Mum's The Word

MUM 013: Melissa Spilsted : Removing The Fear of Childbirth

EPISODE 013
(with Melissa Spilsted)
 
REMOVING THE FEAR OF CHILDBIRTH
You are going to LOVE this episode. The amazing caliber of guests just keeps on coming my way and although we are now 13 episodes, 20 have already been recorded and many more are booked so stay tuned… so much more is heading your way. Have you subscribed yet to Mum’s The Word to get all the episodes delivered to your phone as soon as they are released each Friday? You can do so here on iTunes.

So as you can imagine this week is a very important and a very empowering message. One to certainly be shared many times!! so please do share this episode and it’s links/resources with those pregnant women around you especially those nearing the end of their pregnancy.  I had two amazing births and yes its true I did do lots of preparation but listening to this episode, its so so empowering, that it makes me want to have another birth!!
My very purpose for this podcast is to have women share and to not have to reinvent the wheel and the biggest thing that I could share with women pregnant or yet to be is that BIRTH IS VERY DOABLE!! Its something I felt and also even verbalised within the first hour of having birthed my first child (and there’s proof too of me saying it to my midwife Jacky on Episode 1) where you can listen in here
ENJOY this weeks Episode and thanks for listening!!
MELISSA’S BIO
Melissa Spilsted is a clinical hypnotherapist, childbirth educator, registered teacher, hypnobirthing mother of three and founder of the Hypnobirthing Australia and Hypnobubs programs. She also wrote the world first ‘Positive Caesarean’ course, which combines the use of hypnobirthing techniques with mindful preparation for a c-section. Her passion is positive and empowered birthing, regardless of how our baby comes into the world.
Hypnobirthing Australia is Australia’s fastest growing childbirth education program with over 100 practitioners teaching her methods in every state and territory of Australia. Hypnobubs is the online hypnobirthing course, which was devised to make hypnobirthing more accessible throughout Australia and the world.
Melissa is also the voice of several popular self-hypnosis albums for pregnancy, childbirth, parenting and beyond – ‘Surge of the Sea’ is ranked #1 album on iTunes for hypnobirthing.
Ms Spilsted is regularly asked to contribute articles pertaining to hypnobirthing (hypnosis for childbirth) and has featured on Channel 7 Sunrise, articles in Mother & Baby Magazine, Practical Parenting, Nurture Magazine, Take 5 Magazine, The Australian Women’s Weekly, Essential Baby and been interviewed for a radio and television programs in relation to this subject.
.
Melissa’s Tips/Resources
Website: http://hypnobirthing.com.au
Website : https://hypnobirthingaustralia.com.au
Book: Sarah Buckley ; Gentle Birth Gentle Mothering
Facebook Page: Birth Without Fear
Melissa’s Contact Details
Website – https://hypnobirthingaustralia.com.au
Facebook Page Hypnobirthing Australia
iTunes Surge of The sea
email : melissa@hypnobirthingaustralia.com.au.
Quotes
“A major component that isn’t considered these days is the mind, the part that the mind and our mindset plays on how we birth.”
“Women deserve to approach their birth without fear. They deserve to be looking forward tot the birth and for the birth experience to be one that they will always want to look back at with joy, one of the highlights of their life.”
“tune out to distraction, tune into your body”
“every surge of my body brings my baby closer to me”

Have you already given Mum’s The Word a rating and a review on iTunes yet? I’d be so grateful to get the message out further and reviews are a great way to do this!! Thanks so much if you have and if not, please do so to help me share “the word” even more.
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MUM 012: Natalia Stokell : PLACENTA ENCAPSULATION and POST NATAL RECOVERY

EPISODE 012
 
(with Natalie Stokell)
 
PLACENTA ENCAPSULATION and POST NATAL RECOVERY
This week I have another great episode for you! Possibly a taboo topic for some, yet eye-opening, and enlightening for others I am really excited to hear what you all think of this topic and this option for post natal recovery.
Natalie is definitely an expert in all things placenta but as you will hear on the episode, as a vegetarian, it’s not something she ever thought she’d do, let alone prepare placentas or others!
She saw the results for herself when comparing the postnatal periods following both her children, where with placentophagy she had less bleeding, less baby blues and the rest she shares as we talk all things placentas. I know you will love this episode, whether it’s your thing or not.
So please do share this week’s episode and it’s links/resources with those pregnant women around you. It’s such an important topic and this information needs to get out!
Let me know what you think and join the conversation over with us on facebook.

