Frannie and co the podcast. Women who inspire us.

Alanna's story, bringing Kadeem, Solange and Celeste into the world

This conversation has been a long time in the making, yet so very timely and topical. We both finally found some time in ‘COVID life’ to sit and have a proper conversation.

Alanna a mother of 3, raising two girls after the loss of her son Kadeem at 26 weeks, has so many intricacies to her story. Many I had never heard of, others I have never had to think of. Yet throughout so much resonated with me. It always surprises me how so much of our situations, circumstance, and experiences differ, yet at the core, we all find commonality and comfort in hearing other women’s stories, however different or similar they are.

It was great to get Alanna’s perspective, have her share so much of her journey. I loved hearing what it was like to have her sister there to share in her birth experiences not only as a sister but also as a midwife. 

I also have to thank Alanna for sharing her experiences as a black mother in such a historic time for #blm movement, not just now while it's trending but across the course of her life. I appreciate her vulnerability, it was eye-opening, interesting, and most of all a lot of fun chatting with her. The perfect antidote to life right now. 

Alanna said- 'As a Black woman, I can add that I feel very strongly about advocating for black mothers' experience in birthing and with the medical system. I went into my pregnancies and my births very well informed but still encountered many of the stereotypically negative experiences black women go through while dealing with the health system. I struggled with feeling like no matter what I thought were protective factors for myself (economic security, education, support, etc.) I still fell victim to the statistics (i.e. black women and losses, black women and pre-term labour/low birth weight, etc.)'

To add to that, for anyone that doesn't know black mother's are 4 times more likely to die in childbirth than their white counterparts. This needs to change and we all need to be part of making that change happen.

So here it is #intotheworldpodcast back after a little life break. 

Thanks for listening.

Please help me continue by rating, reviewing, and subscribing, oh, and happy listening!

Alia’s story, bringing Kennedy, Spencer and Bennett into the world.

Alia is the founder of Molo baby,  Alia caters to bump, baby and beyond all part of her holistic living approach. She is a doula, hypnobirther, kids yoga instructor, essential oil educator, and general spreader of joy and beautiful soul. You will no doubt hear from our conversation what infectiously positive energy she has.

We initially wanted to chat several months back about her 3 homebirths and how we need to talk more about positive birthing experiences and outcomes to help

change the fear in the birthing narrative.

But as timing would have it our chat didn't happen until just last week. The night before Blackout Tuesday. Before either of us were aware that would be taking place.

I wanted to ask Alia how race has affected her experience as a mother and how she is doing right now in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.

I appreciate how open, honest, and compassionate Alia is in this conversation and how she leads with kindness, positivity, and grace.

I thoroughly enjoyed hearing her point of view, education on birth, essential oils, and more. It *almost* made me want another baby.

For those wanting to learn more about Alia and Molo baby, visit her website, www.molobaby.ca and @molobaby.ca on Instagram.

If you, like me are trying to educate yourself further on racial injustices and how to address them. I highly recommend the kitchen table conversation Alia and her 3 sisters had, which you can now view on youtube or through her website.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBe-KMcJFhs&feature=youtu.be

Happy listening, safe well. 

The Rebel mamas, on birthing their babes, their book, and everything in between.

These women are making waves in the motherhood world, changing the conversation, and providing a book that feels like a combination of a hug a good belly laugh with a girlfriend for the rest of us still trying to navigate through sleepless nights and toddler tantrums while holding onto out identities for dear life.

I had such a laugh talking to Nikita and Aleks. It was a pleasure to have them on the podcast, their Virgo energy, their take on motherhood, and birth. A very refreshing and uplifting chat a few weeks back when lockdown was intense.

They passed on their wisdom and added another level of how not to lose your Shit in a pandemic. 

If your a mom or a mom-to-be and you haven't read their book- you need to. I laughed my arse at every page turn while nodding profusely. It’s relatable, funny, and everything you need to know about motherhood, without the BS. The cheat sheet if you will for all the other baby books out there. Complete with a cocktail list, need I say more?

The book is just one of their many accomplishments and I have no doubt they are on their way to world domination. They are a force to reckoned with and I very much enjoy following their accounts. If you aren’t already following them too, do it @therebelmamas and @handbookforcoolmoms

AND buy their book, you'll thank me later https://www.amazon.ca/Rebel-Mamas-Handbook-Cool-Moms/dp/1443461393/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1590712318&refinements=p_27%3ANikita+Stanley&s=books&sr=1-1&text=Nikita+Stanley

Thanks ladies for the lockdown laughs and all you are doing to support women and mothers!

