The Mobile Milk Maid

Meet Anna Smith.  Anna is host to the podcast, Health Conversations With Anna Smith.  In her professional role, Anna works as a Registered Nurse with a background in Public Health.  In this episode, Anna shares her raw personal story of being a young widow with two children. The ensuing fear of pregnancy after loss during a global pandemic; all while working on the frontline.  She goes on to describe her sources of support through life's uncertainty and tragedy.  Listen now, as Anna describes essential support as the team pulling you forward on the relay of life, even when your story is not linear!

In this episode we talk all about pelvic floor function, which is so much more then, ‘do your kegels’.  I talk to an informative and refreshing Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist, Hayley Kava, on her passionate work restoring and normalizing women's pelvic floor function. After her own birthing trauma, she felt ignored in her perinatal experience and recovery.  Motivated by that experience, Hayley went on to be the change she wanted and needed.  She is a women's health advocate improving lives through her huge social media following, private practice and podcast.  Hayley teaches us to celebrate the ‘messier bits of motherhood’.  Listen now as we talk all about pee, poop, women's bodies and mostly to stop apologizing and start asking for what we need!

In Part II of Christina Clements' story, she reveals the interminable nature of her metastatic breast cancer.  Christina applies a very personal call to listeners on how little tangible support and research exist for her type of cancer.  She shares about her anticipated path to reconstruction and highlights her unwavering support network that has carried her through when the totality of the last year set-in.  Listen now to hear more of Christina’s powerful story!

In this Episode, I speak with Christina Clements.  Christina recounts how while the world locked down from COVID-19, she was processing a terrifying recent breast cancer diagnosis.  On the island of Guam, she was far away from family and only had access to limited treatment options.  In the span of a few months her diagnosis went from Stage 1 to Stage 4.  Every aspect of this devastating diagnosis turned logistically and emotionally more difficult as normal treatment pathways and support systems were complicated by a global pandemic.

In this Episode I speak with Navy Veteran, mother and body positive advocate, Sarah Shellock.  Sarah shares how through the experience of deep pain during her complicated perinatal story and enduring battle with body image, she has emerged with more kindness to herself and for others. Sarah discusses that like motherhood, so much of the universal experience of being a woman is feeling “not enough” or rather “too much” and how she is transforming that dialogue for her daughter.  Listen now for Sarah’s beautiful melody as she sings and shares her story, “I am the mother of Ruby Jean”!

This week I speak with Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Private Practice Psychotherapist, Monique Dozier.  Monique explains that in the current state of accessibility to mental health resources, particularly for mothers, it's a battle to get appropriate and timely care.  She explains how critical this battle is, “we are losing mothers and it’s avoidable”.  Monique works to fill the gap in resources through her private practice, and reserves a portion of her therapy spots specifically for Black mothers who face greater barriers to finding identifiable mental health support.  Listen now to this insightful conversation!

For this week's episode, I sat down with Craniosacral Therapist and holistic mama, Ariana Mullins.  Ariana stresses the importance of listening to, learning from and healing through our bodies, particularly as women.  She advocates for all women to expect more and ask for more, when it comes to our bodies and healing from trauma.  Ariana describes how the lack of resources in her early mothering days, and extreme burnout, fueled a passion to want more for herself and all mothers. Enjoy this inspirational episode encouraging us to show up with joy in our bodies, "you first mama, you first"!

In this episode I talk to my witty, glamorous and long-time friend, Candace Gibson. Candace is a freelance writer and barre instructor who provides us with the realness that is having a baby in the midst of a pandemic.  Outside of the inconveniences of wearing a mask during delivery and breastfeeding, no restaurant dining, and limited visitors; Candace elaborates on the true primal fear and anger that surfaced in the isolation of mothering in a strange time.  In true Candace fashion, the heaviness of her situation is imbued with a whole lot of humor as we talk mom stink and our mutual love of onions.  Listen now for a dose of mothering in modernity with Candace Gibson!