NATALIE’S BIO
 
Originally from New Zealand, after completing her Masters in Psychology Natalie moved to the UK. She spent the next 10 years working, playing and volunteering in different countries including England, Turkey, Nepal and Central America. Much of her work was with women and children. In 2009 she had her first child, and left the UK to move with her partner to Australia.
Natalie discovered the benefits Placenta Encapsulation after the birth of her second daughter. Her recovery the this time round was very different from the first time and she puts it down to the capsules. Her energy levels were high, she didn’t feel emotional or weepy (except on the couple of days that she missed her capsules), and her physical recovery was much faster. So she went on to learn as much as she could about this amazing – albeit a little weird – tradition. She trained firstly with Placenta Benefits and then with the Association of Placenta Preparation Arts. She now offers safe, certified and insured Placenta services on the Sunshine Coast, Australia. She is a proud verified member of Placenta Services Australia and also serves on their Board. She is passionate about keeping Placenta Encapsulation safe and to very high industry standards in Australia. She loves talking about anything placenta so feel free to get in touch with any of your placenta questions!

Natalie’s Links/Tips:
Website : Hypnobirthing
Websites : Spinning Babies
Book: Sherri Menelli Journey into Motherhood
Book : Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D Women who run with the Wolves
Website: Association with “verified members” Directory : Placenta Services Australia

Natalie’s Contact Details
Email ; natalie@placentavitality.com
Website : Placenta Vitality
Facebook Page   – Placenta Vitality
Instagram : @placentavitality

Quotes from the episode
 
“DARLING JUST FUCKING OWN IT”
“we are one of the few mammals that don’t ingest our placenta”
“there has been a few celebrities that have done it which if you’ve seen the Kardashian posts which is awesome because it normalizes it a bit more and brings its to people’s awareness”
“the iron in placenta is so bio-available iron, its natural its your own stores so really great iron to take”

Have you already given Mum’s The Word a rating and a review on iTunes yet? I’d be so grateful to get the message out further and reviews are a great way to do this!! Thanks so much if you have and if not, please do so to help me share “the word” even more.
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MUM 011: Amanda Burleigh: Optimal Cord Clamping and its Amazing Benefits

This week I have another great episode for you! I was lucky enough to get a pioneering midwife on the podcast (I was thrilled that she said yes to my invite!!) and as you will learn, she really has done some amazing work to create change, particularly in the area of policy related to optimal cord clamping.
Please do share this episode and it’s links/resources with those pregnant women around you. It’s such an important topic and this information needs to get out! As you will hear when you listen to the episode, it really doesn’t take much to wait before to clamp the cord, doesn’t cost anything and has so many be benefits for the newborn.
ENJOY !!
AMANDA’S BIO
Amanda has been in Midwifery practice for over 27 years. Although most of her practice has been in Leeds, she also worked as a Midwife in New Zealand, experiencing a very different model of Midwifery care.
Over ten years ago Amanda began to challenging the practice of immediate cord clamping after realising that this common routine practice had absolutely no evidence base and deprived babies of valuable stem cell enriched full blood. Amanda has campaigned for a change in practice from immediate cord clamping to delayed cord clamping and has seen all national and international guidelines change their guidance to recommend this. Amanda is a co-inventor of the award winning Basics/Lifestart trolley, which enables vulnerable babies to be ventilated whilst the umbilical cord is kept intact to ensure they receive their full blood benefit. Amanda has written many articles and talked at numerous events about optimal cord clamping and changing practice and fully harnessed the power of social media by participating in an international network of midwives, doctors, birth-workers and parents who share and disseminate the latest in research and education regarding optimal cord clamping.
Amanda has been nominated and won several awards for her work in this area including Midwife of the Year 2015, British Journal of Midwifery and Midwife of the Year 2012, Yorkshire Evening Post. She works with and supports midwives in other countries to enable them to give informed choice and practical guidance in optimal cord clamping.
Amanda’s Links:
George Morley –Pediatrician USA
Research showing immediate cord clamping caused irreparable brain damage on monkeys and link with Autism
Judith Mercer (Midwife) – “Immediate cord clamping was depriving the baby of up to 30% of its blood volume”
Paper from Judith Mercer:
IS IT TIME TO RETHINK CORD MANAGEMENT WHEN RESUSCITATION IS NEEDED?
Judith Mercer : Rethinking placental transfusion and cord clamping issues.
Ola Andersson ; Effect of delayed versus early umbilical cord clamping on neonatal outcomes and iron status at 4 months: a randomised controlled trial.
Ola Andersson ; Effect of Delayed Cord Clamping on Neurodevelopment at 4 Years of Age: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

