65- Embracing Parenthood: Strategies, Challenges, and Support with Nicole

In this episode, Kat talks with Nicole, a labor and delivery nurse and founder of Mainline Family Education. They discuss the transition from hospital nursing to starting a parent-focused educational organization. Nicole explains the importance of building a support system or 'village' for parents, the benefits of small, personalized classes, and the significance of infant and child CPR training. They also share personal experiences and advice on navigating the early stages of parenthood. Nicole emphasizes the importance of trusting your instincts as a parent and seeking support when needed. The episode concludes with information on how listeners can connect with Mainline Family Education for resources and support.

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00:00 Introduction to MilesFromHerView

00:48 Meet Nicole: Founder of Mainline Family Education

02:30 Nicole's Journey from Nurse to Educator

04:58 The Importance of Support Systems for New Parents

05:39 Common Questions and Concerns for New Parents

10:56 Building a Village: Support and Connection for New Moms

22:19 Comprehensive Classes for Expecting and New Parents

28:07 The Vital Role of CPR and AED Training

34:13 Final Thoughts and Powerful Parenting Tips

38:02 Conclusion and Contact Information

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Transcript

Kat: 0:00

Welcome to MilesFromHerView, the podcast powered by KatFit Strength, where busy women like you find practical solutions to fuel your fitness journey with authenticity and resilience. I'm Kat, your host, a mom of two active boys, a business owner, and an ultra marathon runner and a strength trainer in her forties with nearly two decades of experience. I'm here to help you cut through the noise of fads, hacks, and quick fixes. This is a space where we celebrate womanhood and motherhood. All while building strength and resilience and reconnecting with you from a place of self-compassion and worthiness. Whether you're lacing up your running shoes to go out for a run, driving your kids to practice or squeezing in a moment for yourself, I'm right here in the trenches with you. Let's dive in. Nicole is a Labor and delivery nurse and founder of Mainline Family Education, a trusted family centered organization offering personalized evidence-based support for expectant parents, families, and caregivers since 2019. Located in Devon, pa, mainline Family Education provides in-person virtual and on demand classes and workshops including childbirth, newborn basics. Infant and child CPR, sleep support, starting solids potty training and more. Each group is small, personalized and designed to meet families where they are in their parenting journey. As an American Heart Association authorized training site, mainline family education also offers CPR and choking relief classes for families and C-P-R-A-E-D first aid certifications for schools, businesses, and medical professionals. What sets Mainline Family Education apart as a team of experienced certified instructors, experts in nursing, lactation, pediatric care in mental health, who are passionate about educating and supporting parents on the mainline. Welcome, Nicole. I'm super excited to have you on the podcast today. Thanks so much, Kat. I'm happy to be here. We've known each other for a while now and I absolutely love what you have to offer. I know it is such a great resource that some of my clients have taken advantage of, and it is one that. I wish I had when I was going through planning for a family, having my kids and your background is a labor and delivery nurse, and what made you have that calling to transition into this role?

Nicole: 2:30

I worked in the hospital setting on labor and delivery for 12 years. And during that time I'm gonna date myself a little bit because we were doing paper charting when I was a new nurse. The electronic medical records weren't a thing yet. So with that there was more time as a nurse for myself and my colleagues and even the physicians who I worked with on labor and delivery to. Sit with our patients, spend time really getting them comfortable with what was happening on the labor unit as well as on the postpartum unit. And with the changes happening in healthcare over those years there became less and less time for us to sit down and discuss all these things and, and really give our patients. The confidence they needed before leaving the maternity unit with their newborn baby. And so I felt like I wanted to spend more time with my patients. It became clear very quickly that that wasn't gonna be possible in the hospital setting. So I left a job that I absolutely. Adored. I had my own two children on the unit that I worked and just loved my, my colleagues, like they were my work family and started this company. It was a, a pure leap of faith, but something I felt that was needed and, and that I could help in the community to provide this for patients. And like you said, it was never anything that I had when I was expecting my firstborn.

Kat: 3:54

The amount of classes that you offer really in, in my opinion, serve through that first year and beyond. It is one that I remember. And to your point, it was like I got the baby in my hands and it was a barrage of people coming in, the people to meet the lactation consultant, the nurse, and it was. A quick tutorial. And here I am, I'm like, I'm exhausted. I have labored for 48 hours. And then that like startling realization when we departed the hospital, I was like, wait, what did they tell me? What am I supposed to do? As a first time mom, I was so petrified of not doing it wrong, but did I remember what the nurses said? When I reached that back out to my BGYN it was hard because everything was in a different place. And so having it housed in the, in one place for a new mother or a new mother again, is so vital because you're not getting sleep and who wants to drag their newborn baby to like six different places?