In this episode I sit down with Mahealani Buckler.  Mahea is a fellow International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Registered Nurse, military spouse and mother.  Mahea describes her complicated breastfeeding journey marked by guilt, shame, pain, and judgement.  Elements familiar to so many mothers alike.  She shares how she held most “mom labels" in her infant feeding journey, from bottle and formula mom to pumping and then extended exclusive breastfeeding mom.  Through her polarizing journey, Mahea experienced firsthand the struggles and depths mothers go to feed their children and echoes my call for more tangible support for new mothers.  For every mother who has ever felt not enough in her new role, let down by her body and the current system of support, this week's episode is a must listen!  It's encouraging to know there are passionate professionals like Mahea that have your back and also your front!  Listen as it gets very messy and milky on this episode!

In this Episode I speak with Tabitha Martin.  Tabitha is an Army Veteran, Ironman finisher, fitness professional and owner of Warrior Goddess Fitness.  Behind the beautiful fit redhead, in colorful coordinated workout gear, pushing you to try another Burpee; is her moving story, her why.  Tabitha describes how after loss, leaving an unhappy marriage and years of fighting her body and disillusion with the "diet culture", she found a passion in leading women through their health and wellness goals.  Tabitha elaborates on how grief isn't always linear and guides us to find our own path to wellness, not just what others want for us.  Listen now as Tabitha pushes us to "get out of our comfort zones" and write our own story and maybe sweat a little why we are at it!

In this episode I get to chat with Licensed Clinical Social Worker, mother and college friend, Daisniel (Daisy) Fakunle.  Daisy eloquently speaks to the importance of connection and finding joy, starting with the self.  Daisy describes her personal, yet universal, struggle with mom guilt and baby blues which led to a defining exploration of self love.  Enjoy this inspiring dialogue as Daisy reminds us all to dance to the rhythm of our own fresh beat and leave all those great expectations behind.

In Part 1 of Erika Carrion's episode, this creative photographer and expat describes how she has fearlessly held on to the hope that one day it would be her children she would be capturing on the other side of the lens. On the day of finally meeting her daughter Aurora, after a redeeming birth, she came to the realization, "It was always her". Erika gallantly speaks to the gut wrenching isolation, guilt and decision making that have marked her journey to motherhood. She tells us how a mutual sisterhood of "the club nobody wants to be in" carried her through.  Join us, as Erika and I get very teary and also take little moments to giggle at life's messier bits! 

Edna bravely shares her personal story on mothering through grief after a stillbirth, miscarriage and postpartum depression.  She speaks to finding her strength after loss and the courage to ask for help.  Edna portrays her commitment to helping moms fueled by her own tragedy which has led to building her tribe of support.  I can’t help but be moved by Ednalyna Martin’s story and passion for lifting others!

In Part 1 of her Episode:  Ednalyna Martin, teacher and businesswoman turned lactation professional details how the simple act of placing a couch in her store, transformed into her creation of a large network of mom support known as The Birth Tribe Guam.  Edna speaks on how numerous cultural barriers impede breastfeeding success and discusses the stigma of mental health, something she understands firsthand.   We chat about the universality of inadequacy and self doubt in the early days of mothering.  Edna discusses her fears of the toll on moms in the current pandemic; on an island short on resources.  Please enjoy this insightful conversation, as Edna outlines her passion for ensuring no mother or child 'falls through the cracks' on her watch.  The world needs more Ednalyna Martins!

In this Episode of The Mobile Milk Maid, I had the honor of speaking with the poignant, Lauren Tella.  Lauren is a ‘consummate civil servant’ who intimately describes for listeners what support has looked like in her own story.  She courageously recounts the tragic loss of her husband, a cancer diagnosis and the isolation, shame and guilt experienced by so many mothers when struggling to breastfeed and mother on their own terms.  Lauren made me cry out with laughter as she describes attending a phallic based fertility festival with girlfriends in Japan, then with joy as she details finding love again, in her local watering hole. Mostly, I was deeply inspired by her courage of expression on the many facets of grief and being “ok”.  I hope you enjoy this genuine conversation with the incredible, Lauren Tella.

Welcome to the 1st episode of The Mobile Milk Made Podcast.  This episode you will get to know The Mobile Milk Maid, Margaret Becker, Registered Nurse, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), military spouse, small business owner and mother of three, including twins.  She shares with you her personal and professional journey, the messier bits and the milky ones too!  Her why for this podcast and why now.  Infertility, breastfeeding, solo parenting, grief, lack of support and access to care are all a part of the story.  Come along with The Mobile Milk Maid as she gets vulnerable, chats about those awkward moments and captures the magic while holding space for the tragic!