In this episode of 'Military Birth Talk,' Anni interviews Jenna, a military spouse, who shares her diverse birthing experiences within the context of military life. Jenna details her journey from hospital births to home births across various states, and through multiple PCS cycles. She discusses challenges including miscarriage, anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, and advocating for desired birthing experiences despite potential opposition from family. The episode highlights the evolving support from military leadership, particularly regarding paternity leave and doula reimbursements, and emphasizes the importance of self-advocacy and community support in navigating birth and postpartum within the military.

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In this episode of 'Military Birth Talk,' Anni interviews Allegra, a dietician, lactation consultant, and military spouse . Allegra shares her experiences of navigating pregnancies and births within the military healthcare system, highlighting the differences between military and civilian care, and emphasizing the importance of self-advocacy. She describes her journey with her second child's birth in a military hospital, and then her subsequent twin birth directly in the military healthcare facility, highlighting both positive and challenging experiences. She also touches on her work as a lactation consultant and how the virtual shift during COVID-19 allowed her to continue supporting mothers globally.

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In this episode of Military Birth Talk, Anni welcomes back Ali, who previously appeared in Season 1. Ali, a Navy spouse currently living in Japan, shares her latest birth story. Her surprising third pregnancy began amidst a planned trip to the U.S., where she received most of her prenatal care at Walter Reed. Ali experienced significant sickness during this pregnancy, and had another induced labor due to a history of high blood pressure. Her delivery was marked by slow progress, which was emotionally stressful, but ultimately resulted in a quick pushing phase after receiving an epidural. Postpartum, the baby needed extended care due to a positive Coombs test, which kept them all in the hospital for over a week. This prolonged stay impacted Ali's mental health, highlighting the difficulties of handling postpartum without a strong support system, especially overseas. Despite the challenges, Ali reflects on the positives and the strong support from her community and husband's command, which allowed her to navigate this complex experience through a grateful lens.

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In this episode of the podcast, Adriana shares her experiences as a mother and active-duty service member. She details her eight years of active service and transition to the reserves, while also parenting three young children and coping with her husband’s deployments. Adriana discusses the challenges she faced during each of her pregnancies, including dealing with unexpected complications and the support she received from her community. She also talks about her transition from active duty to being a stay-at-home mom, the emotional impact of leaving the military, and pursuing a master’s degree amidst the chaos. Adriana emphasizes the importance of having a support system, especially for women in the military who are balancing career and family life.

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In this episode of 'Military Birth Talk,' Anni interviews Becca, a Midwest native now living in Japan, who shares her challenging pregnancy journey marked by cholestasis. Becca discusses her husband's military background, her impeccable early pregnancy stages, and the onset of severe itching in her third trimester, leading to a diagnosis of cholestasis. She recounts the rigorous process of advocating for herself in the healthcare system to secure the right diagnosis and treatment. Her labor ultimately ended in an unplanned C-section, and after an initially blissful first month postpartum she experienced some significant challenges in the extended postpartum period including her husband's TDY and ongoing medical issues. Becca emphasizes the importance of self-advocacy in military medicine and shares key takeaways for others who may encounter similar challenges.

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In this episode of Military Birth Talk, Anni interviews Ally, a certified nurse midwife, women's health nurse practitioner, military veteran, and spouse, currently stationed in the Netherlands with her Air Force husband. Ally shares her traumatic experience of giving birth to twin girls in November 2024, detailing her challenges, including being in a remote foreign country with no nearby U.S. base support. She discusses her pregnancy journey, the unexpected discovery of twins, and the unique aspects of Dutch prenatal care. Ally recounts her fast-paced labor, unexpected complications leading to induction, postpartum hemorrhage, and subsequent medical interventions. Despite facing numerous obstacles, including retained placenta and sepsis, Ally emphasizes the importance of trauma-informed and respectful prenatal and perinatal care. She reflects on how her professional knowledge influenced her experience and calls for trauma-informed care to be the standard practice in birth work. The episode also highlights Ally's struggle with the isolation of being abroad and her efforts to heal and cope with her traumatic birth while raising her twins.

You can connect with Ally here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allyson-crain-dnp-cnm-whnp-bc-4a088418a/

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In this episode of 'Military Birth Talk,' Anni interviews Anna, a Scottish musician connected and Air Force spouse. Anna shares her journey from meeting her husband on a cruise ship to navigating the challenges of giving birth within the military system. She recounts her diverse birth experiences in Ohio and Japan, emphasizing the significance of hypnobirthing and self-advocacy. Despite some hurdles, including transitioning from on-base to off-base care and dealing with restrictions in Japan, Anna successfully achieves her goal of unmedicated births while highlighting the importance of positive mindset and education. The episode also explores her postpartum period and how military life influenced her birthing experiences and personal growth.

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Season five of Military Birth Talk is here! We kick things off with Kimberly as she shares her two birth stories overseas in Japan. Kimberly gave birth both in Okinawa and Yokota, and highlights the differences in medical care, challenges with postpartum preeclampsia, and a gallbladder surgery. Adding another layer to her experience, she was also a GS employee during the time of her first birth and was required to return to work even before her Active Duty husband. Hear about all this and more in today's episode.

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