In the premiere episode of Floyd Medical Center's Moms Circle Podcast, we meet Jen Carroll, Childbirth and Lactation Educator at Floyd, and hear her story and why she is passionate about helping new moms and moms-to-be. We'll also talk our goals for this podcast, share with you why you can trust the information you'll hear and talk some about what Floyd has to offer new and expectant moms.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Moms Circle Podcast presented by Floyd Medical Center, a place for new moms, veteran moms and moms to be, to hear expert advice from experienced healthcare professionals. Here are your hosts, Dan Bevels and Jen Carroll.
Dan Bevels (00:16):
Hello everyone and welcome to our first episode of The Moms Circle Podcast brought to you by Floyd Medical Center. I'm Dan Bevels, and I will tell you up front that I'm not a mom, and I don't know that I can offer any particular insight about being a mom, but I'm excited to be a part of this anyway, because I think it's just great information because I am a parent. I've been a dad for quite a while, and I know what that's like, and I know what moms and dads out there are going through and what they're experiencing.
Dan Bevels (00:41):
So, I'm really excited to be a part of this and be able to offer this information to you as you walk through this journey. And this is the very first one, and we're really glad that you're here with us. Throughout this, I'm going to be kind of the voice in the background. Leading the conversation will be Jen Carroll and Jen is a childbirth and lactation educator at Floyd Medical Center. And I'd like to welcome her in now and just begin a bit of a conversation about what you can expect over the coming months related to the podcast, but also about what we offer at Floyd Medical Center related to childbirth, and the education that goes along with that. So, Jen welcome and I'm just really glad to be able to offer this to our folks listening and I'm excited to work with you on producing this.
Jen Carroll (01:23):
Thank you, Dan. I am super excited that we are going to be able to offer this style of information, this venue of information for our parents. And I feel like it really has lots of space for growth and being able to better meet the needs of the mothers in our community. So I'm very excited about this and I so appreciate Floyd supporting this initiative.
Dan Bevels (01:52):
I think it just fits really well with who we are Jen. We've been delivering babies for more than 70 years, which is just incredible. So we believe that we're the experts at this and you and the folks on your team just solidify that in my mind.
Jen Carroll (02:05):
Well, I think the thing that's wonderful, being a part of Floyd is that we have a very strong team. I mean, we recognize each person brings their gift to the team and we try to utilize where people are passionate and we're their experts. And so that's going to be part of this dynamic as well. We are going to try our best and our aim is to bring the experts on different topics in so that moms can hear evidence-based information about a variety of topics from people that they can trust.
Dan Bevels (02:42):
Let's talk about that just for a second Jen, just to give the folks listening a look ahead at what we might be talking about. In general, what are some of those topics that you would like to touch on in coming episodes?
Jen Carroll (02:54):
Well, actually the topic list keeps growing as we look at it, but some of the things that are really important to moms are things like how to prepare to return to work. As a new mom, you've got to make that transition to returning to work. That's a big one moms have to work with and we need to be able to help moms establish a plan so that that transition from being at home to returning to work can be smooth and as painless as possible for both the mom, and her baby and the family unit.
Jen Carroll (03:30):
Another thing that we're looking at is how do moms find time to take care of themselves during this first year. They're so busy taking care of babies. How do they even address their own needs and issues?
Jen Carroll (03:47):
And another one that I really enjoy talking about is developmental milestones, recognizing developmental milestones, and what do we really need to be watching for?
Jen Carroll (04:03):
So we have a great variety. One of the ones that I think even fathers are going to really appreciate is we talk about navigating successful communication with your partner. So that goes both ways, not only moms being able to talk to their partners, but for partners. So dads tuning into our podcast and understanding how to keep communication and relationships going with a new baby in the home. So we are really wanting to not only meet the needs of these topics, but also we're open to whatever topics parents feel they need. They have an opportunity to have input into what topics we're going to cover during this podcast. And we would appreciate information from parents on what do you need more information about? And let us find an expert, let us do the work of finding that evidence-based information that you need.
Dan Bevels (05:02):
Absolutely. And there are a couple of ways you can do that. If you'd like to share thoughts on upcoming topics, or if you have questions, we've set up an email address specifically for the podcast and that's momscircle@floyd.org. And so you can reach out to us there. And then as always, you can be a part of our Moms Circle at Floyd Facebook group. You can join that and it's a wonderful resource as well. I want to talk about that in just a moment, but Jen, I wanted to circle back to something you said, because I don't want to let the title of the podcast mislead folks. We're calling this Moms Circle, but there's space for dad here too.
