Incast's Podcast

Learn how an experienced IBCLC navigates to serve breastfeeding moms and babies in the hospital setting during the time of COVID-19.  Beverly Wilhelm is a Registered Nurse of 25 years and an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant of 15 years in Women’s Services (primarily NICU and Mom/Baby). She has worked at hospitals in Atlanta, Dallas, and the Denver metro area. An Atlanta native, she has lived in Denver for 9 years with her husband, two teenage sons, and two dogs. She loves working with new moms, babies, and their families and enjoys the opportunities to educate and make human connections as a nurse.    Listen and Learn:  Changes taking place when working with breastfeeding women  The impact of breastfeeding in supporting moms and babies during the pandemic  Breastfeeding and pumping protocols established to ensure safety of mom and baby  The differences in protocol when a mom has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or is a PUI (person under investigation)  Measures to keep the IBCLCs

Today, we discuss how COVID-19 is impacting labor and delivery units.  Carla shares the challenges and positive aspects of working with families during birth and postpartum. She also talks about how this pandemic is changing her outlook and self care, for the better.   Carla has been in the healthcare field since 2000 and a nurse since 2003. The primary focus of her nursing is Women and Family Services with 17 years as a Labor and Delivery Nurse. She now works as a Charge Nurse at Longs Peak Hospital, which is a community hospital in the UCHealth system in Colorado. She loves her job and taking care of people in her community.  Listen and Learn:  Temporary policy changes to keep everyone safe  How the staff is alerted to changes in the system, including 36 updates so far  The differences in protocol if a mom has COVID-19 or is PUI  How nurses are keeping themselves and their families protected from the virus  How her team is becoming stronger as a result of the crisis   Resources & Menti

In the second episode in our COVID-19 series, we speak with Dawn Dudley, Ph.D. to explore the processes of creating a rapid COVID-19 test in one lab in Wisconsin.  When it became apparent that diagnostic tests for coronavirus were unavailable to most people with symptoms who were not hospitalized, Dawn began working with another scientist in the laboratory to try to develop a method to diagnose this virus using unique materials. Optimizing this new coronavirus test is what Dawn is primarily working on in the laboratory today.  Dawn obtained her Ph.D. in Molecular and Microbiology at Case Western Reserve University where she studied HIV drug resistance. Dawn then moved to the University of Wisconsin-Madison for her post-doc where she continued to study HIV drug resistance in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine under the supervision of Dr. David O'Connor. She continues to work with Dr. O'Connor as a senior scientist in the laboratory. About four years ago, Dawn started working on Zika virus

In this episode, we will discuss the mental-health needs of families birthing babies during a time of crisis.  We will explore what unique issues pregnant and new families have now and how a therapist can provide needed support. We speak with Sharon Storton, a Canadian Registered Psychologist, a Couple and Family Therapist, and a Certified Hypnotherapist, specializing in perinatal mental health and women's wellness. Sharon has worked with families in the childbearing period for more than three decades: as a mental health professional and, previously, as an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, childbirth educator, and doula. Sharon has applied her passion for women and family wellness to a private psychotherapy practice, to leadership roles both within non-profit organizations and on boards of directors, and as a writer and a speaker.      Listen and Learn:  How can professionals provide mental health services in this time of social distancing?  What types of things are troubling f

First love is often thought of as special, sweet and innocent.  But sometimes that relationship can turn toxic.  As health professionals, we can make a difference in a young person’s life. In this episode we will discuss how pregnant and parenting teens are affected by abuse from a dating partner.  We will also learn how to build a trusting relationship with teens, even if you only have a short amount of time.  Our guest is Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski who is a sexuality educator and counselor along with being the past president of Lamaze International and a certified childbirth educator.  Her master’s and doctorate are in education.  She has worked with 250,000 teens, including serving over 15,000 teen parents.   Listen and Learn: Rate of teens involved in intimate partner violence Signs of intimate partner abuse How to connect so that young people feel open to share this information Why someone would stay in a bad relationship How to help young people respect and love themselves enough to create good boundaries

