July 25, 2025 • 41 mins
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
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Kat (00:00):
Welcome to MilesFromHerView, the podcast
powered by KatFit Strength,where busy women like you find
practical solutions to fuel yourfitness journey with
authenticity and resilience.
I'm Kat, your host, a mom of twoactive boys, a business owner,
and an ultra marathon runner anda strength trainer in her
forties with nearly two decadesof experience.
(00:21):
I'm here to help you cut throughthe noise of fads, hacks, and
quick fixes.
This is a space where wecelebrate womanhood and
motherhood.
All while building strength andresilience and reconnecting with
you from a place ofself-compassion and worthiness.
Whether you're lacing up yourrunning shoes to go out for a
run, driving your kids topractice or squeezing in a
(00:42):
moment for yourself, I'm righthere in the trenches with you.
Let's dive in.
Nicole is a Labor and deliverynurse and founder of Mainline
Family Education, a trustedfamily centered organization
offering personalizedevidence-based support for
expectant parents, families, andcaregivers since 2019.
(01:03):
Located in Devon, pa, mainlineFamily Education provides
in-person virtual and on demandclasses and workshops including
childbirth, newborn basics.
Infant and child CPR, sleepsupport, starting solids potty
training and more.
Each group is small,personalized and designed to
meet families where they are intheir parenting journey.
(01:24):
As an American Heart Associationauthorized training site,
mainline family education alsooffers CPR and choking relief
classes for families andC-P-R-A-E-D first aid
certifications for schools,businesses, and medical
professionals.
What sets Mainline FamilyEducation apart as a team of
(01:45):
experienced certifiedinstructors, experts in nursing,
lactation, pediatric care inmental health, who are
passionate about educating andsupporting parents on the
mainline.
Welcome, Nicole.
I'm super excited to have you onthe podcast today.
Thanks so much, Kat.
I'm happy to be here.
We've known each other for awhile now and I absolutely love
(02:09):
what you have to offer.
I know it is such a greatresource that some of my clients
have taken advantage of, and itis one that.
I wish I had when I was goingthrough planning for a family,
having my kids and yourbackground is a labor and
delivery nurse, and what madeyou have that calling to
transition into this role?
Nicole (02:30):
I worked in the hospital setting on labor and delivery
for 12 years.
And during that time I'm gonnadate myself a little bit because
we were doing paper chartingwhen I was a new nurse.
The electronic medical recordsweren't a thing yet.
So with that there was more timeas a nurse for myself and my
colleagues and even thephysicians who I worked with on
(02:50):
labor and delivery to.
Sit with our patients, spendtime really getting them
comfortable with what washappening on the labor unit as
well as on the postpartum unit.
And with the changes happeningin healthcare over those years
there became less and less timefor us to sit down and discuss
all these things and, and reallygive our patients.
(03:11):
The confidence they neededbefore leaving the maternity
unit with their newborn baby.
And so I felt like I wanted tospend more time with my
patients.
It became clear very quicklythat that wasn't gonna be
possible in the hospitalsetting.
So I left a job that Iabsolutely.
Adored.
(03:31):
I had my own two children on theunit that I worked and just
loved my, my colleagues, likethey 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 couldhelp in the community to provide
this for patients.
And like you said, it was neveranything that I had when I was
(03:51):
expecting my firstborn.
Kat (03:54):
The amount of classes that you offer really in, in my
opinion, serve through thatfirst year and beyond.
It is one that I remember.
And to your point, it was like Igot the baby in my hands and it
was a barrage of people comingin, the people to meet the
lactation consultant, the nurse,and it was.
(04:15):
A quick tutorial.
And here I am, I'm like, I'mexhausted.
I have labored for 48 hours.
And then that like startlingrealization when we departed the
hospital, I was like, wait, whatdid they tell me?
What am I supposed to do?
As a first time mom, I was sopetrified of not doing it wrong,
but did I remember what thenurses said?
