Vida de Madre con Mari Vega

Trigger Warning: Miscarriage is discussed.

Yessenia and I found each other at a plant repotting zoom class for Mother’s Day. She reached out after class and it felt like the universe just wanted us to be in each other’s lives because she was ready to share her story and I had the platform ready to provide her the stage. After two years of trying to conceive, she underwent multiple tests to check for fertility and discovered a fallopian tube blockage was getting in the way of her ovulation. Being diagnosed with infertility led her to be hard on herself and her mental health struggled. She turned to her faith and trusted that she would “let go and let God”. After the long journey to conception, she experienced a miscarriage with her first IUI, it was a chemical pregnancy. For 5 months she walks us through the logistical nightmare of commuting to a whole other state, before work, to get blood work and hormone injections, etc. They decided to forgo the IUI process and focus on their marriage, their faith in signs from God, and a few months later they got pregnant on their own! She walks us through her cesarean, the amazing support from her doula, and did you know you can get a postpartum doula? We get into the tricks of how to get some sleep in those early sleep-deprived weeks.

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Yessenia’s bio: Yessenia Mercedes, MSW, is an alumni from Seton Hall and Fordham University. She worked in the Children and Family field in NJ for about 10 years; from being a Case Manager with Child Protection and Permanency to a School Social Worker for the Board of Education. She recently quit her tenured job to explore and venture on a new career journey.

Yessenia is a wife, new mama to a healthy & beautiful baby boy, dog mama and a life long advocate. She wants to be a light & a voice for those who are struggling in silence. Her journey to motherhood has rooted her to focus on her own healing and growth while evolving into someone stronger.

Contact her on @rootedcourage

Her affirmation: Bible verse: Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.”

Show notes are below and also available on https://www.marivega.me/blog/season2episode14

Lonnie Morris' midwifery practice

Partnership for Maternal & Child Health

ICAN of Northern NJ

ICAN

What did you think of this episode? Want more like it? Have an amazing story you’d like to share? Want to be featured on the Vida de Madre podcast? Email [email protected] or visit www.marivega.me to learn more. Please support and subscribe! To follow the Mari Vega brand visit me on IG @Mari_Vega.

Sharing my VBAC interview from The Birth Hour.

I got pregnant with my second child in September of 2018. After an anxiety-ridden fearful cesarean 2 years prior, due to failure to descend, I was determined to have a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean)! I experienced a lot of push back from doctors, family, and my partner. Ultimately after facing my anxiety, getting my partner on board, and breaking down all my VBAC fears, I was successful in birthing my son via VBAC in May of 2019. I share the journey of my healing birth, including breaking up with two doctors in both my second and third trimester and her empowered labor and delivery with a full female staff.

What did you think of this episode? Want more like it? Have an amazing story you’d like to share? Want to be featured on the Vida de Madre podcast? Email [email protected] or visit www.marivega.me to learn more. Please support and subscribe! To follow the Mari Vega brand visit me on IG @Mari_Vega.

Disclaimer: This episode does contain profanity sprinkled throughout.

Jeannette found me on The Birth Hour when she found herself chasing a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). With her first child, she was induced and when her water broke she developed a fever, which resulted in needing a cesarean. Her grandmother had 11 kids all natural! She came from a line of women who all had a natural birth, so it was a huge blow to her. She started researching VBAC the minute she got home after her first birth. She researched providers and found her earth angel, Dr. A. She describes the synchronicity of her journey and how she had no idea how much she had progressed before walking into the hospital. I will let you tune in to hear all about her quick delivery! Jeanette experienced a cervical tear, I had no idea the kind of recovery that entailed. This is was a very informative conversation and it was so nice to speak to a fellow mama who also did placenta encapsulation! Click here for my review of the placenta encapsulation experience.

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Jeannette’s bio: I am a 34-year-old mother of two now! Although I am on maternity leave, I have worked for 4 years in child protection services for the state of New Jersey and investigate child abuse and neglect. I am currently working on growing my family YouTube Channel, House Full of Us which really took off as a hobby during the pandemic. Also, led my husband and me to want to record the birth of our son Noah! My current goals are to become the best version of myself and one day become a full-time entrepreneur. By doing so, I can be a more connected mother and wife for my family.

Contact her on Instagram @Jae_nettie

Her affirmation: You can f*cking do this sh*t! Do not let anyone else tell you otherwise.