David Hutchon : Link to his research articles here
Lifestart Trolley
Amanda’s Tips/Resources
Website: Blood to Baby
Amanda’s Contact Details
Twitter @optimalclamping
Facebook Page   – Optimal Cord Clamping / #WaitforWhite
Personal Facebook – Amanda Burleigh
Have you already given Mum’s The Word a rating and a review on iTunes yet? I’d be so grateful to get the message out further and reviews are a great way to do this!! Thanks so much if you have and if not, please do so to help me share “the word” even more.
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MUM 010: Mandy Adno: Fussy Eaters, Baby’s First Foods, Gag Reflexes & More

SHOWNOTES
Since this episode was recorded I’ve been so impatient to release it as this episode has something for ALL mums. From ..
when and how to introduce first foods,
why kids might be fussy with food,
what to do about it,
clear signs for when to seek help and there are so many fabulous links and resources that Mandy shares in this episode.
I do my best to find passionate experts but honestly, Mandy had so much passion for what she does that it was such a joy to have her share on Mum’s The Word. Because it was full of gold, the episode runs over my (suggested) 40 mins – well let’s be honest, most of them have so far!! as clearly my guests are so passionate about helping other mums and its obvious we all love what we do.
Please do share this episode and it’s links/resources with those around you struggling to get their little ones to eat or enjoy food. Its such an important topic and this episode highlights once again, that we are all in this parenting world together. It truly takes a village to raise a child so please don’t keep these pearls of wisdom to yourself but share it with the new mum’s in your circles.
ENJOY !!
MANDY’S BIO
Mandy-Lee Adno is a Paediatric Feeding Therapist. She has a private practice at The Children’s Clinic in Bondi Junction, Sydney, where she assesses and treats babies and children with a range of feeding issues.
Mandy graduated as a Speech Pathologist and Audiologist from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002. She then went on to specialise as a Paediatric Feeding Therapist at Manchester University, United Kingdom. She set up a Paediatric feeding department in Havering in the United Kingdom, treating babies and children with a range of feeding and swallowing difficulties. Mandy is also an accredited SOS therapist.
Mandy has worked as a Paediatric feeding therapist at Royal North Shore Hospital in the neonatal and Paediatric wards.
She has extensive experience in assessing and treating newborns, infants and children with various feeding difficulties including: Medical and behavioural feeding difficulties; difficulties with breast/bottle feeding; gastro-oesophageal reflux; transitioning from feeding tubes, transitioning to solids and fussy eaters.
Mandy resides in Sydney, Australia with her husband and 3 daughters.
 
Mandy’s Links:
Pediatric Dysphagia explained here
SOS Approach : Sensory Oral Sequential Approach – Systematic Desensitization 
Mandy’s Tips
 
Website : Ellyn Satter dietician and her website
Website : https://www.feedingmatters.org
Website : http://sense-ationalmealtimes.com.au
Website :   https://www.feedingmatters.org/people/kay-ann-toomey-phd
BLW – Baby Led Weaning 
 
Book:  Katja Rowell MDand Jenny McGlothlin MS CCC-SLP  Helping Your Child with Extreme Picky Eating: A Step-by-Step Guide for Overcoming Selective Eating, Food Aversion, and Feeding Disorders
Book: Sense-ational Mealtimes, Gillian Griffiths
Speech Pathology Australia (Association)

