The topic of today’s episode is: VBACs or Vaginal Birth After Cesarean. I had the honor of interviewing Jen Kamel for this episode. Jen is the founder of VBAC Facts.com.  In this episode Jen shines a light on the misconceptions about the safety and risks associated with VBACs and we discuss ACOGs current recommendation as well as the data surrounding this topic. 

I hope this episode educates and encourages any parent who has previously had a Cesarean birth and is considering their options for their next birth. 

In this episode we discuss:

Jen’s background and how she came to start VBACfacts.com

What is a VBAC?

• Vaginal Birth After Cesarean: when someone has a Cesarean section birth in a prior pregnancy and then they decide that they want to labor and have a vaginal delivery with their subsequent child

Language is important! Patients/clinicians should use the phrase: “Planning a VBAC"

What risks are associated with Laboring After a Cesarean?

• The risk of uterine rupture after 1 previous low transverse Cesarean birth without induction or augmentation is 0.4% 

How do the risks of a VBAC compare to the risks of complications from a Cesarean?

• Both are associated with rare adverse outcomes
• The most talked about risk associate with VBAC is: uterine rupture after 1 previous low transverse Cesarean birth without induction or augmentation is 0.4% 
• A major risk associated with Cesarean is placental abnormalities like Placenta Accreta, this increases with each prior C-section

Do the risks differ with a first VBAC vs. VBA2C or multiple C-sections, or babies?

• Risk of uterine rupture decreases after a first VBAC
• VBA2C stands for: Vaginal Birth After 2 Cesareans

What steps can you take in pregnancy and labor to increase chances of having a VBAC?

Find out if your provider is supportive of VBAC

• Ask questions
• Ask for evidence
• Research your options for second opinions or finding another provider if your provider is not supportive of your choices

Mindset

• Surround yourself with a bubble of peace and supportive people
• Have a mindset of: I am going to Labor After Cesarean

Arm yourself with the facts

• You can talk confidently about your choices
• Advocate for yourself
• Familiarize yourself with the evidence 

How has COVID affected C-section rates in general, in the US? 

• Jen is hosting a panel to discuss this in the VBACfacts professional membership next month 

How to get in touch with Jen and VBACfacts.com: 

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

How to get in touch with me: 

• Instagram
• Find other episodes at: www.findingyourvillagepod.com
• Email me at [email protected] 
• Monthly Newsletter 

Visit www.keepsakecastle.com today!

Support the show

The topic of today’s episode is: VBACs or Vaginal Birth After Cesarean. I had the honor of interviewing Jen Kamel for this episode. Jen is the founder of VBAC Facts.com.  In this episode Jen shines a light on the misconceptions about the safety and risks associated with VBACs and we discuss ACOGs current recommendation as well as the data surrounding this topic. 

I hope this episode educates and encourages any parent who has previously had a Cesarean birth and is considering their options for their next birth. 

In this episode we discuss:

Jen’s background and how she came to start VBACfacts.com

What is a VBAC?

• Vaginal Birth After Cesarean: when someone has a Cesarean section birth in a prior pregnancy and then they decide that they want to labor and have a vaginal delivery with their subsequent child

Language is important! Patients/clinicians should use the phrase: “Planning a VBAC"

What risks are associated with Laboring After a Cesarean?

• The risk of uterine rupture after 1 previous low transverse Cesarean birth without induction or augmentation is 0.4% 

How do the risks of a VBAC compare to the risks of complications from a Cesarean?

• Both are associated with rare adverse outcomes
• The most talked about risk associate with VBAC is: uterine rupture after 1 previous low transverse Cesarean birth without induction or augmentation is 0.4% 
• A major risk associated with Cesarean is placental abnormalities like Placenta Accreta, this increases with each prior C-section

Do the risks differ with a first VBAC vs. VBA2C or multiple C-sections, or babies?

• Risk of uterine rupture decreases after a first VBAC
• VBA2C stands for: Vaginal Birth After 2 Cesareans

What steps can you take in pregnancy and labor to increase chances of having a VBAC?

Find out if your provider is supportive of VBAC

• Ask questions
• Ask for evidence
• Research your options for second opinions or finding another provider if your provider is not supportive of your choices

Mindset

• Surround yourself with a bubble of peace and supportive people
• Have a mindset of: I am going to Labor After Cesarean

Arm yourself with the facts

• You can talk con

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Here is the link to the Confident New Parent Class (formerly known as the Postpartum Class)

Here is the link to the Confident New Parent Class (formerly known as the Postpartum Class)

For those of you listening to the show for the first time, let me introduce myself. My name is Amanda and I live in the suburbs of Atlanta with my husband and two kids who are 4 and 2. I am currently training to become a childbirth education mentor and my goal of this show is to make the early days of parenting more connected. Please follow the show on Instagram @findingyourvillage to see more about birth, postpartum and parent mental health. 