(04:37):
When I reached that back out tomy BGYN it was hard because
everything was in a differentplace.
And so having it housed in the,in one place for a new mother or
a new mother again, is so vitalbecause you're not getting sleep
and who wants to drag theirnewborn baby to like six
different places?
Nicole (04:57):
And that's, that's really what we try to do.
We wanna be a resource andsomething that parents can feel
confident and comfortablereaching out to us, whether it's
before they deliver or afterthey deliver, or maybe it's a
question that they think issilly.
But we have all these vettedexperts in our back pocket
because as a team, we've reallyworked with a lot of
(05:18):
professionals in this area andbeyond for so many years.
One of my favorite things isgiving that information to new
parents so that they don't feellike they have to reinvent the
wheel and figure all that out ontheir own.
Kat (05:31):
Most things that you need answered are in the middle of
the night, and if you have sometricks of the trade that expert
advice to rely on it helps.
It helps.
What are some common questionsthat,, parents have going into
this, preparing for childbirth,preparing for this first few
weeks at home, especially inthat new parent aspect where
this is your first time with thenewborn.
Nicole (05:54):
Absolutely.
So one of the things, one of thequestions we get asked a lot and
we like to help familiesnavigate is it's a very real
question, very honest question.
First time parents wonder howmuch of this journey can I
control and how much of thisjourney is outside of my
control?
So we like to, tell people yeah,you can control all of the prep
(06:15):
work, right?
So you can keep your bodyphysically healthy by
exercising, by,, monitoring yournutrition, making sure you're
attending all your doctor'sappointments, taking your
prenatal classes to get all ofthe content and information
before you welcome your baby.
But then.
Your baby decides that they aregoing to arrive.
And it really is on theirtimeline.
(06:37):
'cause your due date is not setin stone.
It's kind of a guesstimate.
So we, we like to tell parentsthere'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 theycome and they don't adhere to a
schedule when they first arriveand when you first get home.
(06:59):
There's no such thing really fora baby as sleeping for a number
of hours back to back or we'reused to getting eight hours.
I'm actually a nine hour girl.
But that all changes.
And so we are, we're truly ontheir clock.
For a bit and that's okay.
I think setting that expectationfor some families and, some
families are, are type A andthey like a schedule and they
(07:22):
like to know what's coming up.
So I think just mentallypreparing that there's gonna be
things that come at you fromleft field and you're just not
gonna expect them.
There's gonna be things that aregoing really well and all of a
sudden.
Something changes or a baby hitsa new milestone and we as
parents have to adapt and, andchange course.
And you're not.
I'm gonna know the answers.
(07:43):
You're not always gonna know theanswers.
Sometimes you feel like younever know the answers, but
that's when you tap into yournetwork and your support system.
So I do often recommend forparents asking, what do we
expect?
How much can we control?
You can also control setting upyour village.
Who is your phone call in themiddle of the night if you need
support, right?
If you call your pediatricianoffice.
(08:05):
And it's 2:00 AM on a Saturday.
Knowing ahead of time, who'sgonna be picking up that phone?
Is it a triage nurse?
Is it a call center?
Is it your doctor?
Because the pediatricians onyour team all take 24 hour call
and there's always somebody youcan speak with knowing.
Things like that ahead of time.
I think give those of us, andI'll include myself in this type
(08:26):
a description those of us wholike a plan and a schedule a
little more peace of mindbecause although we can't
control everything, we, we kindof can know what support is, is
gonna be there for us, if andwhen we need it.
Kat (08:41):
I like that a lot.
I am a type A person as well.
The one thing that I had beentold to me, and I don't know if
this is still out there is onceyou get your baby in your hands,
you'll just know, like you justknow your baby, and I feel.
That's not always the case.
And I like what you said aboutsetting up your village ahead of
time knowing who you can call inthe middle of the night knowing,
(09:03):
those details.
And for me, and I'll use myselfas an example, I didn't have
that the first time I wentthrough it.
