Babies in Common

Join us as we take a few minutes to celebrate the one year anniversary of the Babies in Common Show and reminisce about how it was started and we talk about how you can help keep us going!

In this episode, we talk with mother of two, Danielle Blanchard, about navigating pregnancy, Cesarean births, NICU stays and breastfeeding as a Type 1 diabetic.  After discussing the difference between gestational diabetes and Type 1 diabetes and then Danielle shares the interesting story of how she was diagnosed as toddler. 

We discuss advice she received while planning to get pregnant, diabetes challenges during pregnancy and pressures she felt about her first birth.  She shares the emotional process of being pregnant with varying blood sugars as well as an unexpected NICU stay.  She also shares her struggles with breastfeeding both of her children and what she ultimately thought helped her with breastfeeding her second for longer than two years. 

Danielle started a group on Facebook for adults living with Type 1 Diabetes in Massachusetts, the  Massachusetts Type One Diabetes Meet Up.  We also encourage listeners who are interested in learning more about gestational, Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes to see the website of the American Diabetes Association.

Recorded Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Recorded Wednesday, March 17, 2021 and today we are talking with our friend Emma O’Brien, long-time birth and postpartum doula and clinical herbalist. 

In this episode, we talk with Emma about how her interest in herbs started and her journey to become a clinical herbalist.  We discuss contraindications for herbal use, facts about using medicinal herbs and particularly herbs in pregnancy like red raspberry leaf and black and blue cohosh.  We also talk about herbal use during lactation.  This is a must-listen for anyone curious about using herbs in pregnancy and lactation.

On today's Babies in Common Show, we interview our friend Brittany Falcone, a chiropractor in Worcester, Massachusetts, who specializes in pregnancy and pediatric care.  Brittany shares her interesting story that inspired her to become a chiropractor and then we talk with her about what chiropractic care is and isn't...and what certain chiropractors with specialized training can do for pregnancy, including the Webster Technique.  We also discuss how chiropractic care helps with immunity, sleep, digestion and overall well-being. 

Recorded Wednesday, March 10, 2021.

Recorded Wednesday, March 3, 2021.  Today we spoke with two special guests about the new Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Law (abbreviated PFML) and how to best prepare for parental leave after the birth of your baby!  Our guests are Amanda Hemm and Sarah Douglas from Soutiens.

QUESTIONS we asked Amanda and Sarah:

1. While this law does offer many different types of family and medical leave benefits, today we are going to specifically be talking about the part of the law that provides paid leave for parents to bond with a child during the first 12 months after a child’s birth, adoption or foster care placement. Can you tell our listeners a bit more about what this new law provides? 
2. Are there any eligibility exceptions to this law? 
3. Speaking of FMLA, are there any key differences between these two laws?
4. Figuring out a financial plan for your parental leave is only one important part of preparing for life after baby. Your company website says, “At Soutiens, we are on a mission to help companies attract, retain, and support confident working parents. We specialize in developing comprehensive programming to help working parents who are juggling the priorities of career and parenthood.” Can you briefly tell us about the personal experiences that inspired your business?
5. In the past you both have spoken about how you want to help new parents plan their leave time “with intention:” What do you mean by that? 
6. What are three most important things that new parents should think about during their parental leave if they want to return to work with more confidence and less stress?

To read details about the new law, see https://www.mass.gov 

COVID-19 Resources for Working Parents
https://www.soutiens.us/covid-19-resources

To go to their main website:  https://www.soutiens.us/

Recorded Wednesday, February 24, 2021.  Our guest today is Kelly Bowen, DO, an obstetrician/gynecologist who practices in a community hospital in Central Massachusetts (and used to work with Melissa!).

Today Dr. Bowen will answer many questions:
What is the difference between a DO and an MD?
How long should someone wait to get pregnant again?
What is an IUD and why is it a great option for busy parents?
Postpartum sex: why is there vaginal dryness and what else should parents know about postpartum sex?
Should people wax or shave pubic hair?

Enjoy!

Recorded Saturday, February 20, 2021 and our guest today is Becca Parrish Snowdon, a psychologist who specializes in evaluating children to determine if they would benefit from additional services at school.

After receiving her bachelors degree from Duke University in Psychology and Human Development, Becca worked in a private school for children with special needs and eventually went on to earn her masters degree in school psychology from Northeastern and her PhD in School and Counseling Psychology.

In graduate school she focused on positive behavior supports for students and assessment of children ages 3-21 and did an internship at South Shore Mental Health and a therapeutic collaborative day school providing outpatient therapy, conducting psychological assessments and school placement assessments.  She did a post-doctoral fellowship at Mass General Hospital focusing on neuropsychology and assessment and services for children with autism spectrum disorders.

She is currently a school psychologist in the Newton Public Schools, specializing in early childhood and autism spectrum disorders and providing assessment, consultation and therapeutic service for children and families.

She lives in Central Massachusetts with her husband, 4.5 year old daughter, 2 year old son and 5 year old dog.

In this episode we discuss what an evaluation is, why they are done, how and when and by whom. We also talk about integrative schools, creative playdates, how the pandemic seems to be affecting children and what parents can do to help  the kids and themselves. 

We mention Early Intervention and how fabulous those services are for families. In Massachusetts, you can learn more about Early Intervention here: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/early-intervention-division

Recording of a Facebook Live we did on the Babies in Common Facebook page on Wednesday, February 17, 2021, discussing the Boston Globe article (front page!) highlighting our petition to stop certain hospitals in Massachusetts from separating birthing families for hours, days and sometimes weeks before they give birth.  In this video we also talk about what people can do to advocate for themselves and others and what to do if you are laboring alone or find out that your birthplace isn't going to welcome your labor support person in with you.
 To see the article: 
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/02/17/nation/childbirth-during-pandemic-parents-decry-separations/

To see the petition: https://www.babiesincommon.com/blog/post/stop-separating-birthing-families

Recorded Saturday, February 13, 2021 and our guest today is Caitlin Calonge (Ca-LAWN-gee).

• Caitlin grew up in Cambridge and Everett, MA. She found out she was pregnant with her first baby the summer following high school graduation when she was 18 years old. 
• She jokes that she has “literally had almost every job in the world.” She has worked as a waitress, in sales, as a public housing coordinator, as a personal trainer, and even started her own business called “The Crunchy Home.” But she really found her passion when she began working as a doula, birth educator and home birth midwifery assistant after moving to South Florida.
• Now back up in Massachusetts she placed her doula career on hold as she pursues a nursing degree at Bunker Hill Community College but she can’t wait to be back in the birth world soon! 
• She lives with her husband and three children (ages 13, 11 and 7) on the North Shore. 

Recorded Wednesday, February 3, 2021. 

Our guest is Jessica Shephard, who talks with us about her two homebirth experiences and how choosing homebirth was a big surprise to her Ecuadorian family!  

Jess was born in Ecuador and moved to the United States when she was almost ten years old and now lives in Central Massachusetts with her husband and two daughters, Gianna (2) and Lucia (7 months) who were both born at home! Her husband’s family is from the Dominican Republic. Her favorite hobby is singing and she can also make a mean hot chocolate bomb!