Having a baby is a special time in parents’ lives. Grandparents remember the good and not so good times of bringing up their own babies.  They remember what worked for them and want to pass that information on to their children. However, best practices change frequently with maternal-child health.  What the grandparents were taught as gospel has very likely been replaced with new evidence-based information.  Learning that new information from a professional is sometimes easier than hearing it from their own children. So brings the birth of grandparenting classes!   Our guest, Andi Quinn has her bachelor’s in nursing and is the Maternal Child Nursing Coordinator in the Birth Care Center at UnityPoint Health St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where they offer 20 different classes for the childbearing year.  Based on her own good experience when she took a Lamaze class with her first baby, she ended up helping to teach the class and grew into replacing the teacher when that teacher moved on.  She has lov

We spoke with Dr. Kimberly Dever of South Shore Hospital and Amber Weiseth of Ariadne Labs about the Team Birth Project. This collaborative effort changes the standard approach to clinical care and has earned national attention. Their strategies foster communication and empower women and families with the goal of improving the safety and dignity of childbirth.   Kimberly Dever, MD, FACOG, is Vice President of Medical Affairs for South Shore Health and Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at South Shore Hospital. After attending Boston University School of Medicine, Dr. Dever began her career in the US Army where she served and cared for women in the military and their family members while training at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. As a senior leader at South Shore Hospital, she strives to offer the best care to patients through open communication and strong relationships.    Amber Weiseth DNP, RNC-OB is the Associate Director for the Delivery Decisions Initiative (DDI) at Ariadne Labs, wh

Today we will explore the transition dads and partners face during pregnancy and postpartum that sometimes leads to paternal perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Dr. Kevin Gruenberg, PsyD, is a psychologist in private practice in Los Angeles who co-developed a home visitation program for fathers and their young children meant to promote paternal engagement and family wellbeing.  Gabrielle Kaufman (MA, LPCC, BC-DMT, NCC, PMH-C) is a licensed professional clinical counselor with over 25 years’ experience providing services to new parents, particularly those suffering from symptoms of postpartum depression.   Listen and Learn: Rate of mood disorders in fathers compared to mothers Changes in hormone levels of the father or partner When Dad’s mood disorders most commonly occur Dads matter! What dads/partners uniquely offer that enhances baby’s development Resources & Mentions: Contact Kevin Gruenberg Contact Gabrielle Kaufman Resources to share with families https://www.postpartum.net/get-help/resources-

Parents of multiples face unique challenges. Today we will be speaking with Nancy Bowers about the importance of multiples-focused classes, what’s new in research, and trends surrounding multiple births. Nancy Bowers, BSN, RN, MPH, is a perinatal nurse educator with 40 years in maternal-infant and infertility care. A mother of twins herself, she is a passionate advocate for the unique needs of twins and other multiples. Through her company, Marvelous Multiples, Inc., she has brought specialized prenatal education to thousands of multiple birth families across the US and Canada since 1992. Nancy is the author of The Multiple Pregnancy SourceBook, and the chapter on multiple gestation for AWHONN's Perinatal Textbook. She recently retired from her 9-year-role as the Manager of Continuing Education for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine where she was responsible for the continuing education for 8,000 multidisciplinary members worldwide. She is now working as a health education consultant and medical e

Health systems continue to expand their reach, so it is important to consolidate resources and programs.  Offering cohesive educational resources to patients can be part of the consolidation.  Jessica Sember received her MSN with a specialization of Leadership and Organizational Development.  Jessica's nursing career has been within women's health.  She has had various roles in labor and delivery, childbirth education, and as a lactation consultant.  She is currently the perinatal education coordinator for her health system.  Listen and learn as we discuss coordinated education and some tips for success in standardizing materials, improving marketing for classes and the importance of communication among staff. Listen and Learn: How health systems benefit from offering coordinated education across the organization What challenges need to be faced when setting up a coordinated education program Ways that increase cohesiveness among the education staff How consistent curriculum and material make a difference to