Jen Carroll (05:38):
Oh, absolutely. In fact, I want us to include the entire family unit. There are things that grandmothers can learn from listening to these podcasts, babysitters can learn. There are things that anybody involved in caring for a child can learn from these podcasts and we want it to be a trusted source.
Jen Carroll (05:59):
The other thing that I want to mention is that we recognize how busy moms are. And one of the good things about a podcast is that you can start it, listen to it for as long as you have, and then pause it and pick it up later when you have more time. So we are deliberately trying to make it easier for moms because we realized that while you're cooking dinner or folding laundry or driving to work or coming home, that those might be the times when you actually have some time to yourself and you would be interested in listening to a podcast. And so we want it to be worth your time. We want it to be practical and really worth your time. So that's why we've chosen to do it on this format.
Dan Bevels (06:43):
Absolutely. And so we're going to be releasing these episodes on a pretty regular basis anywhere where you download podcasts. So iTunes, Spotify, you can also find it on our webpage, floyd.org/baby. And you can find information there as well. And then we, of course will be promoting upcoming experts on social media. So if you're not already, follow Floyd Medical Center on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram, and then Jen, I can't encourage folks enough to be a part of this Moms Circle at Floyd Facebook group, because it's just a great resource. And so maybe that's a good transition. Can you talk a little bit about what we offer through the Facebook group and how that community has grown.
Jen Carroll (07:22):
Right. Well, we're offering in-person events. Our Moms Circle support group was offering in-person events until we started with the pandemic and then obviously that needed to change. And so we decided that we would go ahead and do a Facebook page and help moms to stay connected. And so we are going to continue the Facebook page, even when hopefully we'll be back to in-person support group meetings. We're still going to continue the Facebook page because what we have found is that moms have questions, moms need support. And even if it's three o'clock in the morning, they can get on a Facebook page and post a question and we will get back to them because we are constantly monitoring this page and we will get back to them with information they can trust.
Jen Carroll (08:20):
And so I really have appreciated the Facebook page for it's convenience, but also when moms put questions on there, I love to see the other moms respond with support and suggestions and it's positive. This is a closed Facebook account. So that means that it's safe. You can ask a question on there and know that people are going to support you. You're not going to have any crazy things going on there. So I just so appreciate the kind of support moms are receiving from each other on that Facebook page. It's been absolutely a joy to engage with these mothers and watch them respond to each other with such care and support.
Dan Bevels (09:10):
I think the thing that I love about that Jen, as I listen to you talk is that I think all of us over the last year, we've been looking for community and new ways because we haven't been able to engage in what we traditionally know as community. And so it's really wonderful to take a look at that group and see how that's grown and to see how that community has formed at a time where it is so desperately needed.
Jen Carroll (09:37):
Absolutely, it is needed. And one of the things that has happened during this very unusual time in our lives is this feeling of isolation. And certainly that has been true for many mothers. They want to protect their new babies, their children from a lot of unknown when it comes to the virus and how we best protect everybody. And so it has made people feel isolated for an extended amount of time. And we are trying to use this Facebook page to make sure mothers don't feel alone, to know that there are people that actually are going through what they're going through and really care and want to dialogue. And so it has met a real need in our community during these past several months.
Dan Bevels (10:36):
We want this podcast to just contribute to that sense of community. So Jen, we have the Moms Circle at Floyd Facebook group. We obviously are launching this podcast, but another resource we have available for moms is our, My Floyd Baby app. Can you talk a little bit about what is available there and how you've already seen it help expectant and new moms in our area?
Jen Carroll (10:58):
Absolutely. So the My Floyd Baby app is actually broader than just your newborn or just your pregnancy. It actually covers a lot of information about a variety of things. It's much broader than just a new mothers app. It does accurately cover many of the topics that you're going to be interested in when you're pregnant, especially when you're first pregnant. And so that's very important, but it also covers things about labor and delivery. And as childbirth educators and lactation consultants here in our office, we are referring more and more to the information that's right there available. Many women have it on their phone and they can pull it up and use it straight away.
Jen Carroll (11:49):
So there are a lot of apps out there, but I want you to know this is one you can trust. So I encourage all of our moms straight away, download this as soon as you're pregnant. There is a pregnancy tracker on there and it describes what's going on with your pregnancy. And then there are tools for labor and delivery and then all kinds of information after your baby is born. But I encourage you to get that on your phone straight away so instead of just taking random sites of the internet, you know that the information you're getting is from a hospital-based organization and that it's going to be correct, that you can trust it.