Happy listening. 

Jen’s story bringing Logan and Wyatt into the world. 

Jen has been a support to be on here since I since my time on this app started. Both living away from home and raising a family we connected in our DM’s. Later connected further by grief and loss. 

Something that struck me when we were chatting about her being on the podcast. Since sadly being widowed, suddenly and tragically around 11 months ago. Jen feels she is the keeper of her family stories and son’s birth stories, in particular, something I wouldn’t have thought about. And I am lucky enough not to have to. 

Thank you, Jen, for your open and honest dialogue on the reality you face daily without your husband Warren. Thank you for sharing all aspects of it with us and your gorgeous boys, their stories and for showing us the true strength it takes to keep going… in a pandemic no less! You are a badass!!

As I write this, its mother’s day here in Canada, and again I remember what a hard day it is for those widowed and how forgotten that narrative is on days like these. 

What Jen has to say- “Both my births were pretty traumatic and nothing like I expected them to be. Because of that I feel compelled to share about them, not to scare expectant mothers but to know it all going sideways, no matter how you plan is completely normal. And with my husband's death, it is also important to me to have a record of that time when it was just the two of us working together to bring our boys into the world.”

Happy listening 

Amber’s story, A conversation on her 3 Girls coming into the world. Molly, Olive, and Charlotte.

I came across Ambers story online in a rather serendipitous way. In a past life, I owned a T-shirt company selling 'Mama'

Tees, donating to women’s mental health and child loss charities. 

I came across Amber’s story and charity ‘The Olive harper foundation’ in honor of her daughter that she sadly lost at 25 weeks. So much of what she wrote resonated with me. Her foundation was part of the charities we once donated to.

Our stories have some similarities. Amber has such wisdom and a wonderful way of talking about her girls. Words that stuck with me that we both have experienced through the lense of loss are-  “There is light in the darkest of moments.”

I could have chatted with Amber all day, it was so good to chat. Especially in these weird times where contact and proper conversation with others are so scarce. 

I’m trying to hold onto her words as I struggle with day to day life. 

I hope we all find some light in this darkness. 

Amber thank you for sharing your story and your girls and all that you do to help other families, in dear Olive’s name. She would be so proud. 

Happy listening 

Briar Rose- coming into the world.

Kind of a big deal... my last birth story.

And what a finale it was. Doing a grand tour of Toronto’s birthing facilities starting at home, spending most of my labour at the birth center (which felt like a spa stay) before dashing to the hospital, almost giving birth in my midwife's car before she burst into the world just minutes after arriving. Proving to me that no matter how many births you have and how much you think you have it sussed. Control isn’t there to be had.

Much like her personality, she is the calm after the storm. Our very own sleeping beauty. The little life that has taught me you never know what’s around the corner, yet life is better for her calming presence.

Thinking about Briar's birth seems so abstract to life right now. It makes me realize how much has changed in a matter of weeks. Especially in the birthing world.

I’m so grateful I got to have her when I did. That I was privileged enough to have my husband and bestie/birth partner there. That I got these wonderful photos. That my trainee midwife could massage me for through THE WHOLE THING. (She was fantastic btw). That PPE wasn’t present. That the hormonal newborn phase had passed just in the nick of time for the pandemic to hit. That I had choices.

It was fun to chat with my sister again, in true tradition, and remember her birth. To remember all the joy she brings and document it. Whatever happens next I’ll have these memories.

I’m so so smitten. It’s like she just arrived again. She is the dream baby I needed to make this all ok. She is just what the dr ordered. She was meant to be and the timing was divine. If only I could have seen that last year? Or maybe that’s the point. I needed not to see what was coming right now??

I don’t feel worthy of this ‘happy ending’. I never thought I’d get here and yet here I am. Family complete.

Thanks for tuning in. My weekly chats with guests for this podcast gives me hope and excitement to keep going. I have so many fantastic women coming up. .... watch this space. 

Happy listening.  Love Frannie 

Jo’s story, bringing baby Teddy into the world in the peak of a pandemic.