Bringing a baby home can be one of the best days of a family’s life, but what happens when they also bring home birth trauma at the same time? While only 9% of women who give birth in the US experience birth PTSD, trauma can affect up to 25% of postpartum women. Today we are joined by Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, a health psychologist, IBCLC, owner of Praeclarus Press, and editor-in-chief of two peer-reviewed journals. She takes time out to talk to us about Psychological Trauma in Birth and how we can help to prevent or mitigate its effects on the mother and family.   Listen and Learn:   What can cause psychological birth trauma and what it looks like What would change if we always considered the impact of how we treat mothers and whether it fosters oxytocin Where parents can turn for help if trauma has occurred How trauma can be treated and minimized with quick response   Resources & Mentions: The National Center for PTSD Birth Interventions Related to Lower Rates of Exclusive Breastfeeding and Incre

This week we are speaking with Laurel Wilson about new findings in the interaction of epigenetics and the human microbiome as it relates to pregnancy and newborns and how it is a significant predictor of health outcomes. Laurel is an international speaker, pregnancy and breastfeeding specialist, consultant, and author, including co-author of two books on pregnancy. She loves to blend recent scientific findings with mind/body/spirit wisdom.  Listen & Learn: What is epigenetics? How does it affect our DNA? What microbiome is and how it relates to epigenetics What healthcare providers and families need to think about when making decisions that can affect epigenetics and the microbiome for moms and babies When the most sensitive period of epigenetic change to the DNA is for the child   Resources & Mentions:  The Human Genome Project    Related Products from InJoy: Understanding Pregnancy Curriculum Understanding Breastfeeding Curriculum Practices to Increase Exclusive Breastfeeding: Core Concepts eCour

Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH, CLC, AdvCD(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, is a busy mother of nine who got her start in reproductive health education and is the author of many pregnancy and parenting books & articles.  Robin is also the winner of Lamaze International’s prestigious Elisabeth Bing Award for “outstanding contribution to childbirth on a national level” and their President’s Award for her work with The Birth Survey. She also received the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services’ (CIMS) Forum Award. She is a member of the Birth Care Network Board of Directors that was honored with the Normal Birth Advocate Award by Lamaze. Listen to this episode to learn more about sexuality in the prenatal and postpartum periods. Listen and Learn: Talking more openly about sex in the postpartum period The cultural misconceptions surrounding sex during pregnancy The benefits of continuing to be sexually active during pregnancy Signs and symptoms to put a brief pause on sex during pregnancy How intimacy does not always inc

            Jana McCarthy is an Education Development and Learning Consultant for Kaiser Permanente. She is a nurse, childbirth educator, lactation consultant, basic life support instructor, and native Southern Californian. Jana also teaches management of aggressive behavior and is a master diversity trainer. Listen to this episode to learn more about compassion fatigue, treatment, and more.  Listen and Learn: How to recognize compassion fatigue How nurses, doulas, and caregivers can support those experiencing compassion fatigue The cumulative process of compassion burnout Six self-care techniques to help reduce stress in your home  Resources and Mentions: One Moment Meditation  Professional Quality of Life Scale  jmccarthy32@cox.net

EPISODE 11: Flipping the Classroom with Online Learning with Martha Lasley & Sharlene Alt of Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies Martha Lasley is the Nursing Operations Manager for Maternal Education at Winnie Palmer Hospital for Woman and Babies. She has over 30 years of experience in perinatal nursing and works with a highly-skilled team and a diverse patient population. Sharlene Alt is also a Nurse and Maternal Education Specialist at Winnie Palmer, with over 40 years of experience. Listen to this podcast for an inside look at the flipped classroom model for teaching childbirth education. Listen and Learn: What a flipped classroom is and how it can be beneficial How a hybrid/flipped class model works for childbirth education courses Tailoring classes to adult learning styles Meeting parents’ specific education needs How to adjust your classroom for a diverse audience Resources: Welcome Letter for Students Preparation for Birth Instructor Agenda Related Products: eClass Suite: https://injoy

