VBAC Link. That night, I didn't do my walk. I cried in my bed. I was just so upset. I spent the night then going through the groups I was in for VBAC after multiple Cesareans and The VBAC Link searching "big baby, big head circumference" and screen-shooting all of the success and all of the comments to fuel back my motivation. That was definitely the low point, but I did have some great meetings with providers. I was grateful that where I was living, I was able to find enough support where they would let me go for it. Once I got toward the end, there kept being the comments about "big baby". I had an OB do my final measurement and not tell me what it was. I said, "How is baby measuring? There is a lot of drama about baby being big." She was like, "Well, how big were your other two?" I said, "They were 9,1 and 8,4". My second was almost a full pound smaller. She said, "Oh, if you pushed those out, no problem. You don't have anything to worry about." I said, "That's where the drama was. I didn't push them out. I had C-sections." It was like she saw a ghost. She was like, "Oh, well that is drama." She was just beside herself. I say that story specifically because spoiler alert, she was the one who ended up delivering my baby.Meagan: Oh, really?Kelsey: To give a preface to that. She actually said, "Well, it is what it is." She just was very nervous and very upset. I said, "Have you never seen a VBAC after two C-sections? Have you seen that?" She said, "Well, yeah, but it's usually with people who have birthed vaginally before, and not with a big baby." That's what she said. Meagan: Oh my gosh. Kelsey: I just wanted to talk about that because she was the one who delivered Anyway, time went on. As I got to 39 weeks, I started to stand my ground a little bit more because they wanted to do cervical checks. They'd say, "Okay, undress for the provider." I just was like, "No, thank you. I'm good." I would have been really discouraged if they had come in and checked me. I know that got in my head with previous appointments with things that I didn't think would affect me. At 39 weeks, one of the providers who had been trying to talk about how big my baby was and persuade me to have an induction, she said, "What if we did a growth scan at 40 weeks, and you were measuring 10 pounds. Would that change your mind?" I was like, "No. I'm not doing a growth scan at 40 weeks. I've already done too many scans." So just right up until the end, they were trying to get me. They were talking about the size. Meagan: They were really trying to get you to cave. Kelsey: Yes. So after that appointment, because of my BMI, after 37 weeks and beyond, you have to have an NST and a BPP (biophysical profile) every week. Meagan: After 37 weeks?Kelsey: Starting at 37 weeks, you have to have both of those tests every week. It was just a new thing. I didn't do it with my last. Again, I'm worried about this. I know how the testing goes. Sure enough, I go. This is 39 weeks. I go for the biophysical profile, and they were like, "There is a lot of fluid. You have too much fluid." They were talking about all of the fluid. "Look, here are little flakes." They were talking about the fluid. I thought, I've made it this far. This is something that is going to make it a C-section.Baby wasn't also taking enough practice breaths for her which was frustrating. She even said, "I think he's sleeping, but I want to be on the safe side." I said, "I just had an appointment. She could hardly get his heart rate because he was moving so much." I had driven to Cleveland an hour and a half away the night before to go to a Noah Con concert. I felt him moving the whole time. I was like, "I'm pretty confident that he's okay. I was just checked by my OB five minutes ago." She wanted to send me. I wasn't going to mess around this far on, so I went to triage. They hooked me up to an NST. They wouldn't just let me do it in the office. I'm sitting there. Everything is perfect. The nurse comes in and said, "They're just going to place an IV." I stopped and said, "What did you say?" She said, "They're just going to place an IV." I said, "Why would they place an IV? Everything is looking good. I have grocery pickup in an hour. I'm not trying to be here for long." She said, "Just for access." I said, "No, thank you. Please let me out." That was weird.She said, "Okay. We're just going to watch you a little longer." Then this OB who I'd never seen before who was apparently just newer to the practice comes in. I'm like, "How are things going?" At this point, it had been 45 minutes. I'm trying to get out. He said, "Things are looking really good." I could see his wheels turning. He said, "But, since you are 39 weeks and you've had two C-sections, we can do a C-section for you today." Meagan: Oh my Santa. Tara: Here you go. How did you manage all of this pressure, Kelsey? It's extraordinary. Meagan: It is. Kelsey: I should mention that I had an amazing doula, so after these appointments, I would text her a paragraph. She was constantly lifting me back up. I was going to Webster chiropractic care. The chiropractor I saw, shout out to Tori, she's amazing. She's a doula also. She was pregnant going for her VBAC, so we would have these appointments, and it was a mini VBAC therapy session. We would talk about what we were up against, and just the different providers because she was going to the same practice as me. It was just so nice to have her. I was doing all of the things. The chiropractic care. I was eating the dates and drinking the tea because I wanted to know that if I was doing this, I was going to try everything and then I couldn't look back and say, "What if I would have done chiropractic?" Anyway, I basically tell him, "Get out of my room. I'm going." He just was awful. He did all of the scare tactics and all of the risks but none of the risks of a third C-section of course. Only the risks of the very low uterine rupture that he was hyping up. Anyway, that was bizarre, but again, I stood my ground. I was so proud, but then I got home, and I spiraled. I was packing my hospital bag. I was crying. I said to my husband, "I let them get in my head. I shouldn't even bother packing any of this stuff." I had the little fairy lights and things to labor. I was like, "I shouldn't even bother packing any of this VBAC stuff. They're just going to find some reason to do a C-section. Look at this. This whole time, they wanted to do the C-section." Again, another night of spiraling. As he left, he said, "They're going to want to see you tomorrow and repeat all of this testing." Meagan: For what? If everything was okay, what was the actual medical reason? Kelsey: Exactly. It was just out of spite because I shut him down. They were like, "They're going to want you to come back tomorrow." I'm like, "Okay. If it gets me out of here and gets you out of access to an IV and a C-section, fine." Meagan: Seriously. Kelsey: The next morning, I'm on my way to my appointment. I was on the phone with my mom and I told her, "I'm having these weird feelings I've never felt before. I don't know if maybe they're contractions." It was very strange. It was something I never felt. I never had a contraction and had never gone into labor. So I go to my appointment and passed the BPP with flying colors. I'm like, "Well, what about the fluid?" She's like, "Yeah, there's a lot of it, but it's fine." I got an 8 out of 8 score.  I go for the NST. Well now, baby's moving too much, so his heart rate, they can't keep it on because he's moving, and she kept having to move it. So again, I'm just very frustrated that I'm even there. I'm so close to the end. This is now 39 weeks and 4 days. And so the tech says, "I'm going to bring this to him. He might not like the drop offs, but I'll explain to him that the baby's moving a lot."I said, "Who's he? What OB is this?" She said the OB who was in triage the day before who tried to have me do the C-section and I was just like, "Oh my god. He's going to see my name and have any reason to send me back." Sure enough, he comes sauntering in the room and he says, "We meet again," as if I'm this problem child, as if I wasn't just having all these normal tests. He says, "I can't be confident that these aren't decals. You need to go back to triage." I was just again, so frustrated. It's like just a constant of all of these things coming up and none of it being real. It'd be different if it was like, oh, this was actually a risky thing. But again, I'm so close to the end. I know what I know. I knew that the OB that I had seen the day before in the office, I wanted to talk to her about the fluid because I had searched, and I saw that the polyhydramnios could actually be a thing. If your water breaks, there's the risk of cord prolapse. So I knew that that wasn't something that was completely to be ignored, so I wanted to talk to her more about that. I humored him, and I went in. Well, all the while, I'm feeling these sensations more and more consistently. They get me hooked up, and I explain the situation. I said that I was just here yesterday not really for a reason, but I'm back now also not really for a reason. They hook me up. Of course, everything looks good. But she's like, "Are you feeling these contractions?" I'm like, "Is that what they are?" I was excited. They were just cracking up because she's like, "These are pretty consistent and big contractions." I just couldn't believe it. I was just so excited my body was doing it. I'd only ever, at 39 weeks, been cut off and then never been given a chance. All I needed, I guess, was a few extra days. I'm just so excited that I'm having contractions. The nurses are laughing. "We've never seen somebody so excited to have contractions." Anyway, at that point, my OB comes in, the one who had been trying to get me to be induced. She's plenty nice, but the one who said about if we did a scan of 40 weeks and 10 pounds, would you reconsider? So she said, "Kelsey, do you know what I'm going to say? This is the second day you've been in here in two days." I'm like, "Yeah, but for nothing."Meagan: And because you asked me to come in here.Kelsey: Yeah, trying to humor everyone and see that yep, everything's fine. See? But again, I was having these contractions, and as I was there, picking up. She wanted to check me. I said, "Okay, I'll let you check me," because I'm having contractions I never have before, and I want to see what's going on. I went to the bathroom, and I had bloody show, which again, I had never had. So things are really happening. I come out and I told her, "There's blood and I'm having contractions." She's like, "Yay, let's check you," and I was 1 centimeter. She was one of the OBs who was comfortable with a balloon. So she said, "I'll tell you what. You've got a lot of fluid. Things are happening. Let's work on moving things along."Meagan: So she induced you?Kelsey: She wanted to.Meagan: She wanted to. Okay.Kelsey: So she's like, "Let's get you in. I'll do the balloon. We can get things going because you've got a lot of fluid. It's time, Kelsey." I'm like, "Okay." I said, "Well, I'm gonna go home."Meagan: Good for you, girl.Kelsey: Get my kids off with my mom and get my dog off. She sunk when I said that. I said, "I promise I'll come back. I'm not gonna run it. I'll come back just in a little while. Like, maybe this evening." But she said, "Okay, I'm here till 4:00, and then it's another OB coming on who won't want to do the balloon." So just come in before then. Of course, I wait until exactly 4:00. But as I was home, it just kept picking up, and I started timing. The app is like, "Go to the hospital. Go to the hospital." But I've also know from listening to this podcast that that happens. My husband's freaking out because he would see me stop and pause, and he's like, "Let's go. Let's get out of here." I was grateful that everything maintained through the car ride. I got there, and contractions were still happening. My doula met us there because I hear about people going too early and the contractions stop, and then there are problems there. Yeah, things just kept happening. We got in a room. My doula was amazing. We were just hanging out and just laughing. I couldn't believe just how happy I felt to feel my body doing it after all these years of just, "Your babies are too big, and you can't do this," and then all of this pregnancy saying that. It was just amazing.  I definitely had my guard up. The nurse was talking about the IV and the monitors, and especially with being overweight, I was worried about a wireless monitor. That happens. They can't get a good reading, and then they think baby's heart rate's dropping. I was just so worried about any reason, because I knew that they would. They would take it and run, so I was so grateful that the wireless monitoring worked perfectly. I was on my feet. Things just kept getting more intense, but I'm just laughing and smiling through it all. My doula was amazing. It was just such a great vibe in the room. My nurses were amazing. Every little thing that went right, I just embraced. I was so happy that this was happening. My water broke while I was on a video call with my friend. Again, it just like, "Oh, my gosh, my water broke. That's never happened." There was meconium in the water. So again, I'm like, oh, no. You know, any little thing. I was quickly reassured. It was very light. It wasn't anything to be worried about. I labored and stayed on my feet. My doula was amazing with suggesting things I never would have thought or never would have thought that I would enjoy. I was in the shower at one point on a ball. They had this little wooden thing with a hole in it so that it keeps the ball from slipping out and keeps the drain from plugging. I'm just listening to my guilty pleasure music while my husband's outside the shower eating a Poptart laughing. It was just such a funny thing. I was just so, so excited about it all. Things were really picking up. My water just kept breaking and breaking. I mean, it was true. I had so much fluid. It just was just coming out and coming out. I couldn't believe how much there was. I got into the bed on my side, my doula said, "Try to take a break," and then I felt a water balloon in me. I could feel it burst. Just when I thought surely I was out of fluid, it just gushed out. And then immediately it was like, "Oh, my gosh, this is really intense." I handled that for a while. I was squeezing the comb. I was working through contractions, but I tapped out at about 1:00 AM I'd say. So we got into the hospital around 4:00, and the time just flew. They came to do the epidural, and he put it in. I just kept waiting for relief because I felt like I just didn't have a break. They were kind of on top of each other. It was one of those things that if I knew I was only going to have to do that for a short amount of time, but just not knowing how long, I just felt like I was suffering through them at that point. I wasn't trying to be a hero. I was just trying to avoid what I know sometimes happens and just trying to avoid interventions as much as I could. I kept waiting for this relief because I'm like, "I think I just need to rest. I feel like I'm close." The last I've been checked, I was 5 centimeters, but that was before the water broke and before struggling through contractions for a while. I had no idea how dilated I was. The relief never came. I was hoping to be able to relax and maybe take a nap like sometimes I hear. I could still feel my legs. I could have walked around the room if I wanted. I kept pushing the button. I don't know if it was in the wrong spot or what happened. I don't know if maybe there was something that was working because instead of feeling crushing and just defeated through the contractions, I was feeling like I can survive that. I can get through them. There was just no resting, it was just still having to work through contractions. And then my doula at one point said, "Maybe we should call him in and have him redo it." But then I was in my head, "Well, what if he redoes it, and then I'm too numb and I can't push?" So I just went through it. I'm so glad that I did, because it wasn't long after that that I was checked, and I was 8 centimeters. My  nurse kept checking and there was a lot going on down there and a lot coming out. Eventually she checked me and she said, "Hi. Hi, buddy. I just couldn't believe it." She said, "Do you want to feel him?" I got to reach down and feel his head. It was just also surreal. She had me do a practice push once I was dilated enough, and she's like, "O, oh, okay, okay, okay." She said, "I'm gonna go make a phone call."Tara: Wow, that's impressive.Kelsey: And the OB came in. I forgot to say that when I got to the hospital, the OB who was gonna do the Foley balloon, I totally left this out. She checked me, and I was already 2 centimeters. She said, "Your body is doing it on its own. We're just going to let you go."Tara: That was my question, Kelsey. I was wondering this whole time if they did anything to augment. There was no Pitocin. This was all you? Kelsey: Yes. Yes. I can't believe it.Tara: That's amazing.Kelsey: I got there, and I got the monitor placed. She came in. She checked, and she said, "You're 2 centimeters. We're just going to let you go. We're going to let you do your thing." That was just music to my ears just knowing how things sometimes go. Also, the OB coming on, I had told you, was really nervous about my plan. My husband and I joked that she did something to calm herself down before she walked in because she was just like, "You know what? I'm going to do something crazy. I'm just going to channel my inner midwife and do something crazy and just let you go and leave you alone." My doula is like, "Good. Please let us go." Yeah, I forgot to mention that is not only did I not need the induction, but then I had the OB surrendering and saying, "Go ahead, just let's do it. It's fine." So she literally did not come in. I think was as far away as she could pretending it wasn't happening, I guess. When the nurse called her, she came in and she got her gloves on. I just kept waiting for something to happen still. I'd been so, so scared by providers this whole time. So I'm like, okay. She instructed me on how to push. We did it through one contraction, and his head came out. I was like, "Oh, my gosh. This is crazy," and then, during the second contraction, I did it again, and the rest of him came out. It was unbelievable. It was five minutes from start to finish. My doula described it like butter. He was 9 pounds, 3 ounces.Meagan: So biggest baby. OkayKelsey: Biggest baby, enormous head. I didn't have any tears. I had what the OB described as grazes, like little spots that were bleeding. She put one or two stitches on the walls from where there were these grazes and I can't even describe it. I was sobbing. I was like, "We did it. We did it." He came right to my chest and to get to see him, it was unbelievable. It all happened so fast. Going from not believing in my body and just going for these C-sections, I'm so glad I didn't know what I was missing because in that moment, I probably could have done this before. Again, I didn't know what I didn't know and who knows would have gone? But it was just unbelievable to be in a normal room to have him come out and just right to me where he belongs and getting to see him with his cord still attached and he's crying. It just was such a beautiful moment and I just couldn't believe that had after all of that, here he was. It was beautiful. They asked about cutting the cord, and we hadn't even discussed that. I was like, "Can I do it? I really want to do it." I wanted all the experiences that I could never have gotten in the OR. I cut his cord. My doula got an awesome picture of that. I was considering having that be my picture for the podcast. It was just unbelievable, and I was just so happy, too, that that OB was the one who was there because seeing how nervous she was, I'm so glad that she got to experience. Look what you almost deterred me from doing just seeing how perfect it was. Now I'm hoping that if somebody comes to her in the future, she'll remember and say, "Hey, we had this baby, and it was just such a great experience." I was just so grateful for every second. I couldn't believe how things ended up.Meagan: I am so happy for you. Like Tara was saying, I'm so impressed. Standing your ground the way that you stood your ground after just constant-- I'm gonna call it nagging. They were just nagging on you and trying so hard to use the power of their knowledge that we know that they hold. We as beings, and it's not even just in the birth world, just as humans, we have this thing where we have providers, and we know that they've gone through extensive amount of schooling and trainings, so it's sometimes easy as you said, you spiraled when you got back to spiral and be like, wow, they're just all pushing this really hard. Maybe I should listen. Tara, have you experienced this within supporting your clients or just your own personal experience?Tara: You mean the pushback from the providers?Meagan: Yeah, the pushback, and then for us, should we doubt our intuition? Should we doubt what we're feeling and go with what they're saying because they know more?Tara: Yeah, I mean, that's the hardest thing, because you hire them. Like you said with your first provider, you trusted her. You'd known her since you were young. You've built this trust. She's gone to school. It's so hard to stand up against that as just a consumer and as a person who cares about the health of your baby and your family. But then the multiple times that you had to stand up for yourself even in small things like not getting the IV, not getting the cervical exam, those are not small things. You were protecting yourself from having more of that pushback. I am amazed. We struggle with that as doulas too, because we're helping advocate for our clients. It sounds like your doula was a rock for you and a place to feel validated and heard. I'm so glad you had her.Kelsey: Me too. I say to my husband, "No offense, you're great, but what would be done without our doula?" I mean, she was unbelievable just bringing the positive energy. My husband and I were so nervous and we were so worked up. We were third-time parents, but it was our first time doing any of this. My husband wouldn't have really known. He's never seen it before. My doula, she's done this so many times. She was right in there with the massaging and the side-lying. She did the, she called it shaking the apples.Tara: Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's a good one. But Kelsey, it's against all odds. I just think it's amazing because we talk about the power of oxytocin and feeling safe and not having stress hormones going on, and you had all of that. You should be so proud of your body coming in in the nick of time and just proving against all of this. I'm just gonna go ahead and birth this baby, and a bigger baby than your other two which is such a triumphant moment.Meagan: Seriously.Kelsey: His head was 15 inches. That was another thing because they had talked about his head circumference being off the chart. That was another thing I had been searching is people who've had the big head circumference. Those groups, this podcast and just groups and having access to so many stories and people overcoming all of these obstacles because every time I came up against something, I had heard it before. I said, "Oh, this is something that I've heard time and time again with these stories. They make you feel like you're the only one with the big baby and, oh, this is a problem. But it's like, no. They're saying this to so many people. It was just amazing going into this being so informed and motivated and having that confidence that I never would have had. I just so grateful for this podcast and for all the information.Meagan: Well, thank you so much. It's one of the coolest things, I think, not only just the VBAC, but to see where you came from at the beginning of, "We're not having kids. Okay. We're having kids. Okay. This is what I'm thinking. I'm kind of scared of this. Let's do this. Okay. Doctor said this. Let's do this." to this. I mean, you came so talking about the pendulum, right? And what that provider was talking about. You came from one side over here to not even wanting kids or wanting a vaginal birth to swinging so far to the other side and advocating so hard for yourself and standing your ground. When we say that you should be proud, I am shouting it. Be proud of yourself. Girl, you are incredible. You are such a great example. Women of Strength, if you are listening right now, I want you to know that you can be just like Kelsey. You do not have to be bullied. You do not have to be nagged on every single time. Know what's right. Know your gut. Know your heart. Do what you need to do, and you can do it. You can do it. It is hard. I know it's hard. It is not easy, but it is possible. Girl, you're amazing. I thank you so much for sharing your story today and empowering all the Women of Strength who are coming after you and needing the same encouragement that you needed not even years ago. How old was your baby?Kelsey: So he is four months old.Meagan: Four months. Yeah, so a year ago when you were listening. I mean, really, so so amazing. Thank you so much. And Tara, it's always a pleasure. Thank you so much for being here. I couldn't agree more with your advice. Get your partners educated. Create that true dream team.Kelsey: Thank you.Tara: Congratulations, Kelsey.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

Today, Joanna Lott welcomes digital sales strategist Lisa York for a value-packed discussion on marketing and sales. Lisa shares her unconventional but highly effective approach to email marketing and sales. Learn why email is the key to making consistent sales, how to write engaging emails that convert, and enter the competition to win a sales funnel review from Lisa York. Episode Highlights:[00:00:45] Introducing Lisa York, digital sales strategist[00:01:45] Overcoming sales resistance as women entrepreneurs[00:03:00] Building a successful business without social media[00:05:45] The power of reaching out to your network[00:08:45] The crucial difference between marketing and sales[00:11:30] Why do you need 102 emails on average to make a sale[00:14:00] Common issues in sales funnels and how to fix them[00:23:45] Tips for reviewing and optimizing your sales funnel[00:26:00] How to start an email list from scratch[00:31:00] Special offer: Sales funnel review competitionUseful LinksLisa York's websiteHow to secure more coaching clients' free trainingDownload the 12 ways to get clients nowLearn about The Business of Coaching programmeConnect with Jo on LinkedInRate and Review the PodcastIf you found this episode of Women in the Coaching Arena helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Jo know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: joanna@joannalottcoaching.comEnjoyed This Episode? Don't Miss the Next One! Hit subscribe on your favourite podcast app to be notified each time a new episode of Women in the Coaching Arena.

Send me a message! This is part 1 of a 3 part Website Conversion Series. I'm sharing the three essential (and free!) tools you need to understand what's really happening on your website. Stop guessing why visitors aren't converting and start making data-driven decisions to boost your results.YOU WILL LEARN:The 3 free tools that reveal exactly how visitors use your websiteHow to set realistic conversion rate expectations for your industryWhat numbers actually matter for your businessHow to choose your primary conversion goalQuick setup tips for Google Analytics, Search Console, and HotjarCommon patterns that affect your conversion rate

John Coleman is an investor, writer, and public speaker. A frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review, John and his work has been featured in Forbes, the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Financial Times, and the LA Times, among other publications. He previously published Passion & Purpose (HBP, 2011) and How to Argue Like Jesus (Crossway, 2009). John is a frequent public speaker who has addressed hundreds of audiences on college campuses, at conferences, and for corporations and non-profits. I'm thrilled to have John with me on The Wow Factor to discuss his leadership philosophy and approach to helping his team flourish. John digs into his approach to focusing on excellence, aggressive delegation, and accountability. He emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries and finding a balance that works for individual needs and responsibilities. John also touches on the creative experience of writing his books and his plans for the future.  “Excellence is something we should all aspire to.” - John Coleman “People learn by getting responsibilities that they're not yet equipped for.” - John Coleman  “People are often able to accomplish much greater things than we give them credit for.” -  John Coleman This Week on The Wow Factor: John's educational pathway and how these experiences shaped his career Challenges and lessons learned from his time as a quantitative energy trader Why John finds writing cathartic and a way to learn about new topics The inspiration behind John's first book, How to Argue Like Jesus  Why John wrote "Miracles," which explores the concept of miracles through a narrative about a series of events in Atlanta John's leadership style of creating opportunities for others to flourish  The importance of delegating aggressively and giving people responsibilities that challenge them to grow Why we need to hold people accountable and encourage them to ask questions and seek help when needed The challenge of balancing work and personal life, especially in a digital age The importance of storytelling and the impact of books on shaping values and perspectives John Coleman's Words of Wisdom: Do your job, but stretch yourself. Always ask questions if you don't know the answer to something, and don't be afraid to raise your hand. Always ask the question. Never be afraid to look dumb. Connect with John Coleman:  John William Coleman's Website  How to Argue Like Jesus: Learning Persuasion from History's Greatest Communicator by Joe Carte and  John Coleman  Connect with The WOW Factor: The WOW Factor Website Connect with Brad Formsma via email Brad Formsma on LinkedIn Brad Formsma on Instagram Brad Formsma on Facebook Brad Formsma on Twitter

