Maggie's pregnancy went pretty smoothly overall, until she went to her 36 week appointment and found that her baby was frank breech. Maggie was determined to get that baby to flip and she spent the next week focused on positioning and body work. After lots of work and a very short ECV, her baby flipped! Maggie went on to have a vaginal birth and describes her experience as beautiful. Join us today to hear her full story! We also discuss her experience with engorgement, breastfeeding difficulties and a tongue and lip tie revision.

Mentions:
Lactation Support: Kelly Emory – https://www.babybelovedinc.com/
Dana Walsh Photography
Book: Precious Little Sleep by Alexis Dubief
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/597488577727460

Melissa had her first baby in 2016. Overall things went well, but she did end up with a second degree tear. After this birth, Melissa had a procedure called a sphincterotomy. She was told any future births would need to be a cesarean or she would risk further tearing and may end up needing a colostomy bag. Melissa had accepted this, but when she became pregnant with her second, she wanted to explore all of her options.

Melissa went on to have 3 more vaginal births without tearing! Listen to hear how she advocated for herself and how her 4th birth experience was different while having a doula. She also shares her experience being readmitted 3 days later with postpartum preeclampsia and shares some of her favorite postpartum resources.

Dr. Theresa Osmer, of Flow Chiropractic, is a Chiropractic Physician and a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner. She is trained to help her patients with infertility, pregnancy-related pain, preparing for birth, and much much more. Join us as we talk with Dr. Osmer about chiropractic care in pregnancy, postpartum, and even how she can help your newborn!

Links:
Flow Chiropractic: https://www.flowchiro.com/
Book:
Email: Doula@mydoulagr.com
Website: https://www.mydoulagr.com/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/597488577727460

Choosing the right provider in pregnancy is the first step towards a positive birth experience. There are so many things to look at when choosing your OBGYN or midwife. Join us as we discuss the impact the right (or wrong) provider can have on your birth experience and how you can find the right provider for you and your pregnancy.

Email: Doula@mydoulagr.com
Website: https://www.mydoulagr.com/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/597488577727460

Pitocin is used quite frequently in the hospital system to induce and augment labor. While pitocin does stimulate uterine contractions, it does not work the same as naturally produced oxytocin. Join us as we discuss the differences between Oxytocin & Pitocin and some ways you can be more prepared heading into an induction.

* This podcast represents the opinions of Emily, Lindsey and their guests to the show.The content here should not be taken as medical advice. The content here is for informational purposes only, and because each person pregnancy is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions.

Vaginal Twin Birth Story

Laura had originally wanted a non-medicated homebirth, but changed her plans when she discovered she was expecting twins at a 9 week dating scan. Her pregnancy went fairly smoothly, but towards the end of her pregnancy, her babies started to measure differently. Laura was induced at 35 weeks and gave birth to a 4 lb 14 oz baby girl and a 7 lb baby boy!

Listen in to hear Laura's full story and how she gave birth to her twins vaginally.

Resources:
When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads 4th Edition: Proven Guidelines for a Healthy Multiple Pregnancy by Barbare Luke

Tracking app - Huckleberry

On today's podcast we were able to talk to Dr. Katie Swanson. She is one of the Pediatric dentists at Pediatric Dental Specialists of West Michigan. She works with Dr. Stephanie Kloonstra out of their beautiful office located in Grand Rapids off of East Paris Ave. We talked about what age you should start bringing your child to the dentist, why a pediatric dentist might be the right choice for your kiddo's dental needs, and how mouth ties can effect your feeding (breast/chest/bottle) journey in unexpected ways. We learned so much from Katie! If you have questions or would like to get in touch with Dr. Katie or Dr. Stephanie at Pediatric Dental Specialists, you can check out their website: www.pdsofwestmi.com or you can give them a call at 616.608.8898. Thank you for helping us make informed decisions about oral health for our children.

Today on My Doula's Podcast we talked to author, podcaster, potty trainer, YouTuber, and Mom to a teenager, Jamie Glowacki. Jamie is a fast talking East coast gal who loves talking about how amazing toddlers are. Jamie reminded us that we are all growning and learning all the time, and toddlers are just doing it explosively fast! We talked about a lot of things, but if we didn't get to something you had a question about, Jamie has you covered. She has two books, one on potty training and one on toddlers. They are called, Oh Crap! Potty Training and Oh Crap! I Have A Toddler. Her Instagram handle is: Jamie.Glowacki You can find her on You Tube: Oh crap With Jamie. Her podcast is called Oh crap I love my toddler but holy f*ck. It was so fun for us to spend an hour with Jamie and we hope she was able to help you as much as she helped us when we had toddlers peeing down the slides at the mall.

