Our Village Circle

Meet Laurel and Kipyn Martin, proud mothers to Gabby (17 months).  In this episode, they share their fertility journey with IUI using a sperm donor, Laurel’s battle with Hyperemesis Gravidarum throughout her pregnancy, her birth experience, and the lived experience of pregnancy and postpartum during the COVID-19 Pandemic.  As with most of my interviews, their daughter was taking her nap during the interview, and shortly into our chat, woke up (as toddlers do) - so we’ll be mostly hearing from Laurel in today’s episode.  In addition to her story, she’ll share the resources that were most helpful for her as she suffered through HG, and her advice for those seeking help.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains graphic depictions of life with Hyperemesis Gravidarum, which includes descriptions of vomiting episodes.  There is also mention of suicidal ideation, disordered eating, termination of pregnancy, and pregnancy loss.  Please practice self-compassion and listen/fast forward at your own discretion.

Today's episode is sponsored by the Willow Pump.

RESOURCES:

www.helpher.org

Instagram: @hgmoms

CONTACT KIPYN AND LAUREL:

www.KipynMartin.com

Instagram: @kipynmartin

LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR?

Feel free to follow, like, and share this podcast with anyone you feel may benefit.  

We’re on Instagram and Facebook @ourvillagecircle.

Our website is www.ourvillagecircle.com

Meet Lynden Gehling, Mom of six (including a set of spontaneous triplets) and journey coordinator for Surrogate Steps, an agency for gestational surrogates and intended parents to be matched up and create families.  On this episode, Lynden shares her own journey of becoming a gestational surrogate for an international family.  She will talk about what the process looked like, how she experienced pregnancy/birth/postpartum, and available resources for anyone who is considering becoming a surrogate, or using a surrogate to grow their family.

This episode is sponsored by LOVEVERY.

RESOURCES:

Facebook Group: Surrogates and Intended Parents

Surrogate Steps

Preemie Milk Bank: Prolacta BioScience

CONTACT LYNDEN:

Instagram Account: @ipeeonsticks

LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR?

Feel free to follow, like, and share this podcast with anyone you feel may benefit.  

We’re on Instagram and Facebook @ourvillagecircle 

Our website is www.ourvillagecircle.com

In today’s conversation with Laura Emanuel, Part 2 of our two-part series, Laura talks us through all the features of her landmark app for new parents, Mothership Rising.  The Mothership Rising app, available on iTunes and Google Play,  provides support and encouragement to mamas by having their friends and family create a nurturing circle and sign up for days to check in on them via text. Like a meal train of emotional support, their community can create a support circle and the app will handle the signing up process. The app sends a text to the mama and the “daily support” friend with a prompt to start the conversation so that the mama can get encouragement and the kind of support she needs from her network.  Mothership Rising is a safe space to support mamas in all the ways a child comes into a mother’s life: adoption, birth, bonus moms, foster care, step-parent, and surrogacy.

Today's Episode is sponsored by Willow Pump

RESOURCES:

Download the Mothership Rising App

Postpartum Support International

Warm Line: 800.944.4773

Cherished Mom

Gyrotonics

Book: The Body Keeps The Score, by Bessel van der Kolk

CONTACT LAURA: 

Download the Mothership Rising App

Instagram: @mothershiprising

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LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR?

Feel free to follow, like, and share this podcast with anyone you feel may benefit.  

We’re on Instagram and Facebook @ourvillagecircle . 

Our website is www.ourvillagecircle.com

Meet Laura Emanuel, founder and CEO of Mothership Rising - an app, available on iTunes and Google Play, that provides support and encouragement to mamas by having their friends and family create a nurturing circle and sign up for days to check in on them via text. Like a meal train of emotional support, their community can create a support circle and the app will handle the signing up process. The app sends a text to the mama and the “daily support” friend with a prompt to start the conversation so that the mama can get encouragement and the kind of support she needs from her network.  Mothership Rising is a safe space to support mamas in all the ways a child comes into a mother’s life: adoption, birth, bonus moms, foster care, step-parent, and surrogacy.

In this conversation, Part 1 of a 2-part series, we discuss our postpartum journeys, the expectations we had going into parenthood, intrusive thoughts, physical recovery from childbirth, the mind/body connection, and the importance of community in the childbearing years.  Laura shares with us what was most helpful for her, and how her journey led to the creation of her landmark application for new parents.

RESOURCES:

Download the Mothership Rising App

Postpartum Support International

PSI Warm Line: 800.944.4773

Gyrotonics

Book: The Body Keeps The Score, by Bessel van der Kolk

CONTACT LAURA:

Instagram: @mothershiprising

Download the Mothership Rising App

TODAY'S EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY KINDRED BRAVELY.