Dr. Denise DeRosa is a Pediatric Physical Therapist from New York City. She had two Cesareans and was confident that those would be her only birth stories. But when she unexpectedly became pregnant with her third, Denise started looking into her options. She researched VBAC, found The VBAC Link, and felt that she could have a VBA2C. Having worked in the hospital where she planned to give birth, Denise knew she would face pushback. She knew they were skeptical and she knew they would try to meddle. She worked hard with her doula to get her mind solid, her body strong, and to prepare for any situation or anything that would be thrown at her. Ultimately, she believed in herself. So with an unsupportive provider in an unsupportive hospital with an apprehensive family, Denise's preparation paid off! She labored hard, advocated for herself, and vaginally birthed a 9-pound, 5-ounce baby. Gina, one of our VBAC-certified doulas from California, co-hosts today's episode and shares information about how C-sections affect an infant's gut microbiome. She also mentions things we can do to help mimic the benefits of birthing vaginally if a Cesarean is necessary. Dr. Denise DeRosa's WebsiteHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull Transcript under Episode Details Meagan: Hello, everybody. Welcome to the show. We have our friend, Denise, from New York City with us today. Hello, Denise. Denise: Hi. Meagan: I'm so excited for you to be sharing your stories. You are a VBA2C mama just like myself. Denise: Yes, I am. That's right. Meagan: Yes and when we were talking about the C-section aspect of things, it reminded me a little bit of myself. Didn't dilate, baby didn't come down. What do we know? We know that this is a very common, common thing. In addition to Denise, we have a very special co-host today and her name is Gina Benson. Hello, Gina. Gina: Hi. Meagan: She is one of our VBAC doulas. Tell us where you're at, Gina. Gina: I am in the Sacramento area of California based in Roseville. Meagan: Okay, all right. Then we‘re going to make sure that she has her website and everything so if you guys are in her area looking for a doula, go check her out for sure. She is going to do a Review of the Week for us today. So I'll turn the time over to you. Gina: All right. “I've waited and prayed about this moment to be able to write the words, ‘I got my VBAC' feels surreal. Two years ago, I gave birth to my daughter via Cesarean and since the OR, I've been dreaming of a VBAC. It felt like a primal right I was robbed of. Yesterday, I gave birth at home with gestational diabetes to a 9-pound, 2-ounce baby. I pushed him out of my vagina, pulled him out of the water, and sobbed in joy relishing in my redemption and power. This would not have been possible without The VBAC Link. I listened every day postpartum, sobbed and cheered with the Women of Strength. I cannot recommend this podcast enough to all expectant parents. Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Oh my gosh, do you guys have the chills? Because I literally have the chills. You know how when as a woman you shave your legs and you're like, Oh, I just felt my leg hairs grow? Yep, that just happened. Oh my gosh, thank you for such an amazing review and huge congratulations. I'm so glad that you've been able to walk the walk with us here at The VBAC Link. This is why we're here. We want to inspire, encourage, empower, and help you know for yourself what is best for you. We don't judge here at The VBAC Link, but we really, really do love your reviews. So thank you so much. Okay, so that review also talked a little bit about a big baby. Denise also had a larger baby with her VBA2C baby. I feel like there are so many things that are going to come together within this review and within everything. So, Denise, I want to turn the time over to you to share your C-sections to start and then your VBAC. Denise: Perfect, thank you. Hi everybody. I'm Dr. Denise DeRosa. I'm a pediatric physical therapist. I feel like I have to lead with that because who I am is what I do. That with motherhood is all merged together and really helped me in my journey for a successful VBAC. We'll start at the beginning with my first baby. I was pregnant. Everything was going great. Everything was wonderful. I was still working. I had an uncomplicated pregnancy. The only thing that was a little off was that the baby was measuring big. I was like, okay. Whatever. It should be fine. Those machines are way off anyway. I go to 40 weeks, 40 and 1, 40 and 2, 40 and 3. I'm 40 and 5 days and my doctor is like, “All right. I want to induce you tomorrow.” I'm like, “Okay, sounds good.” I didn't know anything. I worked at the hospital as well so I'm just trusting that we've got this and we were good. I loved my doctor. Everything was going great. That night before I went in to get induced, I actually did start feeling something. I was like, What is that? It feels like cramps or something. I don't know. At 3:00 AM, I think I'm in labor. “Hon, get up. We've got to get to the hospital. Let's go. Let's go.” We get to the hospital. It's 3:00 AM and I'm 3 centimeters dilated. I'm like, “Oh, okay. I guess that's good. I don't know.” We get all the things– the epidural, the Pitocin, and I pretty much just lay in the bed, sleep, do a puzzle game on my iPad, and relax because that's what they tell me to do. It is very easy for me to relax now. It gets to be 11:00 AM the next day. I'm like, “I feel a little bit different. Can I be checked?” I get checked. 10 centimeters, wonderful, beautiful. They turn off everything. You know when they turn off that epidural, it's like, bam. This is intense. Meagan: Especially when you were not feeling anything before. Denise: Exactly. Meagan: It can definitely pick up and be a little bit more than maybe you were expecting. Denise: Yes. I am in a Semi-Fowler position which is the one where you're essentially leaned back but not all the way back. You're inclined at a 45-degree angle. My hips and knees were at 90/90. It was essentially like I was sitting on the toilet but I was leaning back. I'm sure everybody knows the position that I'm talking about. That's the position to push. My husband is holding one leg. The nurse is holding the other leg. My doctor is telling me to push. It's just a disaster. I have to be honest with you. It was crazy because I didn't know how to push so he was telling me to push like I'm pooping and I'm pushing like I'm holding it in. Everything was spasming and everything was just a disaster. I remember saying, “Let me get up. Let me move my body. I'm a physical therapist. Let me move my body. I just need to move around a little bit and I'll be good. Just let me get up.” “No, you can't get up. You have the catheter in.”Meagan: Intuition. Your intuition was kicking in to move. Denise: Yeah, exactly. My pelvis was stuck in the position. I was just lying there. The only thing they did was flex my knees up and down. I think I got the peanut ball at one point but it's not like it was side-lying. There was no internal/external rotation. It was just one plain movement. Anyway, I pushed for 2 hours and nothing happened. My doctor was like, “All right. Why don't we give you a break? We'll turn on the meds. Relax for an hour and then I'll come back and we'll push again for an hour.” I'm like, “Okay, sounds good. I need a break. Wonderful.” A rest. He's like, “But you know, if nothing happens, we're going to have to get the C-section.” I'm like, “Okay, well let me try again.” No food. No water. Only Jello and ice chips. I hadn't eaten since the day before. I was just so out of it between the drugs and the not eating. I did sleep a little bit when I was relaxing there but I was shot. My doctor came back after an hour and he goes, “Denise, I just went across the hall and the girl across the hall, I turned off her meds and she pushed 3 times and the baby came out.” I was like– let's just say my hand went up in the air with one specific finger up. I essentially flipped off my– it wasn't even the doctor. It was just the situation. I was like, “Forget this. This is ridiculous.” Okay? Now that's the kind of relationship my doctor and I have that we can joke around and all of that stuff and after, I apologized. He was like, “Don't worry. I deliver people in handcuffs. That was not the worst thing.” Meagan: What? Denise: Yeah, you know if you are stationed at the hospital, you deliver everybody. You know?Meagan: Yeah. Denise: What do you think happened? I stayed in the bed. I pushed. Inefficient pushing. Baby never dropped. I was dilated to 10 centimeters but nothing happened. Okay, by the end of it, I was like, “Please give me a C-section. This is the worst day of my life.” She came out. They lifted her up and everybody in there was like, “Oh my god. Look at this big baby.” I was like, “What is she, 100 pounds?” I was so delirious. You know, at that point you are so delirious. Anyway, it was a girl. She was 9 pounds, 10 ounces. It was a big baby. She never dropped down. I didn't move my body and had a healthy baby, a healthy mom. Everybody was happy and I was just like, oh gosh. This is the best and the worst day of my life. When you become a mom, it's just the best but maybe not the best experience. Meagan: Yeah. Denise: That was my first birth. At the time, I was like, okay. It is what it is. I'll try harder for the second one. Now that I know what my body does, I'll VBAC. My doc was like, “That's fine. You can VBAC for the second, no problem.” Okay, great. In between my first and my second, I actually was pregnant and I was 8 weeks. I went to the doctor. I had a heartbeat but my doctor was like, “Come back in 2 weeks. Something is not right on here.” I'm like, “Okay.” I was going down the shore, the Jersey shore with my family. All 20 or us, a big Greek family vacation and I remember I was there and my doctor was like, “Okay, I want you to come back after that because the baby is measuring a little small.” I'm like, “Okay, no problem.” I'm down there and of course, that baby didn't make it. I wound up miscarrying while I was on vacation with my family. I called my doctor and he was there for me. He would call me every day and be checking in, “How are you doing?” I thought that was something doctors don't really do. He's a special guy. I could really tell. I felt like he really cared about me and cared for what was happening. In between my first and second, that happened and then I wound up getting pregnant with my second and I was like, oh I'm going to VBAC. Everything's going to be good. I took a labor and delivery course. I read my whole textbooks because sometimes physical therapists will be part of labor. So I'm like, I'm going to read up on this a little bit more. I take the course. Fast forward to 40 weeks and I started. I woke up in the morning. It was 6:00 in the morning and I was like, Oh, I feel something. This is great but let me not call my doctor right now. Let me stay home. Let me do the movements. I'm bouncing on the physioball. Of course, I have one of those. I'm walking around, doing the stairs, doing lunges, doing different positions. I'm like, “Let me just see where this goes,” and waiting as long as I can. I'm in touch with my doctor the whole day. 7:00 comes around. My husband comes home from work. I call my doctor. He's like, “Okay, well why don't you just come to the hospital and I'll check you? You've been in labor the whole day.” I'm like, “Okay, that sounds good.” I go to the hospital. He checks me. I'm 0 centimeters dilated. Zero. I'm like, “Come on.” He says to me, “Well, you've tried. You did.” He's like, “But what do you want to do? You want to keep contracting on an old uterus scar and something bad happens?” Meagan: Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear. Denise: I was like, “No, I don't want to do that.” At the time, I didn't educate myself enough on risks. I just thought it was me. I was like, I'm a physical therapist. I've got this. I exercise every day. I'm good. I'm going to do it. When he said that to me, I was like, “No, I don't want something bad to happen.”Essentially, I had a repeat C-section because I wasn't really in labor is what I tell people. Yeah, that was my second and he was fine. This baby was 9 pounds, 4 ounces. Meagan: Staying in the 9's. Denise: Another large baby. Yeah, it was fine. I felt like at the time, I was like, I did everything I could. Obviously, now I know I could have done more but at the time, I was like, I did my best. This is just my story and I'm fine with it. It is what it is. I have been growing my business for a few years at that point. My pediatric physical therapist business here on Statton Island and I felt like that was my third baby. You know, when you are a businesswoman, your business is like your child. Meagan: Yeah. Uh-huh. 100%. This business is one of my children. Yes. Denise: Yeah, exactly. I was like, I have my boy and my girl. I have three bedrooms in the house. I have a healthy boy and a girl. That's another thing too. As a physical therapist, I see a lot of different things and all babies are miracles. That's how I feel. All babies are amazing and I'm like, You know what? I'm good. I'm going to work on the business. I'm going to go back to work. We have healthy babies. We're good. You know that expression? You make plans and God laughs. Right? You know? I was like, you know what? I wound up getting pregnant when I wasn't trying to get pregnant. I had been trying for the other two and I was nursing and that's the other thing. You can't get pregnant, right?Meagan: A lot of people think. Denise: But you know, it's funny. I got pregnant the month after my ya-ya passed away. Ya-ya is Greek for grandma. I was like, You know, this biotch just had to reincarnate herself and she hit me. I'm like, Why couldn't she get my cousins? They don't have any kids. They could have kids. I'm like, Ah man. She reincarnated herself. She cursed me. I don't think babies are a curse. It's just at the time that I was feeling all the feels. Meagan: You weren't in that space. Denise: I was like, you know? I was done having kids. I was like, oh my god. I can't get pregnant. I'll have another major abdominal surgery. Here we go. Also, Meagan, I know you know. No one wants to watch more than one kid so it was– I was shocked. Yeah. I was shocked. Denise: I was like, you know what? I did have two miscarriages. One before my first and one between the first and second. Let's just see what happens. I'm not going to tell anybody. Let's just see where it goes. I'm not going to decide what to do now. I'll just wait a little while and see what happens. You know, when you have two kids and you're pregnant with a third, that pregnancy flies. Meagan: So fast. Denise: Very fast. I was like, oh my gosh. I'm almost in the third trimester. What am I going to do? At every appointment, my doc's like, “Denise, when are we going to schedule your section?” I don't like to pick baby's birthdays. For me, I would rather they come when the baby is ready and I wanted to go into labor at least and then get the C-section. Then I was like, I got to this point where I was like, I have to make a decision here. What am I doing? Am I going to just schedule a Cesarean or am I going to actually try to do this? So I'm like, let me look things up. I found you guys. I found out that women actually have vaginal birth after two Cesareans. This does happen. I'm thinking with my own individualized plan here, I had no complications with either one. I didn't have high blood pressure. I didn't have anything go badly so I really felt like I was a great candidate. Then there's there my doctor who was like, “No, you're not a good candidate. Your baby never dropped. Your babies were big and you didn't dilate on your own.” I'm like, “I know, but I just feel like I can do it.” So this is something that I tell my patients all the time that you need to listen to your mom intuition. There's nothing that can steer you wrong. If you feel like something's wrong with your baby or yourself, you need to get it checked out. It's probably nothing and everything is going to be fine, but at the same time, the way that mom feels directly impacts baby and I just felt like, you know what? I feel like I can do this. I feel drawn to this and I'm going to go for it. Then the things that really drove me over the edge was that my cousin had a successful VBAC at the beginning of my third trimester so I was like, oh. If she can do it, I can do it. Then I also got in touch with a doula who I had been talking with professionally and we met. She said something to me that I will never forget which is, “I have total and complete trust in your body's ability to birth.” I'm like, “No one has ever said that to me. I've only been told I don't dilate and my pelvis is too small and I grow too-big babies,” not “You grow really healthy babies, really chunky ones with lots of rolls and that's the best.” I was never told that. I'm like, you know what? If anyone can do this, it's me. I trust in myself. I've got to go for it. This is my last chance because if I got another section, then it would be my tubes tied and that would be the end of the road. That would be fine with me too because I don't really want more than three abdominal surgeries anyway. I made that decision to go forth with trying to achieve my VBAC. I have to tell you, I left all my cards on the table. There was no stone left unturned. I went in. I stopped working in September and I used all of October to prepare myself mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually because I would be reading even on The VBAC Link, the Facebook group all of the things people did. I didn't do everything. Listen, you only have so much time in the day when you have two kids already. But at least I was doing things that felt right for me and my body. Meagan: I love that you pointed that out because there are so many things, right? We even suggest it here at The VBAC Link. We're like, here's a whole list of things you can do to improve. Gina, I'm sure as a doula you have things that you suggest to your VBAC clients and I know I do too but it one, can get a little overwhelming honestly and two, like you said, time is a thing but three, here's a list. Pick what is appropriate for you. If every single one of those things is achievable, great. If not, pick some. Go with it. Right?Denise: Yeah. There are a thousand, bajillion things you can do. Meagan: There really are. Denise: Like I said, I picked what was right for me. I met with my doula. We did a pre-labor class specific for my body and how I would plan to move my body based on my anatomy. I know I'm a little asymmetrical from holding baby on one hip. I'm like, oh I've got to get that checked out. I prepared a lot and it was actually fun now that I'm looking back. I listened to you guys. I listened to other podcasts. I listened. I watched documentaries. I read books. I tried to do what felt right for me and then also educating myself on papers and even looking at my own research about different things that they tell you to watch out for when you're trying to achieve something that I achieved. Meagan: Out of the list– sorry to interrupt you– what were maybe your top three things that you were like, these were the best things? Obviously, you hired a doula and you got some education. What are, in addition to those, the top three things you did that really, really impacted the situation?Denise: The top three things were that I got my mind solid. I literally was like, Denise, you can do this. There was no– I had an intention. I think I listened to that– Henci Goer. Meagan: Henci Goer? Uh-huh, so good. Denise: I listened to that podcast maybe the week before and she said something like, “Have an intention, but not a goal because when you don't get it and it's a goal, then you feel all the feels. You feel like you failed.” I had an intention but I also had a feeling of, I'm going to do this. I'm not going to try. I'm just going to do. I'm an athlete as well so if you're an athlete or you're someone who pushes yourself physically, you can labor naturally like I did. I'm telling you, you can. You know like when you're on the treadmill and you're running and you just keep going and going? It's the same thing in labor. If you mentally train yourself with the physical, you're going to be successful. My top three tips would be get your mind solid and really find your why. Why do I want this VBAC? How is it going to feel? What is it going to be like? Imagine it. Then two, get your body right and then three, prepare for any situation that they're going to throw at you because they are going to throw things at you to make you sway the other way. They're going to tell you that you can't do it. They're going to tell you, as I get into my story, when you get to the hospital, they're going to throw things at you. I'm not even mad at the doctors in the hospital and the nurses because honestly, I really feel like doctors are really great people. They're not bad people at all. They are good people and the nurses are part of birth. This is the most sacred part of healthcare in my head– also palliative care and hospice care is important too but birth is really so important. Unfortunately though, there are policies in place and there are rules and regulations. I think everybody is just doing their best with that but my top tips would be mind solid, body solid, and prepare for anything they are going to say and throw at you because it's going to come. Meagan: Yeah, it's probably going to come. I love that. In our VBAC course, we focus so much on the mental prep too. I think a lot of times, we are more focused on that physical prep and what we can do with our body, but I think the mental part connects so deeply to the physical part that we cannot skip it. Denise: No, you cannot. Meagan: I skipped it with my second and look at what happened, I had a repeat section. Denise: So yeah, that's that. I guess I'll get into my third birth now yeah? Meagan: Yeah. Denise: Okay. Another healthy pregnancy, uncomplicated, everything was fine. I get to my third trimester and that's when I decided to go for the VBAC. I'm doing all the things like I said and I get to 40 weeks. I get to 40+1, 40+2. I go to the doctor and I'm like, “I'm not going to get checked today. I'm just going to talk to him.” He comes in the room, arms folded, you know? He's like, “What's going on? You don't want to schedule?” I'm like, “Doc, I want you to know that I have so much respect for what you do.” I essentially did a fear release which you talk about in the course as well. It's so important and holding things back and preventing it from labor. I essentially did a fear release with my doctor where I told him that I loved him and I respected him and I didn't think I know more than him because I definitely don't. I don't know how to cut through and do all of the surgeries and everything. I'm a conservative health profession, okay? We don't do any surgeries. No blood, no thanks. I just said that to him. “I don't think I know more than you. I just feel like I can't schedule it and I feel like there are things that I can do.” We talked about successful VBACs after two Cesareans at the hospital and it was essentially, “You have to get there when you're pretty much ready to push. They're going to try and give you a section and they're going to try and give the epidural and they're going to try and do the things and they're going to try and meddle. You come to the hospital in pain, you're going to get pain medicine because it's part of hospital regulations and all of that stuff.” I was like, “Okay.” He gave me my answer. It was too late to switch at that point. I thought about switching to a midwife and having my baby at home, but that was just something I really knew my husband would never go for. He was already scared that something bad was going to happen to me and the baby because that's what he was told at the appointments.We did essentially fear release on the 7th and on the 8th of November, I woke up with the same cramping I had with my second. I was like, oh, this is something. I think the fear release must have worked. Awesome. All right. Let's just see how this goes today because I have to keep my mind right. I have to go about my day. That's what everybody in every single VBAC Link story said they did. I walked my daughter to school. I take my son for a walk around the block. I did the curb walking. I did the Miles Circuit. I ate my dates and my tea. It was a normal day. I just ignored it and the contractions would get closer together and they would get farther apart and then change in intensity so I thought this was prodromal labor. I think I said that right. Meagan: Prodromal. Denise: Prodromal. Okay, sorry. I'm like, okay. This is what this is. I'm just going to rest and that evening, I put the kids to sleep and I was like, let me try to rest because I don't know what tomorrow is going to bring if I'm going to be fine or if I'm actually going to do this. So I go to sleep. I wake up 2 hours later at 12:00 and between 12:00 and 4:00 AM, I was laboring by myself. I didn't want to wake up my husband because I didn't want to go to the hospital too soon. I didn't want to wake up my kids obviously because no one wants to be around them when you're in labor, right? Or maybe you do. I don't know.I went in the bath. I'm trying to manage my contractions. I'm in the shower for an hour. I'm in the bath for an hour. I'm trying to sit. I'm trying to stand. Everything was worse sitting. 4:00 AM comes and I'm like, I think these are getting closer together. I download the contraction timer on my phone. I'm like, let me actually time these. They were 5 minutes apart. I'm like, okay. Let me text my doula. I text her but you know when you are past 40 weeks and everybody is texting you, “How are you doing? Did you go into labor yet?” All of the questions. I turned my phone on the Do Not Disturb thing a day before because I couldn't take anymore of these questions. I already had my own anxiety and stress about this. I turned my phone on Do Not Disturb. I called and texted her and then she texted and called me back and I wasn't getting any messages because I turned my phone on Do Not Disturb. I was like, oh goodness. 6:00 AM rolls around. I finally get in touch with her. I text my mom, “Can you please come here?” My doula gets there and at this point, I'm trying to just focus on my breath like we've practiced.I'm like, okay. Breathe in. Breathe out. I was trying to do whatever I can to manage this pain. I didn't want to go to the hospital at all at that point but I didn't want to go too early. When my doula got there, it was a complete 180. Oh my gosh. She came. She did the pain pressure points. She massaged. She got the essential oils. She did the rebozo think. I put on my Folklore and Evermore soundtracks for my Swifties in here and I was just jamming. It was like I was on the treadmill running like I used to do back when I was young and had better knees. It was great. I could have stayed there forever. I probably did it for an hour because I remember I listened to both albums and I was just fine. I was kneeling on the physio ball and everythings was good. I thought, man. I should have tried for a home birth. Oh well. I'm not going for a fourth so no home birth for me. My doula was like, “All right, Denise. Do you want to try to bring baby down and try some different positions?” I'm like, “Yes, let's do it,” because I knew that would be one of the things. I go to my stairs with one leg up and one leg down. I go to down on the floor into a half-kneeling position and I'm like, “Okay, let's do this contraction. Breathe in. The contraction comes.” My water breaks. I'm  like, “Oh my gosh.” Water is just dripping down my leg. That never happened before. My water just broke. Wow, this is amazing. I'm like, “Okay, let's go get changed.” My doula was like, “Okay, this is time to go to the hospital.” I'm like, “Oh my god. This is great. I'm getting on way.” I go upstairs and change. She's like, “Okay, we've got to move,” and my mom is like, “Come on, Denise. We've got to go to the hospital now. Come on!”My mom was very anxious and I said to her, “Mom, I know it's your birthday and I'm trying to be nice to you but please don't push me. If I'm not ready to go to the hospital, I'm not going to go.” I love my mom. She's my best friend and she really just cares for me.Meagan: Yeah, and a lot of the time, they're like, if you're in this much labor, you go to the hospital. That's how they were raised too. Denise: Right, exactly and that's fine. It's just that I knew I didn't want to go and also, I think the day before I listened to your podcast with Julie about going to the hospital and how everything shifts from when you're at home and you're so calm, cool, and collected and everything is good but when you get to the hospital, it's like, bam. Interventions, stress, people talking at you. Meagan: Touching, talking, questions, lights, new voices, new space, new smells. You have to re-acclimate. Denise: Meddling. Right. That was fresh in my brain too. I'm like, “I'm going to go when I'm ready.” Anyway, we're ready. We're ready to go. Let's go. I get in my husband's car. My mom is in the back seat. My doula drove herself because she was going to leave from the hospital when it was done. I live in New York City. There's traffic everywhere. It's Thursday at 10:00 AM and there really shouldn't be traffic then but of course, there was. I couldn't sit, right, because everything was getting worse. I'm leaning on my husband's truck with my arms in the middle and my butt at the window. God help whoever was next to us in the car like, “What is happening over there?” Meanwhile, my mom is in the backseat crying in between. I lost control of my breath so I was literally screaming during contractions. It was like I was at a concert except it wasn't fun. I said to my mom while she's in the back, “Mom, I'm okay. The baby is getting ready to come out. It's going to be fine. I'm going to be fine. The baby's fine. I'm fine. See? I can talk in between contractions just when it comes, it's very strong.” She was like, “I know. It's okay. It's all right.” My poor mom on her birthday. She thought I was going to have the baby in the car. That's what she thought. Meagan: I'm sure she did. Denise: Yeah, she was like, “Oh my god. There's a police cop over there. Flag him down. Flag him down.” She opened the window but then we already passed. It was quite a scene actually now that I think about it. Anyway, we get to the hospital and of course, there's construction at the hospital so it takes me 10 minutes to walk up to L&D.” Now this is the hospital that I used to work at so I'm like, oh god. Please don't let anybody see me like this, not my old co-workers or my boss. Please let me get to L&D. Please, please. All right, I make it up. It took me 10 minutes but I make it up. It was 10:45 AM. I get there and the nurse was like, “Come on, hon. Let's get in the room.” I have a contraction, I'm like, “Please wait.” She's pushing me, “Come on, come on.” I'm like, “Please don't push me. I'm in the active stages of labor.” Who do I think I am? I think I know stuff. Meagan: You do know stuff. You do know stuff. Denise: Thank you. I get into the room and girls, I'm not joking. There are 12-15 people in that room with me. They're all talking at me, talking at me, “Do you want the epidural? Do you want the C-section? We need to give you an IV. We need your insurance card.” Where am I going? You're going to get my insurance card. Relax everybody. Chill. Because you can't get a bracelet on me? Everybody knows who I am. The doctor has probably been talking about me for days. It's fine. You're going to get the insurance card. Meanwhile, I'm in such late stages of labor at that point. I'm contracting every 30-45-1 minute. I forget. I was like, “Please. I prepared for this.” I knew they were going to come at me like this. Not me, specifically. It's not a personal thing. It's just what I was. Meagan: It's just what they do. It's just what they do. You're a label. Denise: And I'm not offended. I didn't take it personally. I was ready though. I knew they were going to come at me and I had a plan which was, don't say no and don't shut down. I also heard along my journey, “Don't say no. Don't have negative energy.” You're not able to control other people's feelings, but you are able to control yourself. When they came at me like that, I was like, “Please just give me a second. Can you wait a minute? Please let me get through this contraction. I just want a second. Not right now.” I had all of the things listed of what I was going to say when they came at me. Came is a bad word. When they said things, I just knew how they were going to say things. Meagan: When they were approaching you, you knew your response wasn't going to be no. It's, “I prefer. Not right now. In just one moment,” and stuff like that versus, “No, no. Get away.” Denise: Right, exactly. Exactly. I could have been like that but I wanted to bring my baby into the world in the most positive way that I could and that's just how I approached it. I'm like, “Just check me. Just check me before you do all of these interventions.” They checked me and I was 9 centimeters. I'm like, “What's that? I dilated by myself.” My doula was like, “That's amazing.” My OB was like, “Yeah, but the baby is really high.” I didn't even hear him say that. She told me he said that after. I think I was blocking out a lot of negative things on purpose. That was one of the things I prepared for. He's like, “Oh, but the baby is really high.” I'm like, “Okay, just give me a second.” The anesthesiologist was like, “Let's give you the epidural just for insurance.” I'm like, “Not right now, just give me a second.” They're like, “The baby's heart rate is dropping.” I knew they were going to say that too. I said, “Okay, well what's it dropping to and what's it coming back to?” When they said it something that was essentially normal, I said, “It's a 9-pound baby in there. Of course its heart rate is dropping. It's being contracted by a strong uterus to get it out. Give it second.” I don't remember saying this but my doula said that I said this which is, “I'm okay. My baby is okay. I know no one in this room thinks that I can do it, but I can. Okay?” I was like, “That's what I verbalized.” I don't really remember saying that but I was outside of my body I guess. She was like, “I got the chills when you said that because everybody was so anxious in that room and only you held it together.” I was like, “Well, yeah. I knew what was going to happen.” I worked in the hospital for 7 years. I get it. There is litigation. There are policies in place and people are scared for their jobs. I get it. It's fine. So anyway, that went on for about a half hour and then the nurse who pushed me in the hallway that I wasn't so nice to was like, “All right, Denise. Can we try a position?” I was like, “Yes, please. Let's do it. Let's try to switch positions please.” She gets the peanut ball and I got onto my side into internal rotation where you put your knees together and you have your feet on the physio ball. That opens the outlet of the pelvis to get the baby to drop down. I already know all of these things but no one had offered it and I wasn't thinking straight to even bring it up. I flipped into the position and the anesthesiologist was like, “Can I give you the epidural while you are on your side?”I'm like, “No.” Meagan: Oh my gosh, he's still pushing this epidural. Get out of my room, sir or ma'am. Denise: I know. I didn't push anybody out because I didn't have time for that. I was focused on what I had to focus on and what I came here to do. So I go on my side. One contraction and I'm like, “Um, I think I have to poop.” I was saying it but I had that feeling that baby dropped but I really thought that it was number two. They flipped me on my back and they were like, “All right, hold your knees up to your chest.” I'm like, “I don't like this position.” Remember, this is the position that they put me in with my first to push baby and it didn't work? I had PTSD from it. I was like, “I don't like this position.” They were like, “Just try it. Just try it.” I hear my doula say to me, “Denise, J breathe.” I'm like, “Oh my god. That's the cue. That's the cue that I need to push. The breath that I need to push this baby out. That's the cue we talked about. Oh my god. It's almost over. It's almost here.” Then I hear the whole room shift and my OB says, “All right, well if she wants to have a vaginal birth, let's do it.”I hear my husband say– my husband was very nervous about this whole situation and he wasn't really talking. He was there but he wasn't really saying anything. I hear him say– everyone was saying, “Push, push.” But I hear him specifically say, “Push, push. Breathe in. Breathe out. Push the right way.” This 9-pound, 5-ounce baby shot right out of me. The doctors didnt even catch him. He landed on the table. I didn't know that but I heard that later. That was it. I said, “Baby, baby.” They let me hold my baby right away. We did skin-to-skin. My husband got to cut the cord. I got to call out the gender and you feel the room anxiety shift. The anesthesiologist leaves of course. Meagan: He's done. Denise: The whole energy of the room just shifts into, “Oh, okay. She did it. All right.” Meagan: It's actually possible. Maybe we shouldn't doubt her. Denise: Yeah. I don't mean that in a negative way, but there is so much anxiety and nervousness about birth whether if you don't educate yourself enough like I did or didn't do with my second and even in the L&D, room, things can go wrong. He could have gotten stuck. I don't know. So many things could have happened. When the air in the room changed, everything was great. Everybody laughed. The doc stitched me up. I got to nurse the baby right away and the nurse said something to me. She was like, “Wow. You are such a strong woman.” I was like, “Oh yeah, I'm a Woman of Strength now. I can say that.” She was like, “Wow, you are a really strong woman. I'm surprised the doctor let you have a TOLAC.” I said, “Oh, no honey. This was not his choice. This was my choice.” My choice was not the same choice I recommend for everybody. I put in a lot of work for this obviously as I've said and it's not really for everybody and that's okay. It's okay to have the birth that you feel the safest and the most comfortable with because this is your start into motherhood. But if anyone feels inspired today, I'm glad that I was able to help with that. Obviously, I joke around and my OB, I still love him. He came into my room the next day and said, “Ah, here's the champion.” Yeah. You know and he said, “Listen, you were the right person to do it. You put in the work and you knew what to do.” Yeah. Meagan: You put in the work and knew what to do. Denise: Yeah, so that's my story. It's a doozy. Meagan: Oh my gosh, I love it. Gina: It's perfect. Meagan: Yeah, right? I mean, Gina, tell me about your area. Do you have a lot of unsupportive hospitals and providers in this way where they come in and you would expect a scenario like Denise's? Gina: Probably not quite. They actually have gotten a lot better. Meagan: That's good. Gina: They are pretty supportive even after two C-sections. We do have supportive providers for that and hospitals for that. It's not unheard of. It's not like, oh. You can't do this. Meagan: Right. Right. Gina: Yeah. Meagan: That is the case in so many places. Gina: Yes. Meagan: Like in Denise's situation. Denise: Yes, New York City and New Jersey as well. In New Jersey, if you have two Cesareans, you cannot be with a midwife. It's not allowed. Meagan: Yeah. Even here in Utah, which is a supportive VBA2C state, but some of those hospitals also do that. They are like, “Oh no, if you're a VBAC in general, you can't be with a midwife.” It's a little frustrating. We have a lot of work to do but Denise, I bet you probably didn't change your provider's perspective completely on VBAC. I bet the next VBAC after two Cesarean mama that came in, he likely may have said, “No. Not going to happen.” But you never know. He might have been like, “Okay. We can try it.” It takes us to show the world that it's possible, that it can be safe, that it's reasonable, our bodies are amazing, and so many of the things you could have had with the heart rate or the baby wasn't coming down or a bigger baby or whatever. All of these things could have stalled you up and you were like, “No. I can do this.” You put the power in your pocket and took the lead. Denise: Yeah. Yeah. And you know, I also read this along the way too. I had three births. My doctor has been to 20,000 births. Does he remember my birth? Probably because it was so dramatic. Meagan: Monumental for him, yeah. Denise: I'm his special patient as he calls me. But it's not the top of his list. He's on to the next thing and that's okay. This is his job. This is what he does. Like I said, he's not a bad person. He just wants to control the situation so he can make it the most safe in his opinion. But for me, I felt like by the end of it, my grandmother didn't curse me. She blessed me with an opportunity. My son is of course named after her and a lot of other amazing people like my dad and I just feel like you have to make your own story your own and you have to be comfortable with what you feel comfortable doing. I was more comfortable staying with a provider and a hospital I knew wasn't going to be like, “Oh yeah, Denise, you can do it,” but I knew in myself that if I believed in myself and I did the work and put in the work, I could do it. And it worked out for me. I wish I had that for three births but at least I had it for one and I get to come on here and share it with everybody that they can have the same experience I did. Meagan: That's really how I feel. Yeah, I didn't have the experience that I wanted for birth number one and birth number two but it brought me here today and that's okay. That's okay. So you have said that you have even more detail of your story on your website. Can you tell everybody, and we'll have it in the show notes, but can you tell everybody if they want to read more details on your story where they can find that?Denise: Absolutely. My business is milestonesinmotionptw.com and on there I have blogs about lots of different things but I decided to write my birth story which took me the entire fourth trimester because I had three kids by then. I wasn't sleeping. You know all the things. But yeah, it's a completely unedited version with a few more details. If anyone ever wants to reach out to me, I do have resources and I'm working on some virtual stuff with the business so if you have any issues post-birth with the baby with tummy time and crawling and stuff, I have some resources up there for you guys if anyone wants to check it out. And just reading the story– reading and listening to stories like on this podcast really made the difference for me too so thank you for doing it. Meagan: Oh my gosh. Thank you and like I said before, we'll have her link in the show notes so you can go and check it out. I love that you were pointing out tummy time and all of those things that you can help with. Then cute Gina actually is going to be talking about the gut biome and the effects of it and what birth can do and all of these things. Gina, I'd love to turn the time over to you to add this extra topic. Gina: Thank you. One of the reasons that we want to try to avoid unnecessary Cesarean births is because of the type of impact that that type of delivery can have on a newborn's long-term health. Some of the outcomes that we know can be associated with C-section births are increased risk of diabetes, obesity, and asthma. There is some research that indicates that those increased risks are because of the way the newborn's gut microbiome develops after a C-section versus after a vaginal birth. The microbiome is basically an ecosystem of bacteria and there are microorganisms that live in a digestive tract. For a C-section birth where the amniotic sac hasn't even been broken before you get to surgery, the baby basically has no exposure to any of the flora that are in the vagina which they would get in contact with if they were coming through the vaginal canal. That's part of what helps to populate that healthy gut biome. It gets the healthy gut bacteria in there for the newborn. The other part we know that helps build that healthy biome is actually the contact the newborn has with the perineum. If you think about where the perineum is in relation to your anus which is the exit of your digestive tract, that's where those bacteria are going to be. The baby also gets that exposure so it's a combination of all of it. In a C-section birth, sometimes they get none of it or only part of it. That's what seems to be a trigger for some of those outcomes that we see long-term for people if they have had a C-section birth. With all that said, is there anything we can do about it? Actually, yes. There is. There are a few things. One of the things that I do with my doula clients is I discuss the choices that they have for their birth and we use that to draft birth plans. I make sure we cover options for spontaneous vaginal births as well as induction and also C-sections because reality is that some babies are going to be born via C-section and I don't want anybody unprepared for it or not knowing what their options are to make it a better birth experience than just a sterile, surgical procedure. We have documented preferences for each of those outcomes. There are a few things that I make sure we include in a family-centered C-section birth plan that help support that healthy newborn microbiome. I learned about that somewhat from The VBAC Link doula training and I also attended a conference earlier this year called Micro Birth that was basically two days worth of people talking about newborn microbiome and how breastfeeding helps with it and everything. It was fascinating. The first option that I make sure we include in the C-section birth plan is to delay the use of the prophylactic antibiotics. That's what they give you ahead of time to try and prevent an infection from coming on during surgery. That's not a bad idea, but when we do it right away before the baby is born and before the cord has been cut, they can also get some of those antibiotics and that will interfere with their ability to build that bacteria in their gut. One of the ways that we can easily manage that is just delay it. Make sure they don't give us antibiotics until after the baby is out and cord has been clamped so we know that they have gotten all of their blood and they aren't getting anything else from the surgery or anything else from the IV. In most non-emergency C-sections, that should be an absolutely reasonable request because there's just a matter of timing. You're not trying to tell them, “Don't give it to me,” it's just a matter of when and all they do is just push it through your IV. It's also possible for some emergency ones depending on how much time they have. That's one of the really important ones that helps all of the other suggestions. Meagan: Fascinating. Gina: Yeah, the other one that we include in the birth plan is vaginal seeding. I know that's part of the VBAC Link course. Vaginal seeding is using gauze or a swab in the vagina to collect the fluids that are there prior to surgery and then you use that and you wipe it on the newborn's face. You make sure you get it in around their mouth and nose the same way they would be exposed to it if they came through the vagina during birth. That helps to transfer that to the baby. You can also make it even more effective if you make sure you include the perineum so maybe after you do the vagina one, make sure you include the perineum swab as well so you get all of it at one time and transfer it to the baby. There are a couple of times where some things that you don't want to use this for if the birthing parents has Group B strep or genital herpes, especially if they have an active outbreak, some of those conditions we know pose a risk to newborns and this wouldn't be a good idea. You don't want to try to introduce that just to get the flora there. It can be difficult to get the hospital to participate in this directly. I believe that ACOG has said it's still under research so unless you are being supervised, you shouldn't be doing this, but if you include it in your birth plan and you actually want to do it yourself, you can get the gauze. You can get the swabs. You can do it and either you or your partner can do it for the newborn. They can't stop you from doing it yourself but they may not want to particpate. Meagan: Yeah, they usually don't. We have clients who have ordered the gauze and everything online and then in Denise's situation where she was like, “I want to labor at home as long as possible,” and all of this stuff, they did it right before. They washed hands really, really well, got gloves even and did it, put it in a bag, and put it in their hospital bag because in case it does go a Cesarean route or whatever, they had it and then they don't even have to deal with the staff. Gina: Exactly. There are always those types of things where you can take it upon yourself and do it yourself. Yeah. Like you mentioned, doing it at home would be a great idea because you want to make sure that you've done it and the swab and everything is out before they start prepping you for surgery because they will use the sterile cleansing options and that will destroy some of it. Always make sure you do it beforehand if you can. Then the last thing that I talk about which isn't necessarily part of the birth plan, but it's a really effective way to help restore and build the healthy microbiome for the baby is probiotics. You can start them yourself prenatally and have a prenatal probiotic that you take. You can continue using it while you are lactating because it will transfer to the baby as well. There is one I know Needed offers.Meagan: There's a pre and probiotic. I really love it. I take it myself. Gina: Yeah. That one's on my list of options that I give to people. I have a few different ones I've looked into that have the right mix of bacteria that they're looking for so that's a great one to use. The other one is that you can actually have probiotics for a newborn. That's proven to be pretty effective if you have a C-section baby. That's one of the most well-researched ways of helping rebuild that microbiome for them especially if you are using it in combination with breastfeeding because human milk has the perfect sugars to feed those bacteria that we are looking for so it's a really great combination. There are a lot of different infant probiotic options out there and not all of them have the right mix of bacteria or the right type of bacteria that we know research shows comes through a vaginal birth and is also associated with good long-term health outcomes. There's one that they have studied the most to be effective. It's in Australia and it's called Imploran. You can buy it online and I'll provide the links as well but I also have a couple of others that have similar makeups that you can use. That's what I have to say about that but it's a very fascinating topic. I love to see even some of the negative outcomes with C-sections be improved by things we have learned along the way. Meagan: I love that. Thank you so, so, so much for sharing that with us. Denise, thank you for sharing your stories and your VBAC and your journey and all of your tips are so incredible. I'm so grateful for you. Denise: Thank you. Thanks for having us. Gina: Yes, thank you. 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

