Episode 76: "Support is Key" with Betsy Schwartz of Birth in the Know

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Today I so enjoyed chatting with Betsy Schwartz. She is a pioneer and a visionary. She began her career in 1991, working for one of the oldest postpartum doula services in the country. In 1994 she established Tenth Month Doula Services, the first of its kind in South Florida. Betsy is a founding member of the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services, where she served on the Board for two years. Her most recent accomplishment is the creation and publication of Down the Canal – The Game of Birth. She also offers online courses for birth workers. Betsy continues to pioneer in Citrus County Florida where she is actively involved in community collaboration as part of the Citrus Committee of the Florida Healthy Babies Initiative. Betsy holds a master’s degree in management of human services. She was a DONA postpartum doula trainer for fourteen years, and before that a CAPPA trainer. Betsy is a certified postpartum doula, a Reiki Master and a yoga enthusiast, and is active in transformational work through Gratitude Training.

In her episode we chat about:

  • Why she was called to be a Postpartum Doula after her first birth
  • How she came to create "Down the Canal: The Game of Birth"
  • The best way for parents to be informed and take responsibility for their choices
  • Her two very different birth experiences
  • Her goal of sharing and teaching Reiki to Birth Workers and Pregnant Couples
  • How lovely the postpartum period is for forcing us to slow down
  • Navigating her second postpartum during the grief of losing her father
  • Sleep challenges
  • Our soap box about maternity leave in this country not being long enough
  • The disservice we do moms by telling them they should be "doing it all"
  • Redefining self care
  • And more!

Be sure to check out Betsy's work and the "Down the Canal Game of Birth" here. 

You can find the episode wherever you find your podcasts or you can stream it here.

This episode of the postpartum podcast is sponsored by Aeroflow Breastpumps.  Aeroflow helps you navigate qualifying for a breast pump through your insurance. Just because its covered, doesn’t mean it’s easy. Let Aeroflow handle the bureaucracy so that you can enjoy your baby. Go to aeroflowbreastpumps.com/postpartum to learn more.

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As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.  No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show.  Click here to learn more. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

 

Episode 72: "Right now, you are in the season of needing help, but eventually you'll be the one giving it. It's all a circle." with Kate Turza, Postpartum Doula

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Today I so enjoyed chatting with Kate Turza. Kate is a mom of 3 and postpartum doula. After navigating difficult postpartum periods with each of her children, she realized that there needs to be better support for new moms. She began her postpartum doula training when her youngest was 3 months old, and has been practicing for over 2.5 years now. She moderates an in-person new mom support group in her area, as well as a Facebook group for new moms, she's also created a directory of professionals in her area (East End Parent Support).  She's also on the board of a non-profit, Long Island Birth Network, which provides education, support, and resources for expecting and new families in her area. 

In her episode we chat about:

  • The challenge of having 3 kids under 4 when she had her 3rd
  • How you're always tired once you have kids
  • Consider negotiating bring baby with you back to work if you can
  • How we don't have enough maternity leave
  • How she decided to become a postpartum doula
  • Breastfeeding challenges from a retained placenta
  • An overview of what Postpartum Doulas do
  • How a Postpartum Doula should be called a "Fourth Trimester" Doula
  • The challenge of not dwelling on our decisions
  • The importance of knowing where your postpartum support is in your area
  • The importance of non-judgmental support just for you
  • The importance of checking in
  • And so much more!

Enjoy!

This episode of the Postpartum Podcast is sponsored by ICON UNDIES. Did you know that 1 in 3 women experience little bladder leaks when they run, jump, sneeze, or laugh? This is especially true for new moms. But because of Icon, You don’t have to worry!  Their undies feel like a regular, beautiful pair of underwear, but can hold up to 6 teaspoons of liquid without the bulky, bunchy plasticy feel of a pantyliner.  Icon is also offering listeners of the podcast $5 off your order with code postpartum at checkout. 

Today’s episode is also sponsored by Ecocentric Mom. Pregnancy & new motherhood are the most thrilling times in any woman's life. - but they can also be the scariest. We're overwhelmed with information about what products are safe & effective for ourselves and our babies. Ecocentric Mom helps you navigate those choices by delivering monthly discovery boxes of products to help you care for yourself and your growing family.  Each month subscribers receive organic, natural or handmade products and lifestyle accessories chosen just for your stage of motherhood - from pregnancy to postpartum and beyond. Podcast listeners are invited to use code POSTPARTUM10 to receive a 10% lifetime discount on your subscription.