Nicole: 4:57

And that's, that's really what we try to do. We wanna be a resource and something that parents can feel confident and comfortable reaching out to us, whether it's before they deliver or after they deliver, or maybe it's a question that they think is silly. But we have all these vetted experts in our back pocket because as a team, we've really worked with a lot of professionals in this area and beyond for so many years. One of my favorite things is giving that information to new parents so that they don't feel like they have to reinvent the wheel and figure all that out on their own.

Kat: 5:31

Most things that you need answered are in the middle of the night, and if you have some tricks of the trade that expert advice to rely on it helps. It helps. What are some common questions that,, parents have going into this, preparing for childbirth, preparing for this first few weeks at home, especially in that new parent aspect where this is your first time with the newborn.

Nicole: 5:54

Absolutely. So one of the things, one of the questions we get asked a lot and we like to help families navigate is it's a very real question, very honest question. First time parents wonder how much of this journey can I control and how much of this journey is outside of my control? So we like to, tell people yeah, you can control all of the prep work, right? So you can keep your body physically healthy by exercising, by,, monitoring your nutrition, making sure you're attending all your doctor's appointments, taking your prenatal classes to get all of the content and information before you welcome your baby. But then. Your baby decides that they are going to arrive. And it really is on their timeline.'cause your due date is not set in stone. It's kind of a guesstimate. So we, we like to tell parents there's some flexibility that you're gonna learn really quick'cause kids, it's really their world. We're just living in it. And so babies come when they come and they don't adhere to a schedule when they first arrive and when you first get home. There's no such thing really for a baby as sleeping for a number of hours back to back or we're used to getting eight hours. I'm actually a nine hour girl. But that all changes. And so we are, we're truly on their clock. For a bit and that's okay. I think setting that expectation for some families and, some families are, are type A and they like a schedule and they like to know what's coming up. So I think just mentally preparing that there's gonna be things that come at you from left field and you're just not gonna expect them. There's gonna be things that are going really well and all of a sudden. Something changes or a baby hits a new milestone and we as parents have to adapt and, and change course. And you're not. I'm gonna know the answers. You're not always gonna know the answers. Sometimes you feel like you never know the answers, but that's when you tap into your network and your support system. So I do often recommend for parents asking, what do we expect? How much can we control? You can also control setting up your village. Who is your phone call in the middle of the night if you need support, right? If you call your pediatrician office. And it's 2:00 AM on a Saturday. Knowing ahead of time, who's gonna be picking up that phone? Is it a triage nurse? Is it a call center? Is it your doctor? Because the pediatricians on your team all take 24 hour call and there's always somebody you can speak with knowing. Things like that ahead of time. I think give those of us, and I'll include myself in this type a description those of us who like a plan and a schedule a little more peace of mind because although we can't control everything, we, we kind of can know what support is, is gonna be there for us, if and when we need it.

Kat: 8:41

I like that a lot. I am a type A person as well. The one thing that I had been told to me, and I don't know if this is still out there is once you get your baby in your hands, you'll just know, like you just know your baby, and I feel. That's not always the case. And I like what you said about setting up your village ahead of time knowing who you can call in the middle of the night knowing, those details. And for me, and I'll use myself as an example, I didn't have that the first time I went through it. It wasn't by choice or anything like that, it was just. I just didn't realize the benefit of having those, those bits. And with my second one and this is something again, pregnancy is, so there's a lot of controllables and there's a lot of uncontrollables. I wound up having a high risk pregnancy where I had to by default create a network because as it got closer towards the end of the pregnancy, the risk went up with a lot of different things. And so. It was very helpful. Then going through that NICU process, when I had that support there, knowing I could text one of my good friends in the middle of the night, she was, she didn't always respond. She's like, you can always text me. Don't feel afraid that you're gonna wake me up. I want to be there. It was that just knowing I could text someone if I needed that help. Sometimes she would be up in the middle of the night too. So it was just having that peace of mind that there was a friend there. And I also like that you included your medical professionals because it can be jarring that it's, you're expecting it to be this, the doctor that you know, but like to your point, it could be triage, it could be a nurse, someone who you don't know. And if you're prepared for that, that really, really helps just. Keep that sense of safety in a time where you're could be a little bit more stressed. So good. It's having that who can tag in, who can tag out mentality. We were talking about this community and today, and motherhood can feel really isolating. Even we're in different seasons than the newborn season and every season I feel like there can be this isolation, but in the beginning you know. From your standpoint and from what you're doing, how are ways that you help set the mom up for success and having that, that understanding?