It wasn't by choice or anythinglike that, it was just.
I just didn't realize thebenefit of having those, those
bits.
And with my second one and thisis something again, pregnancy
(09:25):
is, so there's a lot ofcontrollables and there's a lot
of uncontrollables.
I wound up having a high riskpregnancy where I had to by
default create a network becauseas it got closer towards the end
of the pregnancy, the risk wentup with a lot of different
things.
And so.
It was very helpful.
Then going through that NICUprocess, when I had that support
(09:45):
there, knowing I could text oneof my good friends in the middle
of the night, she was, shedidn't always respond.
She's like, you can always textme.
Don't feel afraid that you'regonna wake me up.
I want to be there.
It was that just knowing I couldtext someone if I needed that
help.
Sometimes she would be up in themiddle of the night too.
So it was just having that peaceof mind that there was a friend
(10:06):
there.
And I also like that youincluded your medical
professionals because it can bejarring that it's, you're
expecting it to be this, thedoctor that you know, but like
to your point, it could betriage, 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 atime where you're could be a
(10:28):
little bit more stressed.
So good.
It's having that who can tag in,who can tag out mentality.
We were talking about thiscommunity and today, and
motherhood can feel reallyisolating.
Even we're in different seasonsthan the newborn season and
every season I feel like therecan be this isolation, but in
the beginning you know.
From your standpoint and fromwhat you're doing, how are ways
(10:50):
that you help set the mom up forsuccess and having that, that
understanding?
Nicole (10:55):
Yeah.
Yeah.
So a couple different ways.
I think the first thing you kindof 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 myfriend group to get pregnant and
to have a baby.
There wasn't anybody in myfamily who had had a baby
recently for me to kind of.
(11:17):
Connect with and, and feel likeI was on the journey with
somebody else.
So it did feel isolating.
So that's not always built infor people or something they
could set up ahead of time.
And like you said, you don'tknow what you don't know.
So I found myself with thisnewborn and funny enough, like
I'm a nurse on a labor anddelivery unit, and I still feel
like a, I know nothing.
And BI, nobody else couldpossibly be going through the
(11:39):
same challenges I am right now,which.
Looking back, how silly is that?
But in the moment it felt soreal.
And so I wish I had had anothergroup of women that I could
connect with who also had babiesthe same age, and I just didn't
know where to find them.
And I was nervous about, youknow, taking my baby out to.
(12:02):
Parks and, and hanging out withstrangers.
Like I, I really kind of couldhave used a push a safe space
that I could bring my baby tokind of meet other people in a
controlled setting.
So that is actually somethingthat we created at Mainline
Family Education for New Moms.
Because as I put feelers outthere, as this company has been
growing over the past six years,a lot of women said the exact
(12:24):
same thing that I just shared.
As being their experience.
And so we created a group andit's called New Moms Support and
Connections, and the group meetsfor five consecutive weeks the
same day every week for an hourin our, in our office space.
And so it's in person and weinvite any mom can be a second
(12:46):
time mom.
Third time mom.
Anyone who has a newborn.
Or baby who is six months of ageor younger.
So the idea is in arms, baby ababy, you can wear baby, you can
bring in bucket seat.
Because the sessions are reallyall about moms connecting with
each other, getting to know eachother, giving and receiving
support.
And it is a session that isfacilitated by.
(13:09):
Dr.
Beth Kraus, who is a PhD.
She's a licensed clinicalpsychologist, and she is doing
research actually at SwarthmoreCollege.
She's a professor there in thepsychology department, and she
and her grad students are doingongoing research about rece,
which is similar to.
Adolescence, but it is thatidentity shift that women
experience when they become amother for the first time.
(13:31):
And how that affects usmentally, hormonally you know,
in terms of now we have thiswhole new persona and a a little
person who is relying on us ahundred percent.
So where does the identity of.
Self shift and, and how do youstill find that time for
yourself, for the self-carethat's so important in order to
(13:53):
be a mother, be a parent, andcontinue to be a wife and a
friend, and all of those things.