Today we are discussing the topic of how to find childcare, especially if you are a first time parent. My guest is Shannon Parola, who has spent the past 15 years as a career nanny, newborn care specialist, and now mom of a beautiful one year old baby girl. As a mom and childcare provider, she has a unique perspective and insight for parents and nannies. Due to COVID, she’s opened a Childcare Coaching service to help parents navigate the various childcare options available to them. 

In this episode we discuss:

Things to discuss with your partner before baby arrives:

• What your childcare expectations are
• What your budget is

Two different ways to find a nanny:

• Research yourself, put out ads yourself and manage the interviews yourself
• Hire an agency (extra fees associated)

If you are going about it on your own, where to start looking: 

• Care.com
• Sittercity.com
• Your neighborhood/local community Facebook groups and Moms groups

Nannies vs. Daycares are like Apples and Oranges!

• Listen for Shannon’s fantastic analogy
• It often comes down to budget

Process for hiring a Nanny:

• Spell out your expectations in a job description: hours, pay, vacation time etc.
• Create an ad and post to the above areas to look
• Schedule and conduct interviews with applicants
• When you find someone that is a good fit, have them come over for a trial day or week
• Create a contract 

How to get in touch with Shannon: 

• Website: www.theviparolaz.com 
• Instagram

Visit www.keepsakecastle.com today!

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In this episode, I had the honor of interviewing my Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist, Shelley DiCecco. I met Shelley a month after having my first baby and she helped me in so many ways. She helped me heal from pain using the restroom after having a vaginal birth. She helped me heal from Diastatis Recti...twice, which is the focus of today’s episode. Also, I have an announcement...I am launching a monthly FYV newsletter that will recap the episodes from that month and a few other helpful resources about birth, postpartum and parent mental health. For those that sign up for the newsletter on my website, you will get access to a video of me demonstrating the ab approximation exercise that I used to heal my Diastasis Recti after both of my pregnancies. Sign up using this link!

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In this episode we discuss: 

Shelley’s background as a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist 

• Shelley is a PT at The Sports Rehabilitation Center
• She also teaches entry level Physical Therapists at a medical school in Atlanta

What does a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist do? 

My story with a Pelvic Floor PT:

• Helped me heal from pain using the restroom after having a vaginal birth
• Helped me heal from Diastatis Recti...twice, after both of my pregnancies
• Part of the program was visits to see a PT regularly and doing exercises comprised of ab approximations for 30 minutes a day

What is Diastasis Recti?

 When a PT is checking you for how wide a separation you have they should be checking in 3 places 

• Above belly button
• At belly button
• Below belly button

Just wearing a splint, brace, wrap or doing ab contractions will not bring the linea alba close together enough to heal. Doing ab contractions and crunches will actually make your DR worse

The only true way to FULLY heal from DR is to approximate your rectus abdominus muscles while you do rehabilitation exercise. How to do this: 

• Lay on the ground, push your fingers down into the sides of your belly, then squeeze your fingers and belly skin/muscles toward each other, then contract your abs in and hold for 10 seconds
• Repeat this for 3 sets of 30 
• Sign up for my newsletter here to see a video of me demonstrating this exercise. Including my adorable belly donut!

Exercises and activities to avoid when you have a Diastasis Recti: 

• Planks
• Crunches
• Ab exercises without doing an approximation first
• Most mainstream forms of yoga and pilates

How to find a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist

• You may need a referral from your OB, midwife or other practitioner, depending on your state and insurance
• Ask for a referral at your 6 week postpartum visit
• Go to www.apta.org to find a Pelvic Floor PT in your area

How to get in touch with Shelley

• Email: [email protected] 

Thank you so much for listening and don’t forget to sign up for my monthly newsletter to see a video of the ab approximation exercise!  

Visit www.keepsakecastle.com today!

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In today’s episode I speak with Christa Bevan of The Radical Mother Village about dynamic self care! 

Christa is a Dynamic Self Care Coach for Radical Mothers. She is also a TRE (Trauma Releasing Exercises) Provider and a Trauma Informed Yoga Instructor. What in the world are Radical Mothers, you might ask? Those moms who are doing work to break cycles of generational trauma by doing work on themselves to heal from their own wounds so they can model healthy behavior for their children!  If you are curious about what exactly dynamic self care is listen to the rest of this episode and I hope you can learn how to integrate this concept into your life.