Nicole: 10:55

Yeah. Yeah. So a couple different ways. I think the first thing you kind of touched on earlier, which is. Set up your village. We talked about that. But there are moms out there, and I was one of them too, where I was the first person in my friend group to get pregnant and to have a baby. There wasn't anybody in my family who had had a baby recently for me to kind of. Connect with and, and feel like I was on the journey with somebody else. So it did feel isolating. So that's not always built in for people or something they could set up ahead of time. And like you said, you don't know what you don't know. So I found myself with this newborn and funny enough, like I'm a nurse on a labor and delivery unit, and I still feel like a, I know nothing. And BI, nobody else could possibly be going through the same challenges I am right now, which. Looking back, how silly is that? But in the moment it felt so real. And so I wish I had had another group of women that I could connect with who also had babies the same age, and I just didn't know where to find them. And I was nervous about, you know, taking my baby out to. Parks and, and hanging out with strangers. Like I, I really kind of could have used a push a safe space that I could bring my baby to kind of meet other people in a controlled setting. So that is actually something that we created at Mainline Family Education for New Moms. Because as I put feelers out there, as this company has been growing over the past six years, a lot of women said the exact same thing that I just shared. As being their experience. And so we created a group and it's called New Moms Support and Connections, and the group meets for five consecutive weeks the same day every week for an hour in our, in our office space. And so it's in person and we invite any mom can be a second time mom. Third time mom. Anyone who has a newborn. Or baby who is six months of age or younger. So the idea is in arms, baby a baby, you can wear baby, you can bring in bucket seat. Because the sessions are really all about moms connecting with each other, getting to know each other, giving and receiving support. And it is a session that is facilitated by. Dr. Beth Kraus, who is a PhD. She's a licensed clinical psychologist, and she is doing research actually at Swarthmore College. She's a professor there in the psychology department, and she and her grad students are doing ongoing research about rece, which is similar to. Adolescence, but it is that identity shift that women experience when they become a mother for the first time. And how that affects us mentally, hormonally you know, in terms of now we have this whole new persona and a a little person who is relying on us a hundred percent. So where does the identity of. Self shift and, and how do you still find that time for yourself, for the self-care that's so important in order to be a mother, be a parent, and continue to be a wife and a friend, and all of those things. So Dr. Kraus facilitates these meetings, these groups. And she, we call it like a support group on steroids because she puts these evidence-based tools into these women's toolboxes. So the idea is after the, the week session, that cohort is over, we send our mom groups off into the world together and they utilized these tools that they learned and practiced while they were in our office. Space and then continue to meet outside of our office and go, go to things like swim lessons together, meet up at parks. And one of our first groups actually just sent me a picture right after the holidays of all of their kiddos now in kindergarten. So that really like fills my cup. I feel like, oh my gosh, these are relationships that. Again, I wish I had had as a new, new mom but that I feel so excited that, that our, our office and our community space can give to others. In a time when, when that's what you really need, that connection.

Kat: 15:02

It sounds so resourceful that there is someone who is an expert and researching that, that's that identity shift that happens and I, I found that. The hardest thing of stepping into motherhood, you know? Yes, there was a lot of questions on how to care for a baby and dealing with the sleep deprivation, but for me it was that new identity and I felt like I should have had it all figured out. I felt like this should be normal. And I don't wanna say there was resentment because, my husband and I took a long time talking about like, do we want kids? Do we want a family? But I felt this Almost sense of mourning, of a loss of grief of the old me. And who is this new me? Could I still, do my hopes and dreams? And then there was that societal talk from whether it be friends or family of you're a mom now, that's your identity. And I'm like, well, no, I'm more than that. And I know with my clients, I always say, I'm working with the woman behind the titles. You may be mom, career, partner, caregiver, all the titles that you have, but you are still that woman and that's the one person that I'm working with. With your whole wellbeing, with the strength training, the cardio, the mobility, because these titles, they are part of who we are, but we're defining ourselves as who we are and like that's who we are, enhances those titles. So I'd be really interested to learn more about her work because this really intrigues me. And what a great community offering for those moms. I'm sure motherhood has had an impact on the way you work with families and understanding like from that lens of being a mom to then that lens of being a professional in this field and having, an immense amount of knowledge. Can you speak towards that a little bit?