So Dr.
Kraus facilitates thesemeetings, these groups.
And she, we call it like asupport group on steroids
because she puts theseevidence-based tools into these
women's toolboxes.
So the idea is after the, theweek session, that cohort is
(14:15):
over, we send our mom groups offinto the world together and they
utilized these tools that theylearned and practiced while they
were in our office.
Space and then continue to meetoutside of our office and go, go
to things like swim lessonstogether, meet up at parks.
And one of our first groupsactually just sent me a picture
(14:36):
right after the holidays of allof their kiddos now in
kindergarten.
So that really like fills mycup.
I feel like, oh my gosh, theseare relationships that.
Again, I wish I had had as anew, new mom but that I feel so
excited that, that our, ouroffice and our community space
can give to others.
(14:58):
In a time when, when that's whatyou 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 steppinginto motherhood, you know?
Yes, there was a lot ofquestions on how to care for a
baby and dealing with the sleepdeprivation, but for me it was
that new identity and I feltlike I should have had it all
(15:25):
figured out.
I felt like this should benormal.
And I don't wanna say there wasresentment because, my husband
and I took a long time talkingabout like, do we want kids?
Do we want a family?
But I felt this Almost sense ofmourning, of a loss of grief of
the old me.
And who is this new me?
Could I still, do my hopes anddreams?
And then there was that societaltalk from whether it be friends
(15:48):
or family of you're a mom now,that's your identity.
And I'm like, well, no, I'm morethan that.
And I know with my clients, Ialways 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 thatwoman and that's the one person
that I'm working with.
With your whole wellbeing, withthe strength training, the
(16:10):
cardio, the mobility, becausethese titles, they are part of
who we are, but we're definingourselves as who we are and like
that's who we are, enhancesthose titles.
So I'd be really interested tolearn more about her work
because this really intriguesme.
And what a great communityoffering for those moms.
(16:31):
I'm sure motherhood has had animpact on the way you work with
families and understanding likefrom that lens of being a mom to
then that lens of being aprofessional in this field and
having, an immense amount ofknowledge.
Can you speak towards that alittle bit?
Nicole (16:48):
Yeah, I had the good fortune I'll say of becoming a
nurse and choosing maternitynursing, so labor and delivery
newborn nursery the postpartummother, baby unit.
And when I first started in thecity, I was working in the city
and I got the opportunity to dosome time in the NICU as well.
So, I did all of that before Ibecame a mom myself.
(17:11):
And so I really was looking atit from a lens of supporting my
patients, teaching my patients,you know, being there for them.
But I will say, once I, I had myown.
Daughter and then son.
Gosh, the, the compassion andthe connection I was able to
give to my patients and havewith my patients completely
(17:34):
changed the scope of my nursingpractice because I.
Just, you know, I saw myself inevery single one of them, and I
wanted to be there for them inthe way that would've felt
really supportive for me at thattime.
I remember being terrified in mylabor, right?
Even though I knew what wasgonna happen.
(17:55):
Like I, how many births did Ipersonally attend before I had
my own daughter?
But what's true is everybody'sjourney's different.
Everyone's pregnancy isdifferent.
Everyone's.
Labor and delivery experience isdifferent.
As you know, having two kiddosand I have two kiddos, our
children are completelydifferent.
Regardless of, we try to dothings the same way, right?
(18:15):
But they just come out withthese little personalities.
So I felt more passionate about.
Really meeting my patients wherethey were in the moment,
providing them the support thatthey would tell me they needed,
and I felt much more driven togive them the support that was
(18:37):
no longer offered in thehospital setting than I would've
never have known had I not beenthere every single day.
And felt frustrated that theyneeded more.
We as medical professionals wantto give them more, but that
didn't exist in our healthcaresystem.
So being a mother, yeah, changedeverything for me and I do what
(18:57):
I do now because I, I became amother and I, and I, I feel like
that really was able to shine alight on just how much more
women need and deserve.