As a first-time mom, Katie was struggling with potty training and feeling like she didn't know what she was doing. She later became a potty training consultant to help other struggling moms and now hosts the Burnt Pancakes podcast. Katie's first birth was a scheduled breech Cesarean. Her second birth was a spontaneous 36-hour labor at 39 weeks and 1 day with 1.5 hours of pushing and a tough recovery from a 3rd-degree tear and labial adhesions.Katie wanted to go for a VBAC again with her third. Though she thought she would go into labor at 39 weeks spontaneously again, she actually ended up getting induced at 41 weeks. She got an epidural right at the end of her labor, but was able to push her third son out in just two pushes!Meagan and Katie talk about how pelvic floor physical therapy is necessary for both Cesarean and vaginal birth recoveries. No matter how long it's been since you gave birth, it can still be a game-changer!Katie's WebsiteHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull Transcript under Episode Details Meagan: Welcome, welcome everybody. We have our friend, Katie, with us today sharing her 2VBAC stories and before we got started, we were talking about once you have that C-section and you're contemplating having a VBAC and you talk to people and they're like, “Wait, you can't do that. Doctors won't let you do that.” Right? Katie: Mhmm, yep. Meagan: But what have we learned? What have we learned over all the years? Yes, we can. Yes, you can. Women of Strength, if you are listening and you have had one C-section and you are wanting to know your options, we are going to share two stories today. Okay, so Katie– you guys, she is the host of a podcast. Is it Burnt Pancakes? Katie: Burnt Pancakes, yep. Meagan: Tell us more about that. Katie: Okay. So when I became a mom, my oldest son was potty training and it was an absolute disaster. That's probably the point in motherhood I felt the absolute worst. He had a tendency to poop his pants whenever we were in my friend's backyard running around and playing. One day, he had this awful mess. I was cleaning it up. I was frustrated. I was like, “Oh my gosh. He's never going to get it.” My friend looked at me and was like, “Katie, don't worry about it.” Everyone burns their first pancake. I was like, “That just made me feel so validated as a mom.” Fast forward about 8 years and I decided to start my own motherhood podcast and I named it “Burnt Pancakes” because we are all figuring out this thing as we go. Meagan: I love that so much. It's so true.Katie: So true. I'm still figuring it out. Meagan: I know, every day. As soon as I feel like I've started figuring out motherhood and parenthood and all of that, it starts to change on me. Katie: Right. It throws you for a loop. Meagan: Right. If you can relate here, go listen to her podcast and it's just called “Burnt Pancakes”. And you are everywhere, right? Katie: “Burnt Pancakes”. We have mom-versations each week. I love to chat with moms. One of my favorite things to do was meet a mom at a park and hit it off and start chatting. That's what I wanted my podcast to feel like– real moms chatting about motherhood. Meagan: Real moms chatting about motherhood. Then maybe was the inspiration between that whole experience with your son what led to also potty training consulting? Katie: Correct. At the time, I was teaching. I taught for 17 years. It was potty training my first son which was an absolute disaster. But fast forward, I have two more kids. I potty trained them and things got easier. I started feeling very confident in my skills and people started asking me for tips. I decided to become a full-time potty training consultant so now I actually help moms with the potty training process which blows my mind because if you had asked me 8 years ago, “Would you be doing this?” I would have said, “Heck no. I have no clue what I'm doing.” But what I am doing is trying to help moms who are in the same shoes I was in. You can do this. I can help you get through it. I have the answers for you that I didn't have back then. Meagan: Yep. That's exactly how we are here at The VBAC Link. We were in the thick of it. It was a rocky journey. There were a lot of unknowns and if you asked me 8-9 years ago if I was going to be doing a podcast sharing VBAC stories, I probably wouldn't have said yes. I would have been like, “Probably not,” and here we are inspiring and encouraging. Katie: Heck no. Meagan: I'm so excited for you. So tell us where people can find you for potty training because I'm sure a lot of people listening right now especially being pregnant, you probably have a toddler as you are preparing for your birth. Katie: Yes. You can find me at my website. My website is burntpancakes.com. On social media, you can find my potty training information at @itspottytime. Meagan: I love that. Thank you so much for sharing. Katie: Yeah. Meagan: I do have a Review of the Week to share before we get into these stories. Katie: Go for it. Meagan: This is by theblanchardbunch. It says, “Get PUMPED!!!” It says, “Listening to this podcast just gets me pumped. You've had a C-section and you want a VBAC. Absolutely. You've had two C-sections. You go for that VBAC. Oh, you've had three or four? Go get that VBAC, mama, because you are a queen and 100% capable. Seriously, this podcast not only informs you of all the amazing things our bodies can do but also, you are immediately welcomed into a space of understanding and love. Our bodies are powerful but sometimes we just need a little help becoming empowered. This podcast does just that. I'm preparing for my VBAC and I'm currently 36 weeks pregnant. I think that all the time what I'd say or share if I were on the podcast because I am so sure this VBAC is happening. Thank you to all of the mamas who have shared their stories and thank you to Julie and Meagan who have created a space for all of these mamas needing to be uplifted and empowered.” What a fun review. Katie: Aww, that's amazing. Meagan: Oh my gosh. I love this. It's in all caps right here. “GO GET THAT VBAC, MAMA, BECAUSE YOU ARE A QUEEN AND 100% CAPABLE.” I couldn't agree more with theblanchardbunch. I hope that you got your VBAC. Congratulations on your birth and as always, if you have a review, I would love for you to share it. I read them every single week and they really do truly bring me all of the joy. Katie: I love that. Meagan: Okay, Ms. Katie. Let's turn the time over to you. Let's share these stories. Katie: Okay. Well, my story starts 10 years ago. It's really hard to believe it's been that long but I was pregnant with my first son and we got the news at 28ish weeks that he was breech which I at the time didn't even know what that meant. It was just a regular appointment and my doctor just nonchalantly was like, “Oh, he's head up. Okay, you'll probably end up having a C-section.” Meagan: Whoa. Katie: I was like, “Come again?” First of all, what's head up? I don't know. Meagan: At 28 weeks? Katie: Yes. Yes. Crazy. She made it seem like no big deal but for me, it was. I'm a taller girl. I'm 5'9”. I've always had bigger hips, a nice pear shape so I always thought, One day, these hips are going to serve a purpose. When I'm giving birth, these things are going to come in handy. My instant thought was, My body is not going to be able to do that. How can you just drop that on me and not feel anything? She basically said, “Most babies won't turn. There's a chance he could turn but you might just end up having a C-section.” I was like, “Well, is there a chance? What's this?” She's like, “You can try something to turn him but that's just the way it was.” Meagan: No offering of an ECV or anything like that in time? Katie: As the weeks went on, she mentioned it, but for her, she was like, “I've been doing this for years. Most of the time, I don't see them turn.” She just made it seem like a C-section was totally cool and totally normal. I was like, “What? How can this be?” I did try almost everything to get him to turn. At the time, I was taking a yoga class. Side note– Drew Barrymore was in my yoga class. Looking at you right now, I'm like, “You look so much like her.”Meagan: I've been told that for so many years– Drew Barrymore and Winona Ryder. Apparently, those two people I look like. Katie: When you hopped on the call, I was like, “Oh my god. You look like Drew.” I tried to play it super cool because at the time, we were living in LA and I was like, “Oh my god, Drew Barrymore is right next to me.” She even said something to me like, “Hey, mama.” I tried to play it so cool.Anyway, in that yoga class, all the moms were like, “You need to go see this chiropractor. You need to try this.” They were super supportive so I did go see a chiropractor. I forget what they called the procedure but it was massaging your hip flexors really, really hard. I don't know why that makes him turn. It was loosening some ligaments to make them turn. Meagan: Like your round ligaments and stuff? Katie: Yes. I believe that's what it was. It was extremely painful and the chiropractor at the time was like, “You're going to do great in birth because you have excellent pain tolerance.” I was like, “Okay, thank you.” He did not turn. At the time, there was a website called Spinning Babies. Meagan: There still is. Katie: Okay. I literally Googled everything to get him to turn. I lay on my couch with my hips up. I had my husband sing to me “Turn Around” over and over. I did everything. He did not turn so in April, they were like, “Okay, here's your scheduled C-section appointment.” I at least had time to prepare for the C-section. It wasn't an emergency. I took all the notes on tips to do to help recover and in that sense, I felt prepared and I got to be at peace with the fact that I wasn't delivering vaginally. But it was still weird when they were like, “April 26th. That's going to be the day when he comes in.” I'm like, “You're picking his birthday. What if he's not ready at 39 weeks to come?” Then two days before, “Oh hey, the doctor has an opening on the 25th so we're going to take you on the 25th.” I called my husband, “They're changing it to Friday.” Meagan: It's a weird feeling for them to be like, “Hey, you are going to have your baby this day around this hour.” Katie: Yeah and it was earlier than the due date so it just felt really weird. Meagan: Was it a week before?Katie: It was a week before, yeah. He was born at 39 weeks and 1 day. I still wonder. His sign– I can't remember which one it is but the sign he was born on was not what he could have been born and it just doesn't match up. He seems more like a Taurus than this and I'm like, “Is it because they chose when you were going to come?” We showed up that Friday for the C-section and of course, I got to do my hair. I got to take a shower so that was nice. You show up at the hospital and they're like, “Okay, your 8:00 appointment.” You're like, “Am I checking into a hotel here or giving birth?” I never once felt a contraction. I mean, it's weird to say I was sad that I didn't feel that because later I learned what that feels like and I'm like, “That was fun.” Meagan: It sounds weird but at the same time, it's this natural feeling that we've been taught and told that our body does so you mourn that. Katie: Yeah. I want to feel it. That was it. I was mourning the fact that my body wasn't doing what it was supposed to do. A weird thing– we did the hospital birthing class. It was 4 hours. They talked about C-section for maybe 5 minutes of the whole class but then they said, “3 out of 4 people will have a C-section.” That was the statistic from the hospital. I was like, “Oh, well that's not going to be me.” This was before I knew he was breech. That's not going to be me. But I'm like, Why would you spend only 5 minutes if 75% of us end up in a C-section? How is that possible? Yeah. It felt weird. But I did go in somewhat prepared. It still felt very sterile and scary but we had him via C-section. He's totally healthy. There were extra doctors in the operating room just because he was breech so there were four pediatricians. My husband was like, “The room was filled. It was pretty crazy.” But he was healthy. He was fine. Everything turned out great. I do feel like with a C-section though, I was completely out of it for 24 hours. I don't remember my parents coming. I vaguely remember but my husband was like, “Your mom and dad were here.” I was like, “Oh gosh, they were.” I vaguely remembered. Meagan: That's how I was too. I was in and I was out. Katie: Yes. I didn't breastfeed him for the first hour until they got me to the other room and they were like, “Oh, were you planning on breastfeeding?” I didn't know that I could breastfeed him in the first few minutes. I wasn't aware. The recovery for that was a lot harder. Just getting out of bed to go to the bathroom the first day was excruciating. But we were fine. I recovered from it and it was all good. Moving 3 years forward, we got pregnant with our second kid. I found out I was having a second boy which for anyone who has experienced gender disappointment, it's a real thing and it's totally okay to mourn the loss of a daughter or just feel unsure about the gender of your baby. I remember crying. I got home from the ultrasound and was just bawling because I was like, This was my girl. Where is she? This is a boy. It did take me a couple of months after he was born before I was feeling pretty good with it and that's a normal feeling. I think no one really talks about that. But it was a totally normal pregnancy. What we did discover from the first one is that I had very low water fluid in my amniotic sac so they said that could have been the reason. My second son, I definitely didn't have that because I put on about 40 pounds and was much bigger. I was able to stay super active during that pregnancy doing boot camp and lifting weights until the last month. We moved from LA to Orange County so I had to get a different doctor for this pregnancy. The doctor I saw from day one was like, “If you want a VBAC, we can absolutely go ahead and try that.” She actually more encouraged it. Everything I had heard when I had the C-section was, “Your son was breech so that doesn't mean you can't deliver naturally in the future,” but a lot of hospitals and doctors were kind of hesitant about it.” This doctor was like, “No. I don't see any reason why you can't try.” You do have to sign your life away pretty much. I had to sign a thing saying these are all of the things that could happen and that is terrifying. Meagan: I'm accepting that. Katie: Yes and it's my liability here. The doctors are off the hook but she was very supportive about it but she never made me feel like I couldn't do it. His pregnancy went just fine. I went into labor naturally right before the 39-week and 1-day mark. I actually had him at 39 weeks and 1 day exactly the same as the C-section so it made me feel a little bit better like I didn't take my older son too early. I was always worried, Did I take him out too early? I did have a lot of baby blue and a little bit of postpartum with my first and sometimes I wondered, Was it because of the C-section? I don't know if there's any science behind that. He wasn't ready to come yet. Meagan: You guys didn't have your bonding. Your body didn't naturally go into labor. There are a lot of things that could come into play. Katie: All that ran through my mind. Yes. Yeah. Meagan: But sometimes those who go into labor still get those postpartum depression and baby blues. Katie: Totally, yeah. Absolutely. I went into labor and this one was about 36 hours. It was very long. I didn't realize that a few hours into getting contractions, my water actually broke. I thought I peed myself. I was sitting at home laboring and laboring. Things were just taking forever. I was having regular contractions. They weren't as close as I thought they were supposed to be. I don't know what it is. I don't know if other moms feel this but when you go into laobr, it's almost like you go into the zone and it's like, I'm just doing this thing. My husband was like, “Should we call the doctor?” I was like, “No, not yet. I don't think we are supposed to.” I was just in the thing. Meagan: You're focused. Your focus shifts. Katie: Looking back, I should have called the doctor the second I went into labor just to get tabs and figure out when I should go in but I was just like, “No. We've got to keep waiting. I don't feel like I'm ready to have him yet.” We finally got to the hospital hours and hours later and they were like, “Oh, your water broke a while ago.” I ended up being in labor with him for a very long time. I ended up pushing for an hour and a half. I do remember at one point they said, “Okay, if we can't get him out, we will have to go and do a C-section.” That was like, no. I really, really wanted this. I didn't do a whole lot of preparing. With the first one, we did the classes. I did research, but this one was kind of like, I'm just going to go in and trust my gut. I'm just going to see what happens. I was totally prepared that if it was going to be a C-section, I knew what to expect but I really wanted to see if my body could do it. I remember the nurse kept saying, “You've got to keep your eyes open when you push.” For me, it just felt so unnatural to keep my eyes open. I just wanted to scrunch up. She was like, “Relax your face and keep your eyes open.” I was like, “That doesn't feel right.” I think my son had a giant head. He still to this day has a larger head than my oldest son. It just was hard to get him out but he finally came out. I gave birth to him. I was able to walk around so much quicker and the recovery was a lot better. I did end up having a third-degree tear so it's not like vaginal birth is less damaging than a C-section. I have scars from both kids. Meagan: Not always. Katie: But it was so nice to know, I know what it feels like to go through it. I had an epidural with him. I think I was maybe 5 or 6 centimeters so it's not like I ever got to crazy intense contractions and I didn't feel anything when I was pushing. Part of it was I didn't feel anything when I was pushing and I think that was kind of hard because I didn't feel anything to get him out. Meagan: Sometimes that can play into tearing actually weirdly enough and then the lack of ability to push in a position if we are in a back crunch position. We are putting more pressure so if we do have a baby with a little bit of a larger head or is having a harder time coming out– which by the way, first-time moms, you guys, 36 hours with an hour and a half of pushing is crazy but it can be very normal. Katie: It's normal. It's so normal. I think what was hard for me was I looked at the clock when I started pushing because I had friends who were like, “Oh, I pushed for this long. I pushed for this long.” With my third, I decided, Don't look at the clock. Don't think about how long it's going to take. It's just going to take as long as it needs to be, because it was an hour of pushing. One thing that was kind of scary is that his heart rate would go down every time I'd push so they were like, “This could be dangerous.” Another thing was that I might have to get him out sooner so they would have me push for a contraction and then wait on a contraction. It was literally 6 minutes in between pushes. It just took a long time. But he was a healthy little boy and all was good. We thought we were going to have two kids. Everything was wonderful and then a year later, my husband was like, “Okay, are we ready to get rid of the baby clothes?” I'm like, “Umm, actually, I don't think we are done yet.” Part of me still wanted a girl but I just did not feel like our family was complete. It was the weirdest feeling because we had always said, “We are going to have two kids.” We've got a three-bedroom house. It just made sense. Then we both decided– we had a little talk. If we were to have another kid and it ends up being a boy, are you okay with that? We were both like, “Yes. I feel like three is what's going to make our family complete.” I was a little bit older. At the time, I was 38 so I'm like, “If we want a third, let's try for it this year and if not, that's a sign.” We did get pregnant with the third. I did not find out what I was having on this one because I was like, I have a feeling it's going to be a boy and I don't want to feel that disappointment again while I'm pregnant, and if it's a girl, what a fun surprise to wait and find out. We didn't find out. I don't know if anybody else feels this way, but I had dreams about having a boy. My mom gut was like, You're going to be okay with another little boy.  I kind of knew, but I still wanted to wait. This pregnancy went fine. With my middle, I was all for working out and going to boot camp, and felt really great. With this one, I was like, I've got two kids and I am exhausted. I put on more weight than I ever had. I could not move around. I hurt the most. I had the worst pelvic bone pain. Meagan: SPD?Katie: Probably. Probably, but I did not really speak up. I told my doctor, “Oh, I'm feeling some pain.” She was like, “That's normal during pregnancy.” Now, looking back, I know people who saw a chiropractor during pregnancy and I'm like, “That's what I needed.” Meagan: Or even pelvic floor. Katie: Yep. That's what I needed because for a year after having him, I would get pain when I would walk and I'm like, I wish I had known that there was something I could do about that. So if you are feeling pain, speak up because I could have done something about it. With this one, I was very large. I was ready to have him. I got to that 39-week mark and was like, He or she is coming. I know it's any day now. Then my due date hit and he was not there yet. The doctor was like, “Oh, you're already dilated. It's coming soon.” She stripped my membrane and was like, “Oh, in a day or two you're going to have him but let's just schedule an induction in case.” We get to 41 weeks and still was not having a baby. Having two at 39 weeks and then having to wait until 41 was an eternity. It felt like the longest wait ever. I think this was God's way of saying, “You're done now. You're good,” because I remember feeling like I never wanted to be pregnant again. I am never giving birth again. This is the last time and I felt very complete with that whereas with the second one, it was like, Is this really the last time I'm going to carry a baby? Is this the last time I'm going to give birth? It felt really nice. I was still seeing the same doctor I was seeing with my middle son. She was on board. She was actually telling me that if you've done a VBAC and then you have another one, it's not considered a VBAC. Is that what you've heard?Meagan: No, it's still considered a VBAC but your risks go up. Your risks go up for vaginal birth and down for things like uterine rupture. Unfortunately, you're always going to be a VBAC. Katie: Yeah. Okay, so risk went down. Okay. But she was totally on board with it. I had to be induced with this one. I literally have tried everything. I've had a C-section. I've had an epidural birth and I've had an induction. I can't say that one is better. I feel like they are all part of my birth stories. Each one is special but I had to do the Foley bulb. I had to almost not get the epidural. My water broke a couple of hours into the hospital and then a contraction started very fast. I remember waiting for the anesthesiologist and going, “If he doesn't get here, I'm having this baby.” As he was giving it to me, I felt like I needed to push. I didn't say anything because I was like, I really want the epidural, but I was literally like, Oh my god. I have to push. I have to push. This is so hard. I actually did feel the worst contractions with that because I was literally at the end. After he was done, the nurse came in and I was like, “Hey, can you check me because I think I feel like I need to push?” She checked and she was like, “Let's get the doctor. You're ready.” It was like, epidural and now it's time to push. My husband was actually getting food because they didn't allow him in the room when I got the epidural so he was like, “I'm going to go get breakfast.” I'm like, “Cool, cool.” Then I'm sitting there like, “Umm, is he going to get back in time?” They were like, “Let's do a practice push,” and I'm like, “He's not here yet!”I got him out in one and a half pushes and there was my third boy. It was just such a different experience going from, I'm going to have to push for 3 hours. With this one, I remember thinking, I'm just going to let my body do what feels right. I'm not going to have the nurses tell me to push this way and do that. I'm just going to close my eyes and scrunch my face like they tell me not to do, but it felt so much easier. I remember asking her, “I did my practice push. Did that do anything?” She was like, “Yes. Please stop. I need to get my gloves and I need to get this.” So he was out and I had my third boy. I would say with the two vaginal births, my recovery was so much easier. Just hospital-wise, I was able to move around a lot faster. With my middle son, I was able to go to the park with my boys a week later whereas with the C-section, I don't think I left my house for the first 6 weeks because I was so uncomfortable and it didn't feel right. All three births gave me scars but in a different way. Meagan: Yeah. I actually really love that you pointed out that even with vaginal birth, there can be an extra recovery or extra things because I think sometimes in this world, it's like, C-section is bad. C-section is bad. C-section is bad. VBAC is amazing. VBAC is wonderful. Okay. Absolutely. I believe that VBAC is amazing and wonderful. I do not believe that C-section is bad. I do believe that we have way too many unnecessary C-sections and that is bad. Katie: Right. Meagan: We know though that vaginal birth sometimes isn't all sunshine and butterflies. We have tearing. We have prolapse. We have pelvic floor dysfunction for the next however long because we pushed for 2.5-3 hours or even an hour and a half or we labored for a really long time and we are sore or whatever. Sometimes C-sections can be just the most healing and beautiful experiences for someone. I love that you pointed that out. It's just important to remind everybody listening to go with what you feel is best. No, you don't have to schedule a C-section just in case. No, you don't have to do these things but if you want to and that's what feels right, do it. We encourage you. Katie: I absolutely did not have any incontinence problems after the C-section but after the vaginal birth now, doing jumping jacks and running is a different story. Yeah. It's different. Meagan: I want to talk about that because I also didn't have a lot of incontinence. It's not like I have incontinence now but I have pressure and things like that. I just went to a pelvic floor specialist and she said– oh crap. What did she call them? My bones, the birthing bones, they are my pelvis, but my pelvis was stuck in a flared state from birth. Katie: Oh whoa. Meagan: She manually closed my bones. It was insane. I could feel it. She was like, “Oh, there's no give. Can you feel it?” I was like, “Oh my gosh, yeah.” She worked it, did her PT thing and closed these bones. She said, “Sometimes people have these bones get stuck open after birth and it puts a lot of trauma on their pelvic floor and they have incontinence and all of these things.” Katie: Whoa. Meagan: She did two other things which blew my mind. I've never had that happen with a pelvic floor specialist before but my uterus was really, really hard and she was like, “It should move and float within.” She massaged my uterus and then she went internal and my bladder was adhered from the inside. Even though we have C-sections, Women of Strength, and you have had vaginal births and everything, if you've had that C-section, there is a likelihood of you having adhesions or scar tissue in there that may cause pelvic floor issues and incontinence. So anyway, my bladder was adhered and then there was a part of my cervix that needed to be released. She was like, “I wonder if that's why you had such a long end.” My cervix would stretch but it wouldn't stay. Or she said, “I see this a lot with failure to progress or cervical lips where there is this thing that needs to be released.” As soon as it was, I can't even tell you the difference in how I feel. Katie: Wow. Meagan: The pressure is really pretty much gone. I would say there is maybe a little. She even said, “The next visit might need a little bit more tweaking.” I just ran the other day, 3 miles for the first time in forever. Usually after 1 mile, my pelvic floor would just give out. I did fine. Katie: Don't you wish that was something every OB/GYN was like, “Okay, you're going to see me and you're going to go here”? Or you give birth and it's not like, “6 weeks, you're good.” It's like, “Oh, now you need to go see this.” Meagan: Yes and it's not talked about with C-sections either. A lot of time those C-section scars can cause back pain and pelvic floor things, urine incontinence, pain during sex, and things like that. We don't even know that it's related to our C-section because we've never pushed a baby out of our vaginas. Right? It's so crazy. Katie: My youngest is 4 and I'm like, I should finally book that PT consultation and just find out what's all going on down there. Meagan: Yes! My VBAC baby is going to be 8. At this point of this recording, he is 8 and here I am this year just going. I have done physical therapy before and pelvic work but I've never done it to this extent where I was like, Okay, I'm going to get down to the bottom of this and had results like this this fast. Katie: Whoa. Okay, let me ask you a question. Did you go through your doctor or did you just search and find one yourself? Meagan: I did search and find one myself. The craziest thing is I did call to see if insurance would cover it. They do not. It's all out of pocket. So like you said, I feel like this should be a standard thing regardless of C-section or vaginal birth. It should just be part of our postpartum care. I actually think it should be part of our prenatal care. Katie: Totally. Oh my gosh. I know. Someone I know was getting really bad pains so she went while she was pregnant to PT and I was like, That's exactly how I felt a year ago, because she was having it after me. I was like, I wish I would have known about that, because that would have really, really helped. Meagan: Yeah. Chiropractic care for sure. Pelvic PT. Know that not every birth is going to be amazing and beautiful but all we can do is prepare and understand. Katie: Right. Right. And be at peace with whatever is meant to be. I look back at my C-section. I tell my husband this all the time. If we would have lived on the prairie, I would have died during that breech birth. It would have been almost impossible to deliver him. I did seek out, are there any doctors who deliver breech babies? In LA there was one, but to me, it just felt a little too risky to even go down that route. 100 years ago, I might not have survived childbirth so the C-section for me was a lifesaver. It was so comforting to know that. My first vaginal birth though, I did have some complications after so just because you deliver vaginally doesn't mean it's a piece of cake and it's over. At  my 6-week appointment, I remember telling my doctor, “Something doesn't feel right down there.” She was like, “I'll check it out. Let me see.” I was like, “No, really. Something feels wrong.” My labia actually, part of it fused together. She said there were probably mini tears and it literally was. I was like, “I just don't think the hole is big right now.” She was like, “Oh, yes. I see what you're talking about.” It literally fused together. She was a teaching doctor. She worked for a hospital so she was like, “We never see this. Do you mind if I take a picture for my students?” I was sitting there with stirrups. She was like, “I won't get your face or say your name.” I was like, “Yes. For science, yes. Please take a picture of this.” I ended up in just the hospital visit where she had to cut it and then sauter it back together. I was able to do it in the doctor's office. It was a super easy procedure, but I was numb during that and the recovery from having an open wound in that area when you're peeing is not comfortable. So being 6 weeks postpartum feeling like, I should be getting back to normal, then oh God, this. Meagan: There are always hurdles. Katie: It's not all roses when you deliver naturally either. But I was happy that maybe some other mom– because it was extremely embarrassing. I didn't even want to have my husband look or tell my husband what this was but being able to share it with other moms, they were like, “Why doesn't anyone tell you that stuff like this happens?” And thank God for modern medicine because again, had this been the prairie, I would have never had another child after that. Meagan: Might have been too traumatizing. Yeah. It's just so hard to know. Everybody internalizes and processes differently their births and their experiences. Do the research. Get in your head in a good space. Find your provider and do the things and choose the birth that is right for you. Katie: Absolutely. Absolutely. Meagan: Thank you again for sharing your stories. Congrats. Katie: Oh thank you. Meagan: Definitely go see a pelvic PT. Katie: I'm booking one today. It's time. It's time. Meagan: It's time. Women of Strength, I think it's really important that sometimes we forget this. We deserve to give back to ourselves. After having a baby, it's a really big deal. It's a really big deal no matter how you have this baby. And then on top of it, the lack of sleep and feeding a baby, all of the things. Remember to give back to yourself. Katie: Yeah. Yeah. I learned after my third. It took me three kids that asking for help is okay. I remember with my first I felt like, I don't want to ask for help because they're going to think I don't know what I'm doing. I didn't know what I was doing. By the third, someone was like, “Can we start a meal train for you?” I'm like, “Yes. Please do. Yes. I would like everything.” “Can we take your kids to the park so you can have some time?” “Yes please. Let me know what time you're picking them up.” Meagan: Yes. It's okay to say yes. It's okay to take breaks. Well, thank you again so much. Katie: Thank you so much for having me on. 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

