Brawnlyn is Active Duty serving in the Air Force. Prior to the birth of her daughter, Brawnlyn and her husband battled infertility, an experience which led her to begin working with the Air Force’s Women's Initiatives Team to improve infertility care and options for service members. When she got pregnant with her daughter, despite having a hospital 6 minutes down the street from her, she was required to be seen at the military hospital which was an hour away. She ultimately ended up having an...

Colonel Melissa Dombrock has served in the Air Force for almost 20 years, and is currently stationed overseas in Germany. Melissa shares her two birth stories, the first of which happened in the Army hospital and then the second was an accidental unassisted homebirth. We talk about her experience over time as an aviator rising through the ranks and eventually becoming a squadron commander, layered on top of her perinatal experiences, and also about pregnancy while holding high profile positio...

In today's episode we hear from MBRNPC Board Member Samantha C. Arrington Sliney, Esq, who transitioned off of Active Duty after 10 years of service and now serves in the Air National Guard. Samantha's legislative advocacy work was born through the Air Force's Women's Initiatives Team where she currently serves as Co-Chair. Samantha provides several key updates on where things stand with two legislative advocacy focuses for MBRNPC: first we discuss the breastmilk transport entitlement that's ...

In this episode, I’m speaking with Klarissa who’s Active Duty in the Air Force and shares the birth of her son who was born in the UK this past summer. Klarissa’s prenatal care was offered in groups, which she really enjoyed. She ended up having an emergency C-section, and then she also experienced a postpartum hemmorage and had to have a blood transfusion. She also shares a few other perspectives including her experience with exclusive pumping, navigating careers in a dual-mil family, and he...

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Dr. Kristal Lau who is an Army spouse sharing two birth stories. Kristal’s first birth story took place in Alabama and her second was born OCONUS in Wiesbaden Germany. So two totally different settings and it was really interesting to hear the differences in some of the culture norms between the two, and then we also talked about how her postpartum experiences were really different as well. Kristal is Malaysian and ethnically Chinese so she talked about s...

In today’s episode I’m speaking with Jazmon, who serves in the Air Force, as does her husband. She mostly focuses on her first birth story which took place while her family was stationed at Cannon Air Force base, which was located two hours from the closest hopsital with OB care. So Jazmon shares how that incredibly long commute impacted her pregnancy experience and then also talks about being in a dual mil family, navigating postpartum mental health challenges, and how the combination of tho...

In today’s episode I’m joined by Satin, who is an Army spouse, and she’ll be sharing the birth story of her son who was born at a hospital out in town in Oklahoma. Satin shares about the birth itself but also talks a lot about the lack of family support during her pregnancy, due to being stationed far away from community, and how that impacted her. She also talks about her very negative experience with declining some newborn procedures that she was uncomfortable with, and she shares the immed...

Today I’m speaking with Kara who shares her two birth stories as a Navy Spouse. Her first birth was a hospital birth and her second was a home birth. She talks about the way her lived experience as a military spouse impacted her pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, including how moving multiple times affected her options and her access to support postpartum, and she shares a little bit about her spouse’s specific career field as a pilot and what that looked like postpartum for their family.Follo...

Marianna served 10 years in the air national guard and shares her two birth stories. When describing her first birth, she says that "everything that could have gone wrong did," and despite the birth taking place at the hospital where she was serving as a nurse, it ended up being a pretty traumatic experience for both her and her husband. Her next birth experience was night and day from the first one, and took place at a civilian hospital out in town. In addition to filling in those deta...

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Zatha who was Active Duty in the Marine Corps for her first birth, and then got out before her second birth. Even though she was Active Duty her first birth took place at a birth center due to low staffing at the military hospital where they were stationed, and then her second birth was a free birth at their home in Italy, where her husband is stationed with the Navy. So she’ll share all about that progression from a more traditional birth within the syst...

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Amber who's had four children while on Active Duty in a dual-military family. She talks about the differences between her first and her most recent births, how unit culture plays a key role in balancing work and family, and how she and her spouse make it all happen! Tune in wherever you get your podcasts.Follow along with Military Birth Talk:Instagram: @militarybirthtalkFacebook: Military Birth Resource Network & Postpartum CoalitionSubmit your birth stor...

Today we're hearing from Captain Emily Foreman, and Active Duty Airman, who shares her pregnancy and postpartum story as an ICBM missile launch officer. Emily shares some unique perspectives about pregnancy in her specific field, managing postpartum while frequently being "deployed in place," and how to ask for help when you need it.Follow along with Military Birth Talk:Instagram: @militarybirthtalkFacebook: Military Birth Resource Network & Postpartum CoalitionSubmit your birth story!for...

