postpartum

In this episode (a continuation of Episode 63), our guest, Arlene Lammy, birth and postpartum doula, elaborates on how she would like to “change the narrative of the fourth trimester” and how postpartum is actually forever…and how we need to embrace a longer recovery and a new phase of life. We discuss how comparing our experiences to the experiences of others and comparing our baby’s… Read more

In this episode we're talking with birth and postpartum doula Arlene Lammy of New Wave Perinatal Services (https://www.newwavedoula.com). Warning: this episode is full of beautiful stories and laughter! Arlene shares how she came to be invited to her nephew’s birth, the loss of her mother to breast cancer, the moment during her nephew’s birth which inspired her to start working in the birth… Read more

Recorded Sunday, April 11, 2021. We are talking with Liz Sheehan Castro about the legislative effort that has been launched to get childcare to be FREE in Massachusetts. Liz works for the SEIU Education and Support Fund (ESF), which is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization founded for the purpose of developing and managing worker-centered education, training and professional development programs.… Read more

In this episode, we talk with mother of two, Danielle Blanchard, about navigating pregnancy, Cesarean births, NICU stays and breastfeeding as a Type 1 diabetic.  After discussing the difference between gestational diabetes and Type 1 diabetes and then Danielle shares the interesting story of how she was diagnosed as toddler. 

We discuss advice she received while planning to get pregnant,… Read more

Recorded Wednesday, March 17, 2021 and today we are talking with our friend Emma O’Brien, long-time birth and postpartum doula and clinical herbalist. In this episode, we talk with Emma about how her interest in herbs started and her journey to become a clinical herbalist. We discuss contraindications for herbal use, facts about using medicinal herbs and particularly herbs in pregnancy like red… Read more

On today's Babies in Common Show, we interview our friend Brittany Falcone, a chiropractor in Worcester, Massachusetts, who specializes in pregnancy and pediatric care.  Brittany shares her interesting story that inspired her to become a chiropractor and then we talk with her about what chiropractic care is and isn't...and what certain chiropractors with specialized training can do for pregnancy,… Read more

Recorded Wednesday, March 3, 2021.  Today we spoke with two special guests about the new Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Law (abbreviated PFML) and how to best prepare for parental leave after the birth of your baby!  Our guests are Amanda Hemm and Sarah Douglas from Soutiens.

QUESTIONS we asked Amanda and Sarah:

While this law does offer many different types of family and medical… Read more

Recorded Saturday, February 13, 2021 and our guest today is Caitlin Calonge (Ca-LAWN-gee).

Caitlin grew up in Cambridge and Everett, MA. She found out she was pregnant with her first baby the summer following high school graduation when she was 18 years old. 
She jokes that she has “literally had almost every job in the world.” She has worked as a waitress, in sales, as a public housing… Read more

Recorded Wednesday, February 3, 2021. 

Our guest is Jessica Shephard, who talks with us about her two homebirth experiences and how choosing homebirth was a big surprise to her Ecuadorian family!  

Jess was born in Ecuador and moved to the United States when she was almost ten years old and now lives in Central Massachusetts with her husband and two daughters, Gianna (2) and Lucia (7 months) who… Read more

Recorded Wednesday, January 27, 2021.  Our guest today is a local nurse, homebirth mom and friend, Alicia Randall!

Alicia grew up an Army Brat, then served as a combat medic for the US Army, providing medical treatment for wounded soldiers during 2 Iraq tours in 2006 and 2010. She met her husband, also a veteran, while serving in the army in Iraq and they married in 2009.  

She now has three… Read more

Recorded Wednesday, January 20,  2021.  Our guest today is Dr. Prakash-Zawisza, an obstetrician-gynecologist who is now  the Medical Director of the MassHealth Payment and Care Delivery Innovation Division and the president-elect of the National Perinatal Association.  She talks with us today about being pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic (she is pregnant with her second baby) and her… Read more

Today is Wednesday, January 13th, 2021 and our guest today is Kara Coffin.  Kara is a mother of three who specializes in guiding pregnant people to co-create a toolkit of physical, emotional, chemical and spiritual supports to call upon throughout pregnancy, labor and postpartum that honors their autonomy. 

Kara holds a masters degree in Speech Language Pathology and used to work with… Read more

Recorded Wednesday, January 6th, 2021.

Our guest today is Yasmin is an IBCLC-lactation consultant in private practice in Mumbai, India.  Yasmin is also a biodynamic craniosacral practitioner, international speaker and filmmaker.   

During this episode we learn more about what inspired her to make her film, Untying Breastfeeding, and we talk about tongue ties, breastfeeding support, care… Read more

Recorded 12/30/20

Join us as we interview Aline Bourdeau, Melissa's Memere! Aline gave birth to four children and shares the details of what it was like to learn about menstruation, getting pregnant and giving birth before describing what birth was like in the 1950s (and 1960s).  You don't want to miss out on this episode--she's quite the storyteller and such a hoot!   Yes, it's a bit of a long… Read more

The words we use matter! Join us today as we explore the words we use when talking about feeding and parenting.  We're joined by International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Renee Beebe, who lives and works in Seattle, Washington. You can find out more about her at http://www.second9months.com Read more

Listen in as Emily, a nursing mom of 5+ years, talks with us about planning to breastfeed while on a significant medication, navigating postpartum depression, what it’s like to nurse the same child for 5 years, and about the concept of respectful parenting.  Emily has been a middle school English teacher for 14 years and recently finished her second masters degree in Counseling Psychology with… Read more

In this episode we continue answering listener questions about feeding babies. Read more

Today is Wednesday, October 21, 2020 and we will be discussing the TummyTime Method with its creator, occupational therapist Michelle Emanuel. Michelle comes to us with more than 20 years of experience as an occupational therapist who worked with babies in a neonatal intensive care unit and in pediatrics and eventually saw the need for a private practice, where she also weaves her passion for… Read more

Recorded on Wednesday, October 14, 2020.  

Melissa and I answer questions from the Babies in Common community about feeding babies...breast, bottle and solid foods.  We put the word out we would be doing this and had folks in our Facebook groups contribute!
 
We dispel myths that exist about feeding babies and share information that every expectant and new parent should know.  

If you have… Read more

Join us as we learn from Sejal Fichadia, a certified  infant massage instructor and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant who is also an experienced postpartum doula and certified TummyTime Method instructor. Originally from India, she now lives in Oregon with her husband and kids.  She’s currently offering online infant massage and TummyTime Method classes, so check out her… Read more

Hear how our guest, an anesthesiologist and mother of four, endured birth trauma and how she navigated the system to file complaints against the perpetrators of the trauma.  She discusses what she did to prepare for her births, what happened and the trauma she endured at the hands of a doctor and nurse.  She also shares what else she's doing to heal and what she recommends others do to prevent… Read more

Join us as we talk with postpartum doula and trainer Rachel Hess, about how queer parents can empower themselves as they encounter care providers (and other parents) as well as how those who aren't part of the queer community can help to stop oppressive actions and comments in the perinatal period. Rachel has virtual support groups for queer parents and you can learn more about those at Rachel… Read more

Join us as we speak with Rachel Gaillard Smook, PhD, a clinical psychologist in private practice, about how parents can navigate the communication struggles that come up as one is expecting a new baby and as couples have a new baby in the family. She shares some valuable wisdom and answers some questions sent in by members of the Babies in Common Community.

Rachel specializes in working with women… Read more

Join us as we talk with two moms (one with a corporate job, Marlena Shaffer, and one who works in a surgical intensive care unit as a nurse, Julie Longchamps) about preparing to go back to work and pumping at work.  We discuss their initial breastfeeding experiences, tips for approaching bosses and human resources, finding an appropriate space to pump at the office, laws about pumping at work,… Read more

Join us in discussing inducing lactation with private practice lactation consultant, Alyssa Schnell, IBCLC, the author of Breastfeeding Without Birthing: A Breastfeeding Guide for Mothers Through Adoption, Surrogacy, and Other Special Circumstances.

To learn more about Alyssa's services, book and offerings for parents and professionals, see Breastfeeding without birthing. Read more

Join us as we talk with Dr. Amy Brown, professor and prolific author, about what influences how we feed our babies, breast, formula and solid foods! 

Amy Brown, PhD is a professor at Swansea University in Wales, where she oversees the master of science program in Child Public Health.  She started her studies in psychology and the arrival of her first baby sparked her interest in the barriers… Read more

Find out how the law and corporations influence child safety and what YOU can do to protect children. Join us as we go in-depth about childproofing--the practical recommendations, various quality brands, services you can find as well as how the law and corporations influence what is put on the market and what is recalled and when. You'll be surprised! Our guest is Kimberly Amato.  Kim is a… Read more

Join us as we talk with Kelly Shultz, mom of two, about how she navigated through a challenging year (and more) of nursing, continued through her pregnancy, had an unusual birth with her daughter and then tandem and extended nursing with both of them. Read more

Join us as we talk with Cynthia Cohen, Director of Client Relations for the Mother's Milk Bank Northeast, about human milk banking--why it's needed, how donors are screened, how milk is processed, how families can receive banked donor milk and how you can support the work of the milk bank.   Read more

Join us in this riveting 2-part interview with Teresa Stewart, sleep consultant and child development specialist.  She has 20 years experience educating, empowering, and supporting women and their families prenatally through their child’s adolescence. She is a child development specialist, maternal/ child health educator, family sleep consultant, first aid and CPR instructor, childbirth… Read more

Guest: Teresa Stewart, MS, MPH, sleep consultant
 
Our Videocasts are now called a SHOW!  Our conversation with Teresa is a two-parter! Be sure to watch Part One (SHOW #16) also!  Teresa has 20 years experience educating, empowering, and supporting women and their families prenatally through their child’s adolescence. She is a child development specialist, maternal/ child health educator,… Read more

Join us as we talk with visiting nurses Amanda Jessee and Amy Gallant about what a postpartum visiting nurse does during a postpartum visiting nurse visit.  Our guests, Amanda Jessee, RN, BSn and Amy Gallant, RN, IBCLC, are will share with us why this type of visit is important and how to get one.  Read more

Join us talk with psychiatric nurse practitioner and certified nurse midwife Jill Fieleke about what it really feels like to have PPD/PPA/OCD, why perinatal mood disorders are about more than just depression, how to get help, finding a therapist and taking medication that is safe for breastfeeding (and we'll answer your questions, too!). Read more

Join us as we talk with Melanie Salort, a pediatric occupational therapist (for 18 years so far!).  For most of her career, she has specialized in the area of sensory processing both in clinical and teaching capacity.  In 2017, Ms. Salort  completed a fellowship in Infant Parent Mental Health and has a particular interest in supporting the parent/child relationship.  She works at sensory… Read more

Join us as we talk with Heather Chiancola, a birth & postpartum doula and a Reiki II certified energy worker who holds a degree in Nutrition/Dietetics with a focus on pregnancy, lactation, and children’s eating patterns from birth to age 5.  Heather's website is heatherthedoula.com. Read more