Mandy’s Contact Details
Website: http://www.sydneyfeedingspecialist.com
Website: http://www.thechildrensclinic.com.au
email: mandyadno@gmail.com
facebook –
Mandy-Lee Adno Paedriatric Feeding Specialist
And have you already given Mum’s the word a rating and a review on iTunes yet? I know i request this every week but I’d be so grateful and it would help me to get the message out further and iTunes reviews are a great way to do this!! Thanks so much if you have and if not, please do so to help me share “the word” even more.
See you on next week’s episode  😉
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MUM 009: Mirjam Heemskerk : All Wound Up with Belly Binding

EPISODE 009
(with Mirjam Heemskerk)
All Wound Up with BELLY BINDING
Who would have known all the wonderful things that a long cloth can do for you postpartum let alone that we could talk about it and the benefits for an entire episode but here we are.
Belly Binding is something that I am hearing mentioned more often and its an ancient ritual that is making a comeback.
Mirjam shares what got her into it, why would you do it, who it benefits and even more in this episode. She also shares some wonderful parenting tips and links, which are also in the show notes below and not to be missed.
Enjoy and share!

MIRJAM’S BIO
Mirjam Heemskerk experienced an enormous change in her life in 2004 when her father died shortly after her youngest daughter was born. These two events, birth and death so close to one another brought about an immense shift in her consciousness which resulted in a change of career from the publishing industry to the healing arts. During her two pregnancies and two subsequent home births she recognized the true power of the mind and body, and her interest in pregnancy and birth grew stronger. She started several massage trainings to be a massage therapist. Mirjam embarked on a journey which combined touch, energetic healing, movement, nutrition, aromatherapy, herbs, crystal & flower remedies. Her passion for the Wise Women Cycle led her to work with babies, children, adolescents, pregnant women and mothers of all ages. Her passion is to bring the gift of a true Sacred Pregnancy, Birth and Motherhood to the women in her community. Mirjam brings together her intuition and gentleness to make every woman feel nourished and nurtured.
Mirjam is Dutch and also speaks English, French and a little German.
Since 2007 Mirjam is the owner of manumanu massage
She created Gentle Beginnings at the start of 2015.

SHOWNOTES
 
Mirjam’s Links
 
Website : Manu Manu
Website : Gentle Beginnings
 
Mirjam’s Tips
Book : The Wise Child: A Spiritual Guide to Nurturing Your Child’s Intuition
Workshop Link : CENTER FOR NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION: AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION
Course : Sacred Pregnancy
Book : Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting
Book on Elimination Communication : The Diaper-Free Baby: The Natural Toilet Training Alternative

Have you already given Mum’s The Word a rating and a review on iTunes yet? Thanks so much if you have and if not, please do so to help me share “the word” even more. I’d would love it!! x
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MUM 008: Sherry Federer : Double the Fun – Survival Tips from a Twin Mum

EPISODE 8
(with Super Mum Sherry Federer)
Double the Fun – Survival tips from a twin mum.
I’ve so been looking forward to sharing this episode for quite some time. As a mum of a boy (and yes I am generalizing here with what I am about to say) I was not prepared for the amount of climbing, jumping, dare devil kamikaze risk taking energizer battery energy that little boys have and get up to. Sometimes I feel like I need eyes in the back of my head with my little one. And he just turned 2 not that long ago so we have a looooong way to go and lots of sporting pursuits to come our way. I guess it just came as a bit of a shock having a child that gets into everything after my daughter, who was a very “careful” child.
I just couldn’t imagine having twins (although before I was a mum I thought twins would be fantastic – have the babes all in one go??) but these days I cannot imagine at all having twins!
My guest this week – I take my hat off to her – is a mum to twins and yes you guessed it … TWIN BOYS! I know her personally and I know how amazing she is with them and how patient she is.
I thought we could all learn from her wisdom but certainly all the mums with 2 or more babies in their bellies right now or those with a young set of twins would be happy to hear from a mum who’s been in their shoes. She also discusses how important it is for mothers to nurture themselves, giving the example of when on a plane, a parent must put on their own oxygen mask before putting it on their child
It’s a GREAT episode and Sherry shares some fantastic parenting links that have also helped her navigate motherhood. (Available in the show notes below.) Enjoy.