Women giving birth during this pandemic are HEROs! Jo is one of them. She is a dear friend of mine and it was such a pleasure talking to her about bringing Teddy into the world.

Teddy’s in Jo’s second son. Henry was born over 5 years before and as Jo explains it wasn’t a good experience for her. So much so she had feared giving birth again from then on. Like myself, she started hypnobirthing to prepare herself. Not realizing just how much it would come into play for her in the end.

Sally from @thefeelgoodbirthco has seen us both through our most recent births and my god what a difference it made for both us! Thank you so much, Sally.  Her services are perfect for pandemic birthing. I did all of my learning with Sally online and on FaceTime.

This is such a feel-good story, the happy birth story we all need to hear right now. The perfect antidote to all the pandemic birth fear. Jo got the birth she wanted despite all the restrictions, she had a calm experience and the first thing she said when I asked how it went was “it was amazing”.

That gave me hope that if she can have an amazing birth during a pandemic, following previously difficult experiences, there his hope for everyone.

In this episode we talked all things lockdown home birth, how she overcame fear, dealt with birthing restrictions, and all the ways she made good of a difficult time and lots in between.

For the rest of the story, ill let you listen,  it really is a great one.

Jo, I’m so proud to know you, I hope you are proud of yourself too. Thank you for taking the time to chat with me mid pandemic and thanks for the hope and positivity you are spreading to all the other preggo mama’s out there.

Happy listening.

Emma’s story, bringing scout into the world on the edge of a pandemic.

Its been really interesting chatting about birth on lockdown and a lot less scary than I imagined, more uplifting than anything and a very welcome break from family life, some really joyous moments. My chat with Emma was exactly that.

I found Emma’s Instagram account a little before Xmas. Much like her feed, she is a ray of sunshine. She is a kids culture expert and has her own business/agency consulting with huge household names on the trends of kids and play.

I think that’s what makes her point of view so interesting and inspiring.

I’ve followed a lot of her pregnancy journey as a fellow 3 kid mama. Scout was born just before the UK went on lockdown.

Emma’s story is interesting and mirrors my own in a few ways. The expectations of having a third, knowing it’s your last, doing hypnobirthing, yet things playing out a little differently to planned and the realities Of what it’s like to have a newborn in a pandemic.

I found Emma fascinating to talk to and her feed brings me so much joy. I think as an avid follower, mums like myself look to her for guidance and never has it been more useful. I urge you to check her page out. She really has inspired me in these weird times to live more playfully with my kids.

Happy listening.

Link in bio and stories.

*recorded pre - Pandemic*

*EDIT*

I wasn’t sure whether it was appropriate to put out more podcast episodes or not right now. But I’ve decided I need something to do and you guys probably need something to listen to. 

This week's guest is a special uplifting human. The kind the world needs more of. I am reminded of that even more so in these weird times. Which is why I want to share her story this week. 

Last weekend this wonderful human @emilydphotogaphy came to our porch (at a safe distance) to take our family ‘Porch-trait’ photo in exchange for us buying from a local female-run business. (👋🏻 @lostandfoundto)

She also dropped off cookies and meatballs pre-apocalypse the second she knew we would need to get food in. SHE IS AN ANGEL. 

It’s a testament to the sort of caring person she is. How she is always looking out for women and a true supporter of the collective. It’s obvious in her episode - ‘Georgina and Evan coming into the world’ *recorded ore pandemic* 

Emily talks about the importance of helping women grieving the loss of a baby and being there to photograph women in their moments of need. Something she doing in a different form now in pandemic life. 

Emily is a great storyteller, something we both have a passion for in different mediums. 

If like me you have ever had your portrait taken by her, you’ll know how good she is at making you feel at ease not to mention how quick she is. 

I am feeling very grateful to know someone like Emily in these testing times and it’s even more of a pleasure to tell her story, now more than ever. 

Go give her a follow and a virtual hug and if you're local go sign up for your ‘porch- trait’. We can’t wait to see ours. 

We talk about bringing her kids into the world, how in greek culture it's so important to support a mother in the fourth trimester and what that was like. Thank you, Emily, for sharing your experience and point of view with us. It was fun so much fun.

To follow more of what Emily is up to you can you find her at @emilydphotograghy on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3-Jwz1BnFL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

HAPPY LISTENING