Busting myths and bringing clarity on how to optimize your metabolism beyond 30 with Liz Wolfe! We talk muscle maintenance, protein hacks, body composition after 40, and how to establish a strong metabolic foundation (no “boosting” needed). If you're on the struggle bus and don't know what to do next—we got you! Timestamps:[14:55] What is your metabolism?[18:59] What is BMR?[22:26] What factors impact metabolic rate?[32:45] Can you actually boost your metabolism?[36:42] Why is it harder to stay trim in my late 30's when I'm doing the same things?[44:41] Does stress impact your metabolism?[58:27] Does metabolism play a role in weight loss and/or weight gain?[1:01:29] How do you lose weight while eating a ton of protein?[1:09:33] What are some quick and easy protein grabs that are non-dairy?[1:14:19] Should you be taking creatine daily and what's next for Ideal Age?Episode Links:Liz's WebsiteHow to Make Protein Work for You - Protein GuideOwn Your MetabolismIdeal Age Amino AcidsSponsors:Go to wellminerals.us/adrenal-stress-less/ and use code ADRENAL22 to get 22% off from September 9th-22nd. Go to organifi.com/wellfed and use code WELLFED for 20% off your order.Go to boncharge.com/WELLFED and use coupon code WELLFED to save 15% off any order.Go to mdlogichealth.com/digestive and use coupon code WELLFED for 10% off and you always get free shipping on orders of $59 or more.

Hey everyone! Welcome back to the Data Over Drama Podcast.Today's Topic: When Client Feedback Isn't Boosting Your SalesIn this episode, we're tackling a common frustration for many business owners: when you're implementing client feedback and using their language, but it's not translating into the sales you want. We'll explore why this happens and how data can help you overcome this challenge.Key Takeaways:The Limitations of Client FeedbackWhy focusing solely on paying clients' feedback can be misleadingThe gap between what clients say they like and what actually drives salesWhy you need to look beyond the vocal minorityThe Importance of Tracking Silent LurkersUnderstanding the behavior of those who don't engage directlyWhy website analytics are crucial for understanding your entire audienceHow to capture data from all leads, not just those who fill out formsThe Power of Upstream DataWhy you need to understand customer behavior before they buyThe importance of tracking silent interactions with your content and websiteHow this data can reveal gaps in your messaging and sales strategyWhat to Do When Your Market Research Isn't Driving RevenueThe need for data that tracks all audience interactions, not just paying clientsHow to identify where potential customers are engaging but not convertingUsing comprehensive data to refine your content and sales strategyHow to Work with Us:1. Join Our Membership here - Learn how to make sales from your content - Access our mini data course to set up and understand your Google Analytics - Ideal for those struggling to convert content into clients2. Data Analysis Retainer here - Get expert analysis of your existing data - Learn how to implement findings to double your revenue - Perfect for those sitting on data but unsure how to use it to double their sales

Send me a message! Are you tired of losing potential customers because they can't find the answers they need on your website? I'll share the secrets to creating an effective FAQ page that will not only keep your visitors engaged but also boost your business's online presence.YOU WILL LEARN:Why having an FAQ page is crucial for your websiteHow to identify the right questions to include on your FAQ pageTips for writing clear, concise, and informative answersStrategies for organizing and designing your FAQ page for optimal user experienceCreative ways to promote your FAQ page and attract more visitorsTune in now and discover the power of a well-crafted FAQ page!

What if you could make a living solely from your book royalties by cutting out the retailer and earning 50% more per sale? What if you had the contact information of everyone who purchased your book?In this episode, we explore how self-publishing through your website can lead to higher margins, stronger connections with readers, and more control over your book's success.BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL LEARN:The benefits of selling your book directly through your websiteHow to leverage self-publishing platforms to increase your profitsThe potential trade-offs and how to overcome them for a smoother processStick around until the end of the episode for a discussion on the pros and cons of traditional versus self-publishing.Submit a Question. Ask a question to be featured on the podcast. Ask HereLiked this episode? Share it and tag us on Instagram @juxtabkLove the show? Leave a review and let us know!CONNECT WITH US: Website | Instagram | Facebook