SHERRY’S BIO
Sherry Federer is an ex-pat mom of 4-year old twin boys and lives in Amsterdam. It’s never a dull day at their house between the dinosaur expeditions, fort building and games of hide-and-go-seek. Currently Sherry is a stay-at-home mum on a mission to rock this motherhood thing. Sherry and her wife moved to Amsterdam when Sherry was 4 months pregnant and they had many adventures navigating a new city and creating a support system to help them through those first years. It’s been a fun ride, albeit challenging at times, and they can’t imagine having done things any other way.
 
SHOWNOTES
 
Preeclampsia – Explained more here
 
Sherry’s Tips
Book : “Twinsperation” Cherly Age
Website : Aha Parenting Dr Laura Markham
Website : Abundant Mama Project “Rediscover your happy place”
Website : The Great Parenting Show
Sherry’s Quotes
“Its not an Emergency”
“Be prepared for anything”
“You have to let go of the perfectionist, you do what you can”
“You just have to ask for help”
“MOTHER HOOD – powered by love, fueled by coffee, sustained by wine.”
Have you already given Mum’s the word a rating and a review on iTunes yet? Thanks so much if you have and if not, please do so to help me share “the word” even more.
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MUM 007: Brett Hill : Raising Kids who Choose and LOVE to eat Healthy Food

EPISODE 007 SHOWNOTES (with Dr Brett Hill)
Raising Kids who Choose and LOVE to eat Healthy Food
In this Episode 7 of Mum’s The Word we have our first dad on the show!! Dr Brett Hill shares with me his passion for educating his kids (and larger audiences too) on how to live the wellness lifestyle and how to teach them to love eating real food.
He’s even mastered how to get his kids Tom and Charlotte to choose to eat healthy food when he is not around and he’s just released a new e-book sharing all his not-to-do’s and to-do’s on this topic that have worked for him and his two. Very down to earth and easy to connect with, he’s not your average dad, he truly is an inspiring parent with a fantastic message for you all and he also happens to be my first fellow podcaster that I interview on our show.
A truly great episode for getting amazing practical tips on how to get your kids to eat healthily without bribes or making them feel guilty and so much more. Enjoy.

BRETT’S BIO
 
Dr Brett Hill is co-host of two of Australia’s top rated health podcasts, public speaker, Paleo advocate, chiropractor, barefoot runner and author of numerous books and e-books. He regularly appears on TV, radio and in print, and his media appearances, seminars, coaching and consulting have inspired thousands of people over the last decade to live a long, happy, healthy life full of energy and vitality.
Dr Brett has been able to share his journey to health coming from a coca cola drinking, mars bar eating young man to a vital, paleo, whole food advocate today with his two gorgeous children Tom and Charlotte, who have inspired Dr Brett to take his message to the world in order to create a healthier environment for his family to thrive in.
Dr Brett’s websites, articles, videos, media appearances and books have inspired people all over the world to make drastic changes for the better in their life and their health.
Some Highlights from Dr Brett’s dynamic career include:
– Co-host of Australia’s number one health podcast ‘The Wellness Guys Show‘ and ‘That Paleo Show‘
– Co-founder of Australia’s leading health podcast channel The Wellness Couch
– Editorial in publications as diverse as The Adelaide Magazine, Men’s Health and The Borneo Post and The Advertiser newspaper
– Online editorial on NineMSN, AdelaideNow and more
– Radio appearances on ABC, 5AA, FreshFM, Fresh 102.3 and others
– TV appearances on Channel Seven and Channel Nine
– Wellness seminars including Queensland’s Dynamic Growth congress, ING corporate work, The Wellness Summit and more
– Launching popular health resource www.drbretthill.com and monthly newsletter
– His successful chiropractic and wellness coaching practice in Linden Park, South Australia
– Author of How To Eat An Elephant: simple solutions for lifelong energy and vitality (The Wellness Couch)
Follow Dr. Brett on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter
Dr. Hill is a Doctor of Chiropractic and holds a Bachelor of Health Science (The University of Adelaide) and Masters of Chiropractic (Macquarie University, NSW).

