Join us as Sara shares how she used The Bradley Method, deep breathing and positioning during labor and had a non-medicated birth. She also discusses experiencing PUPPP skin rash twice during her pregnancy, her breastfeeding experience and her struggles with PPD.

Join us as Michele shares her birth story! Michele discusses navigating to the hospital in New York City traffic, deciding who would be in the room, a NICU stay for low blood sugars, and the stress she experienced around feeding her baby.

Michele has a podcast, The Best-Loved Nanny where she tells stories from her time as a New York City Nanny. She also offers mentoring/ consulting services for hopeful and current nannies as well as services for families looking for new nannies. All of that information can be found on her website

Thebestlovednanny.com

Join us as Lyanna shares her birth stories. Lyanna also discusses her work as a Certified Lactation Specialist, and her training to be a Doula with Day one Doula Collective. Lyanna is also on the Mom's Bloom Outreach Committee and the Kent County Breastfeeding Coalition.

We discuss Lyanna's personal experiences giving birth, as well as the racial disparities that black and brown women face throughout childbirth. Lyanna also shares some helpful resources available online and in our community.

Notes:
Lyanna can be contacted on facebook (Lyanna R Moore Doula-Cls) or via email [email protected]

Helpful Sites
HUGS breastfeeding support group – strongbeginningskent.org
Southeast Michigan IBCLC's of Color- Semiibclcofcolor.org

Books
Killing the black body by Dorothy E. Roberts https://amzn.to/3f1x1Jq

Documentaries
Belly of the beast
Toxic: A black womens birth story

Join us next week as we wrap up our series on birth in a pandemic. We discuss some of the fears, challenges, and changes that came along with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mentions:
Grassroots Henna and Design: https://www.grassrootshennaanddesign.com/
Gentlebirth with Brenda Baar : https://www.eastownbirth.com/gentlebirth
All Source Pregnancy: https://www.allsourcepregnancy.com/home
Evidence based birth: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/covid19/

Jessica shares her story of giving birth in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Jessica and her husband took hypnobirthing classes and hired a doula, but due to restrictions in Texas, her doula was not able to be there with her.
Jessica describes her experience as “definitely not what normally happens.” She explains how her epidural fell out, her husband passed out due to a blood sugar issue and how they decided to move forward with a cesarean.

Jessica shares her experience navigating pregnancy, birth, and postpartum during the covid-19 pandemic. Her story includes a zoom baby shower, a fast moving labor, and breastfeeding struggles.

Mentions:
Grass Roots Henna and Design: https://www.grassrootshennaanddesign.com/
Gentlebirth Classes with Brenda: https://www.eastownbirth.com/gentlebirth

CW: Traumatic Cesarean Birth

Emily shares her story of giving birth during the Covid-19 Pandemic, while her husband worked directly with Covid Patients as a critical care pulmonologist. She discusses advocating for herself to schedule an induction, and about her cesarean birth. Emily discusses an issue with her epidural which caused her to feel her entire cesarean birth and the impact that had on her bonding experience with her son.

Week 1 of our series on birth in a pandemic!
Kim shares her 2 birth stories and discusses giving birth in the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Kim talks about experiencing 2 molar pregnancies, her struggles with depression during her second pregnancy, and her epidural not being what she imagined.

CW: Cesarean Birth, NICU stay

Bethany and Clarissa have 4 children together. Join us as they share their birth stories!

After a hospital birth experience left them feeling like they were pressured into making certain decisions, they opted for a home birth the next time. Bethany and Clarissa share their experience transferring to the hospital in labor and advocating for their parental rights. They also share the story of their twin birth just a few months ago.

Join us as we wrap up our series on Birth after Trauma. We have spoken with some incredible individuals throughout this series. Tune in for our doula discussion where we will discuss some of the birth stories we heard, some ways you can prepare to give birth, and share some resources.