Kat (19:10):
Absolutely.
I love that.
I also like that you said this acouple times, that even though
you were in the profession andyou attended so many births, it
was still scary of the unknownand going through that, and I, I
think sometimes that gets lostwhen you are in these, service
providing businesses where it.
(19:32):
You yourself go through it, andthat you, even though you're an
expert in that field, there'sstill that element of the
unknown, the anxiousness, thescariness 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'tknow.
Mm-hmm.
So, I, I still say this tofamilies that come to us for
classes.
I share that, when the nursecame in and said, okay, now you
get to take your baby home.
Which again, like I say to allmy patients, I send everybody
home between day two and four,usually right postpartum, and I
was like, I'm not, you really?
(20:07):
Are you sure?
Because I feel like you shouldcome with me.
You should come home with me.
I cannot take this baby home bymyself.
Are you crazy?
Right.
And, and I share that whenfamilies 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 intoyour village, as we were talking
(20:30):
about, you call yourpediatrician.
Those first couple weeks, Idon't know about you, but I
called them a lot and I wouldcall them and say, I'm so sorry
to bother you.
Right?
'cause I was like, I shouldn'tabsolutely call.
That is what they're there for.
The nurses that work atpediatrician offices, like they
want you to call, we don't wantyou losing sleep because you're
(20:51):
scared or not sure when it's aquestion that we could answer
pretty quickly and give you thatpeace of mind.
We want you to lose sleep'causeyou're awake looking at your
beautiful baby, right?
Yeah.
Again, like that fear, there's ahealthy fear.
But there's also a point atwhich I tell my, my patients
like, don't suffer in silence.
Don't be like me home.
(21:12):
Like, oh, I really shouldn'tcall them a fourth time in a
day.
If you're worried.
I want you to call, I want youto trust your gut.
And that kind of reminds me ofsomething you said earlier,
which was, you'll know, you knowyour baby like that advice, and
I agree with you that's like, ohgosh.
Like I was going home and I'mlike, do I?
But one thing I think is true tothat sentiment is to trust your
(21:36):
gut as a parent.
I think we as mothers just.
We know a lot more than we giveourselves credit for.
And again, this is likesomething I realized.
Not as a brand new mom, but asthe years passed and I look back
on moments when I just felt inmy gut like something was off or
wrong or I wanted moreinformation, I wanted to dig a
(21:57):
little deeper.
'cause you're just in tune withyour baby.
So I would say to parents,whether you're a new parent or a
seasoned parent don't forgetabout your gut.
And trust it because you do knowyour baby and your child and
you're maybe young adult at thispoint.
More than anybody else.
Kat (22:15):
Yeah.
Oh, a hundred percent.
I fullheartedly agree.
I always say, you have a PhD inyour baby.
I want to hear more about yourclass.
'cause you offer a wide varietyof classes, so it's not solely
just in that for six months.
It goes beyond I love howthey're small group and
personalized.
Nicole (22:31):
Absolutely.
So the earliest classes we offerare really ideal for parents
who've just found out that theyare expecting.
We have a lot of first timeparents come through our
prenatal classes.
They are offered in person, butwe also have on demand options.
So for maybe families who don'tlive close to the Philadelphia
(22:54):
area.
They can still take our coursesa prerecorded version, but the
difference between ourprerecorded on demand and some
others that are out there arethat included in the purchase of
those classes is one-on-one withthe instructor afterwards.
So we are all about.
Personalized content.
So we don't want that to not beavailable to families who maybe
(23:19):
are a bit more of a distanceaway or have busy travel
schedules for work and can'tattend 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 thosefamilies.
We meet them, you know, justlike on a Zoom call or a phone
call, whatever works for them.
We meet them where they are.
And make sure that all of theirquestions are answered outside
(23:40):
of the core curriculum thatwe've created for them to
prepare them for things likechildbirth, newborn basics and
breastfeeding 1 0 1.