With her first birth, Amy hired a doula and planned to birth at a birth center. During labor, her baby kept having late heart decels which led to transferring to the hospital. At the hospital, Amy stalled at 9.5 centimeters. Baby was having a hard time descending and continued having decels. Amy chose to have a Cesarean and while she was at peace with the experience, she knew she wanted another chance at a vaginal birth. Amy proactively prepared for her VBAC by educating herself and working with her provider to find common ground. Her labor progressed well, Amy coped beautifully, and was able to push out her 10-pound baby! Amy talks about how recovering from birth can be difficult no matter what type of birth you have. Our VBAC Link Doula, Desiree, joins as Meagan's co-host and touches on the importance of breathwork. As a licensed therapist, Amy also talks about how she uses breathwork with her own clients. “Practice it before you are in labor because then it's easier to do while you're in labor.”Desiree's WebsiteHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull Transcript under Episode Details Meagan: Welcome, Women of Strength. It is an amazing day to listen to another VBAC story. We have our friend, Amy, from Massachusetts coming your way sharing her VBAC story with you. Then we have one of our VBAC Link doulas, Desiree, with us as well. Welcome, ladies. Desiree: Hi.Amy: Thank you. Meagan: Hello. Thank you so much for being with me today. We do have that Review of the Week so I'm going to actually turn the time over to Desiree and read that. Desiree: Yeah, so the Review of the Week this week is provided by Ashley on the VBAC Doula course which I am very familiar with. I am so excited to read this one. Ashley says, “TOLAC/VBACs should be treated just like any other birthing person but there is certain preparation and information that needs to be offered to them. Your course covered that. The value is held in your careful recognition of how to best support our clients who are doing a TOLAC. I cannot praise you two enough for the fear-release activity. Honestly, it is something I can apply to even myself before and after birth and even in life in general. Thank you for that. It has already helped three of my VBAC clients.” Meagan: Oh, that's amazing. That just gave me the chills. I love that. Fear release is so important. Women of Strength, if you are listening, we have that in our course because we truly believe in it. I think fear release in anything in life. We could just be scared to go in and take a test and fear release of that. But when it comes to birth specifically, I don't know if both of you would agree, but we've got to do some fear releases and let go and also process the past, right? Desiree: Absolutely. Yes. I would say it's good for everybody going into birth, but definitely, if you're a VBAC or going for a TOLAC because you take your previous birth experiences into the room with you and if you haven't done the work, then you are just setting yourself up for roadblocks. Meagan: It's so true. I will admit that I did fear releases and I did lots of processing and I still had little bits of bouts of roadblocks in my VBA2C birth. That was really hard, but I was so grateful for the knowledge of how to do that fear release and work through it in those moments in my labor and because I had already done so much beforehand, the little roadblocks that were there even though they were roadblocks, I was able to get through them so much faster and more efficiently. Okay, Ms. Amy. Thank you so much for joining us. Amy: Sure. Meagan: Yes. We would love to turn the time over to you. Amy: Okay. So I actually gave birth to my two kids and then I gave birth in two different states. My C-section story was from when I lived in Massachusetts then I moved back to Minnesota and had my son which was my VBAC and now we are back in Massachusetts. Yeah, so with my daughter, I hired a doula. I gave birth and wanted to give birth at a birthing center that was outside of the hospital but it was connected to the hospital system but it was run by midwives and more holistic, more of what I was aiming for. Just like with your first births, you have all of the plans and I think partly that is some anxiety mitigation of if I feel like I have a plan then maybe I know what to expect. I worked with a really amazing doula. We didn't take a birthing class through the hospital. She did that education and I was feeling relatively prepared as much as you can with a first birth. I had a week's worth of prodromal labor. I always am very cautious. I always call it prodromal labor because I feel like the term false labor is so demoralizing when you're in it like this isn't real labor and I'm like, No, it is. It just isn't progressing the way I want it to. Meagan: Well, but it's still your body working. I think that's what a lot of the time we forget. It's not progressing the way we want but our body is still very much working and making progress behind the scenes whether or not a number of centimeters or a number of effacement is reflecting. We are still doing work and making progress. Amy: Yes, exactly. But my prodromal labor liked to happen only at night so I was going off of probably three or four nights of really not sleeping through the night. Again, as a first-time mom, I didn't really know. I was up with adrenaline because I didn't really know 100% what I was experiencing. I did stop going to work. I was going to work up until labor and then I just stopped going to work the last couple of days because I was like, I'm not sleeping. I'm stressed and tired.I went into labor the night before my daughter's due date and felt the contractions getting a little bit stronger around 10:30. I went to bed. I woke up around 12:30 and told my husband, “Okay, I think this is really actually happening now.” We labored through the night. At 4:00 AM, I called my doula. We met up at the birth center. I was already 6 centimeters. I was obviously so thrilled about that. I was like, “We're going to have this baby by mid-morning. It's going to be great.” Then they started checking her heartbeat. From the beginning, she was having a lot of decels and they kept monitoring it, monitoring it, and monitoring it for 20 minutes which again, wasn't really the plan that I was going to be sitting in bed monitoring her heart rate the whole time. I wanted to be up and moving around but they just couldn't get her heart rate to stabilize at that point so they moved me over to the hospital then. It's a birth center but they are across the street from the hospital so they literally put me into a wheelchair and rolled me across the road. That's when all of the interventions started. From there, I progressed I think to about 8 centimeters but she was having those decels off and on the whole time. Then I think we ended up getting an epidural. I wasn't planning to but I got an epidural about that time. I don't know what time of day this was, maybe noon just because it had been a while now. I was tired and they were like, “Maybe if you rest a little bit, we can get her into a better position or something.” Really, what ended up happening was because of her decels, they wanted me to be on continuous monitoring which made it so I couldn't move around as much because the nurse didn't know how to apply the wireless ones. That happened so it was just one thing after another and my doula was great. She was really supportive. We did try a few different positions, but it was like every time I got in a position that felt good, they were like, “Oh no, we lost her heartbeat. We have to have you move again.” I think the process was frustrating. I did get the epidural. I got all the way to 9.5 centimeters dilated and then we just sort of stalled. And then of course probably around 5:00, this had been close to 20 hours of labor and they were like, “Yeah, I don't know. We could try a few more positions but I think this is just going to keep happening and now we are worried that she's going to get distressed.” So it wasn't really an emergency C-section at all. They were like, “Here's what we think. We'll give you a few minutes to talk about it with your husband and doula and see what you guys think.” It was definitely hard. I was discouraged and frustrated by that but at that point, I just wanted her out. Now that I've read, and when I was listening to The VBAC Link and listening to so many other stories where we probably could have given it more time and all of these other things, they did a C-section and they actually found that her umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck twice. She never really descended into the birth canal fully. She never really engaged in my pelvis. Part of me wonders if it was partly that where she had that umbilical cord and that was going to be tough for her through the birth canal. I don't really know. But she was healthy and everything was good. I honestly didn't feel super traumatized by that experience but obviously I wish it had gone a different way. That was my first birth and then about two years later, well, my daughter was 2.5 when I got pregnant with my son. I was the middle of the pandemic. It was 2020. Is that when I got pregnant? Yeah. It was the fall of 2020. I definitely started looking into VBAC and found your podcast and was like, I would like to really try for a vaginal birth this time around. I think what was challenging about that and as you are talking about going in with fear is that I felt like even though it was my second baby, I felt like I was going through the process like a first birth because I never pushed. I never got to that point with my daughter so I felt like I had that anxiety almost like I was going into my first birth again. That was hard for me, I think, mentally. But we had moved to Minnesota at that point so unfortunately, I didn't get to use the same doula that I had before. I found another doula and I think she had a lot of knowledge and I think she did a good job but I think overall, we just didn't connect as well emotionally. Honestly, I realized that was almost more important to me. Obviously, knowledgeable and certified is good but not feeling like we were always connected, I struggled with that at times. Meagan: Sorry, not to interrupt you but I was just going to say that can impact the way you are feeling and walking into any experience so that connection is really, really key. Amy: Yes. Yeah. I'm a therapist. That's my job and so obviously, I say that to my clients all the time about therapy too. I never got to the point where I was like, Oh, maybe I should look for somebody else, but I think looking back, sometimes I wish I had. But during the labor and stuff, I think she was great. Yeah. It was different than my first time. So yeah, I did a lot of research about Spinning Babies. My doula helped me with some of those exercises. It was stuff I was aware of before, but I didn't look into it as much. Then one of the things I was curious around because when I had my C-section, my OB was like, “Oh, well you have a flat pelvis so it is going to be hard for you to ever have a baby vaginally” is what she said to me. My doula was like, “Well, you know. Around pelvis shapes and stuff like that, that's a very gray area. Generally speaking, we don't subscribe to that because your pelvis is moving and it isn't a shape.” But I was curious about that so I looked into that through Spinning Babies and some of those other resources and about how babies engage in your pelvis and how does baby engage to progress labor.Meagan: Yeah, different stages. The baby can be in sometimes different– I mean, we all have different shapes of pelvises so the baby has to come in different positions and sometimes that even means posterior so sometimes we do all the things to avoid posterior babies, and then our babies still go in posterior but that's actually because of the way our pelvis is shaped or the way it was that day that our babies needed to get into the pelvis in that position. Sometimes they can kind of hang up until we find those positions that can help them navigate down. Amy: Yes. I mentioned that to my doula and we both did some research on it because I think that was part of the issue with my daughter. There wasn't a consistent engagement. Even though my labor progressed for the most part, I was sort of wondering about that. I also was– I can't remember when this exactly happened but I think around 32 weeks, I started measuring big. Of course, my OB who I would say was VBAC tolerant. I wouldn't say she was VBAC-supportive. I did like her quite a bit but she was like, “Okay, your baby is measuring big and because of your history–” she goes through the whole, “here's your percentage of having a successful VBAC.” I'm 5'9”. I'm larger. I'm not a petite person so even if I had been, I don't subscribe to that because of listening to VBAC podcasts and stuff, your body can birth a large baby, but also, I wasn't as worried about it because I know that sometimes those projections are completely off and so it was part of that process of learning to respectfully disagree with a medical professional who I did have respect for and did feel like they had some expertise but to say that we don't have to agree on everything for me to work with you. That was a huge turning point for me just in my life in general working with medical professionals of, I don't have to completely throw everything you say out the window but I also don't have to agree with everything that you say and we can respectfully disagree on that issue. So I was like, “Respectfully, I'm not going to schedule a C-section at that point.” She didn't pressure me at all. She was like, “I understand. Let's move forward with the plan.” That's what we did. I think that was empowering. As we moved closer to my due date, he was big. I was not sure at the time, but I was like, I'm going to go into labor early. That was a mental block for me. Then as it gets closer and closer and closer to my due date, I'm going out of my mind just losing patience. I'm not a good, patient-waiting person as it is so I'm having prodromal labor for the whole week before my due date and at that point, I actually did schedule a C-section for the following week because I needed mentally an out-date. That was what it was in my mind of, Okay. If this goes on for another week, I have an out, even though that's not what I wanted. I think honestly mentally, it took a weight off my shoulders which is counterintuitive to what you would think when everything in me was working toward this VBAC then I was like, No. A couple of days before he was born, I needed that second date in my mind somewhere. Meagan: Well– oh, sorry. Go ahead, Desiree. Desiree: I was going to say I think it actually makes a lot of sense. You say it's counterintuitive, but you're right. We spend so much time and energy thinking about achieving our VBACs and having our babies. Sometimes having– well, even if I don't do all the things, I can still have my baby and then relaxation happens. That's when we see labor starting to take off for a lot of people. Amy: Yep. Yeah, I definitely think that was a piece of the puzzle. Yeah, and I think it was helpful.So yeah, I'm trying to think of how this went. Yeah, so we were doing some Spinning Babies things. We did some side-lying releases all throughout the pregnancy and then on June 4th which was actually my son's due date, having prodromal labor all week and then I felt like there was a little bit more intensity in the contractions I was having that morning so I sent my daughter off to her grandparents' and was like, Okay. I'm just going to focus today. I'm going to focus on getting my body in gear. It wasn't that I was in this mindset of, I'm going to make myself go into labor today, it was just this intuition around I needed to be able to focus on what was going on. We had that plan that my daughter would go stay with her grandparents while I go into labor and I thought that maybe she was just going to go earlier than I thought she would because I wasn't in any kind of active labor. Then I had my doula come over at 10:00 AM and we did more different exercises. I can't remember all of the ones we did because what would happen was that I would have contractions 15 minutes apart, 15 minutes apart and then they would just stop and that would be the end of it and then the next day, the same thing. Or they would be 10 minutes, 12 minutes, 20 minutes– nothing consistent so what we found was if I laid on my left side in the flying cowgirl position, then my contractions were more intense and more consistent. It was again this think of, in my mind I was like, While I'm in active labor, I'm going to be walking around and trying all of these different positions and all of this different stuff, and what I ended up doing is honestly just laying in bed and watching TV in that position almost all day. So again, it was this thing of that's not what I've heard is helpful or whatever but I just think that was where he needed to be to engage in my pelvis at that stage. Then every hour or so I'd get up. I'd do curb walking. I would just get out, walk around, and be active but it was way more laying down than I ever planned to do. You hear that's not how you get your body engaged in labor, but that was what worked for me so that was an interesting, Release what you think is going to work for you and do what your body is telling you is working for you. But it was actually kind of nice. It was relaxing. My daughter wasn't there. It was the summer. We had the air conditioning on in that room. My husband brings me a bubble tea or whatever and I was like, This is actually not so bad. This is okay. Contractions were probably 15, 10 minutes apart that whole day then in the evening is when it ramped up. I turned toward active labor and we called my doula again at 8:00 PM and the contractions were very intense. I was leaning on an exercise ball. My husband was trying to do some counterpressure to get me through it and then she did– and again, this is something where my doula and I were not always on the same page, but I was explaining to her my contractions. “They are about a minute and half long. They were maybe 7-8 minutes apart,” and the first thing she said was, “Oh, well that contraction isn't long enough to progress you at all,” or something like that. She said something about my labor process and it was so discouraging because I felt like I had taken so long to get to that point that when she said that, I was like, Oh, so all of this was for nothing. I know that's not what she meant but I remember just feeling very discouraged by that comment. So that was tough. Then she did the abdominal lift and tuck. I do feel like that helped get my son into my pelvis and more engaged in my pelvis because from that point, contractions were two minutes apart. They were very intense. I ended up signaling. I was like, “I'm ready to go to the hospital.” We agreed to labor at home as long as possible, but I was like, “I think this is the time.” Again, my doula was like, “I think we should wait longer.” My contractions were two minutes apart at that point and I was like, “I don't think we should. I want to go.” I'm glad we did actually because that ended up being the right time. But I remember rolling into the hospital at 12:01 AM and I remember my husband saying, “Well, I guess we're not going to be having the baby on his due date,” because my daughter was born on her due date. I was in active labor on my son's due date and then we just missed it. I remember being like, “That's true. We're not going to make it but that's okay.” So yeah, we walk into the hospital and go through triage. My water breaks while we are in triage and of course, they bring out their little testing stick and they're like, “We're going to make sure this is actually your water breaking.” I was like, “Okay, but I've never wet myself during a pregnancy. This is what it is.” Then we go back in the labor and delivery room and the doctor who is on call is not my doctor. I find out later that this is the most anxious, not-nice-to-work-with OB in that practice. So that was tough. I could tell from the beginning she was just very brusk. She didn't have a great bedside manner at all. She was like, “I see that he's measuring big so we're going to make sure that–” she was really worried about shoulder dystocia. I was very glad again that I had read up on that and that I was not concerned about that. So she was like– they had big birthing tubs there but they don't let you birth in them. They just let you labor in them. I was in there and feeling like I wanted to push for a while and I remember I went to the bathroom and she comes in the room and she's like, “Well, let's get you on the table.” I'm like, “I'm just going to the bathroom.” I don't know if she thought that I was going to try to have the baby without her or something, I don't know. Her whole vibe was very anxious. That was hard. That was definitely discouraging. I think at that point, I actually had asked for an epidural. Both times, I asked for an epidural at transition and then once I'm through transition, I'm fine. They didn't come in time and they checked me and I was already at 10 centimeters so they were like, “Okay, it's time to push. We don't have time for the epidural.” I'm like, “Okay, this is what it is.” That was okay and then I pushed for about an hour on my back which was again, not my choice but the OB was like, “No, I need to be able to see what's going on. I don't want you in any other position,” because again, she was so worried about shoulder dystocia and him being big. Halfway through pushing, she was like, “Okay, you can try on all fours.” But at that point, I was so exhausted that I couldn't even imagine myself getting on all fours. I was like, “That ship has sailed.” That was tough because I had planned the whole time to try to push at least for a little while on all fours because again, knowing about big babies and how that can be a really good position for that, but I just didn't feel like I could advocate for myself. I don't know. In both of my births, when I get in labor, I go very inward. I think having a doula was great, but both times I don't think my doula was super outwardly advocating. But again, maybe they were looking for a signal from me and I was just in my own world. It was okay though. I pushed for an hour. He came out just fine. It was that euphoric moment of, Oh my gosh. That just happened. That was crazy. Having only pushed for an hour felt great with my first vaginal birth. They took him out and they weighed him and he was 10 pounds, 4 ounces. Meagan: Yeah!Amy: Yes. It was so funny because the nurses were trying to guess. They were like, “9 pounds. He's big.” Yes. I felt great and actually, it was funny. The next morning, my OB came in. She was on then. She comes in and she goes, “Well, he was big.” I was like, “And I did get him out, so we were both right.” We were able to laugh about that. Meagan: I love that you said that. Like, “Hey, I was right too.” Amy: Yes. Yes. Yeah, and I felt like it was a good ending. I felt like she was like, “Yep, you're right. You did.” I did tear. I had two second-degree tears which again was maybe not as bad as I expected with a baby that size, but it was no fun. I think that's the other thing that I talk about often is either way, with a C-section or with that kind of a birth, I felt like it took me about two weeks to be able to feel like I could even walk normally. I think the difference with the vaginal birth is that I do feel like I made improvements every day where I gradually got better whereas with the C-section, it was really hard for two full weeks and then it was like then I felt better. It was a different recovery but I would say– and I think other people have talked about this here before but either way, it can be a tough recovery. Meagan: For sure. For sure. Amy: It's hard because my sister had two vaginal births and her second one, she was up and walking. We walked a mile when she was two weeks postpartum and I'm like, gosh. I couldn't even walk down the block at two weeks postpartum after my son. I think obviously not to compare yourself one or the other but I had a big baby and there was some trauma down there and that takes time as well. But it was a great feeling and I think that obviously, it ended up really good. Yeah. That's my story. Meagan: I love it. Thank you for sharing it and congratulations. I think that it's so hard to sometimes have providers who will meet you in the middle. It sounds like you both met in the middle along the way and I think in a perfect world, I just wish that this would happen where providers would meet us a little bit more but there are so many providers who won't even come in. We talk about it all the time with finding the right provider and if the provider is not right for you and if they are not willing to budge at all and meet you in the middle or be a part of the conversations where you were saying things and she was like, “You know what? Okay. Okay. Let's go back to the original plan then.” She said her piece. She said her suggestions. You were like, “No. I don't feel comfortable with this. This is not what I want,” and she was willing to be like, “Okay. Okay. All right. Let's go back to that original plan.” Look what would have happened if you weren't able to advocate and stand up for yourself and be like, “Actually–”, it could have been a very different outcome. Amy: Yes. Yes. For sure. Meagan: Desiree, do you have anything to share on that just as a birth worker or anything to share as far as tips go when we've got situations like that where maybe it seems like it could get really combative but it doesn't have to be? Desiree: Yeah. I mean, I just want to commend you, Amy, for being able to voice your opinion in that way because I think that's really hard for a lot of us to stand up in spaces with doctors who we think are in a position of authority. Yes, they have experience, but no one lives in your body. No one has the lived experience of your body except you. That makes you an equal expert in what's happening. I think it's great that providers bring advice and recommendations and they have a plan for what they want to see, but I think a truly great provider does meet you at least halfway. Ideally, you're right Meagan, they're coming a little bit more than halfway, but I mean, it's nice to hear that your provider was willing to listen to you and follow your plan and probably have hers in her back pocket as the fallback. But that's just great that you were able to advocate for yourself in that way. It doesn't always have to be combative, right? It can be as simple as, “Thank you for your advice. I appreciate your expertise. This is what I'd like to try and if it doesn't work, then we can try something else.” Amy: Yeah. I think that I was feeling anxious about that too and this big realization of, I do. I like her. I trust her as a doctor. I feel like we're on the same page, but that doesn't mean that I have to agree with everything she says and it also doesn't mean I have to fire her and find a new provider. Again, there is a happy medium there. You're right. I was taught that doctors have this authority. They know. They go to years of schooling. Of course, they do. But also keeping in mind that their worldview and perspective might be very different and the lens that they are looking at this through is very different than mine and how do I keep this in mind that they have this medical perspective of what they've seen. They've seen the worst of the worst medical scenarios but also to keep in mind that there's this whole other worldview around that so that ws helpful for me. Meagan: Yeah. That was definitely something that stood out to me with your form. It was, “Disagreeing with a provider doesn't mean that you can't work with them.” You said it in your story too. That is so, so true. It doesn't mean we can't work with them and if it gets to a point where it's like, “Okay, there is no working with this,” and it is actually not working, then we can make a different choice. We can change things up, find a different provider, look at our VBAC Link provider list, and see if there is someone else. But if you can work with it and everything is feeling good and there are a couple of things but we are working together, that is so great. That is so great. Amy: Yeah. Meagan: Awesome. Well, I just wanted to let Desiree share a couple of tips. I love when we have our VBAC Link doulas come on because it's so fun to get different tips and different perspectives from other doulas around the world. Desiree is in California with Be_Earth_Mama. Is that right? Desiree: Yeah. My husband gives me a hard time about this all the time because I guess nobody gets it but it's Birth Mama. Meagan: Oh, I thought it was Be Earth Mama. Desiree: That's what he says. Meagan: That makes so much sense, so much sense. She is in California. Remind us exactly where in California because California is ginormous. Desiree: California is ginormous. I am in the San Francisco Bay Area so Northern California. Meagan: And you do birth and education. Desiree: I do birth and education primarily. Meagan: You do webinars and all the things, right? Desiree: I do webinars. I do online classes. I teach in-person classes. I'm getting ready to start a prenatal belly dance class that I think is going to be in-person for now but might go to virtual if there is an interest so all things birth preparation essentially. That's my niche. Meagan: Really, really cool. Awesome. I know there were a couple different topics that you were talking about and I was like, ooh. Breathing and active relaxing. Tell us all the things. Desiree: Yeah, it's one of my favorite topics and I feel like it's one that is on the list but it's low on the list because you think about breathing. Why do you need to practice breathing? You just naturally do it but if you've been in labor, you know that when that intensity starts to pick up, breathing is the first thing that goes out the window so having a strong breathing practice is the first step to staying really calm and grounded in labor. But even beyond that, I think having a practice is about the process and I think especially for me in my VBAC journey, it sounds like Amy was sort of like this where contractions start and they stop and they start and you are in this waiting game. Is your body going to do the thing or is it not going to do the thing? What's wrong? I feel like having the practice to fall back on gives you a way to stay grounded and centered in your body as you are waiting for labor. So it's two-fold. Keeping your body nice and relaxed while you're actually working through labor but giving yourself the time to be nourishing yourself in those last precious days and weeks leading up to labor I think is almost more important. Something that I work with all of my clients on is having an established breathing practice. It's not about the breathing technique because there are so many different ones out there. There is the up breathing. Up breathing is my favorite, breathe in for 4, exhale for 8. There is box breathing where you breathe in for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, and hold that for 4 counts. And for some people, it's just simply breathing as slow and controlled as possible. I think it's about finding something that feels natural and intuitive to you that you can lean into but it's about finding time and practicing really dropping into your body and dropping out of everything that's going on around you and playing into your senses with that. That's something I like to talk about to my clients is hacking your body. Building muscle memory because it's so hard to relax and stay calm when you're going through surges, the contractions are really building, and telling you to stay relaxed is not really going to work. Nobody wants to hear that. But if you have this practice and if you've built in sensory cues– I like recommending people to pick a birth scent either an essential oil or a candle or a lotion, picking a song or a sound, it could be even a meditation track and setting aside just 2-3 minutes every day to run through whatever your breathing technique is with your scent or your sound, maybe you have something to hold onto and practice just actively relaxing every single part of your body through the process of breathing when you get into labor, your body is going to remember that once you launch into this breathing routine and you put on your birth scent and you have your sound or your meditation track playing, your body is naturally going to relax because you've told it that that's what this time is for. I think it's a really special thing that we can do for ourselves to give ourselves this time and this practice where we are just nourishing the deepest parts of us. It's of course helpful for labor, but I think it's also a helpful practice to take into postpartum and into parenthood. I can say I've been doing this for 5 years. My oldest daughter is 5 years old and I still do it every day. I have to run through my breathing practices. Yeah. I think it's especially important for VBAC mamas to have this type of self-care routine. Meagan: Yes. Oh my gosh. I love that so much. Like you said, it just becomes intuitive if we can practice this so much and instill this into our lives, it just becomes intuitive in that labor journey. There are going to be times where we were talking about roadblocks and stuff earlier, but those might come in and breathing in itself is something that can get us through those things. When you talked about the box breathing, I've done that before and I have this weird thing when I do box breathing. My body moves and I'm creating a square. Desiree: I do too. We don't have our cameras up, but I have to do the square. Meagan: Same. I do a square. I literally draw a square with my whole body and my torso and everything looks like a tree swaying in the wind and I can just feel it. I literally, the relaxation from head to toe just comes in. Like she said, there's not any specific way. You don't have to choose one way. You can use them all. You can use anything, just really, really, really having active relaxation practices before you go into labor is so good. And I think it can help along the way. Even when we have a provider who comes at us with, “Hey, we're going to meet you in the middle,” it still can be in our head. We can be like, Okay, she said this. I said this. This is what we're going to do. You've just got that whole conversation and it's just that you're breathing through that and you're processing that and you're going to apply it later on in labor. I don't know. I just love breathing so much. Desiree: I do too. I think it's the most important tool that we have that everybody has. It's the most powerful tool that's available to us. Meagan: We have to do it to live. Desiree: Mhmm. Meagan: We just have to. It's intuitive. We have to do it and we talk about intuition here and tuning into our intuition. If we are really, really tuning into our intuition, that breathing is part of that. Then our minds and our bodies can respond. Amy, did you ever do any breathing or anything like that? Have you ever heard about any of the things we are talking about? Amy: Yeah, yeah definitely. It's something I use in my therapy practice a lot. Meagan: I was wondering if you did. Amy: I work with college students primarily so this is a lot of time for some of them that they are facing some of this but I love what you were saying Desiree about practicing ahead of time because that's what I'll say. They'll be like, “Oh my gosh. I had a panic attack. I practiced your breathing and it didn't work.” I was like, “Did you practice that ahead of time?” When you're in crisis, it's hard to do it then. But if you've practiced it before and cued your body to that place, that's where it is so useful. Ironically, it was something that I didn't use a ton during my labor process as far as intentional breathing practices. I think I wish I had because I think that would have been useful, but my doula would coach me about some forms of taking deep breaths and sort of how you are breathing through some of the surges and stuff. But yeah, I love that. I love the practice it before you are in labor because then it's easier to do while you're in labor. Meagan: Mhmm, absolutely. Such a powerful message. Okay, one more time, Desiree, tell everyone where they can find you. Desiree: Yeah. I'm on Instagram. You can find me at b_earth_mama pronounced “birth mama”. You can find me on my website which is www.b-earth-mama.com and that's primarily where I'm at. Meagan: Awesome. Well, go give her a follow everybody especially if you are in California and looking for a doula. And Amy, thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining us today and sharing your amazing stories. Amy: Awesome, thanks for having me. It was great. ClosingWould you like to be a guest on the podcast? Tell us about your experience at thevbaclink.com/share. For more information on all things VBAC including online and in-person VBAC classes, The VBAC Link blog, and Meagan's bio, head over to thevbaclink.com. Congratulations on starting your journey of learning and discovery with The VBAC Link.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vbac-link/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In episode 417 of The Brainy Business podcast, Melina Palmer interviews Justin Jones-Fosu, author of I Respectfully Disagree. Justin, the CEO of Work Meaningful, is a dynamic speaker and thought leader on topics of meaningful work and inclusion, delivering over 50 keynote addresses annually. His latest book delves into navigating difficult conversations in a divided world, a theme central to today's discussion. Throughout the episode, Justin shares his insights on creating meaningful work environments and the importance of respectful disagreement. He emphasizes the significance of individuals finding meaning in their work, rather than relying solely on organizational missions. Justin introduces the 3 Rhythm Model, focusing on perspective, tasks, and relationships as key ways to bring meaning to work. He also addresses the concept of respectful disagreement, encouraging healthy conflict and curiosity within teams to foster better outcomes and innovation. In this episode: Discover the 3 Rhythm Model to bring meaning to your work. Learn how to create a culture of respectful disagreement in the workplace. Understand the importance of modeling and rewarding healthy conflict. Explore practical tips for challenging your perspective and engaging with diverse viewpoints. Gain insights into cognitive reframing and the value of hearing real stories. Show Notes: 00:00:00 - Introduction Melina introduces Justin Jones-Fosu and his work on meaningful work and respectful disagreement. 00:02:15 - Justin's Background Justin shares his journey, including his role as CEO of Work Meaningful and his latest book, I Respectfully Disagree. 00:06:30 - Meaningful Work Defined Justin explains the concept of meaningful work and the 3 Rhythm Model: perspective, tasks, and relationships. 00:12:45 - Individual vs. Organizational Meaning The focus shifts to how individuals can find meaning in their work, regardless of the organization's mission. 00:16:20 - The Greenhouse Effect Justin discusses the role of leaders in creating environments that foster meaningful work and engagement. 00:21:00 - Respectful Disagreement Transitioning to the topic of respectful disagreement, Justin explains the benefits of healthy conflict and curiosity in teams. 00:25:10 - Practical Tips for Leaders Justin provides actionable advice for leaders on modeling, rewarding, and seeking out disagreement. 00:27:00 - Conclusion What stuck with you while listening to the episode? What are you going to try? Come share it with Melina on social media -- you'll find her as @thebrainybiz everywhere and as Melina Palmer on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Connect with Justin: Justin's Website How to Respectfully Disagree Justin on LinkedIn Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: I Respectfully Disagree, by Justin Jones-Fosu Finding Confidence in Conflict, by Kwame Christian Let's Talk, by Therese Huston Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Workplace Conflict, by Karin Hurt and David Dye What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer Top Recommended Next Episode: Kwame Christian Interview (ep 221) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Focusing Illusion (ep 89) Confirmation Bias (ep 260) Framing (ep 296) Therese Huston Interview (ep 381) Karin Hurt Interview (ep 393) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter

In this episode of Beyond the Cart, Nora is joined by Bay View Printing Co.'s Ashley Town to discuss the company's digital evolution from print to pixel.Hear how this local business grew its market and transformed operations by focusing on customer service across multiple audiences. From its core design service through its ever-popular "Drink & Ink" events Ashley refined processes and leveraged technology to better support users online and offline.Top takeaways include:History of Bay View Printing CoWhat is Bay View Printing Co today?Identifying different customer typesInvesting in a service and ecommerce websiteHow to mirror offline service offerings onlineAutomating tasks without losing the personal touchIntegrating your website with other business toolsCreating cross-promotional opportunitiesMeeting different audiences where they are

I recently did a live training on how to Scale Your Web Design Business for Brad Hussey's web design community CreativeCrew.We did a live Q&A session afterward and had some amazing questions come in. Brad and I got to riff on scaling a web agency, the lessons learned from our experience, what we both may have done differently and what we felt worked really well.I'm pleased to share the entire Q&A portion with you here in this special edition episode of the podcast!We cover topics like:How to delegate sales or marketing in your web businessWhether you should say “I” or “We” on your websiteHow you know when it's time to scaleHow to stay profitable when hiring out work and much moreGet all links and resources mentioned along with a full transcription at:https://joshhall.co/332View all Web Design Business Podcasts with show notes and full transcriptions at: https://joshhall.co/podcastGet lifetime access to my new Guide To Getting Web Design Clients mini course for only $27!!!

Want to get Google sending tons of FREE traffic your way? Join me and my guest Claire Ransom, founder of Aloha Life Digital, a Boston-based boutique SEO agency. We dive into easy, actionable strategies for making Google fall head over heels for your business. Claire shares her proven tips and secrets for ranking higher on search, driving qualified traffic, and ultimately, boosting sales.  Whether you're new to SEO or ready to take it to the next level, this is a must-listen for any business craving more love from the Googles. Links Mentioned:Aloha Digital Life — Claire's AgencyClaire's blog post template is in the footer on her websiteHow long should a blog post be? About me, Website Designer, Mom + Biz Owner JennyB,Hi, I'm Jenny Belanger, CEO and creative director of JennyB Designs a brand + web design studio in Reading, Massachusetts. I adore helping others shine online and design websites that reflects you, your brand, and works for you 24/7 bringing in ideal clients and making you money. In this podcast you'll learn web design strategies for high-converting websites, digital marketing tactics to reach ideal customers and systems to simplify operations. Let's creatively optimize YOUR unique business.Wondering what your website personality is? Take the quiz! Let's Connect!Website - jennyb-designs.comInstagram - @TheJennyBDesignsLinkedIn - Jenny BelangerEmail - jenny@jennyb-designs.comPlease make sure to subscribe, rate, and review the Creatively Optimized podcast!

Grab my FREE Secrets to Manifestation Course (value $297) at: https://writings.gisellebaumet.com/manifestationcourseDoing all the right things but manifestation is not working?  In this episode, you'll learn the three steps to take when you feel stuck in manifestation.  Resources:Instagram  @gisellebaumetTik Tok @gisellebaumetJoin The UnfoldingVisit my websiteHow to Meditate for Real PeopleSupport the show

In order to book a brand you need a brand! On today's episode, we are going to dive into why if you want to be a successful travel creator you need two things: a website and good branding. Helping me with this is our first guest, Andrea Huertas from the Wander Working podcast, who is also a branding and website queen.In this episode we will cover:Why you must get to know your nicheMost common mistakes in branding and building your websiteHow to create a cohesive brand so you can book with brands How to create a visual guide for your brandConnect with Andrea:Wandr Working podcast@wandrworking FREE Resources:FREE Creator Wildfire Co-Working Community:https://travelcontentwriting.hbportal.co/public/65f1dece8139f500190c30caFREE DIY Content Repurposing Guide: https://travelcontentwriting.hbportal.co/public/64c11bc09da87f002b3e2b4aFREE Travel Creator Newsletter Template: https://travelcontentwriting.hbportal.co/public/64c541cc034b1a032be4479bTry ConvertKit for FREE:https://app.convertkit.com/users/signup?plan=free-limited&lmref=-G3vDwThis podcast features an affiliate link. This means I might earn a small commission if you choose to sign-up for a ConvertKit paid plan.No Fluff Travel Guides:Get my no BS travel guides: https://www.thatch.co/@noflufftravel Follow No Fluff Travlers for no BS destination guides for digital nomads: https://www.instagram.com/noflufftravelers/ Follow Me On:Sign up for my newsletter, the Content Compass to receive free tips and t...

