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In today's fast-paced and often disconnected world, many new parents find themselves navigating pregnancy, birth, and postpartum with far less support than previous generations. In this episode, we explore the powerful role of community in maternal and family well-being and why rebuilding a modern-day "village" may be one of the most important ways to improve postpartum outcomes. Drawing from her experience supporting more than 100,000 families, Gabriela Gerhart shares practical insights on creating meaningful connections, strengthening support systems, and helping parents thrive during one of life's most transformative seasons.

About Gabriela Gerhart Gabriela Gerhart is the founder of the Motherhood Center, a Houston-based pregnancy, birth, and postpartum wellness center and professional childcare agency she established in 2000. Originally from a small village in the Czech Republic, Gabriela's background in pediatric nursing and physical therapy, combined with her passion for community-centered care, inspired her to create a comprehensive support system for growing families. Today, the Motherhood Center offers childbirth education, doula services, breastfeeding support, perinatal mental health resources, fitness programs, childcare services, and more. At the heart of her work is a simple belief: no mother should feel alone, and with the right support, every family can thrive.

What You'll Learn: * Why postpartum was never meant to be an isolated experience and how strong support systems help families build a healthier foundation during the transition to parenthood. * How modern parents are often overwhelmed by information, competing responsibilities, and the pressure to "get it right," making community support more important than ever. * What Gabriella learned growing up in a small Czech village, where neighbors, healthcare providers, and extended family naturally stepped in to help new parents. * Why creating opportunities for parents to connect—through childbirth classes, support groups, yoga classes, and social gatherings—can lead to lifelong friendships and lasting support networks. * Why every birth professional can help families build their own village by encouraging conversations about meals, practical help, check-ins, childcare support, and community resources before the baby arrives. * The importance of creating accessible postpartum gathering spaces, including mother meetups, new dad groups, and other low-barrier opportunities for connection and support. * How postpartum care is evolving beyond the idea of "bouncing back" and toward a more holistic focus on recovery, pelvic floor health, emotional well-being, and family adjustment.

Resources: * Motherhood Center

Related InJoy Products: * Understanding Postpartum Health & Baby Care Book + Guided Learning Web App * Understanding Postpartum Health & Baby Care eClass * Understanding Fatherhood: PowerPoint Class

Related InJoy Resources: * Season 10 Episode 2: Increasing Stability in a Transition to Parenthood * Season 9 Episode 4: Insights on Perinatal Mental Health from PROSPER Leaders: Practical Tips for Educators and Doulas * Providing Social Support for Postpartum Women Through a 4th Trimester Group

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In a world that feels increasingly uncertain—from global conflict and community tension to lingering stress carried forward from the pandemic—expecting and new parents are holding more emotional weight than ever before. This episode explores how stress shows up during the childbearing years and, more importantly, how perinatal professionals can help parents feel grounded, supported, and capable even when the world around them feels unsteady. With warmth, insight, and decades of clinical experience, Gabrielle Kaufman offers practical, compassionate tools for navigating uncertainty without minimizing fear, fixing what can't be fixed, or leaving parents to manage it alone.

About Gabrielle Kaufman Gabrielle Kaufman, MA, LPCC, BC-DMT, NCC, PMH-C is a dance/movement therapist and licensed professional clinical counselor with more than 30 years of experience in perinatal mental health. She previously served for over a decade as Clinical Director of Maternal Mental Health NOW and as Director of the New Moms Connect Program at Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles, supporting parents experiencing postpartum mood and anxiety disorders. Gabrielle has taught internationally for Postpartum Support International, Drexel University's Arts and Healing Initiative, and other professional programs, bringing a deeply integrative mind–body approach to maternal mental health care. She is bilingual in Spanish and a long-time advocate for accessible, compassionate support for families. At the heart of her work is one guiding belief: no mother should feel alone, and with the right support, every family can thrive.

What You'll Learn: * Why uncertainty and global stress disproportionately affect pregnant and new parents, even when danger feels abstract or distant * How naming stress helps "tame" it, reducing overwhelm without asking professionals to fix what's out of their control * Why changing perspective—literally and emotionally—can restore a sense of agency when worries begin to snowball * How grounding techniques and mindful practices help parents move out of their heads and back into their bodies * Why receiving help is a strength, not a failure, and how modeling that truth supports both parents and providers * How perinatal professionals can create stability through presence, predictability, and compassionate referral, even when answers are unclear

Resources & Mentions: * Gabrielle Kaufman's Website(opens in a new tab) * Postpartum Support International (opens in a new tab) * Emotional Wellness Self-Help Tool (Maternal Mental Health NOW) * Postpartum Support International(opens in a new tab) * MotherRisk is no longer available – Instead try: + LactMed(opens in a new tab) at NIH + MotherToBaby(opens in a new tab) + Infant Risk Center(opens in a new tab)

Related Products from InJoy: * Understanding Pregnancy * Understanding Birth * Understanding Postpartum Health & Baby Care

Related InJoy Resources: * Season 9 Episode 4: Insights on Perinatal Mental Health from PROSPER Leaders: Practical Tips for Educators and Doulas * Bringing Awareness to Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders by Gabrielle Kaufman

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Induction has quietly become one of the most common interventions in childbirth—so common that many parents assume it's inevitable or automatically safer. In this episode, we slow the conversation way down and take a careful, evidence-based look at how induction became routine, what the research actually shows, and why so many families are encouraged to induce without hearing the full story. With clarity, depth, and decades of expertise, Henci Goer helps listeners untangle fear from fact and reclaim informed choice in one of the most consequential decisions of the childbearing year.

About Henci Goer Henci Goer is an award-winning author, medical research analyst, and longtime advocate for maternity care reform. Known for making complex research accessible and usable, Henci has spent decades reviewing, synthesizing, and translating evidence so pregnant people and birth workers can make truly informed decisions. She is the author of multiple books, including Labor Induction: Why, When, and How and the Take Charge of Your Birth series, and the creator of a widely used online resource library for evidence-based maternity care. At the heart of her work is one guiding belief: every parent deserves accurate information, meaningful choice, and agency in their birth experience.

Listen & Learn: * Why induction rates have climbed to nearly half of all labors, driven not only by medical need but by a growing category of "precautionary" inductions * How induction shifted from convenience to perceived necessity, reframing healthy pregnancies as problems to be managed or prevented * Why suspected big babies, overdue dates, and ruptured membranes are often misused as reasons for induction, despite research showing limited benefit and increased risk * What the ARRIVE trial really found—and what it didn't, including how study conditions differ from everyday hospital practice * How induction can disrupt the natural hormonal processes of labor, affecting pain tolerance, bonding, breastfeeding, and postpartum recovery * Why informed consent, agency, and good questions matter more than ever, and how parents can use tools like BRAIN to make decisions aligned with their values

Resources & Mentions: * Henci Goer's website, including the Research Library referenced in the podcast

Related Products from InJoy: * Understanding Birth Curriculum * Natural Birth & Beyond: Teaching Essentials for Independent Educators Video Library * Understanding Natural Childbirth Techniques eClass

Related InJoy Podcasts * Season 9 Episode 1: Preparing for Low-Intervention Birth with Sarah, the "Labor Junkie RN" * Season 9 Episode 6: When Pregnancy Becomes "High-Risk": An Educator's Guide to Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) Care * Season 6, Episode 7: Safely Preventing Primary (NTSV) Cesarean Delivery—A Conversation with David C. Lagrew Jr. M.D.

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In this rich and reassuring conversation, Debbie sits down once again with Dr. Lexi Hill, a Maternal–Fetal Medicine specialist, to unpack what advanced maternal age really means today.

Together, they demystify the risks, clarify what's truly important in prenatal care, and offer practical guidance for parents, educators, and birth professionals alike. From essential screenings and advocacy tips to emotional wellness and preparing for birth, this episode blends evidence-based insight with compassion and clarity.

Whether you work with expectant families or are navigating pregnancy yourself, you'll walk away feeling informed, empowered, and ready to support safer, more confident journeys into parenthood.

About Dr. Lexi Hill Dr. Lexi is a board-certified Maternal–Fetal Medicine specialist dedicated to supporting people through high-risk and medically complex pregnancies with clarity, compassion, and evidence-based care. With extensive experience in fetal imaging, prenatal diagnostics, and managing conditions such as advanced maternal age, hypertension, diabetes, and IVF-related risks, she is known for her ability to translate complex medical information into practical guidance for patients and professionals alike.

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Lexi creates educational resources—including courses, videos, and advocacy tools—that empower families to ask informed questions and navigate pregnancy with confidence.

Listen & Learn: * Why "advanced maternal age" begins at 35, and why that number isn't magical but part of a gradual risk continuum. * That flexible, well-communicated birth plans are still absolutely possible, and valuable, for AMA pregnancies. * How to recognize red flags in prenatal care and advocate for clear communication and shared decision-making. * Which screenings and scans are essential during AMA pregnancies, especially the importance of a detailed anatomy ultrasound. * The key maternal risks that rise with age, including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and preterm birth. * The fetal risks associated with AMA, from chromosomal differences to growth concerns and stillbirth risk. * How AMA care typically includes early screening, mid-pregnancy anatomy scans, third trimester growth checks, and late-pregnancy monitoring pregnancy anatomy scans, third trimester growth checks, and late pregnancy monitoring. * Why combining IVF with AMA adds layers of risk, making early ultrasound, anatomy scans, and fetal echocardiograms even more important. * How a preconception consultation can help you understand risks, optimize health, and prepare for pregnancy with confidence.

Resources & Mentions: * Dr. Lexi's website (free resources for students and clients) * FREE Hypertensive High Risk Pregnancy Module * Dr. Lexi's YouTube channel(opens in a new tab)

Related Products from InJoy: * Understanding Pregnancy Book + Web App * Understanding Birth Book + Web App

Related InJoy Podcasts * Expert Insights: Latest Updates on Gestational Diabetes with Lily Nichols, RDN * 1 Kick, 2 Kicks, 7 Kicks More! A Stillbirth Prevention Program With Megan Aucutt of Healthy Birth Day, Inc * Preeclampsia: What Every Educator Should Know with Adriane Burgess

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When a pregnancy is labeled "high-risk" and families are transferred from standard pregnancy care to a Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) specialist, it can feel overwhelming, disorienting, and even like a personal setback. Emotions like fear, confusion, and self-doubt are common for parents, but finding balance during this transition is essential. Staying engaged and empowered isn't just good for emotional well-being; it's critical for making informed decisions throughout their pregnancy journey.

In today's episode, we'll explore practical and compassionate strategies to help educators support parents as they shift into MFM care —and how to help families maintain a sense of balance, clarity, and hope when pregnancy plans change.

About Dr. Lexi Hill Our guest, Dr. Lexi Hill, is a respected Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist who works closely with families and healthcare professionals to ensure parents receive the best possible care during their high-risk pregnancy.

Dr. Hill is passionate about bridging gaps in the patient–physician relationship through education and empowerment. She believes that when parents understand their care and feel confident advocating for themselves, both outcomes and experiences improve.

Listen & Learn: * Why parents are referred to maternal fetal medicine and what "high-risk" really means * The most common conditions MFM specialists manage, from diabetes to placenta previa * What it takes to become an MFM specialist and why that expertise matters * How MFMs collaborate with OBs and midwives to support safe deliveries * Ways MFMs help parents cope emotionally when birth plans change * Practical tips for advocacy and shared decision-making during pregnancy * Creative strategies to maintain joy and build support during high-risk pregnancies

Resources & Mentions: * Dr. Lexi's website (free resources for students and clients) * FREE Hypertensive High Risk Pregnancy Module * Dr. Lexi's YouTube channel

Related Products from InJoy: * Understanding Pregnancy Book + Web App * Understanding Birth Book + Web App

Related InJoy Podcast * Expert Insights: Latest Updates on Gestational Diabetes with Lily Nichols, RDN

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Pregnancy often begins with joy and anticipation—but for some, it ends in unimaginable heartbreak. In this powerful episode, we explore what happens when pregnancy ends in loss, and how doulas, birth workers, and loved ones can offer meaningful support.

This episode offers insight into the complexity of perinatal grief, the power of presence, and practical strategies for compassionate care. Learn how to support families through the emotional, physical, and spiritual aftermath of loss—and why grief education and specialized training should be a standard part of all birth work.

About Ashley

Ashley Rose Salvitti is a certified full-spectrum doula and pregnancy and infant loss coach who specializes in supporting families through pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and bereavement, offering compassionate care rooted in her own lived experiences. After the stillbirth of her second daughter, Lena, at 29 weeks, and a subsequent miscarriage, Ashley recognized the critical need for continuous, empathetic support for families navigating loss.

Drawing from her background in art and psychology and extensive training, she has served numerous families as both a birth and postpartum doula. Ashley is the founder of Doula Synergy, where she offers coaching, doula services, and bereavement training for birth professionals. Her mission is to ensure that no family walks the path of pregnancy or infant loss alone, and she actively advocates for expanded access to doula care at the state level.

