In this episode, we meet Ashley Fish, a first grade teacher, wife, and mother of two. Ashley's road to motherhood took some unexpected turns as her first, Barrett, came early and, after just a few days at home, the family was transported to Missoula to the pediatric ICU to monitor and address respitory challenges. He recovered well but Ashley was left with intense anxiety. During her second pregnancy, Ashley's learned, at her 20 week ultrasound of concerns regarding abnormal brain development in her daughter, Ainsley. Eventually, Ainsley was diagnosed with an extremely rare genetic disorder called Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex Deficiency (PDCD). Ashley shares what it's been like for her to surrender control, accept help from those around her in order to keep her and her family well - self-care matters here- and embrace and cherish every moment they have together. 

Show Notes:

These are the resources that have been helpful to the Fish family and Ashley highly recommends reaching out to them if you have a little one who needs special care.

The Jadyn Fred Foundation

Montana Hope Project

Angel Flight

Children's Flight of Hope

Ronald McDonald House

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For statewide resources to support Montana families in the 0-3 years of parenting, please visit LIFTS ( Linking Infants and Families to Supports) at
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John Morrison, an attorney, former Montana State Auditor/Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, and long-time friend of Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies, joined us to speak about a donation he facilitated and helped award to HMHB this past summer. The generous contribution resulted from a settlement in a legal case John filed and won on behalf of more than 2,600 Montana businesses. Morrison proposed, and District Court Judge Leslie Halligan approved, a $50,000 donation to HMHB because our mission to improve the health and well-being of mothers, children and families aligned with the core of what this case was all about.
 
We also get a chance to talk about John's life as a dad, what he and his wife, Cathy, learned along the way, and how incredibly proud he is of his two daughters.

Stories hold their own power and John has plenty of examples of how listening and learning about the life of one person can better the lives of many.

Show notes:

To watch the incredible video of John Butler, two time cancer survivor, pull a firetruck across the fairgrounds in Sydney Montana as John describes in this episode, click here.

To learn more about how the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance regulates the insurance industry in Montana and advocates for Montana consumers in disputes with their insurance company click here.

Check out the Ralli App! https://letsralli.com/

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For statewide resources to support Montana families in the 0-3 years of parenting, please visit LIFTS ( Linking Infants and Families to Supports) at
https://hmhb-lifts.org/

This episode captures a conversation between Dana Hillyer, PMHCNS and Claire, who, this time, plays podcast host and patient/case study. Dana approaches her work with exceptional warmth and kindness and is committed to continued growth and self-reflection. When it comes to helping with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), she is a pro. Dana is a shining example of a mental health professional who is willing to meet her patients where they and walk alongside them and, as Claire shares, this quality of care changes lives. If you could use a little boost of faith when it comes to the state of (maternal) mental healthcare, listen and enjoy.

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For statewide resources to support Montana families in the 0-3 years of parenting, please visit LIFTS ( Linking Infants and Families to Supports) at
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In this final episode of our Native American Initiative Series, we welcome to the show, Chelsea Bellon, a mom of three and the Health Equity Community Engagement Specialist at the Western Montana Area Education Center. Chelsea offers her wisdom and insight to help identify and raise awareness of the racism that exists in education and academia as well as health inequities in rural populations. 

Chelsea speaks about a few simple cultural considerations that made a huge difference for her and contributed to her healing while she was under medical supervision during a time of crisis.

Chelsea and Claire talk about what it's like to receive and accept their Bipolar II diagnoses and how, as moms, they've learned to cope in times of intense dysregulation. Mental health conditions, especially when exasperated in the perinatal period, can indeed be life threatening and sometimes look, feel, and sound differently than we might think. If you or someone you know suffers from a mental illness and no one knows what to say or do, this episode offers very helpful guidance and some practical steps to get them the help they need. Hope and healing are possible and these stories prove that. #maternalmentalhealth #indigenouswomen #WeAreListening #motherlovepodcast

IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW ARE HAVING THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE CALL OR TEXT 988 IMMEDIATELY.

*The 988 Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States. We're committed to improving crisis services and advancing suicide prevention by empowering individuals, advancing professional best practices, and building awareness.*

Please click here for a list of show notes and resources provided by Chelsea and Claire.

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Joining us for our 4th episode in our Native American Initiatives Series is the talented Rachel Twoteeth-Pichardo. Since mom life is an all day everyday attempt to balance all. the. things., we cover a lot of ground in this convo: sleep struggles, tantrum trials (and how much grace and self-compassion they require), and how art and creative works have shaped Rachel. She talks about her artwork (which is amazing) and how her ledger art helps her honor her artistic heritage. Rachel is warm-hearted and, while she is so humble, her spirit sings.

