Katie interviews Rebecca Peterson, a childbirth mentor who helps parents prepare for labor through birth preparation classes and prenatal yoga. Rebecca explains what it means to mindfully prepare for childbirth, how parents can explore their unique desires for the birth of their babies, and why it is important for parents to be solution-focused rather outcome-focused when it comes to childbirth (spoiler alert: your "birth plan" might go awry - and that's okay). In the interview, Katie and Rebecca also discuss birth shaming and how language plays a role in how parents view childbirth. In particular, they discuss the stigma surrounding Cesareans and medical pain relief (like epidurals), and how we can reframe the conversation to combat these taboos and support mothers - no matter what their childbirth journey looks like.
In this episode, Katie interviews Leslie Foster, President and CEO of The Gathering Place, Denver's only daytime drop-in center that serves women, children, and transgender individuals experiencing poverty and homelessness.
In the episode, Leslie and Katie discuss the distinct causes, challenges, and experiences of homelessness among women, mothers, and trans individuals. They also contrast these experiences with those faced by cisgender men experiencing homelessness. Leslie details the ways in which communities of women and trans individuals are underserved by traditional poverty and homelessness support organizations, and ways in which their struggles tend to remain “unseen” by the general population. Lastly, Leslie offers surprisingly simple steps we can take to combat issues of poverty and homelessness, and fight the stigma surrounding these issues, in our own communities.