What You'll Learn:

How the emotional complexity of perinatal loss affects families
What the role of doulas in grief and bereavement care can look like
How to use language that validates grief
What practical and emotional support strategies birth workers can use with grieving families
Why all birth workers need grief education

Resources & Mentions:

More Info on Ashley:

Email: hello@ashleyrosedoula.com
Website: https://www.doulasynergy.com/ (Ashley Rose's website regarding loss – for families and birth workers)

Related Products from InJoy:

Understanding Postpartum Health & Baby Care Book + Web App
Complete Postpartum Teaching Solution

Related Free Resources from InJoy:

Blog: Providing Social Support for Postpartum Women Through a 4th Trimester Group
Webinar: Exploring the Unmet Needs of Postpartum Women

Contact the PROSPER Team:

For more information or inquiries, reach out to the PROSPER program at prosper@cuanschutz.edu

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Hillary helps us learn how newborns experience their brand-new world —and how we as educators and doulas can help families understand them in ways they may have never been taught. Rather than seeing babies as a blob to be shaped, we can recognize them as fully formed people with unique needs. Transitioning from an internal dark, warm, water-filled home to the bright, ever-changing world can be quite an undertaking— but with our love and guidance, we can help them grow to their full potential, starting from the very first breath. Learning more about how we can teach this in a wonderfully sensitive way can change families’ lives.

About Hillary

Hillary Menke, ICCE, is a childbirth and newborn care instructor with The Women's Clinic of Northern Colorado whose passion lies in the respectful, intentional care of very young children. She earned her BS in Early Childhood Education from the University of Northern Colorado and began her career working with infants through kindergarteners in the classroom. To deepen her understanding of whole-child development, she pursued Waldorf Teacher Training at Sound Circle Center, focusing on supporting children's growth beyond academics—nurturing what it means to be deeply, joyfully human.

It was with the birth of her own little one and coming to grips with the awe-filled, wild ride of motherhood that this passion extended to the care of new parents in their journeys through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. She earned her childbirth educator certification through ICEA and now helps families navigate this transformative time with evidence-based education and compassionate guidance. Her goal is to build confidence in parents as they care for their babies in ways that reflect their values, wisdom, and dreams.

What You’ll Learn: * What current neuroscience reveals about how babies actually perceive the world * Why educators need to role model respectful interaction with their “babies” in the classroom * What the differences are between infant and adult brain waves * How we can demonstrate ways for parents to empathize with their babies * Why a parent’s calm demeanor can change the interaction with baby * How to teach ways to decode infant cues * Why free movement is part of respectful infant care

Hillary’s Favorite Resources: * Baby Bare by Stephanie Johnson * The Nurture Revolution by Greer Kirshenbaum * Unruffled with Janet Lansbury (Podcast) * Anything from Magda Gerber or Dr. Emi Pikler

Related Products from InJoy: * Understanding Your Newborn Curriculum * Understanding Birth Curriculum * Understanding Breastfeeding Curriculum * Educator Media Library

Related Blogs and Podcasts from InJoy: * Podcast: Season 9 Episode 2: Gentle Sleep Support with Sierra Brooks

Contact Hillary at hillary.menke@gmail.com.

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Join us as we explore gentle sleep support—for both parents and babies—with Sierra Brooks, CAPPA Certified Postpartum Doula, Gentle Sleep Coach, and Certified Lactation Counselor.

In this episode, Sierra shares insights into how helping parents understand the biological needs of their babies, and how to accommodate those needs while getting enough rest themselves, can reduce maternal mental health struggles. After years of “cry it out” being the norm, Sierra offers a fresh perspective on emerging, more compassionate, and evidence-based sleep strategies.

By understanding these evolving approaches, we can better support the families we teach, treat, and care for.

About Sierra

Sierra Brooks is the owner and founder of Bud to Blossom, a Salt Lake City-based company dedicated to supporting the postpartum needs of new and growing families. As a CAPPA Certified Postpartum Doula, Gentle Sleep Coach, and Certified Lactation Counselor, Sierra helps families understand the cycles, rhythms, and cues of babies and guides parents as they implement sleep strategies tailored to their needs.

She has expanded Bud to Blossom to offer services such as birth doula support, infant feeding guidance, photography, and more—with the ultimate goal of helping families feel supported, confident, and prepared on their parenting journey.

Listen and Learn: * How new families can maximize their sleep and rest * How better sleep can help reduce mental health difficulties * What families should look for when interviewing sleep counselors, coaches, or trainers * How to teach parents about the baby’s biological needs for sleeping and eating * The roles and philosophies of different sleep support professionals * When it’s the right time to seek professional sleep help * How to help families choose the practitioner that is right for them * Why bringing the baby outside the house daily supports sleep cycles * How “noticing” is different from “tracking” to reduce anxiety * What the difference is between active sleep and deep sleep in babies

Resources & Mentions: More Info on Sierra: Email: sierra@bud2blossom.com Website: Bud to Blossom Instagram: @bud2blossomgram

Sleep Counseling Institute: Website: sleepcounselinginstitute.com/sci-certification *Use code injoy for a discount Instagram: @thesleepwich

Sierra’s Favorite Baby Sleep Expert: Dr. Lyndsey Hookway Instagram: @lyndsey_hookway Website: lyndseyhookway.com

Recommended Books: Let’s Talk About Your Family Sleep (for parents) Holistic Sleep Coaching (for professionals)

Related Products from InJoy:

Understanding Your Newborn Curriculum Understanding Postpartum Health & Your Baby Curriculum Understanding Infant & Child Safety Curriculum

Related Blogs and Podcasts from InJoy: Podcast: Making Safe Sleep Possible for all Families with Devon George of Cribs for Kids

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Sarah —better known as the “Labor Junkie RN”— is a practicing high-risk labor nurse, social media influencer, and mom of three. You may have seen her on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook sharing evidence-based insights on pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. She often ends reels with “For more information on pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum, give me a follow and check out my page”. So, we did—and invited her to share her wisdom with you in this special podcast episode.

As a nurse and mom of three who chose unmedicated births, Sarah brings a unique perspective to the low-intervention birth experience. In this podcast, we talk to her about her choices and tips for others if they plan to have low- intervention births. But she’s quick to remind us, she thinks the right choice for birthing families is the choice they make, and hopes we remember that birth is not a competition. Everyone should make their own choices.

Listen and Learn:

Why Sarah decided to make reels for social media—and how she keeps it going
Her passion for informed consent and education
Why she attended a birth class with her husband even though she was already an OB nurse
How planning ahead helps families achieve their birth goals
How she supports her patients in labor specific to their birth plan
When and how parents can ask to change to a nurse who supports their goals in labor
How a doula or other trained labor support person can make a difference
What a difference it can make to stay home in early labor on outcomes
Why she chose not to be induced
How exercise, yoga, and good nutrition helped her through her births

Resources & Mentions:

tiktok.com/@labor_junkie_rn

instagram.com/labor_junkie_rn

facebook.com/LaborJunkieRN

youtube.com/@labor_junkie_rn

Related Products from InJoy:

Understanding Birth

Understanding Natural Childbirth Techniques eClass

Stages of Labor

Pain Management for Childbirth, Volume 1: Comfort Techniques

Related Blogs and Podcasts from InJoy:

Blog: Tips for Teaching a Childbirth Class: Introducing the TENS Unit as a Labor Comfort Measure

Podcast: Spinning Babies – Comfort in Pregnancy and Easier Births with Gail Tully

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Too many moms and babies are dying in the US! Many of those tragedies are avoidable. We have seen this problem, talked about the problem, and yet, the problem still exists. Poor outcomes can happen because of lack of respect and not listening to what is being said by the patient, especially BIPOC patients.

Today we are speaking to Dr. Renée Canady, a relationship-driven leader and author of the recently published book, “Room at the Table: A Leader’s Guide to Advancing Health Equity and Justice.” She is recognized as a national thought leader in the areas of health inequities and disparities, cultural competence, and social justice. Dr. Canady has been highly influential in broadening the discussion of health equity and social justice while serving on numerous national boards, review panels, and advisory groups.

We wanted to talk with her after we learned what she is doing to advance change for pregnant and birthing women and families in the Detroit area. Join us to learn about her leadership in bringing about positive change for birthing families. She left us with this thought: “Don’t get tired of doing the right thing. There will be a benefit to you, to me, and to generations if we don’t throw in the towel”.

Listen and Learn:

What it means to look through an equity lens
How productive outrage and righteous indignation can make changes for the better
How these types of conversations impact the life expectancy of mothers and babies
Why we need to understand that the mom is the expert of the mom
What servant leadership has to do with positive change
The difference between power and empowerment
How understanding generational birth experiences can change the current culture of a mom and family

Resources, Mentions & Related Products from InJoy

More about Dr. Canady

To learn more about “Room at the Table,” click here.

Podcasts

Getting Uncomfortable About Health Equity with Natalie Burke
Mama Bird: Serving the Community Through Compassionate Doula Services
Creating Breastfeeding-Friendly Communities

Blogs

Language Justice: Perinatal Education in Multiple Languages Means Healthier Outcomes for All
Walking Across Kenya to Support Safe Births and Secure Families: Reflections and Lessons Learned

Webinars

The Impact of Racism in Healthcare and the Perinatal Period – Part 1
The Impact of Racism in Healthcare and the Perinatal Period – Part 2

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Gestational diabetes changes the direction of many women’s pregnancies. Once the determination is made, things are not so straightforward after that. In this podcast we will explore how the path to birth changes once a diagnosis is made and what women can do to have a birth with as few complications as possible. We also look at what women can do to prevent the diagnosis in the first place.

We discussed this important topic with Lily Nichols, who is a Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, researcher, and author with a passion for evidence-based prenatal nutrition guidance. Her work is known for being research-focused, thorough, and critical of outdated dietary guidelines. She is the co-founder of the Women’s Health Nutrition Academy and the author of two books, Real Food for Pregnancy and Real Food for Gestational Diabetes. Lily’s bestselling books have helped tens of thousands of mamas (and babies!). They are used in university-level maternal nutrition and midwifery courses and have even influenced prenatal nutrition policy internationally.

Listen and Learn:

How women can change things in their lives to avoid gestational diabetes
What impact exercise has on blood sugar levels
How much education most OBs/MFMs/FMOBs have in nutrition and gestational diabetes
What tests are currently used to look for gestational diabetes and how accurate they are
Why old standards of test outcomes are still in practice and what newer options are available that may be more predictive How the morning meal affects blood sugar levels

Resources & Mentions:

Lily Nichols’ Website

Related Products from InJoy:

Understanding Pregnancy Curriculum

Understanding Birth Curriculum

Understanding Prenatal Nutrition

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When a mother has the devastating experience of leaving the hospital without a baby and perhaps only a memory box, many in our society expect them to get on with living and go back to their normal life. But their life is changed forever, and many don’t recognize or acknowledge that. Today we will hear the story of grief, anger, a battle, and finally, a life’s purpose for one mother who had to walk this hard path. Through her mission, she struggled to get family leave extended to grieving parents, so no one would have to suffer as she did. She also discovered the importance of providing resources for self-care and connection to bereavement groups.

Elizabeth “Liz” O’Donnell is a steadfast infant loss advocate leading the charge in raising awareness and prevention of stillbirth and infant mortality. Her daughter, Aaliyah, was born still in 2020. Today, she runs a one-woman non-profit, Aaliyah in Action, keeping her daughter’s spirit alive, supporting mothers and families across the country who experience the pain of losing a baby, and advocating for legislation that could reduce the number of U.S. stillbirths. Liz is also a Director of Awareness for PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy, a grassroots initiative that advocates for evidence-based, respectful, and equitable maternity care aimed at preventing loss when possible. Before her advocacy work, Liz was a dedicated D.C. Public Schools elementary math and science schoolteacher for 7 years.

Listen and Learn:

What hospitals traditionally do when a baby is born still
How it feels for one mom to leave the hospital with empty arms
That some states give FMLA leave for the parents of loss, and some don’t
Why Liz created this package for other grieving moms
What is in the Self Care Box and why many hospitals now give out the boxes
How you can share the importance of post-loss care with your hospital or agency

Resources & Mentions:

Aaliyah in Action
Push for Empowered Pregnancy
Count the Kicks
Elizabeth O'Donnell - hello@aaliyahinaction.org

Related Products from InJoy:

Guide to Grief and Healing After the Loss of Your Baby

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Join us for the latest information on perinatal addiction. We will explore the most commonly used substances that affect the lives of families and their babies during pregnancy and postpartum. We also discuss the new legislation in some states that has changed the way that parents with substance use issues are treated. Since it’s been proven that punitive measures do not lead to change with people who have this complicated problem, new laws were put into place with the hope that women with substance use issues start prenatal care earlier. You’ll also learn how educators and other birth workers can offer resources for those who want to seek help.

Our guest, Dr. Kaylin Klie, MD, MA is an addiction medicine specialist who works at UCHealth in Colorado as an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and Psychiatry with a special focus on perinatal addiction. She is the founder of the Denver Health and University of Colorado OB Addiction Medicine clinics, which provide integrated peripartum care and substance use assessment and treatment for pregnant and mothering women. Dr. Klie has been on a steering committee member for the State of Colorado Substance Exposed Newborn task force, and the co-chair for Provider Education. She served on the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Maternal Mortality Review Committee, helping healthcare workers and the public understand the impact substance use continues to have on maternal morbidity and mortality in Colorado.

Listen and Learn

How legislative changes for Colorado families include that substance exposure during a pregnancy alone is no longer automatically considered child abuse or neglect
How a punitive response to substance use in pregnancy has negative health effects for families, instead of being helpful
What is meant by “context more than the toxicology” in helping to keep a plan of safe care for the family
That substance use covers a wide variety of products that people are addicted to
How to think about what kind of support a person who uses substances may need
When we welcome people with substance use into our services and classes, it helps them seek prenatal care rather than waiting due to fear

Resources & Mentions

Get in touch with Dr. Klie: KAYLIN.KLIE@CUANSCHUTZ.EDU

Related Products from InJoy:

New Parent Clips
Parenting BASICS
Stages of Labor
Understanding Birth Curriculum
Understanding Breastfeeding Curriculum
Understanding Fatherhood Curriculum

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Most of us listening today live in a well-resourced country and have access to skilled obstetrical/perinatal care. Although we do not have a perfect healthcare system here in the U.S., it is hard to imagine the realities of birth in the places in Africa we are going to talk about today.