To learn more about Rachel and to view her art:
Follow Rachel on IG: @ray2teeth
Follow Rachel on FB: @Rachel Twoteeth-Pichardo
Check out Omerta Arts

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For statewide resources to support Montana families in the 0-3 years of parenting, please visit LIFTS ( Linking Infants and Families to Supports) at
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Before jumping into our time with our amazing guests, we wanted to share a conversation between Amy and Claire about Thanksgiving: what we learned in school, what we have needed to unlearn since then, and how we share hard truths with our families on a day that boasts feasting, abundance and gratitude. It's complicated but important and Amy is so good at embracing both with humor and grace.

Then, we have the privilege of hearing from Margaret Anne Adams and Mary Ellen Lafromboise. These two women will tell us about Life’s Blessing Day, a day of cultural immersion and community-based learning for visiting nurses who help serve Indigenous moms, babies and their families during the perinatal period. The Life's Blessings event was held in Browning, MT on the Blackfeet Reservation and its aim was to build relationships, share strengths and really allow participating nurses to learn from Indigenous people to experience the richness of cultural practices firsthand. Some things just can't be understood from a distance and the Life's Blessing day showed that when people gather face to face and heart to heart, they don't just learn, they are transformed.

SHOW NOTES/RESOURCES

From Thanksgiving Intro:

Books:

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Living Resistance by Kaitlin Curtice

Online resources:

Thanksgiving Address

Potawatomi Website (the true dark history of Thanksgiving)

Dakota 38 Documentary

Follow Kaitlin Curtice on IG:

@kaitlincurtice

From Life's Blessings Interview:

Montana Maternal Health by the Numbers
Sun Tours transportation
Blackfeet Nation History
Yarrow Collaborative

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In this episode, Claire shares the mic with Dr. Amy Stiffarm, HMHB's Native American Initiative's Program Manager, as they interview Dr. Janelle Palacios. The wealth of knowledge and experience that Dr. Palacios brings to her work is indescribable. She is a Nurse Midwife, a highly regarded researcher, an advocate for Indigenous  maternal child health and a mom herself. Honestly, the list goes on and you'll see what we mean when you listen to her speak. Storytelling is at the heart of every move she makes and she is a master at empowering those with lived experience to share their stories to challenge assumptions, break down stereotypes and inspire change.

*SHOW NOTES*

Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report

https://www.bia.gov/sites/default/files/dup/inline-files/bsi_investigative_report_may_2022_508.pdf

Making Amends: Recommended Strategies and Actions to Improve the Health and Safety of American Indian and Alaska Native Mothers and Infants

https://www.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/hrsa/advisory-committees/infant-mortality/birth-outcomes-AI-AN-mothers-infants.pdf

 https://www.encoded4story.com/

https://www.squarerootstories.com/meet-our-team

https://hmhb-mt.org/native-american-initiatives/

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For statewide resources to support Montana families in the 0-3 years of parenting, please visit LIFTS ( Linking Infants and Families to Supports) at
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In this episode, Amy and Claire have the chance to sit down and talk about the upcoming series featuring some of the most powerful leaders in indigenous maternal health. Each episode speaks for itself but we wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the importance of uplifting and highlighting some of the incredible work that is being done to improve health outcomes for native people both on the national level as well as in our own state and communities. We're thrilled and honored to be able to share these conversations with you. Amy will be our guest host over the next few weeks and this is a great opportunity to get to know her better. 

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I don't know how many times Ashley and I have walked into the office and opened with the typical "How are you?" only to dive into deep, honest mom to mom conversation that usually leads to laughter, tears and ultimately a deep sigh of relief. This episode is that and I have a lot of faith that the things we talk about and touch on might deliver the same strong dose of validation and encouragement to our listeners. Finding people who understand what we're going through is so important; we hope to become some of those people for you here at Mother Love. Thank you for all you do behind the scenes- we see you.

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For statewide resources to support Montana families in the 0-3 years of parenting, please visit LIFTS ( Linking Infants and Families to Supports) at
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In this episode, Annie Tague and I talk about what it is like to discover and adapt when your kiddo is diagnosed with a food allergy. Her daughter, Sally, has lived with Celiac Disease all of her life and over the past 10 years, Annie has learned a lot about the adjustments and advocacy that is required to keep her family happy and healthy. What does eating out look like? Birthday parties and other social celebrations? Travel? It's not easy but the Tague family handles it with grace, humor, and love. Plus, Annie is as funny as she is real and brings her experience as the owner of Mountainside Montessori to the conversation; a perspective that always seeks to bring light and truth to any topic. 

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For statewide resources to support Montana families in the 0-3 years of parenting, please visit LIFTS ( Linking Infants and Families to Supports) at
https://hmhb-lifts.org/