On today's podcast we speak with Kathryn Wells who teaches Bradley Method birth classes out of her home in Caledonia Michigan. Kathryn is a Mom of 4, and an experienced birth educator. She shares the story of her 3rd baby's birth, who was born breach in 11 minutes in the hospital. It took a remarkable amount of advocacy for Kathryn to get the birth experiences she wanted with all of her births, and she strives to help parents in West Michigan achieve the births they want. The Bradley Method of birth education is a partner focused birth class that centers the relationship between the birthing person and the birth partner. Join us for a discussion on what you can expect with when you take this class. Next class series May 31st. You can reach her via Email: Kathryn.wells5@gmail.com or Instagram: kathrynwellschildbirthedu Facebook: Kathryn Wells- Childbirth Education

While a career as a doula is rewarding and empowering, it is also demanding and can easily lead to burn-out. Join us as we discuss doula burnout and some of the ways you can implement self care and set yourself up for success!

Very frequently we hear people say something along the lines of, “I don’t want them to think I’m being difficult.” This is in regards to providers, spouses, family, and everyone in between. Oftentimes these individuals feel a sense of pressure to make a decision, not because it is right for them, but because it is what’s more convenient or helpful for others. Join us as we discuss people pleasing in pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period.

Craniosacral therapy is a gentle yet effective technique helps your body heal itself by releasing tension through light touch. Join us as we chat with Kelly O'brien Pahman of Craniosacral Center of Grand Rapids. We discuss how craniosacral therapy can help throughout pregnancy, postpartum and with many common newborn concerns.

Today on the podcast we are speaking with Dr. Saxony Matousek, PT, DPT of Think Physical Therapy. Dr. Matousek is a Counterstrain physical therapist with a passion for helping those who are pregnant, trying to conceive, and in the postpartum period. Join us as we discuss how the Counterstrain technique is different and how she is working to help her patients care for their bodies.

Dr. Saxony Matousek, PT, DPT
Think Physical Therapy - https://thinkphysicaltherapy.com/
616-287-2662

There's a phrase that's used by many when discussing birth, “Healthy Mom, Healthy baby is all that matters” While this phrase seems like it could be reassuring, oftentimes it's use is invalidating, unhelpful, and devaluing of the persons birth experience. Today we will be discussing this phrase and others that pregnant and postpartum individuals frequently hear.

Join us as we discuss toxic positivity in pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period.

Katie had a very smooth pregnancy with no complications. At 32 weeks their baby had flipped breech and her providers felt that their baby was too big for an ECV. Her provider gave her the option to schedule a cesarean, or wait to see if baby would flip back over.

She chose to move forward with a planned cesarean birth as she has had a history of surgeries and was comfortable with that choice.

Join us as Katie shares her birth story and talks about her struggles breastfeeding and some of the feelings that go along with that.

Katie also discusses her experience with Postpartum anxiety, healing from a cesarean, and judgment some moms feel about their choices.

Rachel woke up the day before her due date feeling some light contractions. She went to her scheduled OB appointment and she was 3 cm dilated. Her OB swept her membranes and they hoped labor would start soon. Throughout the day her contractions became stronger and more frequent. Rachel and her husband Aaron ate dinner, took a walk, and started the miles circuit. Rachel got up and went to use the restroom and when she stood up, her water broke! Listen in to hear Rachel's whole birth story.

The postpartum period should be a time of rest, recouperation, and lots of baby snuggles. Oftentimes new parents surprised by some of the challenges that come along with this time. Join us as we discuss postpartum doulas and how their assistance can help you through the 4th trimester and beyond.

Join us as we talk to Reagan Gielincki of Empowered Feeding. Reagan is a Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and an Occupational Therapist. She works right here in West Michigan helping families with anything feeding related, from tethered oral issues, to optimal positioning, and she can even help with bottle feeding! Reagan also talks about the Tummy Time Method which encourages healthy development and connection. Speaking with Reagan was like connecting with an old friend, and we are so fortunate to have her in our community. You can find more information for Reagan’s services and her company Empowered Feeding at http://reagangielincki.com/

CW: Discussion of miscarriage

Join us as Emily shares her Homebirth story. This story includes several changes to Emily's plan and to her providers!

Photo by Annica at Sprout & Blossom Birth

Join us for a more laid back episode wrapping up the first year of My Doula's podcast! We discuss some of the professionals we have interviewed, some embarassing moments, and some exciting things to come! We have loved this first year of the podcast and are looking forward to another great year of birth stories, expert interviews, and doula discussions. Thank you to all of you who have shared your stories and expertise with us!