GUEST QUOTES
“it’s about giving them the right information and showing them the whole picture so that they can make a really informed choice”
“focus on what you can add in first before you start worrying about trying to take stuff out because the more real food that you can add in to their diet, the more stuff you can get them eating”
“the body needs no help, just no interference, kids are innately designed to be healthy”

Dr. Brett’s Website : drbretthill.com
Dr. Brett’s Email: info@drbretthill.com
Dr. Brett practices at Greenhill Family Chiropractic
Have you already given Mum’s the word a rating and a review on iTunes yet? Thanks so much if you have and if not, please do so to help me share “the word” even more.
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MUM 006: Jeanne Ohm: Chiropractic, Preparation for Birth and Trusting the Body

In this week’s Episode of Mum’s The Word we have a hugely inspiring lady and also a mentor for me in both the Birth and Chiropractic word, Dr. Jeanne Ohm. Jeanne opens up and shares her wisdom but also gives her views on why birth can go wrong for women but also how it can go so so right too.

Listen in and you’ll learn why Chiropractic plays an essential role in a woman’s preparation for birth and how it can lead to shorter labor times. Amazing right!? Hence why I’m so passionate about this. Also Jeanne shares from some of the the latest research Chiropractic research currently being conducted and how Chiropractic significantly effects the outcomes of VBAC births for women under chiropractic care differently from those that are not under care during their pregnancy.
JEANNE’S BIO
 
Dr. Jeanne Ohm is a practicing DC (Doctor of Chiropractic) in a family, wellness based practice and has been since 1981.
She’s an International lecturer on the topic “Chiropractic Care in Pregnancy and Infancy” to practicing Chiropractors and affiliated Care Providers and a Post Graduate Instructor for numerous Chiropractic Colleges
She’s the author of numerous papers on pregnancy, birth, children and chiropractic. Co-author of several research papers published in major CAM journals.
Founder of Makin’ Miracles…Connecting Kid’s n’ Chiropractic, community outreach programs and resources to educate children and adults about the life saving benefits of chiropractic. www.makinmiracles.com
Producer and writer of the children’s chiropractic song, “Power On!” and educational video, “Birth Trauma: A Modern Epidemic”
CEO for the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association: www.icpa4kids.com
Executive Publisher and Editor of Pathways to Family Wellness Magazine: www.pathwaystofamilywellness.org
ICPA developer and instructor of the Webster Certification Proficiency Syllabus.
Current Board of Directors Positions:
ICPA Executive Secretary: icpa4kids.com
Academy of Chiropractic Family Practice: chiropracticfamilypractice.org
Life Chiropractic College West: http://lifewest.edu/
Holistic Pediatric Alliance: hpakids.org
Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation:vertebralsubluxation.health.officelive.com
Panel Member of Mothering Magazine: Ask the Exert: www.mothering.com/experts/meet.shtml
Dr. Ohm’s professional mission is to provide Doctors of Chiropractic with the skills and motivation to care for more pregnant mothers and children. She is committed to educating other practitioners with the information to support natural birthing in their practices. It is her understanding that birth trauma is a current chiropractic concern, and therefore it has become her goal to eliminate its damaging effects on the newborn. She intends to accomplish this by:
adequately training DC’s in specific chiropractic techniques and care for pregnancy, birth & infancy for the promotion of natural birthing.
forming national alliances for chiropractors with like-minded birth practitioners and attendants
empowering mothers to make informed choices in pregnancy and birth
offering patient educational tools which address this issue

Dr. Ohm is married to Dr. Thomas Ohm, Chiropractor. They have six children who have all received chiropractic care since conception. They were all born at home and are living the chiropractic family wellness lifestyle.
Jeanne’s Email – infor@icpa4kids.com
Jeanne’s Links/Mentions from the Episode –
International Cesarean Awareness Network
Spinning Babies 
ICPA 
Pathways Magazine