Laraine Lockhart Borman, IBCLC, is the director of outreach for Mothers’ Milk Bank (MMB), a Colorado-based program benefitting women and babies nationwide. Mothers’ Milk Bank helps women safety share their milk and provides milk for infants in need. Listen to this episode to find out more on the process and impact of milk banking. Listen and Learn: Four different types of milk Mothers’ Milk Bank provides How the milk donation process works and how donors are screened Why families are motivated to donate their milk The evidence-based processes milk goes through The two biggest misconceptions about milk banking Resources and Mentions: https://rmchildren.org/mothers-milk-bank/ Related InJoy Products: Understanding Breastfeeding Curriculum (https://injoyhealtheducation.com/understanding-breastfeeding) Breastfeeding for Working Mothers (https://injoyhealtheducation.com/breastfeeding-for-working-mothers.html)

Kristin Glenn is the Co-Founder and Director of Outreach for 3HopefulHearts, a nonprofit organization that supports bereaved families through events, education, and remembrance. Understanding loss firsthand led Kristin to be a champion in creating protocol change during this critical time. She is also the Education Coordinator at The Woman’s Clinic of Northern Colorado. She has over 20 years of teaching experience, and is certified in Brainwise, Lamaze Childbirth Education, Child Passenger Safety, Happiest Baby on the Block, and is a certified Lactation Counselor. Listen to this episode for more on how to provide consistent, compassionate bereavement support at the different stages of grief.   Listen and Learn:   Best practices for creating bereavement protocols for clinics, hospitals, and community outreach organizations Building a bridge between the family and the clinician Helping families process grief through validation and acknowledgement How to standardize training for every department throughout an o

Colleen Weeks is the perinatal education manager at the Kaiser Permanente Orange County Medical Center in Irvine and Anaheim. She has been a childbirth educator for over 35 years, and currently runs 140-150 classes every month. Listen to this episode recorded at The International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA) Conference for insight on how you can grow and improve your childbirth education program through teamwork. Listen and Learn: Using other stakeholders to help you attract parents How to get clinicians and educators to work as a team Creating your team of champions How ICEA’s experts can help you and your team Educators supporting educators by referring parents to other classes  Resources from Colleen: For more information, contact Colleen at k.weeks@kp.org Related InJoy Products: Complete Curriculums   

Dr. Nancy Hurst is the Director of Women’s Support Services at Texas Children’s Hospital Pavilion for Women. She also oversees clinical, operational, and research activities for the lactation milk bank services and patient education program and is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Texas School of Nursing in Houston. Listen to this episode for more on the importance of receiving human milk, breastfeeding, and providing effective patient education in the NICU..   Listen and Learn: Benefits of NICU babies receiving mother’s milk, even though it might not be at the breast Barriers of using mother’s own milk in the NICU and how to overcome them How staff training and shared initiatives can make a big difference Helping parents understand the importance of pumping and getting support Setting up the resource staff and materials needed to support feeding at the breast   Resources from Nancy: The Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies Related InJoy Products: Practices to Increase Exclusiv

Natalie S. Burke is the president and CEO of CommonHealth ACTION (CHA), where she provides visionary leadership for CHA’s business development and model capacity building and programs. She is the co-director of the Health Leaders national program center and directs Kaiser Permanente’s Institute for Equitable Leadership in Baltimore, Maryland. Listen to this episode for more on setting the tone on health equity and creating positive change. Listen and Learn: Getting involved and thinking about how health equity affects different populations How to create opportunities for people to be as healthy as possible How constructive discomfort can inspire change Introspection and our individual journey toward equity How biases and decisions play into provider practices Resources from Natalie: Common Health ACTION Bias Surveys Unnatural Causes:  Clips from When the Bough Breaks.  Equity Impact Review Tool Genderbread Person   Natalie’s Blog