Nicole: 16:48

Yeah, I had the good fortune I'll say of becoming a nurse and choosing maternity nursing, so labor and delivery newborn nursery the postpartum mother, baby unit. And when I first started in the city, I was working in the city and I got the opportunity to do some time in the NICU as well. So, I did all of that before I became a mom myself. And so I really was looking at it from a lens of supporting my patients, teaching my patients, you know, being there for them. But I will say, once I, I had my own. Daughter and then son. Gosh, the, the compassion and the connection I was able to give to my patients and have with my patients completely changed the scope of my nursing practice because I. Just, you know, I saw myself in every single one of them, and I wanted to be there for them in the way that would've felt really supportive for me at that time. I remember being terrified in my labor, right? Even though I knew what was gonna happen. Like I, how many births did I personally attend before I had my own daughter? But what's true is everybody's journey's different. Everyone's pregnancy is different. Everyone's. Labor and delivery experience is different. As you know, having two kiddos and I have two kiddos, our children are completely different. Regardless of, we try to do things the same way, right? But they just come out with these little personalities. So I felt more passionate about. Really meeting my patients where they were in the moment, providing them the support that they would tell me they needed, and I felt much more driven to give them the support that was no longer offered in the hospital setting than I would've never have known had I not been there every single day. And felt frustrated that they needed more. We as medical professionals want to give them more, but that didn't exist in our healthcare system. So being a mother, yeah, changed everything for me and I do what I do now because I, I became a mother and I, and I, I feel like that really was able to shine a light on just how much more women need and deserve.

Kat: 19:10

Absolutely. I love that. I also like that you said this a couple times, that even though you were in the profession and you attended so many births, it was still scary of the unknown and going through that, and I, I think sometimes that gets lost when you are in these, service providing businesses where it. You yourself go through it, and that you, even though you're an expert in that field, there's still that element of the unknown, the anxiousness, the scariness around it. Because you are a human

Nicole: 19:46

We know what we know. Right. Yes. And we don't know what we don't know. Mm-hmm. So, I, I still say this to families that come to us for classes. I share that, when the nurse came in and said, okay, now you get to take your baby home. Which again, like I say to all my patients, I send everybody home between day two and four, usually right postpartum, and I was like, I'm not, you really? Are you sure? Because I feel like you should come with me. You should come home with me. I cannot take this baby home by myself. Are you crazy? Right. And, and I share that when families come to us for prenatal classes because I'm like, guys, I was a newborn nurse and I still was terrified. That is normal to feel that way. And this is when you tap into your village, as we were talking about, you call your pediatrician. Those first couple weeks, I don't know about you, but I called them a lot and I would call them and say, I'm so sorry to bother you. Right?'cause I was like, I shouldn't absolutely call. That is what they're there for. The nurses that work at pediatrician offices, like they want you to call, we don't want you losing sleep because you're scared or not sure when it's a question that we could answer pretty quickly and give you that peace of mind. We want you to lose sleep'cause you're awake looking at your beautiful baby, right? Yeah. Again, like that fear, there's a healthy fear. But there's also a point at which I tell my, my patients like, don't suffer in silence. Don't be like me home. Like, oh, I really shouldn't call them a fourth time in a day. If you're worried. I want you to call, I want you to trust your gut. And that kind of reminds me of something you said earlier, which was, you'll know, you know your baby like that advice, and I agree with you that's like, oh gosh. Like I was going home and I'm like, do I? But one thing I think is true to that sentiment is to trust your gut as a parent. I think we as mothers just. We know a lot more than we give ourselves credit for. And again, this is like something I realized. Not as a brand new mom, but as the years passed and I look back on moments when I just felt in my gut like something was off or wrong or I wanted more information, I wanted to dig a little deeper.'cause you're just in tune with your baby. So I would say to parents, whether you're a new parent or a seasoned parent don't forget about your gut. And trust it because you do know your baby and your child and you're maybe young adult at this point. More than anybody else.

Kat: 23:27

Yeah. Oh, a hundred percent. I fullheartedly agree. I always say, you have a PhD in your baby. I want to hear more about your class.'cause you offer a wide variety of classes, so it's not solely just in that for six months. It goes beyond I love how they're small group and personalized.