In this episode we discuss: 

• Dynamic Self Care which is made of 3 pillars:
  • self awareness
  • self love
  • self compassion
• Dynamic Self Care is how you can care for yourself and nourish yourself on a deep level. 
  • She differentiates “Dynamic Self Care” from “Pinterest self care”
  • “Dynamic Self Care” are the activities to reset your nervous system and that nourish you on a deep level
  • It enables you to mother from a place of feeling calm, collected and in control
• Christa shares her Awakening to Love story
  • Her realization between the link between her autoimmune condition, Celiac Disease, and her realization that she did not have self-love
• Nervous System Responses
  • Everything that your nervous system does is in service of survival
• The types of stress responses that your body goes into:
  • Social Engagement stress response
  • Fight or Flight stress response
  • Freeze response
• How to use the Dynamic Self Care model to discharge stressful energy
  • Be self aware about the times that you feel activated, then notice things that make you feel nourished afterward vs. feel distracted
• When you are aware that you are in this state you can use activity to discharge the energy: 
  • Exercise
  • Physical movement
  • Crying
  • Laughing
  • Speak to yourself positively, imagine what you would say to a best friend and say that to yourself
• Cultivate a radical self acceptance of who you are
  • We discussed the Enneagram as a way of knowing insight about yourself as a place to start

How to get in touch with Christa: 

• Website: www.christabevan.com 
• Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theradicalmothervillage 
• Podcast: Christa’s Podcast is launching on January 21st! Look for it and subscribe where you listen to your podcasts: The Radical Mother Village

Follow me on Instagram

Find other episodes at: www.findingyourvillagepod.com

Email me at [email protected] 

Visit www.keepsakecastle.com today!

Support the show

Today to kick off the new year I have a really special episode for you. This week I am doing a podcast swap with Tracy Wilson of The Melanated Mom Podcast. This episode will be airing here on Finding Your Village and later this week on her show The Melanated Mom Podcast.

I had a great conversation with Tracy about hard topics. We talked about social injustice, the Super Hero complex that many of us moms get lost in, we discussed race and white privilege and the thread that took us through it all was the idea of finding joy in the midst of injustice. While that is very difficult to do and takes a brave and vulnerable person to do, it is really important, especially now and for parents to model for their kids. 

I think this conversation is a really important one to start the year off with and I am so grateful and honored to have had this conversation with Tracy. Thank you so much for listening!

In this episode, we discuss: 

• The importance of making time for yourself as a mom
• Super Hero Syndrome
• Race and white privilege
• Tracy shared a personal experience that she had within her neighborhood
• Anti-racism resources
  • We also recommend following Ebony Janice on Instagram to find out more about  sustaining joy in anti-racism work. She is @ebonyjanice
• How we met
  • Through Lisa Sharon Harper’s Instagram Live video
  • We both found her by watching a conversation that she had with Jen Hatmaker, which we both highly recommend that everyone watch: White Women’s Toxic Tears
• The importance of cultivating self compassion
• Joy for us has been created through: making connections, letting go of guilt, letting go of the Super Hero Syndrome and cultivating self compassion
• I shared my biggest lesson in my quest for knowledge and understanding of racial reconciliation: accepting the need to listen to difficult stories from the past and getting comfortable with our horrific and really uncomfortable history
  • One resource that really helped me on my journey is reading Be The Bridge by Latasha Morrison and then joining a Be The Bridge Group
• The importance of talking to our kids about the history of racism in this country 
• To truly experience joy, we have to let go of our “safe space” and get vulnerable

How to connect with Tracy:

• Instagram: @melanatedmompodcast
• Website: https://melanatedmom.com/

How to connect with me: 

• Instagram: @findingyourvillage
• Website: www.findingyourvillagepod.com
• Email: [email protected]

Visit www.keepsakecastle.com today!

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Today I am talking to Mallory Millet about all things bottle feeding. Mallory is a Speech Language Pathologist and the founder of the Feeding Mom. In this episode we discuss the need for resources and support for bottle feeding parents. Mallory is going to give us five recommendations for what parents should know about bottle feeding to encourage optimal oral development. 