When complications arise in the U.S. and other western countries, there are medications, supplies, and trained providers to respond in most cases. But in Africa, there may not be any skilled birth attendants or the equipment they need to save lives during a birth if things go awry. Many women receive little or no prenatal care. In fact, the lifetime risk of a woman dying from complications of childbirth in Africa can be as high as 1 in 38, compared to 1 in 7,500 in the U.S. Complications that may be handled without too much difficulty in a well-resourced country may lead to tragedy there.

In this episode, we will hear firsthand about the challenging situations and needs that medical providers have in various places in Africa as we speak with Dr. George Mulcaire Jones, founder of Maternal Life International. He decided that something needed to be done to improve outcomes and save as many lives as possible, while respecting each area’s unique culture. Through his eye-opening stories of mothers’ experiences, we will explore practical solutions to improve outcomes and how we can all help, even though we may be worlds away.

Dr. George Mulcaire-Jones is the founder and director of Maternal Life International.  He worked in Cameroon for two years with Mission Doctors Association and continues to work in various countries in Africa. He is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Medicine and completed a family medicine program at the University of Minnesota and an obstetrical fellowship at Sacred Heart and Deaconess Hospital in Spokane, Washington.  He practiced family medicine and obstetrics for 29 years in Butte, Montana.  In addition to his work with Maternal Life International, he is the project director for the Southwest Montana Community Opioid/Substance Use Coalition and has been a consultant for the Montana Perinatal Quality Collaborative. He and his wife Mary have 6 children and 10 grandchildren.  

Listen and learn:

Why Maternal Life International was born
How a stable family partnership impacts birth outcomes
How maternal death impacts more than just the lost mom and baby
Why having ultrasounds available increases the likelihood of getting other prenatal care
How in bringing medical provider training to locations in Africa, the teacher also becomes the learner
What the three “delays” are that impact outcomes
What causes stunting in children in Africa

Join us in supporting Dr. George’s life-saving work in Africa!

InJoy is honored to support the work of Maternal Life International (MLI). Their Safe Passages program is run by a very small team and can really use your help. Your donations will allow the program to purchase practical items to care for pregnant women in resource-scarce areas.

Learn more and donate.

Resources:

Maternal Life International – Safe Passages

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How can a free app help prevent over 30% of stillbirths in Iowa? Join us as we discuss the amazing organization that founded the project now used by many pregnant people to do just that. Megan will take us through the history of the organization and the development of the Count the Kicks app and other educational materials available on their website. She will also share the background and definition of stillbirth. The fact that stillbirth affects about 21,000 babies every year in the US should help us all understand how important it is to help parents take preventable measures whenever possible.

Megan is the Program Director at Healthy Birth Day, Inc., the national non-profit organization that created the Count the Kicks evidence-based stillbirth prevention program. She oversees the organization’s programming work, including grants, system and policy change work, and app development. Megan believes that knowledge truly is power. She used the Count the Kicks app during her pregnancies and has three healthy and rambunctious children. She is proud to be part of such an important organization with a powerful mission of saving babies.

Listen and Learn:

How the lifesaving organization began
Which number is higher, stillbirth or deaths due to SIDS
What are the disparities in stillbirth for Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native families
Why number of kicks AND strength of kicks matters
How the app helps lower parents’ anxiety and helps them bond with their baby prenatally
When and how to download the app and to tell others how to do it
What languages the app is available in
How we can bring this subject up with pregnant families without planting scary ideas
Who should be talking about the Count the Kicks app

Resources & Mentions:

https://countthekicks.org/

Megan Aucutt’s contact info aucutt.megan@healthybirthday.org

Related Products from InJoy:

Understanding Pregnancy Curriculum

Understanding Birth Curriculum

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About 10% of newborns will spend some time in the NICU, and you probably know at least one family who has spent time there. Join us for an inside look at the NICU with Megan Teague as she shares a vivid story of what caring for babies and families looks like on a daily basis. You will learn how to incorporate information about a potential stay in the NICU into your interactions with pregnant families to make them aware but not overwhelmed. This information can also help you understand the scope of work that goes on in the NICU and how to support families with newborns in the NICU as they navigate their NICU journey.

Megan Teague attended Regis University in Denver, CO where she graduated with a BSN in 2005. She has worked at Lutheran Medical Center her entire career, first as a mom/baby nurse and then in their Level 3 NICU for the past 17 years. She has an RNC certification for NICU, is a preceptor, and is a member of the unit-based council. Megan is also a supervisory RN at her children’s school, and she teaches several prenatal classes, including CPR/safety, grandparenting, and newborn care. Megan loves working in the NICU because it is the perfect mix of skills, advocacy, education, and emotional support.

Listen and Learn:

How nurses can be an advocate for the babies in the NICU
How family-centered care impacts the NICU experience
How nurses and other professionals can respond to the actual needs of patients, including teaching, negotiating, and respecting their needs
What key information families need before bringing their babies home from the NICU
What Family Integrative Care is and how many take advantage of it
How lactation assistance helps make sure NICU parents who breastfeed succeed
The impact PMADs have on families in the NICU and other available resources
What is “NICU-itis” and how it can be overcome
What safe sleep looks like for a preemie in an open crib at home
How Recovery Nurse Advocates work with mothers who have substance use concerns
What NICU information should be shared in childbirth education classes, if any

Resources:

Nourish and Bloom Perinatal Behavioral Health Program: peaks_bloomprogram@imail.org or call 303-318-2621

Recovery Nurse Advocates: Michelle Dueto (Michelle.dueto@imail.org) and Stacy Hernandez (Stacy.hernandez@imail.org)

Megan Teague can be reached at Megan.Teague@imail.org

Related Products from InJoy:

Understanding the NICU & Your Baby Curriculum

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Join us to better understand the poignant topic of perinatal suicide. Perinatal suicide is the leading cause of maternal mortality from pregnancy to 1 year after birth, accounting for 23% of all maternal deaths. Listen to learn about the static risk factors that can increase the chance of suicide, along with. some dynamic risk factors that may appear for the first time in pregnancy and postpartum. Understanding the warning signs is important for all who work with pregnant and new mothers/birthing persons. In our role with families, what can we do to listen and refer them to the proper resources? What types of resources are available in your area?

Our guest, Lindsay G. Lebin, MD is a psychiatrist specializing in women’s behavioral health and consultation-liaison psychiatry. She received her MD from the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She completed psychiatry residency at the University of Washington and a consultation-liaison psychiatry fellowship at University of California San Francisco. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Her clinical interests include integrated care, psychosocial oncology, and reproductive psychiatry. She also engages in scholarly work in medical education and has presented nationally on various education-related topics.

Listen and Learn:

Why suicide is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality
How suicidal thoughts are common and occur across a spectrum of risk
That screening for suicidal thoughts is an important first step and must be followed up by a risk assessment
What range of interventions are available and what the protective factors for suicide are
How safety planning and connection to care can be powerful interventions for many

Resources & Mentions:

Postpartum Support International Helpline – 800-944-4773 call or text Help to same number
Postpartum Support International
National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: https://mchb.hrsa.gov/national-maternal-mental-health-hotline
Suicide screening tools: https://zerocuicide.edc.org/toolkit/identify/screen-options
Colorado links, look for similar in your area:
Postpartum Support International, CO Chapter http://www.postpartum.net/colorado/
Parents Thrive Colorado: https://parentsthrive.org/resources/
Colorado Crisis Services: https://coloradocrisisservices.org/
University of Colorado Women’s Behavioral Health and Wellness Outpatient Clinic and Services

InJoy Products:

Understanding Postpartum Health & Baby Care Curriculum
Understanding Self Care After Birth Video Program & Web App
Complete Postpartum Teaching Solution
Understanding Pregnancy Curriculum
Understanding Birth Curriculum

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While witnessing the miracle of birth can be exhilarating, it is often wrought with circumstances that create stress, confusion, grief—and sometimes even burnout— in nurses, caregivers, doulas, and other birth workers. The COVID and post-COVID period has brought even more tension into the mix with restrictions and staffing issues. Listen to explore the problems and discover some solutions to make life as a birth worker more resilient and satisfying.

Nicole Heidbreder has worked as a Hospice Nurse and Labor and Delivery Nurse in various capacities for the last 10 years in the Washington, DC area, in addition to teaching Birth and End of Life Doula Workshops. As a birth worker, Nicole has been attending births as a doula for over 17 years in Washington, DC, New York City, San Francisco, Sumatra, Bali, and Uganda, in addition to working as a labor and delivery nurse at George Washington University Hospital. Currently, she also facilitates independent birth doula workshops and trains nursing students as a Clinical Instructor with the Johns Hopkins University Birth Companions Program. Through her work as a DONA International approved Birth Doula Trainer, she has taught hundreds of women over the past 10 years and truly believes that teaching maternal child health is her life's calling.

Listen and Learn

* Why over 38% of RNs are likely to leave their position in the next 2 years

What drains birth worker passion
What support is available to current birth workers to reconnect to the joy of birth work
How birth workers with different levels of specialty and education working together can create friction
When birth workers experience PTSD
- How a mindset of post-traumatic growth can be a game changer
- Practical skills for nonviolent communication for high-stress birth situations
- The best ways to use grounding and anchoring practices
- How to set boundaries and avoid saviorism

Contact Nicole at Nicole@gracefulfusion.com

**Resources & Mentions:**

Learn more about Nicole’s Resiliency for Birth Workers workshop here: https://www.gracefulfusion.com/

Related Products from InJoy:

Understanding Birth Curriculum

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Newborn babies get their first microbiome from their mother’s vagina during birth. The baby will become covered with this beneficial bacterial as they come out of the protected environment of the womb, through the birth canal, and to the world beyond. When the baby is born vaginally, they will have a gut microbiome similar to that of their mother’s vaginal and fecal flora. This helps set up lifelong gut health. But for babies not born vaginally, there are other ways to help insure good gut health. Join us for a thought-provoking discussion of why microbiome is important and how to help families advocate for procedures that will be beneficial for themselves and their baby.

Toni Harman is a graduate of the London Film School and has produced and directed a number of internationally-distributed documentary films, including: MICROBIRTH (about the origins of the human microbiome), FREEDOM FOR BIRTH (about the struggle for women's rights in childbirth), and DOULA! (about the work of birth and postnatal doulas). Toni’s extensive research for MICROBIRTH led to her co-authoring the books THE MICROBIRTH EFFECT and YOUR BABY’s MICROBIOME. Toni is a professional speaker at international conferences about the science of the microbiome and epigenetics. She also leads the MICROBIOME COURSES online school. Toni combines knowledge gained from researching the subject for ten years with her extensive experience of running educational one-day and multiple-day workshops for adult learners.

Listen and Learn:

* Why microbiome is so necessary for healthy humans, starting at birth

How initial microbiome is transferred from mother to baby
What happens with the microbiome if the baby is born by cesarean
Processes other than birth that can help increase a newborn’s microbiome
How we can teach these important facts to pregnant and new families
- How mothers can increase the beneficial parts of their microbiome for their own health and their baby’s

Resources & Mentions:

https://microbirth.com and https://microbirth.teachable.com

Get in touch with Toni Harman: toniharman@hotmail.com

**Related Products from InJoy:**

Understanding Birth Curriculum

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In 2016, when the NYS DOH put out a request for application to receive the Creating Breastfeeding Friendly Communities (CBFC) Grant, the Rockland County Lactation community united to support and work together for this initiative. At that time, 86.6% of new mothers in the state initiated breastfeeding, but only 56% were still breastfeeding at six months, and of those, only 17% were exclusively breastfeeding.

Patti's organization felt that connecting and supporting breastfeeding families beyond their hospital stay could make a big difference. The CBFC initiatives goal was to include physician practices, daycares, worksites, and public locations in the effort to support breastfeeding families for a longer period. Listen to find out how Patti and her practice made a change in the amount and type of education and support they were offering to their patients and how they involved their whole community in the effort. Consider if your area could benefit from a similar initiative!

Patrícia Soriano Guzmán is an Allied Healthcare Professional specializing in Perinatal Support services. She has pursued advanced education with leading organizations, first in Lactation followed by Perinatal Mental Health, Prepared Childbirth, and Infant Development. Patrícia is currently an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant® at Montefiore Nyack Hospital and is responsible for outpatient Clinical Lactation services provided in English and Spanish, as well as leading several perinatal-related programs and events. Since 2020, Patrícia has been featured as guest speaker for a variety of virtual events, and most recently, led a 20-Hour Lactation Education training as the sole-presenter of 11 live, interactive sessions for 89 healthcare workers. This program was part of the NYS DOH Creating Breastfeeding-Friendly Communities initiative.

