Working Birth
Rebecca Hartley-Woods, mental health advocate and doula, discusses her personal experience with perinatal mood disorders and her work founding a non-profit that sheds light on perinatal mood disorders that 1 in 7 moms experience. We talk about the gap between mental health professionals and maternal health professionals and why so many women fall through the cracks, never receiving help. She shares her own experience with postpartum depression, anxiety, PTSD and OCD. We also discuss antenatal depression, signs and symptoms, therapy, resources, as well as Rebecca's background as...
info_outline Ep 15: Doula & RN Yamel BelenWorking Birth
Yamel Belen discusses her work as a doula and pediatric registered nurse. She talks about how her work as a nurse in the medical foster care system informs her work as a doula, and how she fell into doula work. She discusses trust, empowerment, and the importance of fully supporting women in labor. A mom of five, Yamel talks about involving families in the birth process, and the pregnancy-positive culture she grew up in. Plus, what has surprised her most about being a doula. Portrait and show notes at www.workingbirth.com/ep15
info_outline Ep 14: Midwife Jessica WilloughbyWorking Birth
Midwife Jessica Willoughby, LM, CPM discusses how her background in anthropology has helped her understand differences in culture as they relate to labor, birth, and breastfeeding. She speaks about the gifts midwifery has given her, paying it forward, and challenges with living the on call lifestyle. Jessica also talks about empowering c-section experiences as well as the most important things she's learned about midwifery. Show notes and portrait can be found at www.workingbirth.com/ep14
info_outline Ep 13: Infant Sleep Researcher Dr. James McKenna, PhDWorking Birth
Leading infant sleep researcher and professor of anthropology Dr. James McKenna, PhD, discusses his extensive research on mother-baby sleep and cosleeping, bedsharing, and the new term "breastsleeping." We talk about the science of the mechanisms behind infant sleep, cosleeping around the world, the mysterious sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), sleep training, and the neurological effects of separation. He discusses how cultural ideologies interfere with infant sleep practices, and the huge gap in what mothers are...
info_outline Ep 12: Midwife Kim VerbargWorking Birth
Midwife Kim Verbarg, LM, CPM discusses the transformative power of birth and her journey as a midwife. She talks about first getting interested in birth and midwifery as a teenager, her own experience with unassisted birth, working at a birth center, living the on-call lifestyle, and what she's learned from her clients. Kim's portrait and show notes found at www.workingbirth.com/ep12
info_outline Ep 11: IBCLC Trish HanningWorking Birth
Lactation consultant Trish Hanning, RN, IBCLC discusses helping moms and babies in the NICU to achieve their breastfeeding goals. Working as a lactation consultant in both a hospital and private practice setting, she talks about her experience working with preterm babies, the biggest challenges for pumping and nursing in the NICU, breastfeeding after a c-section, tongue ties, and how she explains the benefits of breastfeeding to moms. Portrait and show notes at: workingbirth.com/ep11
info_outline Ep 10: Midwife Jessica BrumleyWorking Birth
Midwife Jessica Brumley, CNM, PhD, discusses practicing midwifery in a hospital setting and working collaboratively with OBGYNs for an integrated model of care. She talks about how she first came to hear about midwives, what spoke to her about the profession, and how the births of her own children influenced how she practices. Jessica also discusses her research on racism being a stressor during pregnancy, issues of health disparity and how they effect minorities in the US, and being a part of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) Diversification and Inclusion Task...
info_outline Ep 09: Author & Activist Suzanne ArmsWorking Birth
Suzanne Arms is an author, activist, practical visionary, photojournalist, filmmaker, speaker, teacher, and founder of the Colorado-based nonprofit, . Often called a grandmother of the birth movement, Suzanne has been active in the birth community since the 1970's when her book Immaculate Deception was named a New York Times Best Book of the Year. She shares how knowing her own birth story, as well as her mother's and grandmother's, has impacted her life and work. Suzanne also delves into a range of issues surrounding birth and the mother-baby unit, including: the culture...
info_outline Ep 08: Midwife Vikki BennettWorking Birth
Midwife Vikki Bennett, ARNP, CNM, and Clinical Director of a birth center, discusses her journey from nursing to midwifery & working in women's health. Vikki shares the heartbreaking challenges of working with pregnant women and newborns in Port-au-Prince, Haiti just after the massive earthquake hit in 2010. She also speaks about her frustration with the maternity care system in the U.S. and being part of the solution by practicing the midwifery model of care in a birth center setting. Plus, I learn why midwives are moving towards using the term...
info_outline Ep 07: IBCLC Mary UnangstWorking Birth
Mary Unangst, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) discusses breastfeeding and the mother baby dyad, the biggest concerns she hears from moms, the process of becoming an IBCLC, getting recognized as a healthcare provider, barriers to breastfeeding, the risks associated with not breastfeeding, and how we can better support moms. Plus, being a breastfeeding mom in a military family stationed abroad, and what doing this intimate work fulfills in her. Show notes and links at workingbirth.com/ep07
info_outlineMidwife Jessica Willoughby, LM, CPM discusses how her background in anthropology has helped her understand differences in culture as they relate to labor, birth, and breastfeeding. She speaks about the gifts midwifery has given her, paying it forward, and challenges with living the on call lifestyle. Jessica also talks about empowering c-section experiences as well as the most important things she's learned about midwifery.
Show notes and portrait can be found at www.workingbirth.com/ep14