JEANNE’S QUOTES FROM THE EPISODE
1.“your body knows what its doing and this is normal natural physiology to be able to give birth”
“what’s happened with birth is that women are separated from it, women are afraid of it and it used to be very normal to give birth without fear and supposed need of assistance from outside.”
“Fear shuts down the body via the nervous saying system”
“life expresses intelligence”
“The greatest decision we are ever going to make in life is whether we perceive we live in a friendly universe or in a hostile one“ Albert Einstein
And……did I mention that we have already reached Number 1 in our category in iTunes (eeeek!) and to help us stay there and to reach more mums, I’d love if you could rate and review Mum’s the Word in iTunes here, it only take a few seconds!! and come on over and join us over on the Facebook Page.
See you next week.
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MUM 005: Aya Mass-Forstner : VBAC Birth and Inspiration for Becoming a Doula

EPISODE 005 SHOWNOTES (with Aya Mass Forstner)
VBAC Birth and inspiration for becoming a Doula.
In this Episode 5 of Mum’s The Word we have Aya Mass-Forstner sharing her very real and raw birth experiences. The birth of her first child, albeit every effort to have it be otherwise, ended in a cesarean section. She felt helpless connected to all the iv’s and not being able to take care of her own newborn in her daughter’s first few days of life.
Following this experience she educated herself tirelessly and researched all that she could and her second birth was a VBAC birth.
Listen in and you’ll resonate with her authenticity and you’ll be truly inspired by her story.  Although this is (released as) episode #5 this was my first podcast interview ever!! and I was so so happy and uplifted after speaking to Aya, her excitement and passion were totally infectious.
BIO
Aya is a loving mom of two girls that came into this world via two very different births. These birthing experiences have paved her way to become the enthusiastic Doula she is today. As a Doula in The Netherlands she provides birth support for women from different countries, holding various birthing ideas and preferences. Her passion is for them to make conscious birth decisions, to be aware of their strength and to believe in their body! Her experience taught her that an empowering birth can have a positive ripple effect on our journey as mothers. As women.
Aya’s Website http://www.mamadoula.net
Aya’s Email: aya@mamadoula.net
Aya’s Links from the episode –
Placenta Previa
CMV
Book – Active Birth – Janet Balaskas
I’d love if you could please rate and review Mum’s the Word in iTunes here, it only take a few seconds!! and join us over on the Facebook Page.
GUEST QUOTES
1 “if you don’t know your options, you don’t have any”
2 “she needs to feels that she was empowered, that she was in control, that she made the decisions and nothing was done to her and that’s the biggest contribution of a doula”
3 “I underestimated the effects of an empowering and a positive birth experience on a woman”
4 “she believed she could, so she did”
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MUM 004: Julie Sharon : Keeping your Relationship Strong After Baby Arrives

In this Episode 4 of Mum’s The Word we have Julie Sharon from Balance You sharing with us some of her wisdom about a very important topic that affects almost everyone and is also so very rarely spoken of. How does the relationship change between a couple once their baby arrives?
Listen in and you’ll learn that we all have similar worries, challenges, and experiences as new parents. Knowing what to do beforehand and then if and when things happen is really the key
Julie Sharon is a licensed clinical counselor who offers individual, couples and family therapy at her private practice in Amsterdam. She also is a Gottman Bringing Baby Home educator. After earning her bachelors degree in Psychology at Skidmore College, Julie completed her Masters in Counseling at Webster University. She specializes in working with people transitioning into parenthood who face issues related to pregnancy, birth (trauma) or postpartum adjustment, couples who feel disconnected but want to make things work, and parents who feel overwhelmed by parenthood or who are seeking parenting support. A Dutch-American, Julie speaks Dutch and English fluently and offers her services in both languages. She lives with her husband and two kids in Amsterdam.
Julie’s Website: Balance You
Julie’s Email: info@balanceyou.net
Julie’s Links from the Episode –
Book – John Gottman And Baby Makes 3
Course – Bringing baby home
I’d love if you could rate and review Mum’s the Word in iTunes here, it only take a few seconds!! and join us over on the Facebook Page to help us in this growing community to help more mums everywhere.
GUEST QUOTES
“Small things often”
Wishing a Happy, Successful and Healthy New Year to Everyone and especially all the listeners who are expecting a baby (or possibly 2?) in 2016.
Spread “the Word”.
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MUM 003: Jennifer Mercier : (In)fertility, Optimal Pelvic Health and Mercier Therapy.