Nicole: 23:43

Absolutely. So the earliest classes we offer are really ideal for parents who've just found out that they are expecting. We have a lot of first time parents come through our prenatal classes. They are offered in person, but we also have on demand options. So for maybe families who don't live close to the Philadelphia area. They can still take our courses a prerecorded version, but the difference between our prerecorded on demand and some others that are out there are that included in the purchase of those classes is one-on-one with the instructor afterwards. So we are all about. Personalized content. So we don't want that to not be available to families who maybe are a bit more of a distance away or have busy travel schedules for work and can't attend in person on a certain night or weekend. So we do offer that as well, which is great because we get the opportunity to meet those families. We meet them, you know, just like on a Zoom call or a phone call, whatever works for them. We meet them where they are. And make sure that all of their questions are answered outside of the core curriculum that we've created for them to prepare them for things like childbirth, newborn basics and breastfeeding 1 0 1. So our, our core four, as we call it for prenatal, are those three classes as well as infant and child CPR. So those are all offered in person in Devon in our office. Space. Like you said, we max out at eight couples or 16 individuals per class. We will never go over that and we, we stick to that on our virtual live classes as well, so. What we found is once parents have babies in arms or maybe second babies or third babies it's very difficult to come out in person again at a scheduled time, get childcare. It feels more. Of a burden than it does helpful in that moment. So families that we've worked with have asked us to create that postpartum or early childhood class menu to be more live virtual with q and a. Again on Zoom with cameras on, it's. Super small group that eight couples, eight families max still or the on demand version. So we offer things like newborn sleep one oh one. We offer that live or on demand. Potty training simplified is one for kiddos that are a little bit older and that's available on demand any time. We have a starting Salads and cups class for families who are getting ready to start salads. And again, that's another. Journey, the feeding journey for every kid, isn't it? Oh my goodness. Yes. Yes. And parameters change. So that's the other thing. Between my first and my second, the recommendations were completely different. Same from my, in terms of was it? Yeah. It's crazy. Right? And so the knee jerk is what we all do, which is you go to your pediatrician appointment and you say. Do you think my baby's ready to start solids? And they say, yep. And you say, okay, great. How? When? You know, and they're like, go. And that is so daunting because there's no roadmap for this, and there's no roadmap for your baby. So as an example in, in that class, we give a really lengthy timeline and roadmap. So anywhere from six months, all the way through 18 months. But what's even more helpful for our families that take our courses is we tell'em what to look for in terms of developmental milestones, to know that it's safe to proceed to the next step. So like we're, we're starting solids and cups. We're gonna guide families, okay, look for this, then you can do that. So it's because not every six month old baby is gonna be ready to start solids. And then how do you know what type of solids? How do you progress through them? When and how do you introduce a cup? How much volume are you giving a baby? Right? So all of these things are included in those courses with, of course, the opportunity for parents to say, well, my kiddo's doing this at this time. So what do you think would be my roadmap or my timeline for my baby?'cause it is gonna be different as it was for, for both of my children. Very different milestones at different times.

Kat: 28:02

Yeah, I love that. If someone is not local to you, that they can still get that personalized one-on-one touch with the instructor. I think the virtual capacity is amazing, but having that human entity on the background of that is and to your point, two children are totally different. With, with all the different milestones and with, you know, I always joke my kids couldn't be be more opposite. And, and, which is great. It adds a lot of spice to life. So, but they, they are the best and worst of friends as any sibling can be. But, and I love that eating, that there is that roadmap because I know for myself, the one thing I was most terrified was. Feeding the baby any sort of solid, even if it was like, a rice cereal or a puree of some sort. Yeah. I was so terrified of a choking child. That was the number one thing. I've gotten past that because my child did choke on a piece of pretzel and I had to do like back blows to dislodge it. Mm-hmm. Which. Was very vital of that. I knew that information and, was able to help him. I know that's also a huge part of what you offer as CPR and a ED