So our, our core four, as wecall it for prenatal, are those
three classes as well as infantand child CPR.
So those are all offered inperson in Devon in our office.
Space.
(24:01):
Like you said, we max out ateight couples or 16 individuals
per class.
We will never go over that andwe, we stick to that on our
virtual live classes as well,so.
What we found is once parentshave babies in arms or maybe
second babies or third babiesit's very difficult to come out
(24:21):
in person again at a scheduledtime, get childcare.
It feels more.
Of a burden than it does helpfulin that moment.
So families that we've workedwith have asked us to create
that postpartum or earlychildhood class menu to be more
live virtual with q and a.
(24:43):
Again on Zoom with cameras on,it's.
Super small group that eightcouples, eight families max
still or the on demand version.
So we offer things like newbornsleep one oh one.
We offer that live or on demand.
Potty training simplified is onefor kiddos that are a little bit
older and that's available ondemand any time.
(25:05):
We have a starting Salads andcups class for families who are
getting ready to start salads.
And again, that's another.
Journey, the feeding journey forevery 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 wasit?
Yeah.
It's crazy.
(25:25):
Right?
And so the knee jerk is what weall do, which is you go to your
pediatrician appointment and yousay.
Do you think my baby's ready tostart solids?
And they say, yep.
And you say, okay, great.
How?
When?
You know, and they're like, go.
And that is so daunting becausethere's no roadmap for this, and
there's no roadmap for yourbaby.
(25:46):
So as an example in, in thatclass, we give a really lengthy
timeline and roadmap.
So anywhere from six months, allthe way through 18 months.
But what's even more helpful forour families that take our
courses is we tell'em what tolook for in terms of
developmental milestones, toknow that it's safe to proceed
(26:08):
to the next step.
So like we're, we're startingsolids and cups.
We're gonna guide families,okay, look for this, then you
can do that.
So it's because not every sixmonth old baby is gonna be ready
to start solids.
And then how do you know whattype of solids?
How do you progress throughthem?
When and how do you introduce acup?
How much volume are you giving ababy?
(26:29):
Right?
So all of these things areincluded in those courses with,
of course, the opportunity forparents to say, well, my kiddo's
doing this at this time.
So what do you think would be myroadmap or my timeline for my
baby?
'cause it is gonna be differentas it was for, for both of my
children.
Very different milestones atdifferent times.
Kat (26:49):
Yeah, I love that.
If someone is not local to you,that they can still get that
personalized one-on-one touchwith the instructor.
I think the virtual capacity isamazing, but having that human
entity on the background of thatis and to your point, two
children are totally different.
With, with all the differentmilestones and with, you know, I
(27:11):
always joke my kids couldn't bebe more opposite.
And, and, which is great.
It adds a lot of spice to life.
So, but they, they are the bestand worst of friends as any
sibling can be.
But, and I love that eating,that there is that roadmap
because I know for myself, theone thing I was most terrified
(27:32):
was.
Feeding the baby any sort ofsolid, even if it was like, a
rice cereal or a puree of somesort.
Yeah.
I was so terrified of a chokingchild.
That was the number one thing.
I've gotten past that because mychild did choke on a piece of
pretzel and I had to do likeback blows to dislodge it.
(27:55):
Mm-hmm.
Which.
Was very vital of that.
I knew that information and, wasable to help him.
I know that's also a huge partof what you offer as CPR and a
ED
Nicole (28:06):
yeah.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
And, and that infant and childCPR and CPR certification, a ED,
that.
Was it, I mean, we knew it wasimportant and we knew parents
wanted to.
Learn this information and getconfident in it.
What I didn't anticipate was youknow, the timing of, we, we
typically will see expectantfamilies and grandparents to be
(28:30):
coming into that class beforedelivery or right around that
starting solids timeframe as youwere mentioning.
And our CPR program started totake on a bit of a life of its
own.
And I realized after partnering.