Join us today for a roundtable discussion about Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex, or DMER. We hear from Dr. Kristal Lau (military spouse) and Tiffany Jordan (retired airman), about their personal experiences with DMER, and learn about the science behind the phenomenon. We also talk about how this experience uniquely impacts military connected people.Follow along with Military Birth Talk:Instagram: @militarybirthtalkFacebook: Military Birth Resource Network & Postpartum CoalitionSubmit your ...

In today's episode, we're hearing from Cassie who gave birth while with the Air National Guard. Cassie is an a dual-mil relationship, and had her first baby while her husband was away on training, and joining the birth via FaceTime. Her postpartum experience included challenges like DMER and PMDD, and she shares how that impacted her mental health and her career. Her husband was able to be present for her second birth, and she felt more in control of her postpartum plan, leaving her feeling m...

Military Birth Talk will be back with Season 3 next week! This season will bring more birth stories from service members and military spouses, plus roundtable discussions, updates on advocacy work, policy conversations, and more. Join us on August 29th and find a new episode in your favorite podcast app every Thursday.Follow along with Military Birth Talk:Instagram: @militarybirthtalkFacebook: Military Birth Resource Network & Postpartum CoalitionSubmit your birth story!forms.gle/3TT7FyV1...

Episode Sponsor: The Breastfeeding ShopWebsite: www.thebreastfeedingshop.comIG: @thebreastfeedingshopFB: www.facebook.com/thebreastfeedingshopIn today’s episode, I’m speaking with Marilyn who shares two birth and postpartum stories while serving as an Active Duty Marine. Both of Marilyn’s births took place at Military Treatment Facilities, one overseas in Japan and one stateside, and both were inductions due to preeclampsia. Marilyn shares about some of the unique challenges that service memb...

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Audrey who was Active Duty in the Navy before retiring and is now a Marine Corps Spouse. Today she’ll be sharing her second birth story which was a hypnobirthing birth, and she really focuses on the support that her doula provided during the pregnancy while her husband was deployed. Thankfully he returned about a week before she went into labor so he was able to join her for the birth. Interested in joining our virtual birth circle? Check it out here!: https:...

In today’s episode I’m speaking with Tabitha who shares three birth stories while on Active Duty in the Marine Corps, and one after she got out through the VA. Her first birth was at a military hospital and she discusses the stigmatizing experience she had being pregnant as a junior Marine living in the barracks. The subsequent three births took place out in town, after her third birth, at 6 weeks postpartum, she ended up in the emergency room with multiple organ prolapses. This led to her ha...

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Dr. Olymphia O’Neale White, who serves as an Army reservist as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker specializing in perinatal mental health. Dr. O shares her experience with PCOS, a condition which contributed to fertility challenges, and then a silent miscarriage which was discovered at 16 weeks, and managed with a D&C. She talks about navigating these experiences as a service member, and how that impacted her career, relationships, and ultimately her i...

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Bailee, a Marine Corps spouse. Bailee’s husband was in a training and was unable to attend their first child’s birth, which was an induction that ended in a c-section. For Bailee’s second birth experience she wanted a different experience so she researched more about birth options, got a doula, and prepared for a VBAC. This time her husband was present, and she was able to have the VBAC she wanted, nearly giving birth in the car on the way to the hospital...

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Bethel, a Navy Spouse, and one half of the Salty Milspouse podcast. Bethel shares two birth stories, which both took place at at the Naval Hospital in Yokosuka Japan using hypnobirthing. She talks about the incredible village that supported her when her husband deployed at 5 days postpartum, how her mental health was impacted by COVID and solo parenting after her second birth, managing a move back stateside by herself with two young kids, and her work in ...

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Amanda, a Marine Corps Spouse. Amanda shares 4 birth stories: two vaginal births, a C-section, and a VBAC. Some of the births took place on base and some were out in town. She also talks about getting diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and how that impacted her pregnancies and deliveries. She’s now working on her doula certification so that she can help others have the same supported experience she finally had with her 4th birth, thanks in part to the wo...

This week is National Infertility Awareness week. In today’s episode I’m speaking with Julie, an Army spouse who shares her experience navigating infertility, and then also one birth story. She also talks about her work advocating for TRICARE members to have insurance coverage for fertility treatments, and her experience founding a nonprofit called Building military Families Network to assist and support the military community with family building challenges. You can learn more about that wor...

In today’s episode I’m speaking with Hannah, who is Active Duty in the Navy. Hannah shares her MTF birth story, and her experience being diagnosed with sepsis in the days following her birth, as the result of a UTI that turned into a kidney infection. She also talks about the experience of being one of the only new moms in her command in recent years, and how she had to carve a path for herself in this space when she returned to work.  Follow along with Military Birth Talk: Instagram:...