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 

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

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 [email protected] 

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 

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 

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 [email protected] 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 

 

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 

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 from InJoy:  

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 

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  

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 

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