In this episode we discussed: 

• Who is The Feeding Mom? 
• Moving past the notions of “breast is best” vs “fed is best”
• What are the gaps in service for bottle feeding parents
• Mallory’s top 5 recommendations to encourage optimal oral development:

1. Buy at least 3 different types of bottle nipples to allow your baby to try to see which one they prefer
2. Use the paced feeding strategy and the elevated side lying position
   • Have baby elevated and lying on their side
   • Watch your baby’s cues for when they need to suckle rather than drink
   • Check out Mallory’s videos on Instagram to see an example of how to do this: @infant.feeding.specialist
3. Learn your baby’s cues for when they are hungry vs. full 
   • Pay attention to how many ounces baby drinks in a 24 hour period rather than at each feeding
   • The amount will change depending on the time of day
4. Create a routine rather than a schedule
5. Reach out for help if you are experiencing any issues

• How to get in touch with Mallory: 
  • Instagram @infant.feeding.specialist
  • Website: www.thefeedingmom.com

Thank you so much for listening to the show today. Please feel free to reach out to Mallory on Instagram or via her website, and I have linked to both in the show notes on Findingyourvillagepod.com. 

I wanted to say Happy Holidays to everyone. My family celebrates Christmas and I am going to  take a break this coming week to spend time with my family and celebrate this holiday. I will be back with a new episode on January 3rd. I have some great content lined up for 2021. Also, I have a question for you listeners: what pregnancy or postpartum topics are you interested in hearing about this next year? Please send me a DM on Instagram at FindingYourVillage or send me an email at [email protected]. 

Have a happy holiday and stay safe and healthy!

Visit www.keepsakecastle.com today!

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In today's episode I am talking to Taryn Rioseco about building a strong parent-child connection. Taryn is a certified Hand and Hand Parenting educator and she is here today to explain what Parenting by Connection is and she is going to give us five tips on how to better connect with your toddler. 

In this episode we discussed: 

• How she got started with supporting parents at A Mother’s Haven in Los Angeles
• What is Parenting By Connection? 
  • When a child is having a hard time, like having a temper tantrum for example, the Parenting By Connection model helps your child feel more connected to you. When a child is in an escalated emotional state, they need their parents help them regulate their emotions and they need a parents presence and support
• Parenting experts that Taryn and I recommend: 
  • Janet Lansbery
  • Dr. Laura Markham
  • Alfie Kohn
  • Lawrence Cohen
  • Dr. Harvey Karp
• Five tips on how to connect better with your toddler

1. Stay Listening: listening to your childs upset all the way through. Hear them out and let them know that you are there to support them through that hard moment. 
   • i.e. I can see that you are really upset I am going to sit here with you and I that it is really hard when you feel upset
2. Setting Limits: creating boundaries with support and not letting your child walk all over you. 
3. Play Listening: focusing on playful parenting. The goal is laughter, a way to turn a hard moment around into a playful, funny moment.
4. Special Time: a short period of time that you have with your child with no distractions. Set a timer, put your phone/computer away and give them your full attention for 10-15 minutes. 
5. Listening Partnerships: this is a parent to parent tool. Find someone you don’t know super well to take turns weekly to vent to each other about whatever is going on in your life. This is not therapy, your listening partner is just there to listen, not give advice. Set a timer and take turns sharing/venting. Find out more:
   • https://www.facebook.com/groups/1737277509854586/
   • https://www.handinhandparenting.org/2016/01/how-to-find-a-listening-partner/ 

• How to get in touch with Taryn:  
  • Instagram: @herewegrowatl
  • Website: http://www.here-we-grow.com/
  • Family music classes

Thank you so much for listening to the show today. Please feel free to reach out to Taryn on Instagram or via her website!

Also, I would love to hear from listeners, please send me a DM on Instagram @FindingYourVillage. 

Visit www.keepsakecastle.com today!

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Before I share about today’s wonderful podcast topic I wanted to give an update on a change that I am making in this show. When I first started this podcast I thought a lot about the bigger picture, how I wanted to serve the podcast community and new parents. The first thing I came up with was: making parenting easier. I had good intentions, however, I have realized along my parenting journey, and my podcasting journey that that was a bunch of baloney sandwiches. Parenting is hard. End of story. No amount of tips and tricks will make it easier. That is the difficult news, the good news is that we are all in it together. So, my new goal of this show is to make parenting more connected. That honestly is what parenting in a village is all about, being connected. 

In today’s episode I connected with another podcasting mom, Cara Romanik. In talking with Cara I learned so much about today’s topic, which is clubfoot. Cara from the Glow Up Gals podcast joined us to graciously share about her son’s journey with Clubfoot. It is the most common birth defect and affects about 1 in 1000 children. One of my favorite things that Cara shared in this episode is that she got to witness how resilient her son was from the day that he was born. That touches my heart and makes me feel so proud to be a fellow mother alongside her. 