Listen and Learn: 

Why families need continued support outside the hospital at all touchpoints
Where parents are likely to connect with those who can support them
How NYS increased the knowledge and skills of community-based organizations, primary care providers, childcare directors and staff, and employers
How out-of-hospital facilities or programs signed up for participation in the program
What Patti did to help implement the first obstetric practice in the area to achieve NYS DOH 10 Steps to Breastfeeding-Friendly Designation
How Baby Cafes and similar types of gatherings helped

Resources & Mentions:

Creating Breastfeeding Friendly Communities (CBFC) (ny.gov)

Get in touch with Patti: Send her an email at psguzmanibclc@gmail.com or Info@perinatalsupportgroup.com

Related Products from InJoy:

Understanding Breastfeeding Curriculum

Practices to Increase Exclusive Breastfeeding: Core Concepts eCourse

Practices to Increase Exclusive Breastfeeding: Managing Common Challenges eCourse

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Listen in as we discuss promoting Vaginal Nulliparous Term Singleton Vertex (NTSV) birth to decrease the risk of maternal morbidity and mortality. Dr. Lagrew agrees with a past president of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Vincenzo Berghella, who said, “Physicians do need to balance risks and benefits, and for some clinical conditions, cesarean is definitely the best mode of delivery. But for most (NTSV) pregnancies that are low risk, a cesarean delivery may pose greater risk than vaginal delivery, especially risks related to future pregnancies.” Working to decrease the number of cesareans that are not strictly for clinical conditions is something we can all work on. Educators, nurses, community health workers, and others can use the information Dr. Lagrew shares to help people avoid the first cesarean. This will not only lower unintended outcomes of the initial cesarean like hemorrhage and infection but also prevent problems in subsequent pregnancies.

Dr. Lagrew is a maternal-fetal medicine specialist and physician informaticist with a particular interest in maternal quality improvement. He recently retired as Medical Director of Women’s and Children’s services for Providence St. Joseph-Southern California and as a Providence System Provider Informaticist in Obstetrics. He has started his new role as Chief of Service, Maternal Fetal Medicine at Hoag Healthcare. He holds triple board certification in Obstetrics/Gynecology, Maternal Fetal Medicine, and Clinical Informatics. In addition to these administrative and leadership roles, he continues to actively author numerous peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. He is a clinical professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UC Irvine. He is the immediate past chair of the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s Clinical Informatics Committee.

Listen and Learn: 

That the absolute lowest risk delivery is a vaginal delivery after a previous vaginal delivery
The rate of cesarean birth compared to vaginal births in the US now
How an NTSV protects the woman’s long-term health, especially if she plans to have more children
How midwives may have a lower cesarean rate due to their practice of admitting to the hospital later during labor
How the shared decisions help prevent primary cesarean births
How having a wide range of cesarean rates, state by state, is actually a good thing
A sneak preview of the US’s ARRIVE Study compared to an upcoming study out of Canada
That robust childbirth education about risks and benefits including an explanation of complications and outcomes will benefit parents and will likely decrease the cesarean rate

Resources & Mentions: 

Nation’s Ob-Gyns Take Aim at Preventing Cesareans
Safe Prevention of the Primary Cesarean Delivery
Childbirth Connection info on cesarean resources
California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (many states have similar organizations)
Email Dr. David Lagrew: David.Lagrew@hoag.org

Related Products from InJoy: 

Understanding Pregnancy
Understanding Birth
The Stages of Labor

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Pregnancy and birth are often portrayed with a single brush as if all these experiences are basically the same for every birthing person. But for Lauren and her family, that was far from the truth. The anticipation of the ideal birth ended abruptly and unexpectedly when her husband arrived home early with flowers one day, finding her looking unwell. He talked Lauren into going to the doctor for a “just in case” checkup, which turned into a totally unexpected outcome for Lauren.

We will explore Lauren’s story to understand how preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome impacted not just her birth but continue to impact Lauren’s life to this day. In sharing her story, we will discover the tenacity of all those involved in her experience, including Lauren. During the conversation, we will discuss what, if any, warning signs were there that she didn’t recognize at the time. She will give us ideas for ways to speak to our students and patients about this still largely mysterious malady that affects 5 to 8% of pregnant people (and of these, 15% of these develop HELLP syndrome). Overcoming preeclampsia/HELLP syndrome takes not just a team but an entire village—and that is just what happened in Lauren’s journey.

Lauren Ward Larsen is a storyteller, writer, speaker, advocate, and former corporate and nonprofit executive. As a professional speaker, Lauren has delivered hundreds of keynote addresses at corporate meetings, conferences, nonprofit events, and fundraisers in the U.S and Europe. Based on her birth experience with Clare, she has added another type of storytelling to her repertoire. Educating pregnant families and medical care providers about her experience with preeclampsia has become a key component of her life.

Listen and Learn:

How the lack of information caused big trouble for Lauren: “I didn’t know what I didn’t know
The signs to look out for regarding preeclampsia, including upper right abdominal pain
How things changed for Lauren so quickly 3 days after a “normal” appointment
How her husband’s unusual mid-day personal flower delivery likely saved her life
While pre-existing health conditions like high blood pressure can be a predictor, others can be affected, including Lauren, who is an active athlete
How important it is for everyone in the hospital and medical community to understand the signs of preeclampsia, including the Emergency Department
The importance of listening to your intuition and not taking possible symptoms lightly
Zuzu’s Petals is not a book for pregnant people

Resources & Mentions:

Eclampsia Foundation

Hear Her

Zuzu's Petals: A True Story of Second Chances by Lauren Ward Larsen (on Amazon or other book sellers)

Lauren’s website: https://laurenwardlarsen.com

Related Products from InJoy:

Discussion and Warning signs in:

Understanding Birth

Understanding Postpartum Health & Baby Care

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Edit: When we originally uploaded this podcast, the wrong file was included. Oops! The correct file has been added, and we hope you enjoy this episode as much as we do!

Adriane Burgess PhD, RNC-OB, CCE, CNE, C-ONQS (she/hers)Director, Quality Improvement-Service Lines (Women and Children, Primary Care, Oncology)  Ob/Gyn Residency Research Director

Awareness of preeclampsia can reduce its impact for families. Two to eight percent of birthing parents have preeclampsia. The old adage that “delivery is the cure for preeclampsia” can no longer be used because we know that preeclampsia exits in postpartum, too. In this episode, we will explore current research on preeclampsia and how parents and providers can use open communication about the topic to create the best outcomes. Listen in to discover more about this hypertensive disorder of pregnancy and postpartum.

Our guest, Adriane Burgess, has been a nurse for 25 years in a variety of maternal-child health settings, including labor and delivery and postpartum units, maternal fetal medicine practices, and childbirth education classes. She is certified in inpatient obstetrical nursing, as a childbirth educator, in nursing education, and most recently, in obstetric and neonatal quality and safety. She completed her PhD in Nursing in 2017 and her dissertation research was a case control study that explored ABO blood phenotype and factors associated with preeclampsia subtype. Dr. Burgess works to actively publish and present her research and has won several awards. Her research interests include preeclampsia and cardiovascular risk and protective factors, innovative nursing education strategies, and maternal quality initiatives.

Listen and Learn:

Research on the current protocol to prevent preeclampsia
How chronic hypertension impacts chances of getting preeclampsia
How pre-pregnancy habits may decrease the risk
The importance of “knowing your numbers” (blood pressure) even before pregnancy
The importance of creating a postpartum connection for women with eclampsia, including mental and emotional support
Lifelong health implications of preeclampsia for women
The impact of breastfeeding on cardiovascular health and helping parents initiate and sustain breastfeeding, even if experiencing preeclampsia
The program at Adriane’s facility that gives each woman who has preeclampsia a blood pressure cuff and app

Resources & Mentions:

Preeclampsia Foundation
Hear Her
Adriane Burgess - for additional information aburgess2@wellspan.org
Zuzu’s Petals by Lauren Ward Larsen, publisher - In The Telling Press

Related Products from InJoy:

Discussion and Warning signs in:

Understanding Pregnancy
Understanding Birth
Understanding Postpartum Health & Baby Care

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The words bonding and attachment are common words, but what is the deeper meaning behind those words for new parents and their newborns or yet-to-be born babies? How can parents connect with their newborn in utero? How will the attachment before and after the baby is born affect the epigenomes, brain development, and future health of their little one? Laurel will take us on a fascinating dive into this topic to help us translate this information to our patients, students, and clients so that more new parents will understand the benefits of attachment to their new babies.

Laurel Wilson, IBCLC, RLC, BSc, CLE, CCCE, CLD is a TEDx and international speaker, pregnancy and lactation specialist, consultant, educator, and author. Laurel is the co-author of two books, The Attachment Pregnancy and The Greatest Pregnancy Ever; original editor of The CAPPA Lactation Educator Manual; as well as a contributing author to Round the Circle: Doulas Talk About Themselves. Her passion is blending today’s recent scientific findings with mind/body/spirit wisdom to highlight the magnitude and importance of the perinatal period. Spending 17 years as Executive Director for Lactation Programs for the Childbirth and Postpartum Professionals Association formed the foundation of her inquiry into the science of human milk. She has acted and still acts in many capacities locally and nationally promoting the belief that the journey into parenthood is a life-changing rite of passage that should be deeply honored and celebrated.

Listen and Learn:

The physiological and emotional process of bonding and attachment that occurs during birth & beyond
What is epigenetics, epigenome, and microbiome and how are they connected?
How epigenetics work in a human is based on the external reality of that person’s experiences
How the first 1,000 days of a baby’s life and their external reality impacts their organ systems
How most diseases are not DNA related but rather influenced by epigenetic impact
What impact chronic stress, including weathering, has on future health
How to teach parents to move away from stress when possible
What full engagement means during pregnancy

Resources & Mentions:

https://motherjourney.com/index.html (Laurel’s website with many more resources)
Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health
Kindred – One Family, One World

Related Products from InJoy:

Understanding Pregnancy
Understanding Breastfeeding
Understanding Your Newborn
Understanding Fatherhood

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This episode was recorded on 5/23/22

The students and patients that you interact with have far different expectations for learning than a K-12 student. They are with you for a very specific reason and expect you to give them relevant information they can use right away that they can incorporate with what they already know. Adult learners require educators to use some unique approaches that tap into both the art and science of teaching. This episode will give you some specific tips on how to incorporate Adult Learning Principles in your classroom or virtual classes.

Our expert is Kristen Gosse, MEd, the Learning Strategist and Content Development Manager for InJoy Health Education. She has a background in professional writing and almost 14 years of experience designing content for pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and parenting health education materials. Kristen explores ways to apply adult learning theory and the psychology of motivation to health education. If adults do not understand or feel empowered, they are at a disadvantage to make informed decisions in almost every facet of life. Her goal is to nurture this feeling of empowerment through thoughtful, engaging content and effective learning experiences.

Listen and Learn:

Adult learners need to be in charge of their own learning
Your students want to be treated with respect
Many prefer social interaction in the classroom or online
Students learn through doing, practice, and return demonstration
The “Fab 4” basic principles of well-known researcher in Adult Learning, Malcolm Knowles
There is no such thing as a learning style for an individual---everyone needs to see information in multiple ways to retain it
How reflection is helpful in processing information, so asking the learner to jot down ideas is useful
Why these principles apply to the classroom and the bedside

Resources & Mentions:

Engaged: Designing for Behavior Change by Amy Bucher
Designing for How People Learn by Julie Dirksen
Julie Dirksen’s website: https://usablelearning.com/
https://elearningindustry.com/the-adult-learning-theory-andragogy-of-malcolm-knowles
Healthy Content Matters: Bringing Patient Education Online

Related Products from InJoy:

Online Education
Books + Web Apps
PowerPoints
Video Programs

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Creating an atmosphere conducive to learning includes ensuring that your students feel understood and accepted in the classroom. Listen in as we get practical advice from Maura Jo, who has been practicing the principles of gender inclusivity in her life and classroom for over 15 years. You’ll pick up things you can use right away in your classroom, such as how you can use more inclusive language and ways you can make students feel comfortable while learning. Maura Jo (pronouns: they/she) is a Queer/GenderQueer, passionate, compassionate, and accomplished birth worker and wellness professional with over 25 years of experience in complementary and alternative wellness and over 15 years in perinatal education and support. They hold a master’s degree in Women’s (and Gender) Studies and certifications in many aspects of wellness and perinatal health and support services. They have worked in the nonprofit sector, in the fitness and wellness industry, in multiple hospital systems, in the Connecticut state university system as an adjunct professor, and have been running their own perinatal and wellness business for many years. They specialize in working with and supporting LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals, families, and professionals who identify as a part of these communities.

**Listen and Learn:**

We are not excluding anyone by including everyone
Tips for educators looking to use inclusive language in their classes
Why words matter – getting out of a fear-based brain to be able to understand the material presented
Visual representations matter too – how seeing others “like me” increases learning ability
Role model behavior to foster inclusion

Resources & Mentions:

Center Song Birth & Wellness

https://www.mypronouns.org/what-and-why 

https://www.badoulatrainings.org/ 

https://www.kingyaa.co.za/upcoming-events-workshops 

https://earthsnaturaltouch.com/education-%26-support

Related Products from InJoy:

Understanding Birth Curriculum (Uses gender-neutral terms and diverse families)

Understanding Postpartum Health & Baby Care Curriculum (Uses gender-neutral terms and diverse families)

Understanding Pregnancy (Uses gender-neutral terms and diverse families)

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Reaching more parents with solid prenatal education is the goal for most educators and hospitals. Learning a new way to do that was challenging in 2020 but through creativity and problem solving, many educators –just like our guest– found ways to be sure the parents they serve continued to learn. Join us to learn how one hospital has not only overcome the COVID teaching challenge but also created a mix of classes that will remain in place moving forward to reach more parents with the information they need for their pregnancy, birth, and beyond.

Evelyn M. Turner, MSN, RNC-MNN, ICCE, IBCLC, CPST, has been an active perinatal professional since 2000, working as a nurse in Labor & Delivery, Mother & Baby, Prenatal Care Coordination, Nursing Leadership, and as a Prenatal Nurse Educator in Northwest, Indiana and Chicago, Illinois. Currently, she works as a Prenatal Nurse Instructor at The University of Chicago Medicine, bringing her years of experience to the classroom educating soon-to-be parents.