Guest Anna Lembke is a psychiatrist and a specialist in the behavioral sciences who studies addiction. While there is tremendous variety in the things people can be addicted to, all forms are tied to dopamine, a biochemical that is key to human senses of pleasure, reward, and motivation. She says that new treatments are combining traditional abstinence with programs that help patients reenergize dopamine centers in the brain through physical exercise, which is a known producer of dopamine. If patients can reach 30 days of abstinence there is a good chance at recovery, Lembke tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering's The Future of Everything podcast.Episode Reference Links:Anna Lembke's Stanford ProfileAnna Lembke's WebsiteHow do we fight the disease of addiction? (Anna's previous episode on The Future of Everything podcast)Connect With Us:Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything WebsiteConnect with Russ >>> Threads or Twitter/XConnect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/XChapters:(00:00:00) Introduction Host Russ Altman introduces guest Professor Anna Lembke, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, and an expert on addiction.(00:02:27) The Personal Nature of AddictionProfessor Lembke shares a personal story of addiction to romance novels, providing insight into how seemingly benign habits can become harmful addictions.(00:06:02) The Brain Chemistry of AddictionWhat happens in the brain during addiction, including dopamine's role in pleasure, reward, and the process of becoming addicted.(00:11:10) Addressing Addiction in HealthcareHow the medical community has evolved in recognizing and treating addiction, partly due to the opioid epidemic.(00:13:23) Strategies for Managing and Treating AddictionTreatment approaches for addiction, including the concept of hormesis, and how engaging in challenging physical activities can help manage addictive behaviors.(00:17:31) Treatment and Recovery from AddictionProfessor Lembke's own experience with overcoming her addiction through self-intervention and “dopamine fasting”.(00:22:05) The Addictive Personality and Genetic VulnerabilitiesThe concept of an "addictive personality," genetic predispositions to addiction, and how these factors play into the challenge of treating and managing addiction.(00:23:29) The Opioid Epidemic: Insights and Challenges An update on the opioid epidemic, the rise of fentanyl, and the ongoing challenges in addressing opioid addiction.(00:29:08) The Future of AddictionThe broader context of addiction in society, emphasizing the importance of addressing addiction to digital media and other non-substance-related addictions(00:29:57) Conclusion Connect With Us:Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything WebsiteConnect with Russ >>> Threads or Twitter/XConnect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X

Grab my free Secrets to Manifestation Course (value $297) at: https://gisellebaumet.comIn my work with people just like you, I often see three main things that are stopping their manifestation from becoming a reality. So, this week, I created a video to go over what these are and also to explain what is needed to allow for your manifestation to unfold. It's based on ways to quantum manifest and shift realities.If you see yourself in one of these, it's ok. So many of us have been there too.Just know that once you move through these, not only will you feel amazing NOW but you'll also allow for your manifestation to unfold and become a reality for you.Let me know if any of these resonate and how.Resources:Instagram  @gisellebaumetTik Tok @gisellebaumetJoin The UnfoldingVisit my websiteHow to Meditate for Real PeopleSupport the show

This is Part 2 of a 2-Part Series: Peter Yaholkovsky and his partner in life, Sue Staker, Boomers, join Yo to discuss Peter's book, Listening for Candor: Building Trust in Relationships that Matter, which illuminates a path for trust conversations by starting with a shared sense of what matters. Peter has an extensive background in the linguistic foundations of trust and communication, having studied and worked with Dr. Fernando Flores since the 1980's and being certified by the Strozzi Institute as a Master Somatic Coach. Over the past three decades, Peter has coached families and executive teams in building and restoring trust. In addition to being life partners for 25 years, Peter and Sue worked together as part of the Williams Group team to bring trust building skills to wealthy families. Here are the topics we covered in this 2-part series:       What is candor and how can it build trust with others?        What is the role that emotionality and intention play in relationships?    How does trust differ in personal and professional settings?    What does power have to do with listening with candor?       What elements need to be present to “save” a relationship and when to let it go? Here are the three takeaways from the series: 1.   The “truth” of Candor is sincerity about one's intention and care—about ‘what matters'—a departure from speaking “honestly” or being “right” about the past. 2.   Sincere engagement is to want to understand another more fully. 3.   Vulnerability to a power differential can wreak havoc in conversations when “what matters” is protecting oneself from the risks of engagement.  As Mentioned:  Peter's book: Listening for Candor: Building Trust in Relationships that Matter   The Williams Group: https://www.thewilliamsgroup.org/ Dr. Fernando Flores: ⁠https://conversationsforaction.com/fernando-flores⁠ Strozzi Institute: ⁠https://strozziinstitute.com/   More About Peter & Sue: Prior to his consulting career, Peter practiced Internal Medicine as a Board Certified Internist after graduating from Stanford University and UC Davis Medical School. Sue has done executive coaching for some 20 years.   How to Reach Peter & Sue: The contact link at peter-yaholkovsky.com (Website) How to Reach Yo Canny:   Our website: www.girltaketheleadpod.com  You can send a message or voicemail there. We'd love to hear from you!   email: yo@yocanny.com (Yo)   FB group: Girl, Take the Lead https://www.facebook.com/groups/272025931481748/?ref=share   IG: yocanny (Yo)   YouTube   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yocanny/

Recently during one of The Mastermind group sessions, I mentioned how easily I often can manifest money.Last month, for example, I set the intention to manifest an extra $2k and before the end of the month, it was gifted to me.So, this week, I thought it might be helpful to share how I have done it.Now, keep in mind this isn't the only way. As the creator that you are, you can tweak this to make it yours. And, the more you manifest, the more you will do exactly that!Grab the FREE Email Course: Secrets to Manifesting the Life You Desire Easily & EffortlessResources:Instagram  @gisellebaumetTik Tok @gisellebaumetJoin The UnfoldingVisit my websiteHow to Meditate for Real PeopleSupport the show

Peter Yaholkovsky and his partner in life, Sue Staker, Boomers, join Yo to discuss Peter's book, Listening for Candor: Building Trust in Relationships that Matter, which illuminates a path for trust conversations by starting with a shared sense of what matters. Peter has an extensive background in the linguistic foundations of trust and communication, having studied and worked with Dr. Fernando Flores since the 1980's and being certified by the Strozzi Institute as a Master Somatic Coach. Over the past three decades, Peter has coached families and executive teams in building and restoring trust. In addition to being life partners for 25 years, Peter and Sue worked together as part of the Williams Group team to bring trust building skills to wealthy families. Topics covered in this 2-part series:     What is candor and how can it build trust with others?      What is the role that emotionality and intention play in relationships?   How does trust differ in personal and professional settings?     What does power have to do with listening with candor?          What elements need to be present to “save” a relationship and when to let it go? 3 takeaways from the series: The “truth” of Candor is sincerity about one's intention and care—about ‘what matters'—a departure from speaking “honestly” or being “right” about the past. Sincere engagement is to want to understand another more fully.    Vulnerability to a power differential can wreak havoc in conversations when “what matters” is protecting oneself from the risks of engagement. As Mentioned: Peter's book: ⁠⁠Listening for Candor: Building Trust in Relationships that Matter⁠⁠   The Williams Group: ⁠⁠https://www.thewilliamsgroup.org/⁠⁠ Dr. Fernando Flores: ⁠https://conversationsforaction.com/fernando-flores⁠ Strozzi Institute: ⁠https://strozziinstitute.com/⁠ More About Peter & Sue:  Prior to his consulting career, Peter practiced Internal Medicine as a Board Certified Internist after graduating from Stanford University and UC Davis Medical School. Sue has done executive coaching for some 20 years. How to Reach Peter & Sue: The contact link at peter-yaholkovsky.com (Website) How to Reach Yo Canny: Our website: ⁠⁠www.girltaketheleadpod.com ⁠⁠ You can send a message or voicemail there. We'd love to hear from you!   email: ⁠⁠yo@yocanny.com⁠⁠ (Yo)  FB group: Girl, Take the Lead ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/272025931481748/?ref=share⁠⁠  IG: yocanny (Yo) ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/yocanny/⁠

It's so frustrating to desire something and at the same time be the very reason why it's not happening for you.By being the very reason, I mean that you will have a resistance to it that blocks it from happening for you.The frustrating part is that YOU FEEL YOU WANT IT so how can you possibly also have resistance?!And then when you do actually pinpoint the resistance, it can feel hard to overcome it.Ugh.Here's another way to work through resistance in quantum manifestation.Your body.Your body knows and the body never lies.I've used this method to soften and fade resistance and it has always worked to move it through.In this episode, I'll guide you through the process of instantly getting rid of resistance.And if you're unsure if you have it --- I've got you. I walk you through that as well.Grab the FREE Email Course: Secrets to Manifesting the Life You Desire Easily & EffortlessResources:Instagram  @gisellebaumetTik Tok @gisellebaumetJoin The UnfoldingVisit my websiteHow to Meditate for Real PeopleSupport the show

Today's guest has over 25 years of experience as a pet photographer. Back when she started, pet photography basically didn't exist. A lot has changed in the photography world since then, but as you'll hear, a lot of things haven't really either. I'm talking about Margaret Bryant of Bryant Dog Photography who started out shooting dog sports on film but quickly realised that wasn't sustainable (for the time) and moved into studio portraits. Since then she's photographed thousands of dogs in her home studio in Texas and even published a couple of books.One of which is helpful for us as fellow pet photographers as it's full of posing tips and other advice. It's called Dog Photography: How to Capture the Love, Fun and Whimsy of Man's Best FriendWe covered a lot in this episode, from Margaret's experiences in the early days of her business, to who our biggest competitor is and how we can book clients anyway. And if you've been thinking about offering puppy packages, definitely tune into the second half to hear exactly what Margaret is offering.We covered:What did pet photography look like in the 90'sPhotographing dog sports, on film! Why Margaret changed business modelsThe reason Margaret opened a home studio What's changed in terms of sales over the last 20 yearsWhere do Margaret's clients come fromMargaret's golden rule to survive unexpected difficult times after making it through the GFC and CovidIN THE MEMBERS-ONLY EXTENDED EPISODE:How to make it easy to book through your websiteHow audience can get to know you and like you for a better client experience The reason a client should choose you (and not their iPhone or AI)What are “in but not in” photosHow being observant can help your client and your bottom lineManaging expectations for a good client experience Puppy first year - what it looks like, pricing, structure and why the client can own the responsibilityDog birthday parties as a pet photographerBiggest tips for someone wanting to do puppy first year The impact of AI for us as pet photographers in business

Manifesting goes beyond the law of attraction. Each universal law works in harmony, not independently. So to shift realities and manifest what you desire, you must also shift your self-concept.Shifting your self-concept is a personal transformation, the process towards your self-actualization.Through shifting realities, you also enter the frequency of your desire.It is more than a mindset shift, though it does include that. It's also considering your self-image and your beliefs.Your life transformation happens through self-concept shifts, which also will burst through your limiting beliefs.In this video I explain this manifestation concept, including giving you self-concept examples to better understand.Grab the FREE Email Course: Secrets to Manifesting the Life You Desire Easily & EffortlessResources:Instagram  @gisellebaumetTik Tok @gisellebaumetJoin The UnfoldingVisit my websiteHow to Meditate for Real PeopleSupport the show

In this podcast episode, we share 5 styling tips to boost conversions on your Shopify store. Our featured guest on the show is Brandon Landgraff, a web designer, app developer, and Shopify expert.Topics discussed in this episode:The importance of color psychology when customizing themes for better conversion ratesHow heat maps and screen recordings enhance user behavior understandingWhat benefits come with using sticky navigation on your websiteHow can shortening text boost conversionsLinks & ResourcesWebsite: https://flexiblocks.app/Shopify App Store: https://apps.shopify.com/flexi-theme-sectionLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-landgraff/Get access to more free resources by visiting the podcast episode page att.ly/RyvBt Subscribe & Listen Everywhere:Listen On: ​ecommercecoffeebreak.com | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google PodcastsOur Newsletter Join over 6,000 other merchants & marketers to stay updated on eCommerce news, marketing strategies, tools & resources, and podcast interviews, all designed to help you grow your revenue. Every Thursday in your inbox. Consumed in 3 minutes. 100% free. Sign up at https://newsletter.ecommercecoffeebreak.com

In this episode of The Glitterpill podcast, Nina Jankowicz, who has held prominent roles in both the US and UK's information resilience organizations, shares her unique insights. She discusses her journey, from her early years in a Polish-American community to her experiences in community theater. Furthermore, she sheds light on her exposure to key events that unveiled disinformation tactics. The conversation also covers topics such as online harassment, the role of social media platforms, gender-related issues in national security, and the balance between free speech and content moderation. Janowitz also reflects on her tenure at the Department of Homeland Security, providing listeners with an understanding of the complexities of information warfare. Please note This episode contains discussions about online harassment, death threats, and extremism. The views and opinions expressed in this episode do not reflect the policy or opinion of Glitterpill LLC.   Join the Glitterpill Community! Sign Up Here Episode Merch Highly Self-Confident Woman Got Questions? Contact Us Glitterpill in the News Wired Politics: ”A Decapitation May Have Roots in Far-Right Border and Immigrant Paranoia” Glitterpill Insights “Call to Arms For American Patriots” - The Power of Behaviour-Based Frameworks for Policy Enforcement” Global News https://www.state.gov/joint-statement-from-the-united-states-united-kingdom-and-canada-on-countering-foreign-information-manipulation/ Nina Jancowicz Nina's Website How to Lose the Information War How to Be A Woman Online: Surviving Abuse and Harassment, and How to Fight Back How an expert on online disinformation and harassment became the target of both Malign Creativity: How Gender, Sex, and Lies are Weaponized Against Women Online In Fighting the “Disinformation” Problem, We Risk Losing the Battle for Our Minds to Big Tech Disinformation January 6th, “Victims and Vectors” The Coming Flood of Disinformation: How Washington Gave Up on the Fight Against Falsehoods Hybrid Threats: What Can We Learn From Russia? Gendered Harassment Take the Redpill: Understanding the Allure of Conspiratorial Thinking Among Proud Boys Swiping Right: The Allure of Hyper Masculinity and Cryptofascism for Men Who Join the Proud Boys History The Bronze Soldier Explains Why Estonia Prepares For A Russian Cyberattack Eastern European Jewish History, Library of Congress Jewish Cultural Renaissance Mass grave of Holocaust victims uncovered in Logoza, Belarus Katyn Massacre Contextualizing Putin's "On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians" Prövningstider – att stärka demokratin i turbulenta tider  

Stone Ross has been helping dropshippers grow their businesses for more than 6 years, generating more than $3 million in sales for himself and his students. Lately he's focusing his attention on TikTok dropshipping, and you'll learn why in this episode. Stone Ross got his start making money online with cryptocurrency. He was among the first to promote bitcoin on social media in 2013 and taught a range of celebrity clients how to trade. He was also an early leader in Facebook Marketplace dropshipping, managing more than 160 stores for clients since he got his start in 2020. Now, Stone sees TikTok dropshipping as the best way to make money online, and is teaching others how to take advantage of this opportunity through his TikTok Dropshipping course. In this interview, we'll hear about that and his other tech ventures, along with his tips for other online entrepreneurs who want to take advantage of this profitable opportunity. Take our podcast survey > https://forms.gle/SUB69y9EQ47Z22J18ResourcesTikTokDropshipping.com - Learn more about Stone's strategies and business on his websiteHow to Start a $750K/Month eCommerce Business - UpFlip blog postHow a 19-Year-Old Generated $1M in Just 11 Months - UpFlip podcast episode 101Connect with UpFlip: On Facebook On Instagram @UpFlipOfficial on Twitter For more insights to start, build, or grow a business, check out the resources on UpFlip.com or head to the UpFlip YouTube channel to see more interviews with business owners and experts. Thanks for listening!

Mark interviews bestselling writer, editor, and writing instructor, Wulf Moon, who won the national Scholastic Art & Writing Awards at the age of fifteen, and followed that with winning the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Contest, and Writers of the Future. He leads the Wulf Pack Writers group and is the author of The Illustrated Super Secrets of Writing and How to Write a Howling Good Story.  Prior to the interview, Mark reads comments from previous episodes, shares a personal update, and then says a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by the Stark Publishing book How to Write a Howling Good Story by Wulf Moon. The book is 25% off at the Smashwords store until the end of Jan 2024. Patrons of the Stark Reflections Podcast can get the book for 75% off until the end of Feb 2024. In their conversation Mark and Moon talk about: How Wulf Moon might not have been the name that he was born with and how the name "Moon" which he has been called most of his life came from his Ojibwe grandmother Moonbeam Road, a local road his father named after him when he was growing up Not having a father who was supportive of his writing, and even having to run away from home when he was younger Finding an important positive voice as a youngster in a teacher The additional lengths this one teacher went to support and encourage Moon in his writing Winning the Scholastic Art and Writing Award at the age of 15, among so many other awards that this teacher helped him find Getting beat up so often in high school that the only thing he could do was look down as he walked in the hallways - but how he found his power in writing The importance of finding a way to be who you are and to not allow others to repress you from that Starting up Wulf Moon's Super Secrets Writing Workshop right after winning Writers of the Future - and offering all this support to other writers for free The repeated authors who have gone through Moon's teachings and then ended up winning Writers of the Future The Wulf Pack Writers group that Moon manages Following the concept of "how can I help you with what I know" How writers don't understand proper Manuscript Format The high ranking sales that HOW TO WRITE A HOWLING GOOD STORY has hit since its release in November 2023 Moon's concept of Heart's Desire as the most important principle in a story Caring that happens in the heart of the reader, which can create the Reader/Hero bond Getting to a point in his life that was so low that he took risks and was burning bridges behind him and not writing for 10 years Realizing that he couldn't be happy and couldn't be fulfilled not being a writer Moon's experience meeting Dean Wesley Smith at the Nebula Awards in Eugene Oregon The importance of having both the fundamenals of writing and the belief in yourself The mantra "belief determins reality" that Moon instructs his students to write down The dedication in Moon's HOW TO WRITE A HOWLING GOOD STORY Meeting other people "like me" at writer conferences, etc and the incredible value that can bring Advice Moon would offer to newer writers And more... After the interview, Mark reflects on the importance of not denying who you are and not denying the things that bring you pleasure. He also reflects on the concept of finding your people, your Tribe, and the positive impact we can have on one another if we just take the time to listen, to reach out, to others.   Links of Interest: Wulf Moon's Website How to Write a Howling Good Story Smashwords link Patron Coupon for 75% off EP 340 - Personality, Passion, Presentation, and Persistence with Todd Fahnestock Mark's YouTube Channel Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Best Book Ever Podcast Lovers Moon Podcast The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard   Wulf Moon is a bestselling writer, editor, and writing instructor. At fifteen, Moon won the national Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and followed that with winning the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Contest, and Writers of the Future. He leads the Wulf Pack Writers group. He's won both Best Author and Best Writers Workshop four years running in the Critters Readers' Choice Awards, and is the author of The Illustrated Super Secrets of Writing and How to Write a Howling Good Story. www.thesupersecrets.com     The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

It's the perfect time to shift relationships into a fulfilling, crazy satisfying conscious relationship. In this episode, you'll learn why the goal is a conscious relationship, whether you're dating or in a current relationship, and what makes up a conscious relationship.For exclusive content on creating your dream life through frequency and actions,  Join The Unfolding.Grab the FREE Email Course: Secrets to Manifesting the Life You Desire Easily & EffortlessResources:Instagram  @gisellebaumetTik Tok @gisellebaumetVisit my websiteHow to Meditate for Real PeopleSupport the show

Join the Waitlist for THE MASTERMIND here.Let's get into starting the new year with the catapulting your self-improvement, goal setting, and personal growth. In this episode, you'll reflect on the past year's successes and challenges, renew your sense of purpose, and get actionable strategies to help you thrive in 2024. Discover how to become the best version of yourself while learning how to set and achieve your goals effectively. Tune in for practical tips and inspiration to make the most out of the coming year.Grab the FREE Email Course: Secrets to Manifesting the Life You Desire Easily & EffortlessResources:Instagram  @gisellebaumetTik Tok @gisellebaumetJoin The UnfoldingVisit my websiteHow to Meditate for Real PeopleSupport the show

Join the Waitlist for THE MASTERMIND here.Have you ever wondered how life would be if you could authentically be yourself? What if you could embrace your true self and experience acceptance and love for who you are?Many of us wear invisible masks, often sacrificing our authenticity for the comfort of others and societal conformity. This can lead to emotional and energetic drain, impacting our relationships, work, and personal lives.In this episode, you'll discover:The telltale signs of living out of alignment with your true selfEffective strategies to unearth your authentic identityWays to confidently show up in the world as your genuine selfListen as we explore the transformative journey of authentic living, self-discovery, and the profound impact it can have on your well-being and relationships.Grab the FREE Email Course: Secrets to Manifesting the Life You Desire Easily & EffortlessResources:Instagram  @gisellebaumetTik Tok @gisellebaumetJoin The UnfoldingVisit my websiteHow to Meditate for Real PeopleSupport the show

Marni welcomes Evan Marc Katz to the Life Check Yourself studio where the duo delves into what dating looks like today and how to navigate it. Why do women keep falling into the same patterns? How do you tap into your feelings? Evan is a dating coach that has helped over 13 thousand women from all over the world. Having written 4 books, he is also a successful podcast host. In tackling the topic of dating at all ages, Evan explains what it means to find your person. It's not just about the mantras but setting an action plan.   ·         Stay in the game ·         Seek consciousness and intention ·         How to be strong universally   Stop Focusing on Landing the Man [10:00]   We always think of dating as an accomplishment. Women tend to focus on landing the man rather than looking at how they feel. Face your emotions. Ask yourself how you feel within the relationship. It's not about the man looking good on paper, it's about the connection that is meant to come with that.   Do I feel safe, heard, and understood? Can I relax and let my guard down, and trust that he'll be there for me and accept me in full?   Hope Springs Eternal [17:48]   People soften with age, they get better. They're more self-aware, more supportive of each other. Life is peppered with examples of people who found love not only in the most unlikely places but later on in life as well. And you shouldn't lose hope but you should set an action plan.   Hope springs eternal. So, my belief is that there's enough good guys to warrant it, especially for women of a certain age who are surrounded by people who have given up on love.   Dump the Scarcity Thinking [23:12]   Stop doubting yourself If you've left your partner for all the right reasons. Trust yourself and start reframing it in your mind. It's easy to fall into that pit of self-doubt, wondering whether you'll ever be loved this way again or whether you'll ever be treated this way again. You will. This relationship was just a stepping stone, it unlocked something in you.   Why would you treat him like he's the last man on earth? So many people come back to coaching because they had something that was ill-fated, and it awakened something inside of them.   Make a Connection:  3 Secrets Men Wish You Knew *Free Download*  Are You Making These Unconscious Mistakes With Men? *Free Training* Ready To Take Control Of Your Dating Life?  Book A Call With Us Evan's Website  How to Effortlessly Attract the Man of Your Dreams

Join the Waitlist for THE MASTERMIND here.The first step to coming back to the remembrance is to deconstruct everything you know to be true.f you're ready for that concept, then you are ready for my recent episode, ​How to Manifest Part 2.​Manifestation Part 1 is currently my most downloaded podcast episode, and today I've released the Part 2.I'm speaking to a concept that may be new to you. But, if it's meant for you, it will increase your curiosity.You may already know of this concept actually, and my hope is that it renews what you already know.Grab the FREE Email Course: Secrets to Manifesting the Life You Desire Easily & EffortlessResources:Instagram  @gisellebaumetTik Tok @gisellebaumetJoin The UnfoldingVisit my websiteHow to Meditate for Real PeopleSupport the show

I have something a little bit different for you today.  A few weeks back I was featured on the She's Busy AF Podcast hosted by Lauren Loreto and it was an incredible experience. First of all, it was a huge honor to be the first male guest on a podcast for women business leaders by women business leaders.   It was an honor to be able to help with some of the key points that all entrepreneurs face in communicating their value and attracting their clients. This was an action packed episode so I wanted to share this interview with my listeners so you can get a little bit of a taste of what it is like when I am being interviewed.  In This Episode: One of the biggest differences and shifts you can make is moving from a passive voice to an active voice.  Changing your story and clarifying your story as a leader changes who you are, and how you show up in this world and creates a bigger context for the things that you want to do. Being able to have a vision that lines up your team that you can communicate with your team is so essential.  And so much more!!! Connect with Lauren Loreto: Lauren's Website How to Transform Your Communication and Sales with Storytelling Ft. Kyle Gray  

Kirsten Roland is the Founder of Million Dollar CEO and is a highly esteemed marketing coach. Kirsten joins us to discuss the benefits of email marketing for nonprofits, how to connect with donors and clients via email, and why email marketing is more effective than social media. She also talks about email strategies for nonprofits, the type of content nonprofits should include in their emails, and how many subscribers nonprofits should have on their email list. Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts “Every time I listen to Holly's show, I learn something”

Bailey started selling handmade items on Etsy as a way to replace her 9-to-5 and spend more time with her kids. Pivoting to selling digital goods on Etsy took her business to the next level. She'll share her steps to creating an Etsy shop that averages $60,000 a month in revenue in this episode. This kind of growth doesn't happen overnight. When she first started, Bailey was frustrated by the lack of sales and nearly stepped away from the business. Researching the right niche for her Etsy digital products helped her to overcome this problem. We'll learn how she conducted this research and adjusted her products to meet the market's demands.Effective marketing is critical, too, when you're selling through an Etsy shop. We'll learn about Bailey's marketing strategy and how she connected with customers to grow sales and memberships in her digital products business. Anyone who wants to start or grow an Etsy store will definitely want to hear Bailey's insights!Resources:Digitally Purposed - Learn more about Digitally Purposed on their websiteHow to Start an Etsy Shop - Get more advice for starting an Etsy business on the UpFlip blogUpFlip Podcast episode 10 -  Listen to our interview with Vlad Kuksenko, founder of the #1 pet products shop on EtsyI Will Teach You to Be Rich - Book by Ramit Sethi that outlines a 6-week program to earn more, save more, and live a rich life Connect with UpFlip: On Facebook On Instagram @UpFlipOfficial on Twitter For more insights to start, build, or grow a business, check out the resources on UpFlip.com or head to the UpFlip YouTube channel to see more interviews with business owners and experts. Thanks for listening!

As small business owners, we are always looking for ways to add more sales to our existing business without having to spend additional time, energy, or resources to make it happen. And that's where the beauty of adding a subscription box - specifically a replenishment box - to your website comes in. This is an opportunity for you to create a "subscribe & save" option on your website for people to get continued shipments and orders of your products that gives your customers an easy way to stay stocked and gives you an easy way to make more money. This is what we will be diving into on today's episode of The Product Biz Podcast with special guest, Julie Ball.Julie Ball is your Subscription Box Business Coach! She is the Founder of Sparkle Hustle Grow, an award winning multi-six figure subscription box and online community for female entrepreneurs. After six years and sending over 65,000 boxes, she sold the business in August 2022. Through her coaching programs, podcast and book, she has helped hundreds of aspiring subscription box business owners get their box idea off the ground.By the time you finish listening, you'll learn:3 ways to strategically use subscription boxes in your businessHow adding a replenishment box to your existing website can be an easy way to increase sales on your websiteHow to pitch your products to other subscription box companies so you can get featured and into the hands of more customersLINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODELearn how to launch a subscription box training with Julie's free on-demand video trainingFollow Julie on Instagram @subscriptionboxbasicsLEARN MORE FROM MONICA LITTLEWebsite: www.monicalittlecoaching.comInstagram: @monicalittlecoachingWatch the FREE Etsy training to get started today: How to Get Your Products Seen on Etsy!