Get 20% off your first purchase by shopping with the following link:

www.kindredbravely.com/ourvillagecircle

LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR?

Feel free to follow, like, and share this podcast with anyone you feel may benefit.

We’re on Instagram and Facebook @ourvillagecircle

Our website is www.ourvillagecircle.com

Wow, we did it! Season One of the Our Village Circle podcast is complete, and we're so glad you joined us on this journey.  Tune into this episode to hear about our plans for the future of the podcast, how you can help, and where you can find us in the meantime.  Thank you so much for being a part of this journey with us!

Like what you hear?  Become a listener supporter: anchor.fm/ourvillagecircle/support - any amount helps!

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook @ourvillagecircle, and our website is www.ourvillagecircle.com

Today's episode marks the final part of our 3-episode Birth Story series with host Jaely Turner. 

In today's story, Jaely shares her experience in the first 48 hours in the Postpartum Wing after the birth of her son, managing Newborn Hypoglycemia amid many disruptions from hospital staff which interfered with feeding, bonding, and much-needed rest.  She also talks briefly about the impact this experience had on her early parenthood journey, and how it led to her doula and advocacy work for new parents, and the eventual creation of the Our Village Circle Podcast.

Contact Jaely:

Instagram: @jaelylouise and @ourvillagecircle

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ourvillagecircle

www.ourvillagecircle.com

In today’s episode, Part 2 of our three-part series, you’ll hear from our host Jaely Turner, who shares her birth experience with her first son.  After being induced for Gestational Hypertension at 37 weeks and expecting a long, highly interventive process, her water broke immediately sending her into active labor which moved very quickly and was able to advocate for a low-intervention birth.

Contact Jaely:

Instagram: @jaelylouise and @ourvillagecircle

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ourvillagecircle

www.ourvillagecircle.com

In today’s episode, Part 1 of a three-part series, you’ll hear from our host Jaely Turner, who shares her pregnancy journey with her first son.  She talks about the care she received over the course of her pregnancy and how it prompted her to make a late-pregnancy switch to a Midwife practice at 33 weeks, right before she developed Gestational Hypertension which unexpectedly led to an early term induction of labor.

Contact Jaely:

Instagram: @jaelylouise and @ourvillagecircle

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ourvillagecircle

www.ourvillagecircle.com

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Like What You Hear?

Feel free to follow, like, and share this podcast with anyone you feel may benefit.  

We’re on Instagram and Facebook @ourvillagecircle 

Our website is www.ourvillagecircle.com

Meet Susan ‘Susie’ Lewis Kavinski, a mom of two, and Command Advocate for Parenthood and Pregnancy (CAPP) for the United States Navy Band in Washington, DC, where she currently works as a musician.  Today, Susie takes us through how the simple act of writing a paper for her Chief Indoctrination led to the construction of a lactation room within her command, and grew into subsequent years of Advocacy within the Navy for new parents.  We also discuss the culture surrounding infant feeding, the culture surrounding new parenthood, the changes we’ve seen, and the changes we hope to see in the future.

Links:

MamaVa - Design Solutions for Breastfeeding Moms On The Go

www.MamaVa.com

Contact Susie:

Instagram: @SusieSoprano

Facebook: www.facebook.com/susiesoprano

www.susiesoprano.com

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Like What You Hear?

Feel free to follow, like, and share this podcast with anyone you feel may benefit.  

We’re on Instagram and Facebook @ourvillagecircle 

Our website is www.ourvillagecircle.com

Episode 7 - Dawn Frederick

Meet Dawn Frederick, a Mom, Teacher, and Musician in Virginia, who came on to share her journey through the Adoption process after battling fertility challenges.  We discuss the different routes to adopting a child, the unique experiences of being an adoptive parent, and the innocent but hurtful questions and assumptions many have regarding family planning, fertility, and adoption.

Links:

Resource List: How to Get Started With the Adoption Process

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jGRPpUWmLvqtHbCfmdPlW4-XKwPrl0cLlAVS0upFQx8/edit?usp=sharing  

Families for Private Adoption (FFPA)

https://www.ffpa.org/

Parent Profiles

http://parentprofiles.org/

Bethany Adoption Agency

https://bethany.org/help-a-child/adoption

Contact Dawn:

Email: [email protected]

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Like what you hear?

Feel free to follow, like, and share this podcast with anyone you feel may benefit.  We’re on Instagram and Facebook @ourvillagecircle and our website is www.ourvillagecircle.com