Nicole: 29:18

yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. And, and that infant and child CPR and CPR certification, a ED, that. Was it, I mean, we knew it was important and we knew parents wanted to. Learn this information and get confident in it. What I didn't anticipate was you know, the timing of, we, we typically will see expectant families and grandparents to be coming into that class before delivery or right around that starting solids timeframe as you were mentioning. And our CPR program started to take on a bit of a life of its own. And I realized after partnering. Up with the American Heart Association, we are recognized as a training site under the a HA. So we're really proud of that. I realized, oh my gosh, you know, outside of the perinatal population who need what we offer so far. Our CPR curriculum is beneficial for anybody and everyone. Even if you don't need a certification for your job or if you're not a medical professional, you don't need it for that. Having those skills and getting muscle memory by practicing on mannequins, that's just something that makes our entire community safer. So that became a renewed initiative for us at when we saw, oh gosh, you know what? This is applicable to so many more people than we initially realized. And so now we are offering those classes and, and those trainings really for anybody in the area who needs them. Unfortunately, with CPR, it's not something we can offer virtually. That's our only class that does not have a virtual option. Because we want you to come in person and put your hands on the mannequins. And I know, Kat, you were here. Recently putting your hands on our mannequins with the red light and the yellow light and the green light. So you get that instant feedback based on the depth and the rate of your compressions. And, you know, playing with the a ED trainer, because the goal here again. Anybody could be out in, in you know, a Costco or a Wegman's and someone could have an emergency. And if you have played with a simulator, a ED, you're gonna be way more likely to look for it when you walk into these stores. Grab it off the wall, put it, put the pads on someone, and, and really, this could be a difference between life and death because we know on average it takes eight minutes for paramedics to arrive to a scene after a 9 1 1 call. That's an average in the United States. Maybe where we are, we're a little more populated here in suburban Philadelphia. Maybe it's. A little less than that. But what we do know for sure, statistically is there's only four minutes without oxygen for brain tissue to be able to survive. And brain tissue, we can't heal once brain tissue has died. If it's deprived of oxygen, we can't fix that. Whereas bones heal, tissue heals, bruises heal. Right? So. Not hesitating, knowing we have four minutes to be the bridge between the event and when the, the paramedics arrive. It's really important for us to, to have that confidence to act quickly and that is really what our CPR program is all about.

Kat: 32:27

I was there and it was very thorough and mm-hmm. I say accessible, it wasn't frightening. I've taken many A CPR courses. I've been CPR certified for the last 20 years. And some can be really terrifying. And so the way you did it, it was very affirming that like, you can do this and here's how and here's why. It was very compassionate feeling, I would say. Aw, thank you. And it, and it's, to me, I think it's a very, very useful for anyone to take. It just, I know when I walk into stores, I'm always looking, I'm like, where's the a ED? You're gonna be more prepared. And, you know, going through it, it definitely, definitely helps refresh and I'm always surprised when I'm like, oh, I remember, okay, yep. This is the cadence, this is how it feels. Yes.'Cause each time I've taken, and like I said, I've been CPR certified for the last 20 years that I'm like, oh yeah, I do know this stuff. It's tucked away back there. It will come up and I will be able to recall it pretty quickly. Even in my exhausted mom brain, so that

Nicole: 33:31

that is true. Yes. It's, the struggle is real, but yeah, and like you mentioned with the Heimlich and with back blows, so for infants it's different than for toddlers or adults. Right. So the Heimlich is really. Used for, for children who can stand up and support their own weight and adults as well. Like the Heimlich, is pretty universal from the time that you're steady on your two feet. But for infants or for small babies, you have to learn the coordination of flipping them over while still supporting their head to maintain that cervical spinal integrity. I like the hands-on practice that we're able to do with the mannequins, and I think that is what gives a lot of parents peace of mind with that starting solid journey to like, kind of circle it back to that. So you're, you're producing, you know, things that you think, oh, these are really soft and my baby can eat this, but what if, and once, you know, okay. If all of a sudden they're no longer coughing, there's silence that is identifying, choking. That's a bl airway block. And then you know that muscle memory again to flip that baby over and do those back blows as you did with your son. It, it makes the whole feeding journey a little less scary.

Kat: 34:40

Yeah, exactly. The last time I did, you know, held a doll and did with a baby was and the NICU that we were in Massachusetts at the time in not Pennsylvania. One of the requirements for us to be able to have our son graduate from the NICU was we had to become CPR and a ED certified and with child. And prior to that. I hadn't done anything with, with child, and that was the coordination, like to teach like the, the choking and so it was kind of cool to have that refresher in your office. I was like, oh my goodness, I haven't done this in, he'll be 11 next Saturday. And I think everybody should be CPR and a ED certified. I think it, like you said, to your point, it just helps the community be safer. Should there be a medical emergency that you have people who can be that bridge between the EMS, so what is your one to two most powerful tips that you can tell any parent out there, if they're listening, they're an expect expectant parent or expectant parent again, or they're in the thick of things right now?