Up with the American HeartAssociation, we are recognized
as a training site under the aHA.
(28:50):
So we're really proud of that.
I realized, oh my gosh, youknow, outside of the perinatal
population who need what weoffer so far.
Our CPR curriculum is beneficialfor anybody and everyone.
Even if you don't need acertification for your job or if
you're not a medicalprofessional, you don't need it
for that.
Having those skills and gettingmuscle memory by practicing on
(29:13):
mannequins, that's justsomething that makes our entire
community safer.
So that became a renewedinitiative for us at when we
saw, oh gosh, you know what?
This is applicable to so manymore people than we initially
realized.
And so now we are offering thoseclasses and, and those trainings
really for anybody in the areawho needs them.
(29:34):
Unfortunately, with CPR, it'snot something we can offer
virtually.
That's our only class that doesnot have a virtual option.
Because we want you to come inperson and put your hands on the
mannequins.
And I know, Kat, you were here.
Recently putting your hands onour mannequins with the red
light and the yellow light andthe green light.
So you get that instant feedbackbased on the depth and the rate
(29:57):
of your compressions.
And, you know, playing with thea ED trainer, because the goal
here again.
Anybody could be out in, in youknow, a Costco or a Wegman's and
someone could have an emergency.
And if you have played with asimulator, a ED, you're gonna be
way more likely to look for itwhen you walk into these stores.
(30:17):
Grab it off the wall, put it,put the pads on someone, and,
and really, this could be adifference between life and
death because we know on averageit takes eight minutes for
paramedics to arrive to a sceneafter a 9 1 1 call.
That's an average in the UnitedStates.
Maybe where we are, we're alittle more populated here in
suburban Philadelphia.
Maybe it's.
(30:38):
A little less than that.
But what we do know for sure,statistically is there's only
four minutes without oxygen forbrain tissue to be able to
survive.
And brain tissue, we can't healonce brain tissue has died.
If it's deprived of oxygen, wecan't fix that.
Whereas bones heal, tissueheals, bruises heal.
Right?
So.
(30:58):
Not hesitating, knowing we havefour 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 whatour CPR program is all about.
Kat (31:15):
I was there and it was very thorough and mm-hmm.
I say accessible, it wasn'tfrightening.
I've taken many A CPR courses.
I've been CPR certified for thelast 20 years.
And some can be reallyterrifying.
And so the way you did it, itwas very affirming that like,
you can do this and here's howand here's why.
(31:37):
It was very compassionatefeeling, I would say.
Aw, thank you.
And it, and it's, to me, I thinkit's a very, very useful for
anyone to take.
It just, I know when I walk intostores, 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 surprisedwhen I'm like, oh, I remember,
(32:00):
okay, yep.
This is the cadence, this is howit feels.
Yes.
'Cause each time I've taken, andlike I said, I've been CPR
certified for the last 20 yearsthat I'm like, oh yeah, I do
know this stuff.
It's tucked away back there.
It will come up and I will beable to recall it pretty
quickly.
Even in my exhausted mom brain,so that
Nicole (32:19):
that is true.
Yes.
It's, the struggle is real, butyeah, and like you mentioned
with the Heimlich and with backblows, so for infants it's
different than for toddlers oradults.
Right.
So the Heimlich is really.
Used for, for children who canstand up and support their own
weight and adults as well.
Like the Heimlich, is prettyuniversal from the time that
(32:39):
you're steady on your two feet.
But for infants or for smallbabies, you have to learn the
coordination of flipping themover while still supporting
their head to maintain thatcervical spinal integrity.
I like the hands-on practicethat we're able to do with the
mannequins, and I think that iswhat gives a lot of parents
peace of mind with that startingsolid journey to like, kind of
(33:01):
circle it back to that.
So you're, you're producing, youknow, things that you think, oh,
these are really soft and mybaby can eat this, but what if,
and once, you know, okay.
If all of a sudden they're nolonger coughing, there's silence
that is identifying, choking.