Is burnout keeping you from success, joy, and fulfillment? In the latest episode of the Thrive by Design Podcast, I chat with Rickson Sharkey - a seasoned and talented jewelry designer who shares about how she went from stuck in burnout to flourishing and thriving more than ever - financially, mentally, and personally.  Her tips about getting back into a space of bliss and alignment are absolute gold.  We talk about: How to find joy in your business again, because then the real magic happens.  What you need to release in order to move forward with momentum. How she sparked the magic that led to her first 5-figure sale. More tips about how to not build your business the hard way! You'll learn something we all need to hear - how to propel yourself past a really difficult time and step out of your own way so you can create a business and life you're in love with.  I know this episode will provide you with more clarity about what you really need to do to reignite your spark and run towards your dreams at full force!    Join me on Thrive by Design for podcast episode 433!   Here are the resources mentioned in the show: Follow Rickson on Instagram  Checkout Rickson's Website How to Stand Out in a Saturated Market with a Timeless Jewelry Brand Laying The Foundation Are you enjoying the podcast? We'd be so grateful if you gave us a rating and review! Your 5 star ratings help us reach more businesses like yours and allows us to continue to deliver valuable content every single week.    Click here to review the show on Apple podcast or your favorite platform Select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” Share your favorite insights and inspirations   If you haven't done so yet, make sure that you subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts and on Apple Podcast for special bonus content you won't get elsewhere.   xo, Tracy Matthews   Follow on Instagram: Follow @Flourish_Thrive on Instagram Follow @TracyMatthewsNY  Instagram Follow Flourish & Thrive Facebook   Follow us on Tik Tok: Follow @Flourish_Thrive Tik Tok Follow @TracyMatthewsNY on Tik Tok  

Abby Inman is a pelvic floor therapist, a soon-to-be mother of four, and one of the authors of the book Baby Got VBAC: An Inspiring Collection of Wisdom for Better Births After Cesarean. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Abby is advocating for hospital policies to make pelvic floor therapy more accessible to all birthing women. As a VBAC mom herself, Abby talks with Meagan about why every woman should have a pelvic floor physical therapy consult in the hospital before going home. Abby also tells us some obvious as well as more commonly missed signs indicating that you could benefit from pelvic floor physical therapy. Additional LinksBaby Got VBAC: An Inspiring Collection of Wisdom for Better Births After CesareanAbby's WebsiteHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsThe VBAC Link Facebook CommunityFull Transcript under Episode DetailsMeagan: Hello, hello you guys. This is Meagan with The VBAC Link. I apologize that I sound a little hoarse today. I have totally caught a darn bug. I have been trying to get away from it all year not getting sick and apparently, I couldn't get away with it. So here I am. I sound kind of froggy today but that's okay. We're still going to carry on. You guys, we have our friend, Abby, with us today and I'm really, really excited because I was just telling her before we started recording, she is just a big ball of everything. She's got a lot of amazing things to talk about and share so it is such an honor, Abby, to have you on our podcast. Abby: I am so excited to be here. Meagan: Yes. Oh my gosh. I just want to talk a little bit even before we jump into the review. I don't want to talk too much about your story because I want to give you all of the time but have you guys heard, Baby Got VBAC? Have you guys heard of that book? If you haven't, go check our highlights or on our blog because we have it on there and it is such an incredible, uplifting book. And guess what, Abby? I don't know if you know this. I don't know if you were actually the one that contacted us, but forever ago, someone contacted Julie and me about being in this. We had so much going on. We were in our course and we were like, “We can't take anything more on,” and we declined the opportunity and now we are kicking ourselves in the pants. We're like, “Dang it. We should have been in this incredible book.” It has so many incredible people and stories and information in it. I mean, it's amazing, right? Do you want to tell us a little bit about it?Abby: Yes. Baby Got VBAC. I don't exactly know what is the subheader. It's like, “A Collection of Wisdom for Better Birth After Cesarean.” Meagan: Yeah. “An Inspiring Collection of Wisdom for Better Birth After a Cesarean.” Abby: And it was the brainchild of a VBAC mom herself who is also a writer and an independent publisher, so she just got us all together, found us likely through various social media channels as things are done these days–Meagan: Yes, yes. Abby: And yeah. It's a combination of VBAC stories from all different kinds of people as well as some awesome chapters done by various birth professionals so some birth educators, some doulas, some chiropractors, PTs–Meagan: Brittany is in it and we love it. I've taken her course. She's on our podcast. She's in it. Brittany Sharpe, yeah. Abby: Her chapter is awesome. So even though the stories are all VBAC stories, I mean really, a VBAC is the first time going through the whole process and having a successful vaginal birth so I also think it's a great resource for first-time parents who haven't necessarily had a Cesarean in their past as well. Of course, it's awesome for if you're preparing for a VBAC. Meagan: Yeah. I love that you touch on that. We talk about this on the podcast. This is a VBAC-specific podcast. We discuss vaginal birth after Cesarean, but all of us on this podcast– I'm telling you, except for maybe the providers are people who haven't had a Cesarean, but all of us were in that spot of preparing and had these Cesareans. It is a way to learn how to avoid a Cesarean, your options for birth, your options for location, and all of that. So yes, it is VBAC-specific, but just like this book, it is for all parents that are expecting and working and wanting to learn and grow their education. I love this book. It's amazing and it's so fun to have you today on the podcast. Review of the WeekMeagan: Before we jump in, we have a Review of the Week so I want to hurry and review this and then I will introduce you. Abby: Sounds good. Meagan: Okay, guys. This actually came in 12 days ago via email and this is from our friend, Jessica. She says, “Hello, VBAC Link. I wanted to write about my appreciation of The VBAC Link Podcast. I had a C-section in September 2020 due to an arrest of descent. It definitely affected my postpartum mental health. When I found out about being pregnant in July 2022, I Googled VBAC resources and found your podcast. I signed up for your emails, read your blogs, your Instagram, Facebook page stories, and listened to your podcast on my morning jogs and walks. I cried. I smiled. I empathized with the moms telling their stories and more importantly, learned so much. I followed many of the tips from you and the moms. “On 3/14,” which was not that long ago from the day that I am reading this today, “I was on my morning walk listening to the last VBAC Link episode and switched to my birth music playlist. Five minutes later, I started having contractions. After getting home and calling my doula, my husband took me to the hospital and I was able to achieve my VBAC and had a baby girl. Thank you for setting up this resource. I will continue to listen to the stories even though I don't plan on having more children. I love the stories, the information, and all of the passion for helping women like me. Thank you, Jess.” Oh my gosh. Jessica, congratulations on your VBAC, and a little part of me is so happy that we got to be a part of your birthing day. That is so awesome that you were listening to these amazing stories and went into labor. So congratulations, Jessica, and yes. Just like Jessica, you guys can too. You can VBAC too. Just like she said, we have blogs, Instagram, and Facebook. We even have a private Facebook group so if you are looking for a special space that is protected and filled with people just like you wanting to learn more about your options for birth after Cesarean, head over to Facebook and search “The VBAC Link Community,” answer the questions, and then we will get you in so you can start learning. Abby Inman, PT, DPTMeagan: Okay, Ms. Abby. Abby: That was awesome. Meagan: I know. Wasn't that so awesome? That was such an awesome review. I got it and I just left it in the inbox unread because I'm like, “That's going on next week's podcast.” It was so amazing. I was like, “Oh my gosh.” And we love reviews. We love the reviews so I always encourage people. Maybe you don't want to drop it on the podcast app. That's fine. You can send it in an email, but we would always love a great review so that we can read it on the podcast because it makes me smile so much. So much. I remember when Julie and I were together, we would get a review and we would just be texting. Our cheeks would hurt. They would hurt because we were like, “This is what we are wanting to do. We are wanting to inspire and motivate people to find their options,” because so many people around the world feel that their options are taken away or that they are robbed of them and that is not how we ever want anyone to feel. I do feel that through this podcast, you get to learn your options and you get to take back that power that maybe once was lost. Abby: Mhmm. Meagan: So oh my gosh. Well, Abby. You guys, I tell ya. She is just a ball of it all. She is involved in pregnancy and postpartum and pelvic health, writes in a book, and teaches classes. She works in the hospital system. Abby, you're just amazing. I'm going to turn the time over to you. You're in Milwaukee, is that right? Wisconsin? Abby: I am. Meagan: Tell us it all. Share your story. I would love to know more about working in the hospital system and teaching birthing classes and stuff like that as well. You guys, she does this all while having little kiddos and is expecting. So seriously, good on ya girl. You're killing it. Abby: Yeah. I like to describe my life as beautiful chaos. Meagan: I love that. Yes! Can I just take that with me and be like, “Yes. Beautiful chaos. That is what I live.” Abby: So yeah. I am a physical therapist. I specialize in pelvic health. I've been doing that for almost 8 years. Crazy how time goes by. Nobody at the time that I was going to PT school goes into PT school thinking they want to do the pelvic floor. People definitely do because it's becoming more common which has been such an awesome progression in the 8 years that I've been doing this. But I was lucky in that I was able to do an internship in pelvic health before I graduated which again at the time was super rare. I've been treating, again, in pelvic health my entire career. Really now though, my specialty or even my niche is pregnancy, birth, and postpartum just because that's the season of life that I'm in and just where my passion is drawn and where there is such a need. I could for sure argue that there's a need for all pelvic health, but this field is growing so there are a lot of other people doing all pelvic health and there are not quite as many people focused pretty fully on pregnancy and postpartum and just that specific time. Meagan: Yeah. I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and you know how we have a six-week gap like, “Oh, you have your baby. Okay, see you in six weeks! Hope you're doing okay.” The two things that I wish that we could fill the gap with are mental health and pelvic PT. Abby: Yeah. Meagan: Right? There's such a gap that needs to be filled so it's so good to hear that there's a little bit more and that it's starting to come around where people are focusing a little bit more on pregnancy and postpartum. Abby: Yeah. I have a lot of theories about different things related to how we get here but I just think that there is still this saying, “It takes a village,” but a lot of people really don't have the village–Meagan: I know. Abby: I think that's what has created the gap. You used to have your other female relatives around who would make you dinner and help you with your baby. Obviously, we just have to live in the reality and that's why people need help and need services because that's just not the norm anymore. Meagan: It's not and we're expected to just bounce back like, “Oh, you had a baby. Okay, great. Keep going as fast as you can.” That's how it feels. We just had a mom hire us for 80 hours of postpartum and I was like, “Wow. That's amazing that you are focusing so much on your postpartum.” She's like, “I want continuous for 80 hours,” and we're like, “Great,” so we made this work because her mom is from Korea. She was like, “People don't leave their bedroom. They don't leave their bedroom. They are with their baby and just like you said cleaning the house and making food,” but here we are. So many of our birth stories, our couples, and our parents, literally have to go back 3 weeks later to normal life or work. Abby: I know. It's crazy. That's not normal. It's not how it was meant to be. Yeah. I work at a hospital-based clinic part-time and one of my projects is just now really coming to fruition. We're still in the pilot phase but we're already seeing really great results and an increase in referrals and again, these are people we would have otherwise not seen. The program is for a PT to see moms in the hospital before they go home, not necessarily as a rule, not as, “You can't go home until you see the PT,” but just as a support service. We started it to be a standard or trigger a referral for anyone who has had a Cesarean and anyone who has had a third or fourth-degree perineal tear. I mean, obviously, this is The VBAC Link so we talk a lot about the birth after the Cesarean, but a Cesarean is a major abdominal surgery. Some people, of course, are expecting it and have been through it before and that obviously makes it easier a little bit because you know what is going to happen, but there's just about no other surgical example that you can compare to the care of a Cesarean. It's possible that you could have an appendectomy and see a PT in the hospital before you go home. Such a benign procedure is often done laparoscopically now. There is just nothing that compares to the gap in care after a Cesarean. It's literally like, “Oh, we just cut open several layers of your body.” Again, whether you were expecting it or not, you're also just recovering from being pregnant or if you labored at all and then having this major surgery. Oh, and you're going to stay here for two days or three days, but now you have to take care of this other human. Meagan: Yeah. Yeah. But don't forget to take care of yourself. Abby: But also, here's no direction about how to do that. Meagan: Exactly, yeah. Abby: That's slightly not fair because I don't mean to imply that postpartum nurses–Meagan: They send you with nothing. Abby: Yeah, that they're not doing their job or taking good care of you. It's actually that I'm making the argument that it's why there is room for this kind of program because PTs are movement and rehab and recovery experts. That is what we do. That's what we are trained in. All PTs graduating now are doctors in physical therapy. I have a doctorate. Just like your dentist is a doctor, I am a doctor. Like I said, it's really an expertise in this area of care and that's why we're just the most well-equipped to do that. You don't have to actually even be a pregnant or postpartum or even really pelvic health trained PT to do this work. You could be a hospital-based acute care or inpatient therapist it's sometimes called because you really teach people the same sort of things that you would teach your other patients in the hospital like early things about scar tissue healing and scar tissue work. Meagan: Scar tissue massage. Abby: How to lay flat in bed because guess what? You're going to have to lay flat in bed when you go home but sometimes they don't even do that. Meagan: And then how to get up. Abby: That's right. For sure how to get up, how to hold your baby when you walk, if you're having pain, how to go upstairs. Again, if that's painful, what to do? Just really practical things that people are going to have to do after they are discharged from the hospital and go home. I just think it is invaluable. Obviously too then part of our program is to at least get the scheduled for outpatient pelvic PT as well to make that transition really seamless. So yeah, it's been really cool. So far, it's going well. Meagan: That's awesome. So awesome. I hope that all around the world, a program like this can be implemented as a standard, just as a standard thing because like you said, it's invaluable. I also want to say that my nurse and my doc sent me home with a paper that was like, “Keep your wound this. Keep your wound that,” with wound care and instructions like, “Don't lift more than 10 pounds,” and stuff like that. That is so wonderful but no one told me about the things I was going to feel or even encouraged walking. Abby: Or breathing. How to breathe.Meagan: Or breathing. It wasn't encouraged. Yeah, get up and go to the bathroom, but it wasn't like, “Get up and move as much as you can within a certain range and that's going to help recovery and breathing and scar massage.” Never. Not once in either of my C-sections did anyone ever talk about the adhesions that could happen and the scar mobilization and things like that. That is where it lacks. We just lack so much so I would love to see programs like this happening all over the world. So if you are listening and you are in the medical world, this is something that you could try because it is so important. Abby: I'll send you some articles that are being published about it. There is just a handful of PTs who are really pioneering this work and again, trying to get stuff published because obviously, that's how it works in this medical world, so yeah. Just to have some scientific journal articles. Meagan: Yeah. We'll drop them in the show notes too. Awesome. So yeah. You've got the PT. You're influencing this amazing program. You've had a VBAC. In the book, you talk about– and this is not word for word what you are saying– recognizing your birthing plan and then also recognizing your birthing location and making sure that they match because if you are wanting certain things and then you choose– say you want an epidural. You're not going to have a home birth. You're not going to have a birth center birth. Maybe you're like, “I absolutely do not want to be induced with Pitocin. I don't want it to be discussed,” then a hospital birth may not be your best option. I want to also say that sometimes it is possible to avoid that, but it doesn't always go super easy. It's often times where you have to fight about it. So yeah. I would love to know if there are any highlights of your birth story or talking about birthing location and how it impacted your– remind me, you were induced with your first for, was it IUGR or was it preeclampsia?Abby: Yeah, I think it was a pretty common story. I was trained in pregnancy, pelvic floor, and postpartum before the first time I got pregnant. I had taken some coursework about all of this stuff so I don't want to say that I was cocky at birth, but I felt like I knew more than the average person. Meagan: Confident. You were confident. Abby: But as we know, birth is a very humbling experience. My first daughter was, I think I went to my 38-week appointment and I had been measuring fine. Her 20-week ultrasound was fine. I don't think I had another one since then, but it was 38 weeks. My OB did the portable ultrasound to see if she was vertex. I don't even know. I really should probably ask her. She probably doesn't even remember at this point because my daughter is about to be five. She saw something that she didn't like. Her suspicion was that maybe the amniotic fluid was low or something. So she wanted me to have a real ultrasound which I ended up doing. All of those things came back fine. The blood flow was fine. My fluid levels were fine, but of course, they measured her as well in the full ultrasound and they said that she is very small and we don't know why. That was their reason for wanting to induce me. Again, being the stubborn person I am, I was scheduled to give a presentation at the Wisconsin State PT conference later that week. I was like, “Well, I'm not staying to be induced because I have a presentation to give in four days so I'll do that and then we'll talk. I'm not having a baby before then.” I'm sure my team already didn't like that so I gave my talk on Friday and then we went for the non-stress test on Saturday afternoon and that's when they told me, “Yeah. You should stay and be induced.”I was really not super early or anything.Meagan: Two weeks?Abby: Yeah. That was a Saturday, so she would have been 39 weeks on Monday, I think. But really, I mean, my induction story is just that my body was not ready. I mean, I tried to do everything I could to make it slow. It just, like I said, that's just really what it comes down to. My body really just was not ready. I did not progress. I was doing all of the things that I know how to do and teach people how to do, but at that time, because I hadn't gone into labor myself, she just was nestled in there. I obviously have some qualms about the saying that you hear a lot, “Well, at least you have a healthy baby and at least the mom is healthy.” That should be the low bar. That's the minimum. That's not the goal. Meagan: I have feelings toward that comment too. I want to be honest. I kind of want to punch people when they say that because I'm like, “Yeah, duh. Duh.” Yeah. Abby: Yeah. The birth itself again, was not necessarily traumatic in that I did actually choose. They were like, “Okay. I guess you could keep going. I'll let you do this for however many more hours, but we're not getting anywhere.” I was tired and just was like, “Okay. I'm just ready to meet her. Let's have the Cesarean.”Meagan: Let's do this. Abby: It wasn't like she was in distress and they rushed me to the OR, so it was not an emergency in that sense, but again, just like this is going to happen whether it's right now or in a few hours and then it probably would have been more of an emergency things just because of the timeline of how that goes. I would say that my trauma from the birth was more just mental and emotional. Yeah. Really from there, I knew I wanted to basically get pregnant again relatively soon. I knew as we were starting to grow our family, we were going to do that by several children if we could. I knew I was not going to elect to have a repeat Cesarean. So basically, my mindset was, “Well, I have to be somewhere where that's essentially not an option unless it is absolutely necessary.”Meagan: It's an emergency, yeah. Abby: I made the choice then when I got pregnant again. My two older ones are almost 18 months apart to the day, so also about as close as you're supposed to have babies after a Cesarean. I chose to have my care with midwives at a birth center in town which is not an option for everyone because sometimes it doesn't exist. Meagan: I know. Yes. We've got states right now taking midwives away from the hospital even. Abby: Oh, totally. That's all kinds of crazy. I'll get on that fight. Actually, so now I'm pregnant again. We are expecting our fourth in July and that's why I'm still with the midwives at the same birth center and preparing for my third VBAC. Even though I've now had two successful vaginal deliveries, I'm always considered a VBAC patient which is just crazy. Meagan: We're always going to be a VBAC, yep.Abby: I mean, it's not crazy. Obviously, it's a definition but it's crazy that there is risk associated with it. Meagan: It's hard to think that it's still considered, yes. Abby: So that risk, I don't know. I mean, I'm assuming that this is just the insurance that my midwives use but their insurance company charges them $1500 just for accepting a VBAC client. Meagan: Are you serious?Abby: Right? It's completely insane. That's new. That wasn't true for my last two. It's new for this one. So that's crazy. Like I said, it's a definition but it's always going to be with me no matter how many children I have. I just think that's one of the things that's sort of a part of informed consent, too. You just don't realize how that's going to affect you. You know? Anyway, not that again, I would have chosen differently in the moment but things that you don't think about and don't realize are going to affect your childbearing experience for then the rest of that time. Meagan: Yes. And on the other end, could potentially affect a provider's ability or choice to accept, right? These midwives could say, “$1500 a person, we're not going to do this because we don't want to up our prices,” or whatever. “We can't take the risk that the insurance is putting on us.” Not that they're scared of the risk of birthing out of the hospital with a VBAC, but that could change. That could impact things so much as well. Abby: Very much. Meagan: Yeah. Abby: Yeah. Meagan: Interesting. It makes me sad. Abby: Yeah. When my kids are maybe a little older or just after I have this one and can think about things, after that, that's my next thing. I need to get embroiled in the legal battles of this then I can be like, “This is totally ridiculous.”Meagan: That is what I want to do. I always say that I have a bucket list of if I have all of the time in the world type thing. I have this bucket list and there are so many things surrounding it. It's birth. It's where I'm at in birth. I'm even done having kids, but as a doula and stuff, I'm seeing this. I'm listening to these podcast stories and I'm like, “We need to make a change.” I'd love to start facilitating more change in policies and things like that. One day when I have all of the time in the world, we'll get there together. Abby: We'll get together again. Mhmm. Meagan: Yes. We'll get together again and start to make some changes. I mean, we are moving in a forward progress. There is change happening. Abby: We are. Meagan: Okay. I'm going to bounce really quickly back to some PT. I would love to know any tips that you would like to share with your listeners. You mentioned, “Yes. We're The VBAC Link so we're talking about birth after Cesarean,” but what kind of PT things can we do prior to? Because I know for me I didn't even think. It didn't even cross my mind that I should consider a pelvic floor PT before giving birth and then of course, after having my Cesarean, again, I told you that there was nobody to tell me anything about anything and then here I go, and have another Cesarean and then even with that, nobody. So I had two Cesareans without knowing anything. Any tips for previous and/or after that you can give anybody?Abby: Yeah, so really in my ideal world, every person sees a PT in her first pregnancy and the reason for that is because your body, of course, just has to make these natural changes in your posture. Your various muscle groups have to change to accommodate the growth of the baby. That changes your center of gravity and center of motion which affects how you move and aspects of movement. Again, like I said before, PTs like me are the experts in movement. Again, it's not to imply that somebody currently is not doing their job, but nobody else is looking at that. So right now, I would say that providers are generally pretty good about offering a PT referral, and again, with things like social media, people are advocating for themselves better as well. But they're pretty good about putting something in if a patient raises an issue. “Oh, I'm having this back pain” or “I'm having pubic symphysis pain and I'm having hip pain. I'm having bladder leakage,” or whatever. XYZ things.Again, yes. If you are experiencing some symptom in your pregnancy like that that you think would be muscle or posture related, you should see a PT. But like I said before, I really think that everyone deserves that consultation because again, the natural changes that are happening are natural and we're not going to stop them, but I can teach you strategies to mitigate the effects of that. How do you consciously move your abdominal muscles and the connection between your diaphragm and your deep abdominal muscles and your pelvic floor and your glutes? How are you sitting at your desk or how are you standing? Starting those things when you're pregnant then carries over to how you move postpartum. Obviously, postpartum is a lot. It's hard for a lot of reasons, but to also have pain or these other symptoms, any bladder or bowel/pelvic pressure sort of symptoms is just going to make it harder. Again, I really think by learning about these things consciously and applying specific strategies even if you're the pregnant person who is exercising and running right up until the day she gives birth, that's obviously wonderful and I support you. Maybe it's just this one-time consultation sometime around, I usually say around the beginning of the third trimester is a good time to do it. You meet the PT. We talk about these strategies and things to implement for the rest of the pregnancy, and then now you've met that person and have a relationship with them, so you at least have a resource then postpartum to then be like, “Oh, Abby mentioned this could happen and guess what? It's happening. Now I know that I'm just going to call her and get on her schedule,” instead of Dr. Google in the middle of the night when you're nursing and all of this XYZ stuff comes up. Meagan: A lot of the time, it says that it's normal. It's normal to have these things. It's like, “Oh, well duh. It's normal. Yeah. You just had a baby. Yeah, it's normal.” But it's like, “No. No, no, no.” Too, I want to mention that sometimes athletes have these tighter pelvic floors and we need to actually learn how to calm and release for effective pushing so that we won't have more damage. So one of the big things that I think is really good, even if it's just once, is coming in and learning about your pelvic floor. Your actually pelvic floor, not just the pelvic floor in general. Your pelvic floor and learn where you're at. Do some practice pushes and learn some breathing techniques and learn what's normal. Learn what's not so you're not on Google thinking that your uterus is falling out. Do you know what I mean? It can go that extreme where you're like, “I'm having this.” You Google it and it's pure panic which is not going to help anything. It's not going to help recovery. It's not going to help our mental health. It's not going to help breastfeeding if you're breastfeeding because we're stressed. It's crazy how there's a cycle. It's a domino effect, so yeah. I think it's so, so, so important as well. I wish I would have known that. I wish I would have known that.I did that with my son, with my VBAC babe, and yeah. There was a lot to learn. Abby: Yeah. You know, I mean while I'm so grateful when I get clients that are done having children and they're like, “I'm finally prioritizing me. I've been having these symptoms since I was pregnant or since the birth of my first,” or whatever. I'm like, “Yes. Good for you. I'm so glad that you're here.” But it also just breaks my heart because I really think that maybe the symptoms are not entirely preventable. The dysfunction is not entirely preventable, but potentially it could have been less. Or again, now these women have lived “x” number of years– 1, 3, 5, 15, 20 years–Meagan: I know. Abby: Like I said, I really think that early intervention is key. Again, the changes happen in your first pregnancy. Even if you don't necessarily have symptoms in your first postpartum period. Meagan: Yes. Yes. That's the thing. Is it possible to not have any symptoms but to have some pelvic dysfunction or pelvic issues or scarring? Especially with C-sections, I have a friend who was like, “I have never had a diastasis recti. I've never had pelvic floor issues. I've never had adhesions. I don't have adhesions.” She's had multiple Cesareans and is like, “I do not have adhesions.” I'm like, “Yeah. Yeah, you probably do.” But you know, she says she has no symptoms. Then sometimes I wonder, “Do you know what symptoms to look for?”Abby: Right. Are you just living with things?Meagan: Yes. Yes. Abby: Right. Obviously, yes. That can definitely be true. The symptoms don't have to be so severe that they are really affecting your day-to-day life or quality of life. Of course, usually, people seek care when they're so fed up with it. But there can be sneaky symptoms or again, things that people view as not that bad, I would consider as not normal. Meagan: It's just our new normal because we had a baby and we're being told that. Abby: Knowing where every bathroom is in the stores that you go to is actually not normal. That fact that you have a map of where the bathrooms are in your brain– now again, the same argument could be made for people that are potty training their children. But okay, they're learning for the first time. Meagan: Or the second you walk into a store, the first thing you say is, “Where's the bathroom?”Abby: Right. “Where's the bathroom? I've got to go to the bathroom.” That's a symptom. Again, it doesn't have to be that way. You can change that. This was certainly true for me and I did lots of scar work and stuff, but I basically could not wear normal pants or jeans– definitely not jeans– until I was postpartum with my second, and that had been all stretched out again and everything was slightly less sensitive. That's a modification that I made and that lots of people make. That becomes your new normal that you sort of forget about, but it's like, “Oh, well I would just never wear jeans.” Well, that's not normal. Meagan: Why? Is it because you didn't want to or is it because you didn't feel like you could or you weren't comfortable? What types of signs? Just for our listeners because we're in this spot of, “Do I have anything?”. What kinds of signs or symptoms would be a sure sign? If you are finding the restroom the second you walk into a store, this is a sign. Yes, 100%. Maybe we'll go from an extreme guarantee that this is a sign to more of the subtle, hidden, could this be a sign? Abby: Sure. Meagan: Yeah. What symptoms and signs would you say for people listening? Abby: So anything obvious would be any sort of daily pain. Just pain every day anywhere. Related to pregnancy and postpartum, hip pain, low back pain, people will say SI pain which is your sacroiliac joint which is the back lower down in your butt, pubic symphysis pain, and tailbone pain. If you feel like you cannot sit on any surface for any given period of time and it's because your but is hurting, again, not normal. Meagan: Yeah, or even pressure. I remember after I had my baby I would be standing up and I would want to sit. This is so weird, I know. But I would want to sit on the corner of something right at the vaginal opening to support it or feel my hand like, “Oh, I just look like a little girl that needs to go pee but I'm just pushing,” because I'd have this pressure after more than 30 minutes or standing after more than 30 minutes. Or sometimes even just going to the restroom, I'd be like, “Oh, I have some pressure down there.” Abby: To support it. So that's a common symptom of the medical diagnosis we call pelvic organ prolapse so if you Google that, it can seem like, “Oh my gosh, things are falling out of me.” But again, that's not necessarily abnormal especially in postpartum because all of those organs were shifted while you were pregnant so some of it is the settling back into place. Some of it is that your ligaments are still relaxed from again, what your body does in order for us to have babies. Some of that for sure continues postpartum especially if a person is breastfeeding, that laxity. But yeah, it's like learning strategies about how to help that. So certainly, yeah. Pressure, heaviness, any obvious bladder and bowel stuff. If you for sure had to go change your underwear and pants after you sneezed, again, not normal. Meagan: Not normal, yes. Abby: If you're a year postpartum or six months, a year, 18 months, 2 years, 5 years, whatever and you are one of those people that's like, “Oh, I can't go jump on the trampoline with my kids. I can't run. I had to stop running.” Again, that's not normal. We can help you. Meagan: Yeah. What about even the inability to hold your core? Abby: Uh-huh. Meagan: It's like a big plumb line. It's all connected. If we had this ability to maybe hold a plank or run or ride a bike and we were able to hold our core in and not feel it release and start taking pressure in our back, but now all of a sudden we've had this baby and we're a year, two years, even three years or more down the line and we're like, “Jeez.” Abby: Why do I still look pregnant? Where are my abs? Meagan: Why do I still look pregnant? Where are my abs? Why can't I hold a plank for 60 seconds anymore when I could hold it for three minutes? Would you say that's connected to your pelvic floor? I feel like I know the answer. Abby: Yes. You mentioned diastasis. It doesn't matter how you say it. Meagan: I know. Everyone says it differently. Abby: That's the condition you're describing which again, almost everyone has a little bit of that the last several weeks of pregnancy because it's related to the baby growing. But it's a pressure management problem and tissue laxity, muscle coordination problem postpartum. Meagan: I recently was reviewing my op reports over some things and so talking about Cesarean, we don't think pelvic floor naturally because we didn't have a baby come out of our vaginal canal. We don't think that. We don't think about abs as much either. I think a lot of the time, even though we were cut down low, I feel like our minds are like, “I wasn't pushing and using my abs in my Cesarean,” but listen and sorry as a disclaimer, it's a little blunt. It's a little aggressive. Abby: It's okay. I mean, all of the pelvic floor therapy is TMI. Meagan: Yes. Abby: It's a no-judgment zone and no topics are off-limits. Sometimes you've just got to put it out there. Meagan: Yes. I don't want anyone to feel triggered by the words that I'm using because the words that I'm using are directly from my op reports, but this is how they describe my first C-section. It says, “The fascia opened in the middle and extended laterally with mayo scissors. Fascia was separated from the rectus muscles superior and inferior with sharp and blunt dissection. Rectus muscles were entered sharply and opened and then extended bluntly.” Abby: Yep. Meagan: And then a low incision was made above the bladder. That's where they go on. But I read I was dissected bluntly with sharp scissors. Abby: Yep. Meagan: Right? My abdominal muscles were literally stabbed and cut through. As I've been reading this, this was my first C-section and she's 11. 9 years ago tomorrow as of this recording is the anniversary of my second Cesarean, the birthday of my second Cesarean daughter. 11 and 9 years later and I have abdominal issues and I have pelvic floor issues and I'm working on things. I have pain with intercourse sometimes that I would have never related to my pelvic floor, right? And sometimes I read this and I'm like, “Well, no flipping way. No wonder I have a diastasis recti way above my belly button because I was manually cut with sharp scissors.” Listeners, I want you to know that if you've had a Cesarean and you're not having any pain, that's wonderful but that doesn't mean your body hasn't received trauma like this. It means it has if you've had a Cesarean. You may benefit from pelvic floor PT more than you ever know. And if you haven't learned about scar mobilization and things like that, it's time. It's time to learn about it. So yeah. Any other symptoms? I know we're cutting short on time, but any other symptoms that you would say to listeners, “If you're experiencing this, go check out your local PT”?Abby: Your C-section scar can cause shoulder pain because of that word you used “fascia”. Fascia means connective tissue. It's basically the thing that connects the whole body. Any good pelvic floor therapist is going to look at your whole body. They're going to look at you from head to toe. People typically, you mentioned pelvic floor tightness can have dropped. Feet issues, so plantar fascia issues. Your pelvis is in the middle of all of these areas. It's a highway interchange for things to happen. So again, yeah. You might have a collection of weird symptoms that you maybe didn't put together as related to pregnancy and birth and postpartum. Maybe you're even seeing another PT and you've made some progress, but there's still whatever sort of issue. You know, it might be worth it just to have a consult and have that area checked out. Or to just be looked at from that perspective. Meagan: Absolutely. Such good information. Always, women of strength, remember that you never have to deal. You never have to deal with this. You can take care of yourself and I encourage you to do things for you. Like Abby was saying, she's like, “Yay! You're finally coming in. You're finally taking care of yourself.” But dang it, it's taken so long. I am guilty of that in so many areas. Abby: Yeah. Again, that's not your fault though. Meagan: Nope, nope. Abby: Like I said, it's a problem with our healthcare system. Meagan: And not being informed. Abby: And not even the individual provider's fault. That's why I'm working so diligently and passionately to make it more of a standard because I think that everybody deserves this care. Just because you were pregnant, it doesn't even matter how your birth went. How it went will mean different things, will do different things, and address different things. Some of it will be similar because the common denominator was that you were pregnant. You grew a baby in your body. Meagan: Yep. Your body changed. Your body made amazing changes and did amazing things. It is okay to give back to yourself and thank yourself. Thank your body for doing this amazing thing multiple times for a lot of people. It's so important. Oh my gosh. Well, thank you so much for sharing these tips and a little bit about your story and choosing a birth location and all of the things. Abby: I didn't really even get to my VBAC story but you can read it in the book. Just pick up a copy of the VBAC book. Meagan: A copy of Baby Got VBAC right here. You can find it in our show notes today. You can find it on our blog. You can find it on our Instagram highlights. You can Google it. We've got it right here. Baby Got VBAC. It's an amazing one. So thank you so much and good luck for this next amazing journey, your third VBAC. And yes, thank you again. Abby: Yeah, thanks so much for having me. I could talk about this all day long. Meagan: Right? We could talk for hours and hours about this. We'll just have to have you on again after you have your VBAC and we'll just share about each VBAC. Abby: Sure. Yeah, that would be great. That would be great. Meagan: Okay. 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