In this episode we discuss: 

• What is Clubfoot?
  • a birth defect that about 1 in 1000 children will be diagnosed with 
• How is it treated? 
  • Used to be surgical 
  • There is now a less invasive method called The Ponseti Method
• The Ponseti Method consists of 3 steps:
  • The casting phase, which slowly moves the foot week by week
  • A tenotomy, which is a surgical release of the achilles tendon, which is performed with local anesthesia
  • Boots and Bar, the final phase (and longest) of treatment, in which the child must wear a brace for 23 hours a day at first and then only at night by about 6 months of age
• Cara shared her story of finding out about her son’s Clubfoot during her 20 week anatomy scan
• She also shared how she found a great community of supportive parents online. She recommends connecting with the following Facebook groups: 
  • https://www.facebook.com/groups/clubfeetsupport
  • https://www.facebook.com/groups/719176721569640
• If you would like to learn more about Clubfoot, Cara recommends the following resources: 
  • miraclefeet.org
  • hopewalks.org
  • clubfootclub.org

How to connect with Cara:

Instagram: @caraconnects and @glowupgalspodcast 

Email: [email protected]

Thank you so much for listening to the show today!

If you would like to connect with me I am on instagram @findingyourvillage. 

Let me know what you have thought of the show so far or if you have any episode ideas or would like to come on the show as a guest. You can also email me directly at [email protected]. 

Visit www.keepsakecastle.com today!

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In today’s episode I spoke with 3 Pediatric Sleep Consultants about baby sleep. I have compiled a list of common baby sleep questions that new parents have and our experts have answered those questions today!

Our Sleep Consultants:

Amanda Israel: Lullaby Magic Sleep Consulting

• IG: @LullabyMagicSleepConsulting
• www.lullabymagic.com

Steffi Edwin: Jolie Sleep Consulting

• IG: @JolieSleep
• www.joliesleep.com

Shannon Buhera: Nights and Naps

• IG: @Nights_andnaps
• www.nightsandnaps.com

Baby Sleep Questions: 

How do you get a baby to sleep in their own crib instead of in their parents bed? 

• Parents must be ready for this transition 
• Choose the right sleep training method: for instance the Sleep Lady Shuffle
• Make a plan and be consistent!
• Establish bedtime routine and safe sleep environment

What do you do when your baby has their days and nights mixed up?

• Open your blinds during the day to help your baby identify awake-time
• Create a consistent bedtime routine
• Wake up your baby from a nap after 2 hours

How do you get a baby to stop waking up multiple times at night? 

• The goal is for your baby to fall back asleep on their own
• When your baby wakes up give them a chance to fall back asleep on their own for a minute
• Break a negative sleep association (don’t nurse or rock them to sleep)
• Get a video baby monitor 

When do you stop swaddling an infant and how do you help them fall asleep and stay asleep without the swaddle?

•  Ways to transition them: 
  • Swaddle with their arms up with elbows tucked in
  • Swaddle with one arm out
  • Cold turkey 
• When to transition them:
  • The AAP recommends to stop swaddling at 8 weeks of age
  • Stop swaddling when your baby rolls over for the first time 
  • Swaddle transition products:
    • Merlin Sleep Suit
    • Zipadee-Zip
    • Halo Sleep Sack
    • Nested Bean Zen Sack
• Don’t give up on the swaddle!
  • If your baby fusses try rocking them, on their side and saying shhhh close to their ear. They will likely calm down quickly. 
  • Try to a SwaddleMe to more easily swaddle your baby

How do you get your toddler to stay in their bed?

• The Silent Return:
  • When your toddler comes out of their room, you silently walk them back to their room and put them back in bed
  • Do this as many times as it takes, be consistent!
  • Pick only one phrase to say to them and say nothing else: I love you, it is time to sleep
• Get an ok-to-wake clock, like the Hatch

Reach out to Amanda, Steffi or Shannon to hire them as a Sleep Consultant if you would like one on one help!

Also, all of the consultants that you heard today trained with Jayne Havens, founder of the Center for Pediatric Sleep Management. If you are interested in becoming a Sleep Consultant yourself Jayne has offered all FYV listeners a $150 discount off her certification course. Just use the code: FYV150 at checkout when you register for the course at thecpsm.com. 

Thank you so much for listening! 

Visit www.keepsakecastle.com today!

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