Dan Bevels (12:29):
Absolutely. And you can find that at whichever app store you use and download it to your device there, and you can also find a link to it if you'd rather just really quick and easy access, rather than searching for it in the App Store. You can go to floyd.org/baby, and you can find a link to download the app right there. And while you're on the page, you find great resources, great information about everything that we do at Floyd relating to helping new moms. And we have a wealth of services available, several education classes. And Jen, maybe now's a great time to talk about some of those things we offer at Floyd and how those that are listening can be a part of them.
Jen Carroll (13:09):
Well, Dan, one of the things I'm most excited about is a new program that we'll be rolling out very soon, and that is an early pregnancy course. And in this course, it's designed to support that mom from the time she finds out that she's pregnant up and to the time that she is ready to enroll in one of our childbirth classes. And these are months of time where moms are kind of left out there with not a lot of support, but we're going to change that. We're going to step into that space confidently and help moms connect, right when they find out they're pregnant, and to know some things to expect and how to work with their bodies in a healthy way, for healthy babies and healthy mommies and healthy birth outcomes. So I'm very excited about that. Please be watching that. The Floyd information will be coming out soon, and we want you to sign up and be a part of this early pregnancy course.
Jen Carroll (14:14):
So it will be part of a bigger picture of the courses that we offer at Floyd. We offer an eight week course, which meets one night a week. We offer them on Monday nights and Thursday nights. And in our eight week course, that's the full meal deal. I mean, you get it all in that course. Everything about ... This is for mom and her partner and it teaches you have to work with your body, understanding what are the signs that labor's coming soon. It talks about everything. It is the full deal, talks about everything that you need to know as you prepare to have a baby enter your family. So that's an eight week course. We meet in the evenings from six to eight. We've been doing that virtually now, we will continue to offer virtual class and hopefully someday soon we'll be able to offer a class that's live, but until then we'll continue to offer our virtual classes.
Jen Carroll (15:16):
And then we have another class for those that are not able to attend the eight week session. We offer a Saturday class that goes from nine in the morning to about three. Again, we're doing this virtually. As soon as it's safe, we will open it back up and we'll have live classes as well. But this is called birth essentials. And in this course, we basically talk about those things regarding labor and delivery. And this course, we are limited on time. So we hit those big topics like how do you know you're in labor? How do we deal with pain? What's the role of the partner? These big topics that are coming up for moms and their partners, as they look to labor and delivery.
Jen Carroll (16:04):
Now, one of the things that we have added this year, even during the pandemic, we have added the opportunity for people to sign up for three extra sessions that cover topics that parents need more information about. These three sessions are included in our eight week course, but the first session is a session on postpartum and newborn care. So how to recover well from having a baby and how do we take care of this brand new baby. So skills in that are bathing the baby, swaddling the baby, comforting the baby, soothing a baby, how to help a baby be happy. So that's in our postpartum and newborn care course.
Jen Carroll (16:54):
Then another one that we have is called baby health and safety. And in this one, we have an interview with a pediatrician who does a Q&A, questions and answers for parents. And then we talk about how to keep your baby safe and how to keep your toddler safe. And that course is super informative and we even teach infant CPR techniques to all of our parents in that course. You won't be certified, but you will know how to give child infant and child CPR when you finish that class.
Jen Carroll (17:34):
And then of course, our third course that is really important is our prepare for breastfeeding course. This course is key to all the mothers who want to breastfeed their children. And maybe if a mom's on the fence about, I don't know if I can do that or not, this is the course for you. This will explain how breastfeeding works, how to avoid some of the things that mom's fear like pain, pain in breastfeeding. What do we do about that? Well, we're going to look at that and explain how breastfeeding should not be painful to you. We also include in this course, one of our lactation consultants who you will likely see when you deliver. And so it's just a time to pull it all together and help you make a really informed decision of how you want to feed your baby. So breastfeeding is also a really popular course. It is included in the eight week session. So we are actually offering several things for parents these days to be informed so that they can make good decisions for them and for their babies.
Dan Bevels (18:46):
Absolutely. And I know that was a lot to take in. So don't feel the pressure to have to remember all of that. That information is available at floyd.org/baby. You can find out all about those education opportunities that we have, and you can also learn a little bit more about the Family Birth Center at Floyd. As I said, we've been delivering babies for almost 80 years and our experts are there ready to take care of you. We also have the area's only level three neonatal intensive care unit, and we're ready there 24/7 to provide advanced care for those tiniest newborns. So we just encourage you again to check out floyd.org/baby. And Jen, as we get this thing started, this podcast series started, I would love for folks to know a little bit more about you and why you're so passionate about helping moms and families. So could you share a little bit about your background and how you came to do what you do?