Its Episode 3 and we have Jennifer Mercier sharing with us some of her wisdom.
Jennifer Mercier
Movie – http://www.merciermovie.com
Email: MiraclesByMercier@gmail.com
http://www.merciertherapy.com
Jennifer’s Book – Women’s Optimal Pelvic Health with Mercier Therapy
Jennifer’s passion is serving women with fertility issues, pelvic pain, general wellness matters, holistic breast care and newborn/infant cranio-sacral balancing.
During her undergraduate years Jennifer was preparing to attend medical school and at the same time was diagnosed with endometriosis and went to massage therapy school. It was a busy time indeed. In the early 90’s she worked as a clinician for the Center for Human Reproduction and learned so many amazing things as well as how broken the system really is in regards to how women are treated with fertility challenges. The cycles very rarely worked and when they did there were a lot of pregnancy losses. It started her thinking about the pelvic organs and how could we get this area to work more effectively. Especially if women were going to undergo numerous medically assisted cycles how could this process be less emotionally and physically charging?  Jennifer observed marriages end and couples second mortgage their home just to undergo one more IVF cycle just for it to fail again. It broke her heart. Years later when she decided not to go to medical school she gave it some thought on how to proceed so she could effectively serve women with fertility challenges in a non-invasive way.
Jennifer ultimately decided to go into Midwifery and trained by apprentice  in a myriad of different settings such as birth center, home and hospital. Over a span of 15 years she took care of women and their babies in a very gentle and respectful manner.
Jennifer also trained as a Naturopathic Doctor and graduated in 1999 from a wonderful program that had to close it’s doors due to low enrollment. Since graduating she’s traveled the world from the US, Caribbean, Central America, Mexico ,Canada, Europe and the Middle East studying with some amazing teachers in the field.
Jen is a healer, teacher, mother, director/producer, and practitioner.
Jen’s Links –
Centre for Human Reproduction, Chicago
Ina May Gaskin 
Book – Susan Weed – Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year
Book – Kate Jordan – Bodywork for the Childbearing Year: Student Handbook
Book – Suzanne Arms – Immaculate Deception II: Myth, Magic and Birth
Book – Miriam Zoll – Cracked Open: Liberty, Fertility, and the Pursuit of High Tech Babies
Book – Brene Brown   – Daring Greatly
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And I’d love if you could rate and review Mum’s the Word in iTunes and subscribe to The Newletter on www.mumsthewordpodcast.com
Enjoy the episode!
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MUM 002: Karen Brody : Blissing out with Yoga Nidra

In this second episode of Mum’s The Word, I have the pleasure of interviewing Birth Advocate Karen Brody and she shares her experience of discovering Yoga Nidra and how she has then been inspired to share it with other mums. She drops so many pearls of wisdom in this episode.
After years of severe anxiety, mother of two Karen Brody walked into a yoga studio and discovered yoga nidra, a sleep-based meditation technique. This led her to create Bold Tranquility, a yoga nidra meditation company for women. As founder of the company, Karen’s mission is to help busy women go from worn out to a well-rested woman using yoga nidra. Since establishing BoldTranquility.com, Karen has become an emerging voice and advocate in women’s health and wellness on the power of yoga nidra meditation and the importance of rest to support women’s health and power. She has created an extensive yoga nidra meditation system for women, available as an app or via the web, to help women relax, get some sleep, and start embracing the way of the well-rested woman. Karen also runs Well-Rested Woman yoga nidra retreats and programmes for women online and live and has also written the play Birth.
LINKS
Book – Naomi Wolf: Misconceptions: Truth, Lies, and the Unexpected on the Journey to Motherhood
Book – Marian Woodman – Holding Tension of Opposites
Book – Pema Chodron ; When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times
BOLD Tranquility Website
BOLD Tranquility (App)  
Birth -a play by Karen Brody
” CHUCK PERFECT ” A Quote from Anna Quindlen – New York Times ” The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.”
A Quote from Ina May Gaskin  – ” The energy that get’s the baby IN, get’s the baby OUT.”
Top 25 Quotes from Ina May Gaskin 
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