Listen and Learn:

How it is possible to offer multiple classes in different formats to meet parents’ needs
Offering a variety of formats increases the number of learners who participate
Following up with online learners strengthen their knowledge through Q&A
What can be done for parents who speak languages other than what is usually offered
Promoting virtual and blended classes
How parents feel about their learning experience
Why it is important to continue with virtual and blended learning even with in-person classes available

Resources & Mentions:

Prenatal Education at University of Chicago Medicine
Reach out to Evelyn
Learn more about how to set up blended learning
Review virtual teaching best practices

Related Products from InJoy:

Online eClasses
Educator Media Library for instructor-led classes

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Note: This episode was recorded in early 2021. Some of the details in this episode may have changed

In 1956, Marian Tompson and Mary White, along with five other women, gathered to breastfeed their babies under a tree at a church picnic in Illinois when they were approached by mothers with questions, showing interest and looking for advice on successful breastfeeding. This event inspired a group of seven women to form La Leche League International to provide breastfeeding help and support to women in their community. Since that time, La Leche League’s peer to peer support, whose primary purpose is to promote breastfeeding, can be found locally, nationally, and even internationally now in over 80 countries.

Christina Faulkenburg is an Area Coordinator of Leaders with La Leche League Mountain Plains as a volunteer. The Area has over 40 Leaders in Kansas, Wyoming, and Colorado. Christina is a wife, mom, and business owner. Her daughter just turned 5! When Christina was pregnant in 2015, she started attending La Leche League Meetings and found support to be so wonderful that she became a Leader to help other families. The support helped her nurse for 28 months. She then became the Area Coordinator of Leaders to help support other Leaders help families just like her providing educational events and fund-raising for the Area.

Listen in as we explore Christina’s journey with La Leche League and how you can help families connect to this great association.

Listen and Learn:

About the history and mission of La Leche League International
How health professionals can get the word out and connect people to this free service
The variety of people that join LLL meetings and are supported by the leader and members
The main components of a LLL meeting
What effect COVID has had on meetings
What it takes to become a LLL Leader
How LLL has changed and the vision for the future

Resources & Mentions:

La Leche League International website

Facebook page for La Leche League International

Facebook page for La Leche League of Mountain Plains – Families

Related Products from InJoy:

**Patient and Family education:**

* ***Understanding Breastfeeding*** **curriculum** 
+ Videos &  PowerPoints
+ Books + web apps
+ Online eClasses

* **Breastfeeding BASICS**

Staff education: Practices to Increase Exclusive Breastfeeding

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The concept and role of a doula is better understood these days by parents and health professionals, but the reality of a doula’s life may still be a mystery to some. Today we will explore how Julie, who has practiced as a doula for 29 years, impacts the lives of the families she’s assisted as she shares her insights of life as a doula.

Julie Brill is the author of the doula anthology Round the Circle: Doulas Share Their Experiences. She has been teaching childbirth classes and attending births since 1992 and mentoring new birth professionals throughout New England as a member of the CAPPA Faculty since 2003. Additionally, she is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and a Certified Holistic Lactation Consultant. Julie is in private practice in Bedford, MA, where she teaches prenatal breastfeeding classes and provides in-home breastfeeding consultations. She is also the mother of two adult daughters who she home schooled until they entered college.

**Listen and Learn:**

How a doula – “just a woman in the room”—can make a big difference during birth
What studies show about doulas
How doulas have gained awareness over time
What responsibilities doulas have
How nurses benefit from having doulas in the room and learning some doula skills
What various models of hospital doula programs look like

Resources & Mentions:

Major Survey Findings of Listening to Mothers III: Pregnancy and Birth

Variation in Cesarean Birth Rates by Labor and Delivery Nurses, Dr. Neel Shah, MD, MPP

Continuous support for women during childbirth

Round the Circle and Birth Wisdom

Doulas Discuss Birth

Related Products from InJoy:

Understanding Birth

The Miracle of Birth 3

The Miracle of Birth 4

Understanding Breastfeeding

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Listen in as Laura Nance, a Senior Program Advisor for CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association), tells us all about the organization. CAPPA was birthed in 1998 and has a mission of “Education. Support. Success.” Laura takes us through how they have grown over time and what they had done to support members and families during COVID. She also gives us a glimpse of where the future is taking this international organization.

Laura Nance is the Senior Advisor of Postpartum Doula and New Parent Educator Programs for CAPPA and the co-developer of the New Parent Educator program. Laura has been involved in the perinatal world since 2000 and is CAPPA-certified and active in her community as a New Parent Educator, Childbirth Educator, Lactation Educator, Pregnancy Fitness Educator, Postpartum Doula, and Labor Doula. She is the owner of For Love of Baby, a doula and educator cooperative offering professional perinatal services to families. She has been a trainer with CAPPA since 2005 and trains for the postpartum doula, new parent educator, and lactation educator programs.

Listen and Learn:

About why CAPPA was created
How certification matters
How Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics promotes professionalism
That building bridges with other professionals promotes doulas and supports families
The family-like atmosphere that is a hallmark of the CAPPA organization
The secret of using a positive mental attitude to fix negative things

Resources & Mentions:

CAPPA – Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association

Contact the office at info@cappa.net

Call 1-770-965-9777

Related Products from InJoy

Miracle of Birth Volume 3

Miracle of Birth Volume 4

Understanding Birth

Stages of Labor

Pain Management for Childbirth

Understanding Postpartum Health & Baby Care

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Even in early nursing school Ginger felt she would write a book someday. Finding a need while working with her new daughter-in-law gave her the much-needed topic. Surviving in postpartum should not be as hard as it was for Ginger’s loved one or many other new mothers. To create a template for thriving and celebrating life with a new baby, Ginger called upon 15 other experienced postpartum professionals and parents, and they created a book that can be used by parents and professionals Listen in as we discuss the book, changes needed in our healthcare system for postpartum families in the first six weeks, and more!

Dr. Breedlove is a past president of the American College of Nurse-Midwives. In 2017, she formed a consulting company, Grow Midwives LLC, to educate physicians and hospitals while supporting midwives in the design and scaling of best practices in collaborative care models. Prior to consulting, she was on faculty a combined 17 years as Professor of Nursing and Midwifery at Shenandoah University and University of Kansas School of Nursing founding program director. She co-founded the first free-standing birthing center in Topeka, Kansas in 1979, the first Midwife service in Kansas City, Missouri in 1994, and established the University of Kansas Midwifery program in 1999. In 2016 she co-founded March for Moms with Dr. Neel Shah and has served as President four years. In 2018, Dr. Breedlove edited and launched a book for first-time parents navigating the first six weeks of pregnancy titled, Nobody Told Me About That!

Listen and Learn:

How a lack of educational support before and during postpartum negatively impacts bringing baby home
The mental and emotional impact of feeling unprepared
How postpartum deaths could be prevented with accurate information
One of the most important tools for new parents is learning to use their voice
How to create a safer postpartum system by using inter-professional contact after leaving the hospital
Change can happen when demand comes from parents, employers, legislators, community members and healthcare professionals
About postpartum concerns from 16 women’s health professionals

Resources & Mentions:

www.nobodytoldmeaboutthat.com

www.Marchformoms.org

www.Growmidwives.org

Related Products from InJoy

Understanding Postpartum Health & Baby Care

Understanding Fatherhood

Parenting BASICS 0-6 months, Self-Care for Moms

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DONA International was one of the first doula organizations in the United States. Starting out as Doulas of North America in 1992, they quickly saw the need for doulas around the world. In the early 2000s, they became DONA International. Listen in to see where and why they started. Melissa will explain her passion, and the passion of the organization, to make sure that doula clients and birthing families get the support needed in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum! We will also get a glimpse of where this dynamic organization is going in the future.

Immediate past president of DONA International, Melissa began serving birthing families in January 2002 through her practice at Capital City Doula Services. Certified with DONA International in 2003, and Lamaze International in 2005, Melissa has worked with more than 1,500 families as a labor doula and/or childbirth educator. As a DONA-approved trainer, Melissa offers training and mentorship opportunities for new doulas and has trained over 600 new doulas, primarily in the Southeastern U.S. She is also a certified lactation counselor and a Fellow in the Academy of Childbirth Educators. Listen and Learn:

How the Greek word meaning servant has become a profession and a model for their philosophy behind serving families in the childbearing year
How Doulas of North America started and who are the founders
Why doula care is important to birthing and new families
Why certification can be important for doulas
What DONA International is doing to enhance and sustain the doula profession in the future
How to change “awareness into action” when considering health equity
How you can be involved with DONA as a volunteer

Resources & Mentions:

DONA International

Join as a volunteer! Email nominations@dona.org to find out what positions are open

**Related Products from InJoy:**

Understanding Birth

Understanding Breastfeeding

Understanding Postpartum Health & Baby Care

Understanding Your Newborn

Pain Management For Childbirth

The Miracle of Birth

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When Jen was pregnant in 2010, she realized that she was being treated differently because she exists in a larger body. Determined to make her plan for an unmedicated birth a reality, Jen researched and found a midwife who supported and encouraged her to pursue the birth plan she wanted. After the birth of her baby, she decided to start a blog to share her story, but soon it was clear that this was not just about her own story. She became a childbirth educator and created an evidence-based website and podcast that includes positive resources, so she could change others’ stories as well. She now also sits on a National Institutes of Health panel to give input on creating the Pregnancy for Every Body program.

Jen McLellan is a published author, founder of Plus Size Birth, and host of the Plus Mommy Podcast. She helps people navigate the world of plus size pregnancy, shares tips for embracing your body, and laughs her way through the adventures of parenthood. Her work has been featured in major publications such as The New York Times, Glamour, Todays Parent, Huffington Post, and International Doula. As a public speaker, Jen has spoken at numerous events including presenting at the National Institutes of Health. Jen is also a certified childbirth educator, wife, and mother to a charismatic ten-year-old.

Listen in as we explore Jen’s journey and learn important information we can use in our lives and practices every day.

Listen and Learn:

* How to help women understand their options based on their personal health and not only their BMI

What can be done to increase the number of size-inclusive healthcare providers available
The difference between relative risk and actual risk when assigning a risk status
How COVID may impact plus-size patients who may be mistreated if attending an appointment on their own and what tools can be used to prevent that
What ideas can be implemented to create a size-friendly environment
The shocking stats on cesarean rates based on BMI
How important this topic is: Jen has reached 6 million page views on her website, 150 thousand downloads on her podcast

Resources & Mentions:

Plus Size Birth Website & Blog

Plus Mommy Podcast

My Plus Size Pregnancy Guide

Size-Friendly Directory 

Pregnancy For Every Body

Health At Every Size

ARTICLE: Birth Outcomes of Women with Obesity Enrolled for Care at Freestanding Birth Centers in the United States

Related Products from InJoy:

Understanding Birth Curriculum

Understanding Pregnancy Curriculum

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USLCA (United States Lactation Consultant Association), founded in 2006, is an organization that supports the advancement of lactation professionals of all types in the United States. Their aim is to make sure all families have support to meet their breastfeeding goals by advocating for the value of lactation care providers who contribute to the family healthcare team and are active in other community health settings. Listen to our guests speak about the history, current activities, and their vision for the future of USLCA.

Michelle Stulberger, President of USLCA, holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Master of Healthcare Administration, and IBCLC (2014.) She is the Senior Director of Clinical Support Services for MedStar Visiting Nurse Association in Calverton, Maryland. During the podcast, she will tell her story of becoming an IBCLC.

Danielle has served as USLCAs Executive Director since 2014 after leading a continuity of care breastfeeding project at a non-profit in her hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska. Following her Bachelor's degree in Nutritional Science and Dietetics, Danielle earned her Master of Public Health. As a focus of her graduate work, Danielle developed a standard of care for telehealth in lactation and fostered an even stronger passion for breastfeeding and the important role of skilled lactation care. Danielle resides in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and their 2 young daughters.

**Listen and Learn:**

How a US-based organization can meet the need of lactation professionals nationally
What resources are offered to members and the public through their organization
How USLCA has assisted their members through COVID-19
What USLCA does to support certification
USLCA’s vision for the future including advocacy, inclusivity, and making lactation support a sustainable career
How you can be involved in USLCA

Resources & Mentions:

Visit the USLCA Website

Educational Resources from USLCA

Related Products fromInJoy:

Understanding Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding Basics

Practices to Increase Exclusive Breastfeeding: Managing Common Challenges Staff Training eCourse

Practices to Increase Exclusive Breastfeeding: Core Concepts Staff Training eCourse

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Curiosity about why one woman labored in a straightforward manner and a woman in a similar situation struggled much more led Gail Tully to ask why. She dug in to understand not only the role of the pelvic bones in labor but also the soft tissues that can either create a good pathway or block baby’s progress through them. Listen to her story and how she developed new techniques and reimagined some older ones to help birthing people create an easier path for their babies to emerge.

Gail Tully, CPM, is the Spinning Babies Lady and an expert in Fetal Positioning. A new paradigm emerged in 2001 with Spinning Babies® putting physiology first in labor progress to replace the high dependence on cesarean surgery. Previously a DONA International approved doula trainer, doula and homebirth midwife, Gail was a founding mother of the Childbirth Collective, one of the largest doula non-profits in the USA. She created the Hennepin County Medical Center’s Doula Project and led trainings for the Somali Doula Program and Turtle Women of St. Paul’s American Indian Family Center.