Jen Carroll (19:38):
Okay. Well, thanks Dan, that's an honor to do that. I have been in the birthing community for a long time now. I'm a grandmother of seven little sweeties and three grown daughters. And actually my career in this field began while I was working in a developing country, which had no childbirth education, no lactation education. And I had both my second and third child in Africa. And I recognized how mothers just needed education in order to have better birth outcomes. And so I became burdened about that, especially with my third child. There's actually an article online called Birth And A Vision that talks about my experience of preterm labor and giving birth in Africa with my third child. And while I was in preterm labor and in a big room with a bunch of other women who were laboring, I started just sharing with them knowledge that I already had about birthing that I'd had with a Lamaze class with my first baby. And the mothers started saying, how do you know these things? Where did you learn these? And I immediately recognized that this was actually going to be something that I could not ignore.
Jen Carroll (21:11):
And so in the years to come, I did the training and the education in order to be able to step into that role of developing childbirth education classes that were evidence-based under Lamaze International, and began to see a real transformation in my community. And actually now at this point, many years later, a whole country has embraced childbirth education and started to really change the way mothers experience birth, providing dignity and respect for mothers during the birth experience. So when we returned to the States, I became a trainer for Lamaze International [inaudible 00:21:57] childbirth educators and breastfeeding counselors and a variety of other things. But I was given an opportunity to come and do a training at Floyd. And then that developed into this vision that Floyd had to really try and grow and meet the needs of the mothers that we serve in Northwest Georgia. And boy that resonated with my heart.
Jen Carroll (22:23):
And so when the opportunity came for me to step in and to be more involved, it was just like a no brainer. It was like, I would love to do this. And it has just been a joy and privilege. And I see it as just a continuation of some of the things that have been considered ministry in my life. I mean, it comes from lot more than just being a job. I believe it's part of what my destiny, my calling from a faith standpoint to be in this world is to help moms. And so it is a joy to be able to serve in this professional capacity here with a group of people who share that same sense of calling and passion in every field. Not only our labor and delivery nurses, but our lactation consultants, our NICU team, it's just throughout the whole group. And even to you, Dan, I mean, you're passionate about what you do as a professional here at Floyd. So it's really a joy and I'm just honored and amazed at this opportunity and excited to see how this will impact and improve care for mothers.
Dan Bevels (23:43):
Well Jen, I look forward to it also, I enjoy every opportunity I have to work with you because I love your passion for helping folks. And I love exactly what you said, that that is evident all across the Floyd organization. And so I'm appreciative of you for saying that, and I just can't wait to be able to help folks over the coming months through this podcast. I think it's going to be wonderful.
Jen Carroll (24:08):
Yeah, well, we're looking forward to it. And one of the things that's going to make it work is for people to just say what they need. I really feel like that is really the key. So I would just really encourage our moms, our dads out there. Talk to us. We can't help if we don't know. So let us know what you need and we will do our best to try and serve you well.
Dan Bevels (24:31):
Absolutely. And you can do that again by emailing momscircle@floyd.org or connect with us on Facebook, the Moms Circle at Floyd Facebook group as well. And the one thing I'll point out before we wrap up is that this first episode we know has been a little more promotional in nature. We've talked about the educational offerings that we offer at Floyd and talked a little bit about our program there. But coming in the episodes ahead, they're going to be very informative. It's going to be based on information that we believe will help you. So we kind of got this first one out of the way and provided that information to really help you understand why we're doing this and why we believe we can do it based on our experience and expertise. So today's is the why and the what. And coming ahead is going to be just a great amount of information that we believe will help you in this journey.
Dan Bevels (25:20):
Maybe you're becoming a new mom, or maybe you already have children, or maybe you're a dad, and you're learning how to connect with the woman that was your wife and is now the mother of your children and you're trying to make all that work. We want to be there along the way with you and help you through those times. So Jen, we'll wrap things up, but I look forward to what's ahead and I'm really grateful to be able to do this with you.
Jen Carroll (25:43):
Thank you. It is my privilege and pleasure.
Dan Bevels (25:46):
All right, well we want this to be a community. So share it with your friends and let them know that they can download the podcast and join us along this journey. We think it's going to be great. So I'm Dan Bevels for Floyd Medical Center. And along with Jen Carroll again, who is a childbirth and lactation educator at Floyd, thanks for joining us and we look forward to talking to you again real soon. Until then be safe and talk to you then.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Thanks for joining us on the Moms Circle Podcast. Be sure to join our Moms Circle Facebook group for more conversation between Floyds experts and moms like you. And if you have any questions about today's podcast or would like to suggest a topic for an upcoming episode, email us at momscircle@floyd.org. Also, if you haven't already, be sure to download the, My Floyd Baby app for a personalized health newsfeed for every member of your family. You can find the app at floyd.org/baby or in your App Store. Thanks for joining us.