Morgan's story is full of so much joy! You will be smiling ear to ear when you finish listening to Morgan tell her VBAC story alongside her VBAC Link Doula, Jennie. She is a beautiful example of why The VBAC Link Podcast exists. We want these stories to inspire you to heal from past birth experiences so that you can view your future births with all the light and love you deserve. Morgan worked so hard to heal from her first birth and prepared for her second in every way. She created a team where she could feel 100% safe in her vulnerability. She knew that she could fully trust them through any wild twists and turns of birth. And they definitely happened! But even with the extreme intensity, Morgan walked away from her VBAC with absolute gratitude and joy.Additional LinksMorgan's WebsiteJennie's WebsiteHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsThe VBAC Link Facebook CommunityFull Transcript under Episode DetailsMeagan: Hello, women of strength. We have an amazing episode for you today but first I want to talk to you just a little bit about postpartum depression. Studies show that 1 in 7 new mamas will develop postpartum depression. It's scary and a topic that doesn't really get discussed a lot. So before we jump into today's episode, I wanted to share a little bit about our podcast sponsor and partner, Happiest Baby. As you guys know from listening to The VBAC Link, this podcast means so much to me. I love every single one of you. I know that's hard to believe because I don't personally know every single one of you, but it is true. I love this community so much and it means so much to me that Dr. Harvey Karp and his company Happiest Baby are such big supporters of VBAC and are supporting our mission. One of their biggest products that people may know or have heard of is called the Snoo. The Snoo is an amazing baby bed that can truly help many mams out there during their postpartum journey, especially if you were like me and have a husband or partner that has to go right back to work and is left with these amazing, cute, snuggly babies but also exhausted. Whether you had a C-section or a vaginal birth, for those few days and let's be honest, probably months, you're just exhausted. I was in pure survival mode. So many people refer to the Snoo as “the mama helper” who's there to help soothe your baby so you can just get a few more hours of sleep. They even have a rental program which I think is pretty awesome so you don't actually have to buy the bassinet. As I started to learn more about Dr. Karp and his mission, I just loved learning that he is so passionate about reducing postpartum depression in parents. They even got FDA approval which I believe is the only bassinet or baby bed that has been FDA-approved. It's also been known for reducing SIDS in babies as well. I asked our community for their reviews of Snoo and I was overwhelmed by the positive responses. I just wanted to say thank you to Dr. Karp for creating the Snoo and helping millions of mamas sleep for just a few more hours at night so we can continue bonding with our babies and having a better postpartum experience. Thank you, Happiest Baby. Hello, hello, and happy Wednesday. This is Meagan, your host, at The VBAC Link Podcast and we have a cohost today. We have Jennie so welcome, Jennie. Jennie: Thank you, hi. Meagan: Yes. She is one of our VBAC doulas and we actually have a fun episode that she is personally connected to because we have one of her doula clients which is always so fun. I think it's really fun because when Julie and I would listen to stories, we didn't have personal connections so we're hearing it for the first time but it's kind of fun to hear it from the storyteller as well as someone who experienced the birth. So again, thank you for being here with us today. Morgan from New York, so New Yorkers, listen up because this is a great VBAC story. She's going to be here with us today. Review of the Week Meagan: But of course, we have a Review of the Week and our cute Jennie is going to read it for us. Jennie: Great. This is from laurateachesmusicstayathomemom and her subject is, “I did it.” She says, “I've been listening to you ladies for months and getting ready for my VBAC after two Cesareans. I had our baby yesterday with an unmedicated hospital birth. Still amazed and ecstatic. I said if this all works out, I'm going to share my VBAC story on the podcast. Hope to talk soon. Hearing the many stories assisted me in my positive outcome. Thank you for serving the world in this way.” Meagan: Oh, thank you so much and that was from Laura. That is such a great review. Thank you so much. I know that a lot of the listeners when we reach out on Instagram, we have a lot of people say, “I want more VBA2C, VBAC after two Cesarean, stories.” So Laura, if you are still listening, contact us. We would love to share your story because I know the world wants to hear it. Morgan's Stories Meagan: Okay, cute Morgan. Welcome to the show. Morgan: Thank you so much. Meagan: Thank you so much for being here. I always love sharing these VBAC stories but I really do love it when the doula is with us. I'm going to turn the time over to you to share your VBAC story. Morgan: Awesome, thank you so much. Yeah. I'm really excited that Jennie will be with us as well. Of course, we have to start with the reason why I needed a VBAC. You can't have a VBAC without the C.Meagan: How it all happened, right?Morgan: My daughter, Audrey, is four and she was an unplanned, unwanted, unneeded Cesarean after induction in 48 hours of labor, 3 hours of pushing, and she was just still floating. I didn't know all of the things that I know now. I didn't have a doula. I thought I couldn't afford one. I didn't do all of the things. That birth was very traumatic and postpartum was really hard. I swore I would never have another baby because I thought it would be the same thing again. About a year later, I also became a doula and saw other people having subsequent births that weren't traumatic, especially after the first one that was. I was like, “Oh, okay. It doesn't have to be the same.” So I got pregnant again and unfortunately miscarried but then three months later, we got pregnant with my son, Will, who is one now. He is about 14 months. Even before I got pregnant, I had known Jennie and we had met through the Cesarean group that she runs, the Cesarean/VBAC group that she runs locally and I knew that I needed her as my doula. I made sure that she was going to be free that month when I was planning on getting pregnant and planning on having a baby. I did all of the prep work– having Jennie, chiropractic, acupuncture, craniosacral, pelvic floor PT, Spinning Babies Daily Essentials, therapy for me, and switching to midwifery care. My midwife even said to me, “Do you think you're doing too much?” I said, “No. I think for my type of personality I need to do it all because then I know if I need another Cesarean, it wasn't because of me.” Meagan: It wasn't anything you didn't do. Yeah. It leaves out the what if. That's totally my personality too. I'm like, “I know it might sound extreme that I'm doing all of these crazy things.” And when I say crazy, it's air-quote crazy but to people, it sounds really excessive. I needed to know that if it ended in a Cesarean, there was nothing that I didn't do. It would have helped me be more content with the outcome I think. I totally get it. Morgan: Jennie says all of the time, “As soon as you accept that a Cesarean may be the way that it happens the second time, especially after a primary Cesarean is when you can really heal and achieve that VBAC.” I had been having prodromal labor for probably two weeks and every night before bed, I texted Jennie, “Don't go to bed. It's going to be tonight.” In the morning, I'd text her, “Sorry.”Jennie: It was fine. It was fine. I wanted to touch on one thing about the prep work with you, Morgan, because you did so much work in the four years that you came to the group. Morgan, the first time that she came in was like, “I'm never having another baby. I'm never doing that again.” You did so much emotional work over the course of years to get yourself to a point where not only were you prepared physically, but you were really prepared emotionally and that was so awesome to see. Meagan: Oh, yeah. I bet. Morgan: Thank you. Yeah, it was a lot. So then comes December 8th and I woke up with a bloody nose which I never ever get bloody noses. I texted Jennie and I said, “I have a bloody nose and the last time and one of the only times in my life that I've had one is the day I went into labor with Audrey.” Meagan: Really? Morgan: Yeah. Could this be a sign of labor? We're like, “Yeah, maybe. Whatever.”Jennie: I'm like, “Get off Google.” Meagan: Yeah, right?Morgan: I asked Jennie to Google everything for me because I didn't want to go down the rabbit hole. Meagan: That's actually really healthy. That's really healthy. Jennie: Yeah. I'm always happy to do it. Morgan: Yes. She always sent me evidence-based things and peer-reviewed so I wasn't like, “Oh, I got a bloody nose. Now I have cancer.” You know?Meagan: Uh-huh. Yeah. Morgan: So just tried to keep myself busy. I took my daughter to the store with me to pick up a prescription and then she asked if we could go to my parents for lunch. I remember standing at my parents' house and my dad was like, “Sit down. Have a cup of coffee.” I said, “No. I feel like the baby's in a really good position. I just want to stand and let gravity do its thing,” because I feel like the prodromal labor was because he was in a funky position. I finally sat down and had a cup of coffee. Maybe five minutes later, I felt a little pop and a little tear, and then a big movie theater, a movie scene gush of water. I just said, “My water just broke.” My mom, my dad, and my daughter were all sitting there. My dad hopped up and he was like, “I'll get you a towel.” He came back with a washcloth. I said, “Dad, you have five children. Do you not remember that there might be a lot of water?”Meagan: This is birth, not a spilled glass of water. Morgan: Yeah. It was a lot. I was borderline poly so I had a lot of fluid. Polyhydramnios. So at first, my parents are like, “Well, you've got to go. You've got to go.” I'm like, “No, no, no. The next 24-48 hours. I need to just relax, go home, and take a nap.” So that's what I did. My husband, Billy, met me at the door. We finished packing Audrey's bag. My parents live five minutes away. He brought her bag. She was going to be staying there while we were at the hospital. I laid down to take a nap after texting Jennie saying, “My water broke. I”m going to try to nap,” but I was really anxious and really excited. Meagan: Super normal. Morgan: Yeah. But I remember with my daughter, this took a long time. Early labor was at least 12 hours and then I went straight to the hospital and had an induction. I was like, “I just want to be calm. I need to be in my bed. I need to just zen out,” and I couldn't. I had been taking baths and doing some prep work in that way so I'm like, “I'm going to take a bath and do my thing and try to calm down.” Contractions did start in the bathtub, but they weren't painful. But at the peak of them, I was having little mini panic attacks. I don't know if it was because I was by myself at home or just excited or what, but I called my husband and said, “Make sure our daughter is good, but I need you to come back home.” I also texted Jennie because as soon as I got out of the bathtub, things got pretty intense. I just texted her, “Okay, come,” because I knew she lived 30 minutes door to door from me. I knew things were really happening and I really needed at least emotional support at that point. Jennie: Yeah. We're in Rochester so it's snowing of course. Morgan never texts one-word texts. That is not in her nature so when she was just like, “Okay, come,” I was like, “Oh, boy. Drop everything.”Meagan: Coming! Jennie: Yep, time to go. Morgan: And of course, snow makes it a little bit longer, and traffic and whatever, so by the time my husband got home about five minutes later, I was moaning through contractions on the toilet and needing to stand and hold onto his shoulders during the contractions and then just sit and release during the breaks. By the time Jennie arrived, I was getting new pants on to head to the hospital. I think the first thing I said was, “I need to push. I need to go and I need to push.” Meagan: Ah!Jennie: Yep. Morgan: But I said, “I need to go to the bathroom one more time. There's just so much fluid and it's so intense. The toilet's so comfortable.” I could not get off that toilet. With every contraction, I was pushing and moaning. Every break, I was like, “Why is no one going? Why are you not making me go?” Jennie finally said, “It's going to continue to be intense. If you want to deliver at the hospital, we need to go right now.” I was like, “Okay.” I got into gear. I walked to the car. I contracted twice on the way to the car and then got in and I was like, “Can I kneel? Can I kneel on the seat?” Again, I'm a rule follower. I don't drive without my seatbelt on, but I could not sit because his head was right there. Meagan: Oh my gosh. Morgan: I give my husband so much credit. I feel like he's been working his whole life to be the driver that he was that day. He was like someone on Mario Kart. Meagan: I love that. Mario Kart. Morgan: I never got, “Are we there yet? What are you doing?” or whatever. We were at home and then we were at the hospital. I think I had about six contractions on the way to the hospital. Jennie probably could tell better because you said you could see. Jennie: I was behind them and I kept seeing her head come up and then her head would go down. I'm timing her head coming up and going down thinking, “Okay. She's either starting or stopping.” I'm on the phone with my husband like, “I'm going to deliver a baby on the side of the road I'm pretty sure.” Meagan: Oh my gosh!Morgan: Yeah. I said to my husband, “Just pull into the valet even though they aren't running it because of COVID. Just pull in there. I know you can just park there and that's going to be the easiest way that we get up there.” Of course, the security guard is like, “No, no, no. You can't park here.” We're all yelling at her, “I'm pushing!” “She's in labor!” “Baby coming!” Finally, my husband just parked the car. I got out and she offered me a wheelchair. I said, “Can I kneel?” She was like, “Oh no, no honey. You can't kneel.” So I just took it from her and started pushing it like a walker and walked myself up to L&D. Jennie: It was my favorite thing. Meagan: Then I will sort of kneel leaning onto this and walking. Jennie: Yeah. She literally in one motion spun it around, gave this lady a look like, “Please move” and then started going. Morgan: Meanwhile, it's the middle of the day at a strong hospital on a Wednesday at lunchtime. There were so many people to try to navigate around. Here I am moaning and pushing and obviously pregnant, obviously in labor and these two beautiful nurses came out of nowhere. I don't think they were L&D nurses. They took the wheelchair and told me to kneel. One of them ran up and pushed the elevator button so that we could get up to the third floor quickly. Thank God I was in that deep of labor because my husband was like, “She's not going to take the elevator. She's way too afraid of taking the elevator. She's going to make us walk. She's going to deliver in the stairwell.” And I did. I took the elevator because I could not walk up three flights of stairs at that point. Meagan: No. Not with a baby coming. Morgan: Right? I kept saying to him, my eyes were closed, and I'm like, “Billy, are you still here? Billy, are you still here?” He's like, “Yes, yes.” I said, “Is Jennie here?” He said, “She's parking and she'll be right up.” We skipped triage completely and we went straight to a room. Someone came in and offered to check on me and I said, “Are you from my practice? I don't know anyone with that name.” At the same time, Jennie walked in and continued to advocate for me to have my personal midwifery check me. My midwife came in and she checked me and said I was fully dilated and +2. That was the moment. The moment we all dream about, it was happening. She's like, “Morgan, keep going. Do what you're doing.” So I was kneeling on the bed on all fours and I pushed for a short time that way, then she said, “Are you willing to move into a different position because I think if you go on your side, your pelvis shape might just shift enough that he'll come right out.” So I was like, “Yeah, absolutely. I will do whatever you think is best.” I wanted to move during the pushing stage and try different things. So I pushed on my side for a short time and I definitely started feeling the ring of fire. But then the mood in the room shifted and the midwife called out. She said, “Shoulder. Call OB.” Everything happened very quickly. She had flipped me onto my back. My feet were by my head. A nurse was on top pushing. The midwife was telling me to push and then I just felt him come out and go right in my hands and on my chest. That was the best moment of my life by far. They asked my husband to cut the cord quickly since they did need to break my son's shoulder to safely deliver him so they needed to get him over to the warmer to assess him. He wasn't breathing well because he came so fast that his lungs weren't squeezed and all of those things. He got suctioned. He was only there for a couple of minutes with the NICU team and then he was back with me for skin-to-skin for a couple minutes. But then the midwife was saying that they were noticing that I was having a little bit more bleeding than they'd like to see. They tried some shots of Pitocin, rectal miso, and a few other things but she had said that removing the placenta is going to help start the stopping of bleeding. She asked for my consent to manually remove it. She said, “It's going to be really uncomfortable,” and since I didn't have an IV yet, they wouldn't be able to give me any pain medication. They tried to get an IV in nine different times during labor but every time–Meagan: You were probably having a contraction. Jennie: Yeah. You were like, “I don't like that. I don't like that.” It was so polite but very firm. “I don't like that.” They would stop. They listened. Morgan: Yeah, I would have my arm out. I would be so ready for them and then a contraction would come and I'd just ruin the whole thing. But wherever they cleaned off or had a vein ready so I said, “If this is going to be that uncomfortable, I need my husband to take the baby because I'm probably going to scream in his ears.” My husband took him and did skin-to-skin with him while they figured out what was happening to me. They were able to manually remove my placenta, but my uterus kind of came with it and inverted. So when they were doing the fundal massage and trying to find the borders of the uterus, they couldn't find them. They asked if they could go back in manually and kind of push it back into place which again, those two were the worst pain I'd ever felt in my life. By the way, I had just had a 10-pound, 12-ounce baby with no medication. The amount of pain was just really overwhelming. Meagan: That stuff is intense. Everything's already tender and they're going up and pushing things and scraping things. I mean, think about the fundal massage on the outside. It's intense enough let alone it being on the inside. Morgan: Yeah, yeah. Jennie: I was impressed too with the provider because it was not the midwives at this point. It was the OB team and I don't know if you remember this, Morgan, but you kept saying, “No OR. No OR,” because that was the big thing. We are not going to the OR for this birth even if it's after the baby is out. That was a big sticking point. It was one of the residents, I believe, who was right by your head and she kept saying, “No OR. We're not going to the OR. We're going to do this here.” Morgan: Yeah. I really give credit to the URNC Midwifery group that I worked with because the midwife that was there that day delivered my son, I think she advocated a lot for that. Jennie: Yeah, for sure. Morgan: The OBs are comfortable in the OR, especially for a third-degree tear where they are stitching for 45 minutes and they're afraid of blood loss and all of these things. They definitely probably would have been more comfortable in the OR but I didn't want to be separated from my baby and I did not want to be in the OR. Anything that they could do safely in that room was fine with me. Finally, they were able to get an IV in and give me some pain meds. I also asked for some anxiety medication because I was very overwhelmed. Jennie: Understandably. Meagan: Yeah, a lot, and not even just those two things but a lot before. You just had a precipitous birth, a 10-pound baby, shoulder dystocia, all of these things. You're hyper-stimulated at this point. Morgan: Yes, yes. I got Will back on skin-to-skin. They stitched for 45 minutes or so and it was just everything that I had hoped for. Jennie was right here. My husband was right here. My baby was right here. It was calm and I felt so positive about it. I was able to call my mom and I just said to her, “Well, he's here.” She said, “What? You just left my house!” My water broke at 11:15 AM and he was born at 2:50 PM, so very, very, very fast. It was so positive. Looking back, I think that my Cesarean was very textbook, very typical, easy, whatever, but I had so much trauma associated with it and then if you look at my vaginal birth, it had a lot of complications but there's no trauma associated with it because I felt so supported and so educated and informed. The midwifery group asked for my consent for everything even when it was an emergency. The birth and postpartum time was, I don't even remember having the baby blues. I think I only cried because I was just so happy and so proud of myself and so grateful for the team that we had around us. It was incredible. Meagan: Oh my goodness. I love that you talked about the fact that you're like, “I had this textbook C-section, but I associate it this way. Then I had this crazy thing with unknowns that you could definitely say were traumatic but you look at it differently.” It's so interesting how we as individuals and human beings how in a position like that where you have an undesired, unplanned, unwanted as you described it, situation where you didn't feel like you had a lot of real true say along the way, but then this one where you definitely had some things happen that were undesired and unplanned but you had a say along the way and it has impacted you so much in a positive way. It just goes to show how informed consent, education, and support around you make such a big impact, right? Morgan: Yeah, yeah. Meagan: I had some weird things with my VBAC and then I had textbook Cesareans that were not necessarily wanted, but I was alone with my first and had no one talking to me, and the same thing. I view that as not a pleasant experience and then even though I had some frustrations, I was still frustrated that things happened in certain ways with my VBAC, but I was still so happy and overall, I view it so differently. I would say if there are any providers out there or all of our doulas listening and Jennie, I'd love to know your two cents on this too, but I think it's so important to remind your patients and to remind yourself that your patients are people. They are living this experience. They need that informed consent. They need that knowledge and that guidance. Even those moments of, “You've got this. We're going to be okay,” or “Hey, I see this. Let's try this.” Anything like that. Or, “I know this is going to be really intense but we're going to be right here with you.” That can just make such a difference. I don't know, Jennie, if you have anything that you would like to add. Jennie: At our support group, we say all the time that you can't control your birth. We know this. You can do everything that you can to prepare, but one thing that Morgan has said often is that she totally trusted us. She picked us because she trusted us. She knew that whatever happened, we were going to have her back. I tell people all the time that a doula/client relationship, a provider/patient relationship is so intimate and vulnerable. There are so many of us out there that if I'm not the doula for you, if my provider isn't the provider for you, that's fine. Go find someone else who is. You need to be able to be completely trusting and vulnerable in the moment. Because Morgan did the work and found her team, she was able to take something that on paper might look traumatic and have it be so empowering and wonderful and the best day of her life. I'm so proud of you, Morgan, still even though it's been a year. Morgan: Thank you. Jennie: The other really empowering thing that sticks out to me is that no one ever told you that they needed to take him away from you. He was on you during all of everything and the only time he was taken away from you aside from right at first to check everything was when you said, “Billy, can you please take him? I don't feel comfortable.” I think for providers to hear how much that changed your experience knowing where he was, knowing he was on you or on his father, that was so important. As a doula and the photographer standing back and watching it happen and being a part of it, knowing that your baby was somewhere that you were comfortable with and where you could see him at all times was really, really cool. Meagan: Yeah. Morgan: Truly, truly the only reason that I felt comfortable and confident doing that was knowing that Jennie, you were right there by my side too because if Billy was over there with Will and I was by myself, I would have said, “Take him to the warmer or take him wherever. I'm not comfortable being in this emergency state with my support person not right by my side,” but because I had you and trusted you completely, I knew that I could have Billy go and take care of him and I would be okay. I'm so grateful because I definitely would like to be able to control my environment and with birth, you can't control much. You try and you definitely have preferences advocated for, but being able to release that to the people that I trust the most in my life was really incredible. I've never felt so cared for and so confident about the care. Meagan: That is so beautiful. So beautiful. I'm so grateful for you sharing your story. Jennie, thank you so much for being here. We love when our VBAC doulas are on the podcast, especially with their clients. We really do because again, I know you guys maybe can't see what I can see right now, but the joy on Jennie's face as she's listening to this, you can tell she is wholeheartedly proud and just so amazed by Morgan. She even said, “I'm still so proud of you even though it's been a year.” You can really see it in her face. Morgan, you said that you are a doula now. You guys understand. As a doula, I'm just going to rave about doulas for a quick second. As a doula, it is an absolute honor to be invited into someone's space. It's a very intimate, beautiful space and to be invited into that space is absolutely an honor. And then to be able to witness this beautiful event, this beautiful birthday? It's so incredible. So incredible. We hold on to them forever. I mean, I've been a doula for eight and a half years and I will never forget the first or the second of the third, right? It's not that I remember every detail of every birth but there are things that stand out like grabbing a wheelchair and being like, “Yeah, move out of my way. I'm going upstairs,” or even just knowing that person so well as Jennie said. She has elaborate messages every time. She writes a lot so for her to say, “Yeah, come.” We get to know our clients so well and truly, I always tell people. You don't have to be my best friend but I want you to know that I'm always going to be your friend and I'm always going to be there for you because really, it's such an amazing experience to be with people and watch these incredible births just like yours, Morgan. Jennie: Absolutely. ClosingWould you like to be a guest on the podcast? Tell us about your experience at thevbaclink.com/share. For more information on all things VBAC including online and in-person VBAC classes, The VBAC Link blog, and Meagan's bio, head over to thevbaclink.com. Congratulations on starting your journey of learning and discovery with The VBAC Link.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vbac-link/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands