A Love Story: Caitlin's Journey to Adoption

*Hi guys! Liesel here. I wanted to let you know that the Mommy Labor Nurse podcast as you know it is currently getting a HUGE facelift! In the meantime, please enjoy this re-air of a fan favorite episode!! And stay tuned to my instagram for updates on when the new and improved Mommy Labor Nurse podcast will be back with all new episodes!* ****** This week on The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast I’m on solo for you guys! In this episode, I’m answering LOTS of third trimester FAQs. I remember what it was like being in my third trimester (both times) – and that last one really wasn’t that long ago, and gosh I gotta say it can come with quite a few discomforts!  As that due date gets closer and closer it inevitably seems like more questions come up!Some of the topics I cover are: nausea in the third trimester, traveling during pregnancy, baby movements, itchy feet, labial swelling, hip pain, what to do if your water breaks unexpectedly, and more! Resources from the episode: This episode was actually inspired by two blog articles we have on the site, so in lieu of detailing out the show content, I’m going to leave the links here for your browsing: Third Trimester FAQs and Tips with an L&D Nurse All About Water Breaking During Pregnancy ****** Overwhelmed by the amount of pregnancy & birth info out there? I got ya covered! CLICK HERE to get your FREE Third Trimester Prep Pack and feel completely confident with your birth plan and hospital bag and know you’re not forgetting to do a thing. CLICK HERE to learn more about our online birth classes that will help you feel prepared and in control - no matter how you deliver.And be sure to follow @mommy.labornurse on Instagram to join our community of over half a million for education, tips, and solidarity on all things pregnancy, birth, and postpartum!

*Hi guys! Liesel here. I wanted to let you know that the Mommy Labor Nurse podcast as you know it is currently getting a HUGE facelift! In the meantime, please enjoy this re-air of a fan favorite episode!! And stay tuned to my instagram for updates on when the new and improved Mommy Labor Nurse podcast will be back with all new episodes!* ****** This week on The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast, I had the opportunity to chat with the lovely Dr. Natalie Crawford all about infertility and more specifically secondary infertility. Dr. Crawford’s Bio: Dr. Natalie Crawford is board certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and is Director of Patient Experience and Education and co-founder of Fora Fertility, a boutique fertility practice in Austin, Texas. Dr. Crawford values developing close connections with her patients throughout their fertility journeys. She is passionate about education and promotes fertility awareness through social media and community outreach.  Connect with Dr. Crawford: Website: https://www.nataliecrawfordmd.com/ Instagram: @nataliecrawfordmd YouTube: Natalie Crawford, MD TikTok: @nataliecrawfordmd Twitter: @ncrawfordmd Podcast: As a Woman ******  

*Hi guys! Liesel here. I wanted to let you know that the Mommy Labor Nurse podcast as you know it is currently getting a HUGE facelift! In the meantime, please enjoy this re-air of a fan favorite episode!! And stay tuned to my instagram for updates on when the new and improved Mommy Labor Nurse podcast will be back with all new episodes!* ****** Caitlin Karl, a fellow mom who’s actually currently pregnant, came on to share all about her journey to adopting her son AJ. Caitlin shares that she and her husband always knew they wanted to grow their family through adoption and biologically, and was never really quite sure in what order it would happen. Ultimately, they decided to pursue adoption first because they knew there was a lot of time, resources, and energy required to go through the process of adopting a baby. So in the summer of 2019, they started the whole process and by July they brought their sweet baby boy home. Caitlyn Karl’s Bio: Caitlyn Karl is a working mom who lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband Jake, son AJ, and soon daughter (due at the beginning of June). Caitlyn and Jake started their family through the adoption of their son this past year.  You can find Caitlyn Karl on social media here: Instagram: @k.adoption.journey Resources from the episode: Be the Bridge Transracial Adoption Guide The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family Book by David R. Cross, Karyn B. Purvis, and Wendy Lyons Sunshine Angela Tucker: Transracial adoptee and Public Speaker. @angieadoptee on Instagram, “The Adoptee Next Door” Podcast, “Closure” documentary Brandi Ebersole: Adoptee and Adoptive Mom. @brandi_ebersole on Instagram Wreckage and Wonder: Torie is an adoptee who shares her perspective on adoption Cam Lee Small: Adoptee and adoption informed therapist. @therapyredeemed on Instagram,  Ashley Mitchell: Birth mother, adoption reform advocate, founder of Lifetime Healing Foundation. @bigtoughgirl on Instagram, “Twisted Sisterhood” Podcast Adoption Education Keys: Adoption education from the perspective of a birth mother. @adoptioneducationkeys on Instagram Adopt Well: Two adoptive moms who educate about adoption.  “Adopt Well Podcast”, @adoptwell on Instagram  Kindredand.Co: Adoption community, blog, profile books, run by adoptive mom Hannah Eloge. @kindredand.co on Instagram Susan VanSyckle: This is the adoption consultant Caitlin and her husband worked with ****** Overwhelmed by the amount of pregnancy & birth info out there? I got ya covered! CLICK HERE to get helpful and supportive tips, info, and resources from an L&D nurse sent straight to your inbox every week, and never sort through search results again! CLICK HERE to learn more about our online birth classes that will help you feel prepared and in control - no matter how you deliver. And be sure to follow @mommy.labornurse on Instagram to join our community of over half a million for education, tips, and solidarity on all things pregnancy, birth, and postpartum!

*Hi guys! Liesel here. I wanted to let you know that the Mommy Labor Nurse podcast as you know it is currently getting a HUGE facelift! In the meantime, please enjoy this re-air of a fan favorite episode!! And stay tuned to my instagram for updates on when the new and improved Mommy Labor Nurse podcast will be back with all new episodes!* ****** Labor induction – this is a topic that comes up a LOT in my DMs over on Instagram and in the MLN community in general! So, today on The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast I’m doing a Q&A-style episode all about planned inductions. Your most burning labor induction FAQs, answered! I see it all the time, women are nearing the end of their pregnancy, and not planning on an induction, and then all of a sudden, they need one! When this happens, there’s not always a ton of time to research, prepare and sort through all the info that’s out there. So, I thought I’d put together this episode with some of the most common questions I get about inductions. Let’s go! ****** Overwhelmed by the amount of pregnancy & birth info out there? I got ya covered! CLICK HERE to get free birth plan templates straight from the brain of an L&D nurse - that’s me! CLICK HERE to learn more about our online birth classes that will help you feel prepared and in control - no matter how you deliver. And be sure to follow @mommy.labornurse on Instagram to join our community of over half a million for education, tips, and solidarity on all things pregnancy, birth, and postpartum!

*Hi guys! Liesel here. I wanted to let you know that the Mommy Labor Nurse podcast as you know it is currently getting a HUGE facelift! In the meantime, please enjoy this re-air of a fan favorite episode!! And stay tuned to my instagram for updates on when the new and improved Mommy Labor Nurse podcast will be back with all new episodes!* ****** In this episode, Malori shares her hotel birth story with us via c-section, and talks about her fertility struggles. Malori’s Bio: Malori Mayor is a registered nurse, military wife to Mark, and new mom to Max!  After an almost 2-year struggle with infertility, holistic treatments, and surgery for endometriosis, Malori and Mark were finally able to conceive their first child.  Aside from being a wife and mom, Malori is passionate about helping other women also going through infertility who want to treat it holistically.  While going through infertility herself, she began helping others share their stories of infertility and miscarriage on her blog, and also started a podcast, Restoring Fertility Naturally.  Malori spent most of her pregnancy in Germany, where her husband was stationed with the Army, and then gave birth to Max after moving to California.  In whatever little free time she has, she enjoys reading a good book, baking, and going on neighborhood walks with her little family and their German Shepherd, Zoey. Malori’s Birth Story: Other than moving from Germany to California in my third trimester, I had a pretty easy and normal pregnancy and planned on an unmedicated birth.  We lived in a hotel for most of my third trimester while waiting on military housing, so I was fully prepared to bring home our new baby to a hotel room.  But otherwise I expected all to go smoothly.  I got the biggest surprise of my pregnancy when I went to my 40 week appointment and it was found that baby boy was breech!  He had been head down just the week prior.  My doctor reviewed all the options with me and I opted for a version the next morning and then would wait it out for natural labor to start.  However, baby boy had other plans!  I went into labor that evening, as we were moving items into the house we had just gotten the keys to.  I was totally in denial that it was labor but finally realized that the contractions weren’t Braxton Hicks anymore!  My doctor had me come to the hospital to get checked around 12:30am, and Maximilian John was born via c-section at 1:54am on January 8, 2020!  He was born healthy, pink, and screaming, and him being laid on my chest with my husband by my side was incredibly glorious.  Even though a c-section was my last choice, that moment was priceless and a beautiful culmination of all our fertility struggles.  Max is now 8 months old and is such a happy and active boy! You can find Malori on social media here: IG: @warriorlifewellness Blog: https://www.warriorlifewellness.com YouTube: http://bit.ly/maloriyoutube Resources from the episode: Malori’s podcast where she goes into further details about infertility: http://bit.ly/podcastrfn This is the model of treatment that Malori used for infertility:  http://www.naprotechnology.com/ ****** Overwhelmed by the amount of pregnancy & birth info out there? I got ya covered! CLICK HERE to get helpful and supportive C-section tips, info, and resources from an L&D nurse sent straight to your inbox! CLICK HERE to learn more about our online birth classes that will help you feel prepared and in control - no matter how you deliver. And be sure to follow @mommy.labornurse on Instagram to join our community of over half a million for education, tips, and solidarity on all things pregnancy, birth, and postpartum!

*Hi guys! Liesel here. I wanted to let you know that the Mommy Labor Nurse podcast as you know it is currently getting a HUGE facelift! In the meantime, please enjoy this re-air of a fan favorite episode!! And stay tuned to my instagram for updates on when the new and improved Mommy Labor Nurse podcast will be back with all new episodes!* ****** In this episode, my friend Marley talks all about how maternity care differs in the UK! Marley’s Bio: Marley is registered midwife from Surrey, UK and is also a mother to 5 children including a set of twins. She has practiced midwifery in various settings over the past 11 years working in hospitals, birth centers and in women’s homes. She cares for women from conception up until 2 weeks postpartum. Marley is also a widely recognized prenatal education instructor who shares lots of useful information on instagram through her cartoon drawings. Having delivered over 600 babies, Marley is an expert in childbirth and is passionate about helping women to have a positive birth experience no matter what type of birth they may have! You can find Marley on social media here: Website: www.midwifemarley.com Instagram: @midwifemarley  ****** Overwhelmed by the amount of pregnancy & birth info out there? I got ya covered! CLICK HERE to learn what to expect, find out about important tests and procedures, and ensure you’re making the most of your prenatal care! CLICK HERE to learn more about our online birth classes that will help you feel prepared and in control - no matter how you deliver. And be sure to follow @mommy.labornurse on Instagram to join our community of over half a million for education, tips, and solidarity on all things pregnancy, birth, and postpartum!  

*Hi guys! Liesel here. I wanted to let you know that the Mommy Labor Nurse podcast as you know it is currently getting a HUGE facelift! In the meantime, please enjoy this re-air of a fan favorite episode!! And stay tuned to my instagram for updates on when the new and improved Mommy Labor Nurse podcast will be back with all new episodes!* ****** In this episode, my friend Cierra shares her traumatic birth experience with her first, and her amazing, empowered birth experience with her second after taking Birth it Up! Cierra’s Birth Story: After having a traumatic 1st birth of her son, Cierra wanted to have a different experience with the birth of her daughter. Switching providers and educating herself lead to the unmedicated water birth she dreamed of. She had some hurdles breastfeeding at first, but was able to go on to exclusively breast feed for 4 months and counting. Cierra’s Bio: Cierra is from Dayton Ohio. She’s married to her husband, Nathan, and a stay at home mom to her two children, Ezekiel and Hannah. You can find Cierra on social media here: Instagram: www.instagram.com/cierraivey ****** Overwhelmed by the amount of pregnancy & birth info out there? I got ya covered! CLICK HERE to learn more about our online birth classes that will help you feel prepared and in control - no matter how you deliver. And be sure to follow @mommy.labornurse on Instagram to join our community of over half a million for education, tips, and solidarity on all things pregnancy, birth, and postpartum!

*Hi guys! Liesel here. I wanted to let you know that the Mommy Labor Nurse podcast as you know it is currently getting a HUGE facelift! In the meantime, please enjoy this re-air of a fan favorite episode!! And stay tuned to my instagram for updates on when the new and improved Mommy Labor Nurse podcast will be back with all new episodes!* ****** In this episode, my friend Mallory shares her experience with postpartum depression and later I do a Q&A answering your questions about it. Here are the questions I go over in the Q&A! What should I do if I need help? What are some of the common treatment methods? Are there certain risk factors? What should I say to people if they think I’m fine, because I don’t look sick? How long will it take for me to feel better? Mallory’s Bio: Mallory is a mom to two sweet kids, ages 3.5 and 8 months who fill her heart with joy and her home with mess and never-ending laundry! She and her husband live in Nashville, TN and Mallory spends her time outside the home helping parents and school personnel provide the best services for their kids with special needs. She is a contributing writer for Scary Mommy, the Mighty, and Wallet Path and can be found online at www.iepguru.com, or by email at [email protected]. Resources from the episode: www.ppdjourney.com Changes that Heal, by Henry Cloud When Changing Nothing Changes Everything, by Laurie Short Unseen, by Sara Hagerty postpartum.net ****** Overwhelmed by the amount of pregnancy & birth info out there? I got ya covered! CLICK HERE to get helpful and supportive tips, info, and resources from an L&D nurse sent straight to your inbox every week, and never sort through search results again! CLICK HERE to learn more about our online birth classes that will help you feel prepared and in control - no matter how you deliver. And be sure to follow @mommy.labornurse on Instagram to join our community of over half a million for education, tips, and solidarity on all things pregnancy, birth, and postpartum!

*Hi guys! Liesel here. I wanted to let you know that the Mommy Labor Nurse podcast as you know it is currently getting a HUGE facelift! In the meantime, please enjoy this re-air of a fan favorite episode!! And stay tuned to my instagram for updates on when the new and improved Mommy Labor Nurse podcast will be back with all new episodes!* ****** In this episode, we dive into all things mental health! I sat down with Dr. Ashurina Ream, a licensed clinical psychologist with advanced training in perinatal mental health! We talk about a range of topics including: Postpartum Depression, Postpartum Anxiety, Prenatal Mood Disorders, Coping Skills, & more! Dr. Ream’s Bio: Dr. Ashurina Ream, PMH-C is a licensed clinical psychologist with advanced training in perinatal mental health. Her passion to help pregnant and postpartum families arose after becoming a mother herself. She recognized the limited support and education in the community regarding the care for women. This resulted in her pursuing additional education as well as creating resources for those impacted by perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. In addition to this specialty, Dr. Ream has trained in various disciplines as it pertains to the field of psychology. She has worked with those struggling with body image, eating disorders, parenting, health-related mood impairment, cognitive functioning, and general mental health. You can find Dr. Ream on social media here: Instagram: @psychedmommy Website: psychedmommy.com Resources from the episode: postpartum.net pregnancyafterlosssupport.org Her postpartum support group on FB can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2432150633740181/ ****** Overwhelmed by the amount of pregnancy & birth info out there? I got ya covered! CLICK HERE to get helpful and supportive tips, info, and resources from an L&D nurse sent straight to your inbox every week, and never sort through search results again! CLICK HERE to learn more about our online birth classes that will help you feel prepared and in control - no matter how you deliver. And be sure to follow @mommy.labornurse on Instagram to join our community of over half a million for education, tips, and solidarity on all things pregnancy, birth, and postpartum!  

  This week I had Robin Hilmantel on the podcast! Robin is the senior director of editorial strategy and growth at BabyCenter, an online parenting resource and pregnancy app. She has more than a decade of experience in health and lifestyle reporting, writing and editing. Robin works closely with the research team at BabyCenter to conduct studies with moms that produce impactful reports on important topics like maternal health, child care, family finances, and much more. She currently resides in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where she enjoys spending her nonworking hours with her husband, three sons (Marlow, Wylie, and Hobbes), and tripod dog (Kiwi).   Here are things we talked about! 👇 Can you start by telling us a bit about the research BabyCenter conducted on postpartum care and the main findings? As a mom of three, can you share your personal postpartum care experiences and how they aligned or differed from the research findings? What steps can new moms take to better prepare for their own care during the postpartum period? Can you provide some practical tips for new moms to manage their self-care during the demanding postpartum period? How important are support networks, and what types of support should new moms seek out? Additionally, could you discuss how the high cost of childcare impacts these support networks and the overall wellbeing of new moms? How is BabyCenter working to support new moms in the postpartum period through its content and resources? Based on your insights and research, what trends do you see emerging in the area of postpartum care over the next few years?   Resources:   You can download the BabyCenter app here: iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pregnancy-tracker-babycenter/id386022579 Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.babycenter.pregnancytracker Check out the research we discuss from BabyCenter on postpartum support care gaps for moms, with additional resources for moms: https://www.babycenter.com/baby/postpartum-health/postpartum-care-maternal-health-support-report_41001478   Resources for postpartum mental health support: Emergency assistance is available 24/7 at 911 The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 at 988 The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262)  Postpartum Support International Helpline 800-944-4773 SAMHSA’s National Helpline 1-800-662-HELP(4357) You can find BabyCenter (@BabyCenter) on all social platforms Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/babycenter/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/BabyCenter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BabyCenter YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/BabyCenter TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@babycenter -- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/robinhilmantel/