Gail Tully and her 14 Approved Trainers offer workshops and world speaking engagements.

Listen and Learn:

* How curiosity, coupled with solid understanding of anatomy and physiology created the Spinning Babies program

The impact of gravity on the 30 muscles in the pelvis and how to work with these structures
The things birthing people can do to ease tension in pregnancy and create a good path for their baby when birthing time comes
The various training courses and who they are intended for
Why so many providers are becoming skilled in these techniques

Resources & Mentions:

https://spinningbabies.com/

Related Products from InJoy

*Understanding Birth* Curriculum

Miracle of Birth 3: Five Birth Stories

Miracle of Birth 4: Five Birth Stories

Pain Management for Childbirth – Vol. 1

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Listen as Christen Sadler, Immediate Past President of Lamaze, tells us more about Lamaze’s beginnings, how they have grown, and where the future may be taking them. Christen shares ways the organization advances their mission: “Advancing Safe & Healthy Birth for Everyone, Everywhere.” Learn more about Lamaze’s current projects, including research and advocacy to help not only the educators but also parents in this country and others.

A Registered Nurse for over 25 years, Christen Sadler’s experience spans multiple specialty areas including gerontology, med/surg, women’s health, and community health, as well as nursing education. She has worked in various capacities in Africa, South America, and the Southern United States. Currently she is a student in the PhD program at Texas Women’s University. In fall of 2020, she will join the faculty at the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Nursing as an Assistant Professor. Additionally, she teaches as an adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas. She is immediate past president of Lamaze International and teaches private Lamaze classes.

Listen and Learn:

About advancing safe and healthy pregnancy, birth, and early parenting through evidence-based education and advocacy
- How birth is a transformative experience for birthing families, whether it is positive or negative
- How the annual Advocacy Summit transformed into two town halls & a series of webinars explore virtual teaching, small business loans, equity in maternal mortality, and for incarcerated women and other important topics for educators
- What new efforts are in place to increase childbirth education internationally
- How you can promote the mission by joining one of the committees, such as Research, Equity and Diversity, Outreach, or Advocacy
Resources & Mentions

Lamaze International Website

Lamaze Volunteer Opportunities

Lamaze Volunteer Interest Form

“A Key Strategy to Improve U.S. Maternal & Childbirth Outcomes” White Paper

Related Products from InJoy

Understanding Birth Curiculum

Mother’s Advocate: an InJoy & Lamaze Jointly Produced Website & Videos

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Rixa Freeze has a PhD from the University of Iowa and is a researcher, professor, and mother of four children. Her current research specialization is vaginal breech birth. She is the president of Breech Without Borders, a 501(c)3 nonprofit and teaches at a private liberal arts college. She blogs at Stand and Deliver.

Listen and Learn:

A lack of research may impede the view of breech birth as a normal life event
Training for delivering singleton breech babies is not very common in US medical schools
Research on breech birth outcomes is more available in other countries and some is now happening in the US also
Many of the studies present conflicting information
Not everyone with a breech baby is a good candidate for a breech vaginal birth
Those that are good candidates may be able to avoid a cesarean with the right healthcare provider
More breech vaginal births would likely be done if more healthcare providers were knowledgeable in the techniques, risks, and safety considerations.
Breech Without Boarders is doing grassroots training for practitioners to relearn the skills here in the US and abroad

Resources & Mentions:

Breech Without Borders
Vaginal breech workshops
Reteach Breech fundraiser
Stand and Deliver Blog
Breech Without Borders Vimeo page
Instructional breech birth videos (showing the normal mechanisms of breech)

Related Products from InJoy

Understanding Birth Curriculum

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In Life After Loss Part 1, Katherine tells her story of loss and how it impacted her personal growth and her family. Be sure to give it a listen. (Click here for part 1)

Listen to Part 2 as we continue to follow Katherine’s journey to becoming a Perinatal Bereavement Psychotherapist and having her Rainbow Baby Alice. She always desired to have a big family but after a loss there was a lot to think about. Getting pregnant again unexpectedly created uncertainty that Katherine and her husband worked through. But looking back, Katherine realized that she was just going through the motions of this new pregnancy. Find out how this new baby transformed their lives and how attachment is different with a Rainbow Baby.

Katherine Hyde Hensley is a perinatal bereavement psychotherapist and group facilitator skilled in bereavement. She has a broad range of experience and knowledge in the areas of birth, postpartum, child development, infant death, and grief. Katherine earned her BS in Public Health and Child Development and her MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Walden University and received her training as a Certified Postpartum Doula (DONA), certified Birth Doula (DONA), Resolve Through Sharing Perinatal Bereavement Trainer, Perinatal Loss Doula (LDI), and Palliative Care Provider from Harvard Medical School. Since 2008 she has combined her personal and professional experiences to improve the lives of infants, children, and families across Western North Carolina. Katherine lives in Asheville, NC with her husband Dave and four children, Elliott 19, Eliza 16, (Helen 14), and Alice 13.

**Listen and Learn:**

* How fear impacts pregnancy after loss

How caregivers could have helped lessen that fear
What her “ghost pregnancy” means
How Katherine moved from detached to attached
- What groups you should know about to help women you work with
- How online groups may be a benefit to both parents

Resources & Mentions:

Threads of Love

Star Legacy Foundation

Pregnancy Loss and Infant Death Alliance (PLIDA)

Katherine Hyde Hensley Counseling and Consulting

Related Products from InJoy:

Guide to Grief and Healing After the Loss of your Baby

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Loss is always difficult.  Losing someone you’re supposed to be meeting for the first time and spending the rest of your life with is even tougher.  Katherine and her family planned for a joyful event, the birth of their daughter Helen, but that turned to sorrow when Helen was stillborn.   

Listen in as we follow Katherine’s journey of becoming a postpartum and loss doula and ultimately, a Perinatal Bereavement Psychotherapist.  She will walk us through resources and research shaping the world of loss and provide ideas for healing that we can use with our families, friends, students, or clients experiencing similar types of loss.  

Katherine Hyde Hensley is a perinatal bereavement psychotherapist and group facilitator skilled in bereavement. She has a broad range of experience and knowledge in the areas of birth, postpartum, child development, infant death, and grief. Katherine earned her BS in Public Health and Child Development and her MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Walden University and received her training as a Certified Postpartum Doula (DONA), certified Birth Doula (DONA), Resolve Through Sharing Perinatal Bereavement Trainer, Perinatal Loss Doula (LDI), and Palliative Care Provider from Harvard Medical School.  Since 2008 she has combined her personal and professional experiences to improve the lives of infants, children, and families. Katherine lives in Asheville, NC with her husband Dave and four children, Elliott 19, Eliza 16, (Helen 14), and Alice 13. 

Next week, be sure to tune in to“Part 2: Growing a Healthy Rainbow Baby” to learn more about how the birth of a new baby after perinatal loss impacts the life of the family. 

**Listen and Learn (Part 1):**

Why support is important to families in crisis after the loss of their loved one
How the medical community still finds it hard to come to grips with the loss of a baby
How palliative care is crucial to this type of loss
The rate of loss in the United States
What to do to honor and help make memories after the loss
What steps can be taken to help minimize loss
5 steps to reduce the risk of stillbirth & perinatal loss
The Pregnancy Research Project

Resources & Mentions:

Threads of Love

Star Legacy Foundation

Pregnancy Loss and Infant Death Alliance (PLIDA) 

Katherine Hyde Hensley Counseling and Consulting 

Related Products from InJoy:

A Guide to Grief and Healing After the Loss of your Baby   

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Listen as Bonita (Boni) Katz BA, RN, ICCE, ICBD, IAT, CLC talks about the impact that ICEA has had on the field of maternal-child health and her own journey. Promoting family-centered care and freedom to make decisions based on knowledge of options and alternatives are the key tenants of ICEA. Boni’s own birth helped spark her interest in becoming a certified childbirth educator and doula with ICEA. Joining ICEA in 1991, she went on to become a nurse and has continued her work as a childbirth educator and doula. Boni joined the ICEA board 2013 and is currently serving a two-year term as the president through the end of this year.

Listen and Learn:

A short history of childbirth education in the US
ICEA’s journey from teaching parents to training teachers (and later doulas)
The importance of certification
The flexibility that is needed during times like COVID
The challenges of working internationally
Improving infant and maternal mortality

Resources & Mentions:

Visit the ICEA Website

ICEA Virtual Conference bundles

Position Papers, Statements & Core Competencies

Partners

The International Childbirth Initiative (ICI): 12 Steps to Safe and Respectful MotherBaby-Family Maternity Care

Related Products from InJoy:

*Understanding Birth* Curriculum

*Pain Management* *for Childbirth*, Two Volumes

The Stages of Labor: A Visual Guide

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When the “Back to Sleep” campaign to reduce infant deaths started in 1994, the rate of SIDS went from 10,000 to 3,500 per year very quickly.  Judy Bannon, founder of Cribs for Kids, realized that was a great thing but also found that some neighborhoods in her area had not reduced the number of SIDS deaths. She wanted to help.  Listen in today with our guest Devon George to find out how Cribs for Kids took on the challenge to make sure that families had a safe place for their babies to sleep, along with the education to go with it.  She will also discuss their programs like the National Hospital Certification Program to help lower the numbers of SIDS deaths even more. 

Devon George, MSN, RN is Director of Education at Cribs for Kids, where her primary focus is the National Hospital Certification Program. Devon joined Cribs for Kids after working in academic nursing where she oversaw clinical curriculum for ADN and BSN programs.  She also sits on the board of directors of Global Links, serving as the Vice Chair. 

**Listen and Learn:**

Why Back to Sleep transitioned to Safe to Sleep
1,600 partners nationwide provide the Cribs for Kids safe sleep cribettes and educational materials
Hospitals can become nationally certified by making sure all patients go home with education about the ABCs – Alone, on their Back, in a Crib
The importance of having all who care for the baby know about safe sleep - grandparents, childcare providers, babysitters and family
Safe sleep happens at night AND during the day
COVID created opportunities for new ways to get the education and cribettes to families
Everyone can promote Safe to Sleep

Resources & Mentions:

Cribs for Kids

Safe Sleep Ambassador program

The National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program

Ette Cetera – Support Cribs for Kids when purchasing baby necessities for you or your loved ones

Reach out to Devon George

Related Products from InJoy:

Understanding Infant & Child Safety Curriculum

Understanding Your Newborn Curriculum

Understanding Mother & Baby Care Curriculum

 InJoy’s 7 Steps to Reduce Risk of SIDS

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Thinking of starting or revamping your Fatherhood class? Ginny Robinson joins us to share tips and tricks to creating a successful fatherhood class. She offers ideas on formatting, marketing, teaching dads during social distancing & insights into what dads want to know.

Ginny Robinson has been a nurse for over 50 years and spent the last 32 years at her current hospital in Plano TX. She has worked in many different areas of maternal child nursing including lactation and bereavement. One of her main roles right now is community education including childbirth education programs and community outreach for all ages.

**Listen and Learn:**

The main things on dads’ minds
Team teaching creates more interest
Dads teach the baby about the world
Building confidence and empowering through class
Ways to market classes to keep them full

Resources:
Understanding Fatherhood
Understanding Your Newborn
Brief Prenatal Role-Play Predicts New Fathers’ Parenting Skills

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Listen as Nikia Sankofa, Executive Director, and Amelia Psmythe Seger, Deputy Director, unfold the richness of USBC. They will tell us about when, why, and how USBC was created, and what the organization's goals are for today and for the future to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding in the United States. The strategy and structure of the USBC makes it one of the most dedicated and productive organizations that support those who are supporting families.

Listen and Learn:

A short history of how USBC started
USBC is a “coalition of coalitions”
About the Awake to Woke to Work document to impact equity
The organizational change that allowed USBC to grow from 50 to 100 members in less than 1 year
COVID-19 Infant and Young Children Feeding Constellation is an emergency response, leveraging capacity through racial equity with 43 member organizations involved
About using spaces and graces at the community level to continue to grow in knowledge about equity
Ways that you and your organization can get involved – how in-kind support is needed

Resources & Mentions:

Visit the USBC Website

COVID-19 Infant and Young Child Feeding Constellation

National Breastfeeding Conference & Convening “Reimagined”

USBC Facebook

USBC Twitter

Interested in your organization joining USBC as a Member? Contact membership@usbreastfeeding.org

Want to offer in-kind support? Contact development@usbreastfeeding.org

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Many hospitals have pared their class offerings down to core classes and moved them online. Join us to hear Anne’s story about what those changes have meant for Anne, her staff, and the students.

Anne Wright’s background is in education. She spent 10 years working for Continental Airlines providing leadership development training to over 5,000 leaders worldwide. During that time, Anne developed a desire to bring leadership principles to families during their childbearing years. She began working at Texas Children's Hospital in 2004 as a leadership and organizational development specialist. In her free time, Anne became a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator and began teaching childbirth classes. In 2011, Texas Children's opened the Pavilion for Women, and Anne became the manager of patient education. Over the past six years, Anne’s team has developed standardized curriculum for 18 different classes. She put into place class standards, department policies and procedures, and a structured development program for educators.

Listen and Learn:

How to maintain quality, access, and innovation while changing how education is delivered
What complications had to be overcome in quickly launching virtual formats
Reasons for reducing class offerings to only core classes during the crisis
How virtual maternity tours can be beneficial for some parents now and even in the future
Skills her staff is developing in this time that will be beneficial in the long-term

Resources & Mentions:

Building Bridges: Virtual Solutions for Teaching Parents

InJoy's eClass Solutions

InJoy’s COVID Resources

Listen to another episode we recorded with Anne!