Nicole: 35:45

I think you know, we, we kind of talked about this a little earlier, line up your village no matter where you are on your parenting timeline, I think that every single one of us, and again, speaking for myself, right there are probably resources and experts. Your in your circles that you could be getting more information from and feel more supported by. So think about in this moment, in the season of parenthood, wherever you find yourself who would you like to get a little more information from? What kind of your information or additional input into your parenting journey would feel supportive for you right now? And then, you know. Carve out the time to, to make that phone call or write that email and get that support. I think, you know, so many times as parents we try to troubleshoot things i'm I, I'll figure it out. Right. But that process is really. Hard. Because again, we are doing it a lot of times inside our own head and we feel like a bit like we're on an island and we don't have to be. So the other tip I would say, which again, I, I still do to this day, and I, I know better. But maybe if I say it out loud, I will also do this. You know, don't feel like you are the only one. Going through this because I don't know why a lot of us tell ourselves it must just be me, or it must just be my baby, or it must just be my family circumstance, or whatever the case may be. I like to remind families, moms in particular, you're not alone. Don't convince yourself you are. But you know, find your people, find your village. There are so many of us out there who want to support you and are here to support you. I mean, I, this is my life's work. So I love when, when families take me up on it and, you know, to your point, Kat, like. You know, you're up at two in the morning with a baby that's not sleeping and you send me an email, I get it first thing. The next morning I will call you. I'll email you back, like, I like to be a point of contact for, for new parents because I remember what it's like as if it were yesterday, and I think most of us can. Right? Motherhood, bringing a baby into the world it's a forever memory, so. As much as we can try to make that positive and supportive, even when the journey doesn't go exactly the way we want it to, right?'cause there's no such thing as a perfect birth. So, you know, finding space and grace for that moment and knowing that, you. Are the best mom for your baby and that there's so many other moms out there and nurses and experts who want to support you and are here for you. So just that would be my tip reminding everybody of that. And I'm gonna walk the talk and remind myself too.

Kat: 38:37

I have to remind myself that on the daily, because it it, and you hit the nail on the head that, we have a vast listenership, you know, some in the thick of things too. Some where their kids are, are grown and flown or getting to that point where they're about to leave the nest, so to speak, and it is parenthood. You go through these seasons and it can feel really isolating. And we do feel like this is an only my child thing or an only me thing. And you know, and having that village in your village kind of can change and mold and grow. There are people for different stages in your life to support you in this, and especially in motherhood that can help. Such great powerful tips. Where can people find you and connect with with you?

Nicole: 39:17

Yeah, so we are on Instagram and Facebook at Mainline Family Education. So it's just a really long handle. Our website is www.mlfed.com, so that's kind of our nickname, ML F Ed, so Mainline family ed. And yeah you know, our, our. Email address is on there, on the website, our phone number. So as I said, you know, I, I have plenty of families who send me emails all times of day. I have families who call yeah, I'm, I'm always available. And it's funny, like people. Are very surprised when they call and I pick up the phone and they get me. But again, like I love supporting families. I love talking to, to moms and I love to just provide them with all of the resources that we now have that as a new mom I did not have. And so it just feels like such a gift to be able to pay that forward and connect women and men and families with who they need when they need them.

Kat: 40:18

This was so great. And all that information will be in the show notes, so if you didn't have a pen and paper, if you're out walking, driving, it will be in the show notes so that you can find that resource. I'll have the socials, the Facebook and Instagram as well as the website there. But this was so great and I, I know I got some stuff out of it and I'm, I'm sure our listeners did. Thank you so much for coming on. Oh, thanks so much for having me. This was super fun. You're welcome. Thank you for tuning in to MilesFromHerView, powered by KatFit Strength. If this podcast inspires you, don't keep it for yourself. Hit follow or subscribe to stay updated on the new episodes, and leave us a review to help more women and moms discover this space. Your feedback fuels this podcast and I'd love to hear what's working for you or what topics you want to dive into Next. You can connect with me on Instagram at KatFit or share this episode. Road with a friend who is ready to embrace her strength. Remember, fitness isn't about perfection. It's about showing up for yourself and finding strength in every step of your journey. Until next time, keep moving forward one mile at a time.