You can find the show wherever you find your podcasts, or stream it here.

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As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.  No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show.  Click here to learn more. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 66: "Nice Doesn't Mean Competent" - Choosing Your Care Providers Wisely With Brooke Lonergan

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Today I had so much fun chatting with another one of our local Sacramento doulas, and friendBrooke Lonergan of Birthlight Doula . Brooke is a birth and postpartum doula trained through DONA and certified by Heart and Hands. She is also Rebozo certified, a Lactation Consultant Assistant and has doula support training with Hypnobabies. She fell in love with birth and the prospect of being a doula through supporting women in my life who courageously ventured into parenthood. Watching them develop, transform and stand in the uncertain world of child bearing and rearing has inspired and shaped my experience of our culture and life. She is also a devoted woman, daughter, sister, wife, mother and ultimate birth nerd who embraces, explores and loves life. As a doula, she partner with parents to listen, educate and empower them to make the necessary decisions and create experiences that serve their unique needs & desires throughout their pregnancy, birth and postpartum times. In her episode we chatted about many things, including:

  • How an unexpected heart surgery caused her to turn her life and career upside down
  • The realities of doula work - it's not as glamorous as we think!
  • How having her own baby changed and enhanced her doula work
  • The importance of choosing your maternal healthcare providers wisely
  • How just "seeing what happens" during birth is really a false statement
  • The beauty of knowing that sometimes there is more to learn from our kids than to teach them
  • The importance of remembering this is a season
  • The importance of following your own instincts
  • Find YOUR people
  • And so much more!

This episode of the postpartum Podcast is sponsored by ICON UNDIES. Did you know that 1 in 3 women experience little bladder leaks when they run, jump, sneeze, or laugh? This is especially true for new moms. But because of Icon, You don’t have to worry!  Their undies feel like a regular, beautiful pair of underwear, but can hold up to 6 teaspoons of liquid without the bulky, bunchy plasticy feel of a pantyliner.  Icon is also offering listeners of the podcast $5 off your order with code postpartum at checkout. 

You can find the show wherever you find your podcasts, or stream it here.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com.  To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum   

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.  No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show.  Click here to learn more. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 17: "Honor What Each Moment Needs" with Lindsey Taylor of Taylor Made Doulas

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This week I chat with Lindsey Taylor, the owner of the doula agency Taylor Made Doulas. Lindsey is a full spectrum birth and postpartum doula and mom of 4.  In this episode we talk about the mom/life balance, how she started a business during her 4th child's postpartum year and how that experience compared to that of her first child when she was just 18 years old.

We also talk about the importance of prenatal childbirth education and postpartum support and how we need to be real with one another about the whole picture when it comes to breastfeeding, not just the social media worthy moments. 

You can find out more about Lindsey and her doula agency here. 

The postpartum depression documentary we mentioned is Dark Side of the Full Moon. 

As always, you can download the episode on iTunes here and stream it directly here.

While you’re on iTunes, I hope you consider rating and reviewing the show so that we can reach more moms!

Don't forget - The Postpartum Year: Tales From the Trenches in the First Year of Motherhood anthology is accepting submissions now! More info at www.postpartumyear.com

Episode 14: Iliacus Muscles, Tongue Ties and PPD with Sara Hery

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This week I talk with Sara Hery. Sara is an internationally certified childbirth educator and has been a practicing birth doula since 2005. She is also working towards becoming a certified nurse midwife and is a mom of 2. Sara's story is such a wonderful example of pushing through the adversity that new moms often face.  We talk about her experience with a home birth transfer and tongue tie with her first, and a torn iliacus muscle that led to postpartum depression with her second and how Bowen therapy helped her recover. Her experience is inspiring and I hope it helps other moms realize that you can come out on the other side of these experiences, or similar ones, stronger.  Enjoy!

You can find out more about Sara, her classes and the BBB Cafe here.

Some other resources for postpartum support that we also mentioned include La Leche League, Postpartum Support International, Doula Match, DONA and CAPPA. 

As always, you can download the episode on iTunes here and stream it directly here.

While you’re on iTunes, I hope you consider rating and reviewing the show so that we can reach more moms!

Thank you!