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Learn how an experienced IBCLC navigates to serve breastfeeding moms and babies in the hospital setting during the time of COVID-19. Beverly Wilhelm is a Registered Nurse of 25 years and an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant of 15 years in Women’s Services (primarily NICU and Mom/Baby). She has worked at hospitals in Atlanta, Dallas, and the Denver metro area. An Atlanta native, she has lived in Denver for 9 years with her husband, two teenage sons, and two dogs. She loves working with new moms, babies, and their families and enjoys the opportunities to educate and make human connections as a nurse.

Listen and Learn:

* Changes taking place when working with breastfeeding women

The impact of breastfeeding in supporting moms and babies during the pandemic
Breastfeeding and pumping protocols established to ensure safety of mom and baby
The differences in protocol when a mom has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or is a PUI (person under investigation)
Measures to keep the IBCLCs and staff protected during patient interaction
- Steps Beverly uses to keep her family and home safe and mentally healthy

Resources & Mentions:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/pregnancy-breastfeeding.html
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/breastfeeding-with-coronavirus

Related Products FromInJoy:
Understanding Breastfeeding curriculum
Practice to Increase Exclusive Breastfeeding: Managing Common Challenges eCourse
Practice to Increase Exclusive Breastfeeding: Core Concepts eCourse

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Today, we discuss how COVID-19 is impacting labor and delivery units. Carla shares the challenges and positive aspects of working with families during birth and postpartum. She also talks about how this pandemic is changing her outlook and self care, for the better.

Carla has been in the healthcare field since 2000 and a nurse since 2003. The primary focus of her nursing is Women and Family Services with 17 years as a Labor and Delivery Nurse. She now works as a Charge Nurse at Longs Peak Hospital, which is a community hospital in the UCHealth system in Colorado. She loves her job and taking care of people in her community.

Listen and Learn:

Temporary policy changes to keep everyone safe
How the staff is alerted to changes in the system, including 36 updates so far
The differences in protocol if a mom has COVID-19 or is PUI
How nurses are keeping themselves and their families protected from the virus
How her team is becoming stronger as a result of the crisis

Resources & Mentions:

Care of Pregnant Women with COVID-10 in Labor and Delivery
InJoy Resources for COVID-19

Related Products from InJoy:

Understanding Birth
Pain Management, Vol 1 and 2
Understanding Mother & Baby Care

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In the second episode in our COVID-19 series, we speak with Dawn Dudley, Ph.D. to explore the processes of creating a rapid COVID-19 test in one lab in Wisconsin. When it became apparent that diagnostic tests for coronavirus were unavailable to most people with symptoms who were not hospitalized, Dawn began working with another scientist in the laboratory to try to develop a method to diagnose this virus using unique materials. Optimizing this new coronavirus test is what Dawn is primarily working on in the laboratory today.

Dawn obtained her Ph.D. in Molecular and Microbiology at Case Western Reserve University where she studied HIV drug resistance. Dawn then moved to the University of Wisconsin-Madison for her post-doc where she continued to study HIV drug resistance in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine under the supervision of Dr. David O'Connor. She continues to work with Dr. O'Connor as a senior scientist in the laboratory. About four years ago, Dawn started working on Zika virus with close collaborators from Brazil and developed the first nonhuman primate animal model to study Zika virus in pregnancy. She continues to work on many Zika-related projects, which has given her many opportunities to speak at international meetings and in labs all over the world.

Listen and Learn:

The next wave of maternal/child health diseases Dawn is researching
- How her lab was able to quickly switch to focusing on creating COVID-19 tests
- The process of creating a test, including collaboration with other universities
- The timeline for implementing the test kit to healthcare facilities and for home use
- How an effective test can help bring a lessening to COVID-19
Resources & Mentions:

Why COVID tests like Dawn is helping to create are so important

InJoy Resources for COVID-19

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In this episode, we will discuss the mental-health needs of families birthing babies during a time of crisis. We will explore what unique issues pregnant and new families have now and how a therapist can provide needed support. We speak with Sharon Storton, a Canadian Registered Psychologist, a Couple and Family Therapist, and a Certified Hypnotherapist, specializing in perinatal mental health and women's wellness. Sharon has worked with families in the childbearing period for more than three decades: as a mental health professional and, previously, as an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, childbirth educator, and doula. Sharon has applied her passion for women and family wellness to a private psychotherapy practice, to leadership roles both within non-profit organizations and on boards of directors, and as a writer and a speaker.

Listen and Learn:

* How can professionals provide mental health services in this time of social distancing?

What types of things are troubling families during this pandemic?
How does this time of uncertainty affect the mother/baby bond?
Is postpartum mood and anxiety disorder going to be more prevalent now?
How can we help families seek mental health help?

Resources & Mentions:
Postpartum Support International
InJoy Resources for COVID-19
Connect with Sharon
jane.app

Related Products from InJoy

Understanding Mother & Baby Care Curriculum
- Recognizing & Treating Postpartum Depression

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First love is often thought of as special, sweet and innocent. But sometimes that relationship can turn toxic. As health professionals, we can make a difference in a young person’s life. In this episode we will discuss how pregnant and parenting teens are affected by abuse from a dating partner. We will also learn how to build a trusting relationship with teens, even if you only have a short amount of time. Our guest is Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski who is a sexuality educator and counselor along with being the past president of Lamaze International and a certified childbirth educator. Her master’s and doctorate are in education. She has worked with 250,000 teens, including serving over 15,000 teen parents.

Listen and Learn:

Rate of teens involved in intimate partner violence
Signs of intimate partner abuse
How to connect so that young people feel open to share this information Why someone would stay in a bad relationship
How to help young people respect and love themselves enough to create good boundaries

Resources & Mentions:

Contact Mary Jo at podmj@healthyteens.com
HealthyTeens.com
How to tell if you’re in an abusive relationship – written by Mary Jo Podgurski
loveisrespect.org

Related Products from InJoy:

Healthy Steps for Teen Parents
Life Skills for Teen Parents
Parenting Basics: Self-Care for Moms Series
Sex Smart for Teens

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Having a baby is a special time in parents’ lives. Grandparents remember the good and not so good times of bringing up their own babies. They remember what worked for them and want to pass that information on to their children. However, best practices change frequently with maternal-child health. What the grandparents were taught as gospel has very likely been replaced with new evidence-based information. Learning that new information from a professional is sometimes easier than hearing it from their own children. So brings the birth of grandparenting classes!

Our guest, Andi Quinn has her bachelor’s in nursing and is the Maternal Child Nursing Coordinator in the Birth Care Center at UnityPoint Health St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where they offer 20 different classes for the childbearing year. Based on her own good experience when she took a Lamaze class with her first baby, she ended up helping to teach the class and grew into replacing the teacher when that teacher moved on. She has loved teaching for the past 40 some years. She is certified in several Maternal Child programs and heads a staff of talented educators. Her goal in all classes is to educate and empower women and families. She loves watching student bloom and grow their confidence right before her eyes.

Listen and Learn:

Why grandparenting classes are more popular now than ever before
Why adult children think that grandparenting classes are valuable
The various roles modern grandparents are asked to play
Curriculum and marketing ideas

Resources & Mentions:

Contact Andi at andi.quinn@unitypoint.org
Grandparenting Class Evaluation

Related Products from InJoy:

Understanding Grandparenting

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We spoke with Dr. Kimberly Dever of South Shore Hospital and Amber Weiseth of Ariadne Labs about the Team Birth Project. This collaborative effort changes the standard approach to clinical care and has earned national attention. Their strategies foster communication and empower women and families with the goal of improving the safety and dignity of childbirth.

Kimberly Dever, MD, FACOG, is Vice President of Medical Affairs for South Shore Health and Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at South Shore Hospital. After attending Boston University School of Medicine, Dr. Dever began her career in the US Army where she served and cared for women in the military and their family members while training at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. As a senior leader at South Shore Hospital, she strives to offer the best care to patients through open communication and strong relationships.

Amber Weiseth DNP, RNC-OB is the Associate Director for the Delivery Decisions Initiative (DDI) at Ariadne Labs, where she oversees the design, measurement, and implementation of the Team Birth Project. Amber has been an obstetric nurse for 15 years, specializing in quality improvement and project implementation. Prior to joining Ariadne Labs, Amber served as Assistant Director for Maternal-Infant Health Initiatives at the Washington State Hospital Association where she led safety and quality work in the state’s birthing hospitals.

Listen and Learn:

What the Team Birth Project is working to achieve
What is being done to solve for the grey
How the Team Birth Project initiative has affected the cesarean rate
Patient and clinician experiences with the Team Birth Project
What’s next for the project

Resources & Mentions:

Ariadne Labs

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Today we will explore the transition dads and partners face during pregnancy and postpartum that sometimes leads to paternal perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Dr. Kevin Gruenberg, PsyD, is a psychologist in private practice in Los Angeles who co-developed a home visitation program for fathers and their young children meant to promote paternal engagement and family wellbeing. Gabrielle Kaufman (MA, LPCC, BC-DMT, NCC, PMH-C) is a licensed professional clinical counselor with over 25 years’ experience providing services to new parents, particularly those suffering from symptoms of postpartum depression.

Listen and Learn:

Rate of mood disorders in fathers compared to mothers
Changes in hormone levels of the father or partner
When Dad’s mood disorders most commonly occur
Dads matter! What dads/partners uniquely offer that enhances baby’s development

Resources & Mentions:

Contact Kevin Gruenberg
Contact Gabrielle Kaufman

Resources to share with families

https://www.postpartum.net/get-help/resources-for-fathers/
https://www.padrecadre.com/

Check out our previous InCast episode with Gabrielle about Maternal PMAD

Related Products from InJoy:

Dad Difference
Recognizing & Treating Postpartum Depression

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Parents of multiples face unique challenges. Today we will be speaking with Nancy Bowers about the importance of multiples-focused classes, what’s new in research, and trends surrounding multiple births. Nancy Bowers, BSN, RN, MPH, is a perinatal nurse educator with 40 years in maternal-infant and infertility care. A mother of twins herself, she is a passionate advocate for the unique needs of twins and other multiples. Through her company, Marvelous Multiples, Inc., she has brought specialized prenatal education to thousands of multiple birth families across the US and Canada since 1992. Nancy is the author of The Multiple Pregnancy SourceBook, and the chapter on multiple gestation for AWHONN's Perinatal Textbook. She recently retired from her 9-year-role as the Manager of Continuing Education for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine where she was responsible for the continuing education for 8,000 multidisciplinary members worldwide. She is now working as a health education consultant and medical editor.

Listen and Learn:

Trends and research concerning twins and higher order multiples
The most important factors that predict length of pregnancy and health of newborns for multiples
How classes specific to multiples increase skills and confidence in families with multiples
Things to think about when creating structure and timing of multiples classes
Ways to educate moms who cannot attend in-person classes

Resources & Mentions:

Contact Nancy for more information at marvmult@aol.com

Related Products from InJoy:

Understanding Your Multiples Curriculum

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Health systems continue to expand their reach, so it is important to consolidate resources and programs. Offering cohesive educational resources to patients can be part of the consolidation. Jessica Sember received her MSN with a specialization of Leadership and Organizational Development. Jessica's nursing career has been within women's health. She has had various roles in labor and delivery, childbirth education, and as a lactation consultant. She is currently the perinatal education coordinator for her health system. Listen and learn as we discuss coordinated education and some tips for success in standardizing materials, improving marketing for classes and the importance of communication among staff.

Listen and Learn:

How health systems benefit from offering coordinated education across the organization
What challenges need to be faced when setting up a coordinated education program
Ways that increase cohesiveness among the education staff
How consistent curriculum and material make a difference to patients, staff and providers

Jessica can be reached for more information at jnsember@geisinger.edu.

Related Products from InJoy:

Understanding Curriculums

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Bringing a baby home can be one of the best days of a family’s life, but what happens when they also bring home birth trauma at the same time? While only 9% of women who give birth in the US experience birth PTSD, trauma can affect up to 25% of postpartum women. Today we are joined by Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, a health psychologist, IBCLC, owner of Praeclarus Press, and editor-in-chief of two peer-reviewed journals. She takes time out to talk to us about Psychological Trauma in Birth and how we can help to prevent or mitigate its effects on the mother and family.

Listen and Learn:

What can cause psychological birth trauma and what it looks like
What would change if we always considered the impact of how we treat mothers and whether it fosters oxytocin
Where parents can turn for help if trauma has occurred
How trauma can be treated and minimized with quick response

Resources & Mentions:

The National Center for PTSD

Birth Interventions Related to Lower Rates of Exclusive Breastfeeding and Increased Risk of Postpartum Depression in a Large Sample by Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

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This week we are speaking with Laurel Wilson about new findings in the interaction of epigenetics and the human microbiome as it relates to pregnancy and newborns and how it is a significant predictor of health outcomes. Laurel is an international speaker, pregnancy and breastfeeding specialist, consultant, and author, including co-author of two books on pregnancy. She loves to blend recent scientific findings with mind/body/spirit wisdom.