Show notes are below and also available on https://www.marivega.me/blog/season2episode13

ICAN of Northern NJ

ICAN

Book mentioned: Natural Labor and Birth- An Evidence-Based Guide to the Natural Birth Plan written by Michelle Aristizbal, MD, FACOG

ACOG: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

August is National Breastfeeding Month and this week is world breastfeeding week! I feel compelled to keep pushing my campaign, Breast is Gold, during a time where the world will be exposed to the power of breastmilk via grassroots campaigns worldwide.

I feel this is so necessary and as unpopular as it feels, and as much as I sometimes try to resist from standing out on this message, I simply cannot stay silent. Every year I am even more committed to share and enlighten others.

You need to understand the history of the campaigns I am competing against. Some of you may have heard a campaign called “breast is best” which competes with “fed is best”. Moms often find themselves on one side or the other. So you are either on one side or the other with no middle ground to stand on.

Tune in to find out what Breast is Gold stands for. Full blog post and show notes are also available on https://www.marivega.me/blog/bonusepisode

Go stream it on: Apple Spotify Anchor Breaker Google Podcast Overcast Pocket Casts Radio Public

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What did you think of this episode? Want more like it? Have an amazing story you’d like to share? Want to be featured on the Vida de Madre podcast? Email [email protected] or visit www.marivega.me to learn more. Please support and subscribe! To follow the Mari Vega brand visit me on IG @Mari_Vega.

Season 2, Ep4: Formula Researchin’ & DIY Baby Food Mommy

Marisol and I could audition for the Netflix show “Workin Moms” because we would fit right into the storyline of being thirty-something working mothers who try to balance their jobs, family life, and love life in the 21st century! We met at our kid’s daycare and while you may consider that a hot spot to source some working mom friends -think again. Between rushing to drop off and bounce to the office, and the rush to pick up and head home for dinner, there isn’t much time to talk other than the usual “good morning, have a good night, take care, good seeing you!” pleasantries. When we kept running into each other around town we realized we had a few things in common - we work in the Banking industry, we love having our kids drink only water, and we love wine! When Marisol shared with me how much research went into her choice of formula’s I knew I wanted to have her on the show. She nursed for a few months and then needed to start supplementing. She took the same determination she had committed to pumping and applied it to learning about all the formula ingredients. She went on to make her own oatmeal and natural food and snacks for her son, who like my daughter, has a passion for drinking water! #Moms4ProperHydration ;)

Read on to learn more about Marisol!

I’m 42yrs old and a single mom, I work full-time and I am very fortunate to have my mom that helps me with my son. I was born and raised in the Bronx by a Puerto Rican single mother, she worked in a factory and did all she could to give me the best, with what little she had. I didn’t live in the best neighborhood so she decided that she would put me in catholic school and I think that was the best thing she did for me. She has always instilled in me to be a hard worker and to always go after my dreams. I now live in NJ and she lives with me. Being a full-time working mom and commuting into NYC is not easy at all, I feel like I miss the little things, and at times that makes me sad. So on the weekends, I try to do the most with him making sure that whatever I feel that I missed I make-up for...BUT I also give myself some adult time because as mom’s (whether working moms or stay at home moms) we need a mental break. I don’t think I have the answers to everything when it comes to raising him. I'm learning as I go but it’s a journey that I’m happy that I’m able to take.

If you’d like to connect with Marisol, you can reach her at [email protected].

Discussed on the Show:

>>Aeroflow: Visit their IG to learn more about their mission to increase the instance of breastfeeding through the best equipment, support, and education.

>> Acronym for informed decision making: BRAIN

BENEFITS of this process/procedure

RISKS of this process/procedure

ALTERNATIVES to this approach

INTUITION - what is your gut telling you?

NEGOTIATION - what agreements can we make to find a balance between your approach and my concerns?

>>Marisol suggestions for recipes/products:

https://weelicious.com/

www.parents.com

Healthy living (app)

Show notes are also available on https://www.marivega.me/blog/season2episode4

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What did you think of this episode? Want more like it? Have an amazing story you’d like to share? Want to be featured on the Vida de Madre podcast? Email [email protected] or visit www.marivega.me to learn more. Please support and subscribe! To follow the Mari Vega brand visit me on IG @Mari_Vega.