Listen & Learn:

What is epigenetics? How does it affect our DNA?
What microbiome is and how it relates to epigenetics
What healthcare providers and families need to think about when making decisions that can affect epigenetics and the microbiome for moms and babies
When the most sensitive period of epigenetic change to the DNA is for the child

Resources & Mentions:

The Human Genome Project

Related Products from InJoy:

Understanding Pregnancy Curriculum

Understanding Breastfeeding Curriculum

Practices to Increase Exclusive Breastfeeding: Core Concepts eCourse

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Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH, CLC, AdvCD(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, is a busy mother of nine who got her start in reproductive health education and is the author of many pregnancy and parenting books & articles. Robin is also the winner of Lamaze International’s prestigious Elisabeth Bing Award for “outstanding contribution to childbirth on a national level” and their President’s Award for her work with The Birth Survey. She also received the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services’ (CIMS) Forum Award. She is a member of the Birth Care Network Board of Directors that was honored with the Normal Birth Advocate Award by Lamaze. Listen to this episode to learn more about sexuality in the prenatal and postpartum periods.

Listen and Learn:

Talking more openly about sex in the postpartum period
The cultural misconceptions surrounding sex during pregnancy
The benefits of continuing to be sexually active during pregnancy
Signs and symptoms to put a brief pause on sex during pregnancy
How intimacy does not always include intercourse

Resources and Mentions:

Listening to Mothers Survey

New Postpartum Care Recommendations Released by ACOG

ACOG Committee Opinion: Refining the Postpartum Visit

Robineliseweiss.com

Robin.e.weiss@gmail.com

Related Products from InJoy:

Understanding Pregnancy Curriculum

Understanding Mother and Baby Care Curriculum

Postpartum: From Pregnant to Parent

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Jana McCarthy is an Education Development and Learning Consultant for Kaiser Permanente. She is a nurse, childbirth educator, lactation consultant, basic life support instructor, and native Southern Californian. Jana also teaches management of aggressive behavior and is a master diversity trainer. Listen to this episode to learn more about compassion fatigue, treatment, and more.

Listen and Learn:

How to recognize compassion fatigue
How nurses, doulas, and caregivers can support those experiencing compassion fatigue
The cumulative process of compassion burnout
Six self-care techniques to help reduce stress in your home

Resources and Mentions:

One Moment Meditation

Professional Quality of Life Scale

jmccarthy32@cox.net

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EPISODE 11: Flipping the Classroom with Online Learning with Martha Lasley & Sharlene Alt of Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies

Martha Lasley is the Nursing Operations Manager for Maternal Education at Winnie Palmer Hospital for Woman and Babies. She has over 30 years of experience in perinatal nursing and works with a highly-skilled team and a diverse patient population. Sharlene Alt is also a Nurse and Maternal Education Specialist at Winnie Palmer, with over 40 years of experience. Listen to this podcast for an inside look at the flipped classroom model for teaching childbirth education.

Listen and Learn:

What a flipped classroom is and how it can be beneficial
How a hybrid/flipped class model works for childbirth education courses
Tailoring classes to adult learning styles
Meeting parents’ specific education needs
How to adjust your classroom for a diverse audience

Resources:

Welcome Letter for Students
Preparation for Birth Instructor Agenda

Related Products:

eClass Suite: https://injoyhealtheducation.com/eclass_promo

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Laraine Lockhart Borman, IBCLC, is the director of outreach for Mothers’ Milk Bank (MMB), a Colorado-based program benefitting women and babies nationwide. Mothers’ Milk Bank helps women safety share their milk and provides milk for infants in need. Listen to this episode to find out more on the process and impact of milk banking.

Listen and Learn:

Four different types of milk Mothers’ Milk Bank provides
How the milk donation process works and how donors are screened
Why families are motivated to donate their milk
The evidence-based processes milk goes through
The two biggest misconceptions about milk banking

Resources and Mentions:

https://rmchildren.org/mothers-milk-bank/

Related InJoy Products:

Understanding Breastfeeding Curriculum (https://injoyhealtheducation.com/understanding-breastfeeding)
Breastfeeding for Working Mothers (https://injoyhealtheducation.com/breastfeeding-for-working-mothers.html)

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Kristin Glenn is the Co-Founder and Director of Outreach for 3HopefulHearts, a nonprofit organization that supports bereaved families through events, education, and remembrance. Understanding loss firsthand led Kristin to be a champion in creating protocol change during this critical time. She is also the Education Coordinator at The Woman’s Clinic of Northern Colorado. She has over 20 years of teaching experience, and is certified in Brainwise, Lamaze Childbirth Education, Child Passenger Safety, Happiest Baby on the Block, and is a certified Lactation Counselor. Listen to this episode for more on how to provide consistent, compassionate bereavement support at the different stages of grief.

Listen and Learn:

Best practices for creating bereavement protocols for clinics, hospitals, and community outreach organizations
Building a bridge between the family and the clinician
Helping families process grief through validation and acknowledgement
How to standardize training for every department throughout an organization
The top three things not to say to bereaved parents

Resources and Mentions:

http://www.3hopefulhearts.com/about/

Related InJoy Products:

A Guide to Grief & Healing After the Loss of Your Baby Book Plus Web App (https://injoyhealtheducation.com/grief-and-healing-book-webapp.html)
A Guide to Grief & Healing After the Loss of Your Baby Web App (https://injoyhealtheducation.com/grief-and-healing-webapp.html)

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Colleen Weeks is the perinatal education manager at the Kaiser Permanente Orange County Medical Center in Irvine and Anaheim. She has been a childbirth educator for over 35 years, and currently runs 140-150 classes every month. Listen to this episode recorded at The International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA) Conference for insight on how you can grow and improve your childbirth education program through teamwork.

Listen and Learn:

Using other stakeholders to help you attract parents
How to get clinicians and educators to work as a team
Creating your team of champions
How ICEA’s experts can help you and your team
Educators supporting educators by referring parents to other classes

Resources from Colleen:

For more information, contact Colleen at k.weeks@kp.org

Related InJoy Products:

Complete Curriculums

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Dr. Nancy Hurst is the Director of Women’s Support Services at Texas Children’s Hospital Pavilion for Women. She also oversees clinical, operational, and research activities for the lactation milk bank services and patient education program and is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Texas School of Nursing in Houston. Listen to this episode for more on the importance of receiving human milk, breastfeeding, and providing effective patient education in the NICU..

Listen and Learn:

Benefits of NICU babies receiving mother’s milk, even though it might not be at the breast
Barriers of using mother’s own milk in the NICU and how to overcome them
How staff training and shared initiatives can make a big difference
Helping parents understand the importance of pumping and getting support
Setting up the resource staff and materials needed to support feeding at the breast

Resources from Nancy:

The Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies

Related InJoy Products:

Practices to Increase Exclusive Breastfeeding Core Concepts eCourse
Practices to Increase Exclusive Breastfeeding Managing Common Challenges eCourse
Your Premature Baby DVD Series

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Natalie S. Burke is the president and CEO of CommonHealth ACTION (CHA), where she provides visionary leadership for CHA’s business development and model capacity building and programs. She is the co-director of the Health Leaders national program center and directs Kaiser Permanente’s Institute for Equitable Leadership in Baltimore, Maryland. Listen to this episode for more on setting the tone on health equity and creating positive change.

Listen and Learn:

Getting involved and thinking about how health equity affects different populations
How to create opportunities for people to be as healthy as possible
How constructive discomfort can inspire change
Introspection and our individual journey toward equity
How biases and decisions play into provider practices

Resources from Natalie:

Common Health ACTION
Bias Surveys
Unnatural Causes: Clips from When the Bough Breaks.
Equity Impact Review Tool
Genderbread Person
Natalie’s Blog

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Gabrielle Kaufman is the director of training and technical assistance for the Los Angeles County Perinatal Mental Health Task Force, a dance/movement therapist, and professional clinical counselor. She works extensively with new families and aids in providing solutions to many parenting concerns. Listen to this episode to take a deeper look at postpartum mood disorders.

Listen and Learn:

The two things to think about when it comes to baby blues
A breakdown of the cultural and clinical misconceptions surrounding postpartum depression
What the media doesn’t portray when it comes to postpartum depression
Ways we can normalize maternal and paternal mental health
How to spread awareness in clinics and classrooms with these tips

Resources:

Certificate training in perinatal mental health for professionals.

Self-help app for new moms.

Community health provider manual.

Free webinar series.

For local resources around the country and world, go to Postpartum Support International.

To learn more about Gabrielle, click here.

Related Products:

Recognizing & Treating Postpartum Depression: A Practitioner’s Guide

Understanding Mother & Baby Care Curriculum

Postpartum: From Pregnant to Parent

Parenting BASICS: Self-Care for Moms and Fatherhood Series

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Mac Macsovits is the executive director at the Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Association. He has made a career working in the nonprofit sector, beginning his career teaching at Cherry Creek High School, and then working with The Nature Conservancy and Special Olympics Colorado. Listen to this episode for more on how Mac and RMDSA work to support and educate families and medical professionals.

Listen and Learn:

What healthcare providers should focus on when delivering a diagnosis
Dispelling common myths of Down syndrome
How Mac implements education to inspire positive change
Why every child should be celebrated
How RMDSA and similar national organizations prepare and support parents, medical professionals, and social workers

Resources:

Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Association

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Vonda Gates is the organizing member of Prepared Childbirth of Tifton, has been a childbirth educator since 1991, and a DONA-certified doula since 1993. She currently serves the ICEA Executive Committee and is the primary coordinator of the ICEA Professional Childbirth Education Program Update Online program. This episode is a must-listen for birth educators looking to improve their classes and take new approaches.

Listen and Learn:

Three objectives you need to use to evaluate your birth classes
The importance of using adult-learning principles in structuring your class
How building rapport with your clients can create a more successful birth education class
Tips on pursuing a career in childbirth education
The ICEA ”circle of care” that revolves around the clients

Related Products

Understanding Curriculum
Understanding Birth Book + Web App

Resources:

"Evidence-based Maternity Care: What It Is and What It Can Achieve" (2008)
Childbirth Connection
Eight resources listed at the Childbirth Connection website at the "Advocates and Professionals"

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Debra Pascali Bonaro is the founder and president of Pain to Power, an interactive childbirth experience program. She is the director of the award-winning documentary, “Orgasmic Birth: The Best Kept Secret,” a Lamaze international childbirth educator, and a birth and postpartum doula trainer with DONA International. Listen to this episode for tips on how to move from pain to pleasure during childbirth.

Listen and Learn:

How to re-evaluate the language surrounding birth
What our culture does to frame birth as a painful experience
Barriers to opening up to the intimacy of birth
Tips and tools to help switch your energy
How to honor birth as part of your sexuality

Related Products:

Pain Management, Volume 1: Comfort Techniques
Miracle of Birth 4th Edition
Understanding Birth Curriculum
Positions for Labor
Mother’s Advocate DVDs

Resources:

To Learn More about Debra Pascali Bonaro and The Orgasmic Birth, Click Here.

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Dr. David Hill is a pediatrician and a national authority on child development. He is an award-winning author who consults, speaks, and writes on issues related to children’s health. Listen to this episode for a look inside the impact of media use on the health and development of babies and toddlers,

Listen and Learn:

Statistics on time spent consuming media from ages 0-3
How viewing media can relate and affect developmental milestones
How we’re substituting media and screen time for important learning opportunities
How screens are displacing healthy behaviors
The two main reasons parents are introducing screens at an early age

Related Products:

How to Raise Emotionally Healthy Children (DVD Series)
Parenting Basics DVD Library
Age Appropriate Play: The First Four Years
First Year Milestones: A monthly Guide to Your Baby’s Growth

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Gina Harris is the CEO of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (NILMDTS), a nonprofit that provides professional remembrance photography worldwide for families who have suffered a stillbirth or infant loss. She understands firsthand the difference NILMDTS can make by positively impacting others lives during extremely difficult times. Listen to this episode to learn more about the importance of capturing a memory as part of the grieving process.

Listen and Learn:

Gina’s personal story that led to her Rainbow Babies
The importance of creating tangible memories
Tips on how medical providers can educate and inform families about the NILMDTS services
Social media’s role in creating acceptance of such photographs
How the NILMDTS process works
Advice on how providers can take photos for the family if needed and other ways to support families

Resources from Gina that You Can Use in Your Practice:

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Website

Related Products:

A Guide to Grief & Healing After the Loss of Your Baby (Book+Web App)
A Guide to Grief & Healing After the Loss of Your (Web

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Laurel Wilson is the owner of MotherJourney, a comprehensive perinatal support and education business. She is the co-author of best-selling books, a perinatal expert, international breastfeeding speaker, and mother with over 25-years’ experience working with women in the childbearing year. Listen to this episode for a look inside how prenatal and postpartum cannabis use can affect babies.

Listen and Learn:

The myths and misconceptions about the type of people that use marijuana
Consequences of the use of marijuana in the childbearing year
How different concentrations and forms of marijuana can affect pregnancy and child development
Why federally-funded research does not include most cannabis users today
How cannabis use impacts breastfeeding

Related Products:

Understanding Pregnancy Curriculum
Alcohol and Pregnancy: Making Healthy Choices
Understanding Breastfeeding Curriculum
Breastfeeding Basics: Easy-Read Guide with TEXT4Video

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Show Notes

Anne Wright is the manager of patient education of the Pavilion for Women at Texas Children’s Hospital. She is a leader and organizational development specialist, a Lamaze certified childbirth educator, and a creator of structured programs. Listen to this episode for a look inside creating and enhancing childbirth education.

Listen and Learn:

How to create structure through standardization
The variety of classes Anne offers in her program
Four ways Anne educates
The criteria used when hiring new educators
How to implement both gradual and sweeping changes into your programs

Related Products:

InJoy’s Suite of Eclasses
InJoy’s Complete Curriculum

To Learn More About the Pavilion for Women at Texas Children’s Hospital, Click Here.

InCast: Recent Episodes

InJoy Health Education