That's a bl airway block.
And then you know that musclememory again to flip that baby
(33:21):
over and do those back blows asyou did with your son.
It, it makes the whole feedingjourney a little less scary.
Kat (33:28):
Yeah, exactly.
The last time I did, you know,held a doll and did with a baby
was and the NICU that we were inMassachusetts at the time in not
Pennsylvania.
One of the requirements for usto be able to have our son
graduate from the NICU was wehad to become CPR and a ED
certified and with child.
(33:49):
And prior to that.
I hadn't done anything with,with child, and that was the
coordination, like to teach likethe, the choking and so it was
kind of cool to have thatrefresher in your office.
I was like, oh my goodness, Ihaven't done this in, he'll be
11 next Saturday.
And I think everybody should beCPR and a ED certified.
(34:09):
I think it, like you said, toyour point, it just helps the
community be safer.
Should there be a medicalemergency that you have people
who can be that bridge betweenthe EMS, so what is your one to
two most powerful tips that youcan tell any parent out there,
if they're listening, they're anexpect expectant parent or
expectant parent again, orthey're in the thick of things
(34:32):
right now?
Nicole (34:33):
I think you know, we, we kind of talked about this a
little earlier, line up yourvillage no matter where you are
on your parenting timeline, Ithink that every single one of
us, and again, speaking formyself, right there are probably
resources and experts.
Your in your circles that youcould be getting more
(34:53):
information from and feel moresupported by.
So think about in this moment,in the season of parenthood,
wherever you find yourself whowould you like to get a little
more information from?
What kind of your information oradditional input into your
parenting journey would feelsupportive for you right now?
And then, you know.
(35:14):
Carve out the time to, to makethat phone call or write that
email and get that support.
I think, you know, so many timesas parents we try to
troubleshoot things i'm I, I'llfigure it out.
Right.
But that process is really.
Hard.
Because again, we are doing it alot of times inside our own head
and we feel like a bit likewe're on an island and we don't
(35:34):
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 youare the only one.
Going through this because Idon't know why a lot of us tell
ourselves it must just be me, orit must just be my baby, or it
(35:56):
must just be my familycircumstance, or whatever the
case may be.
I like to remind families, momsin 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 outthere who want to support you
and are here to support you.
(36:16):
I mean, I, this is my life'swork.
So I love when, when familiestake me up on it and, you know,
to your point, Kat, like.
You know, you're up at two inthe morning with a baby that's
not sleeping and you send me anemail, I get it first thing.
The next morning I will callyou.
I'll email you back, like, Ilike to be a point of contact
for, for new parents because Iremember what it's like as if it
(36:41):
were yesterday, and I think mostof us can.
Right?
Motherhood, bringing a baby intothe world it's a forever memory,
so.
As much as we can try to makethat positive and supportive,
even when the journey doesn't goexactly the way we want it to,
right?
'cause there's no such thing asa perfect birth.
So, you know, finding space andgrace for that moment and
(37:05):
knowing that, you.
Are the best mom for your babyand that there's so many other
moms out there and nurses andexperts who want to support you
and are here for you.
So just that would be my tipreminding everybody of that.
And I'm gonna walk the talk andremind myself too.
Kat (37:25):
I have to remind myself that on the daily, because it
it, and you hit the nail on thehead that, we have a vast
listenership, you know, some inthe thick of things too.
Some where their kids are, aregrown and flown or getting to
that point where they're aboutto leave the nest, so to speak,
and it is parenthood.
You go through these seasons andit can feel really isolating.
And we do feel like this is anonly my child thing or an only
(37:47):
me thing.
And you know, and having thatvillage in your village kind of
can change and mold and grow.
There are people for differentstages in your life to support
you in this, and especially inmotherhood that can help.
Such great powerful tips.
Where can people find you andconnect with with you?
Nicole (38:05):
Yeah, so we are on Instagram and Facebook at
Mainline Family Education.
So it's just a really longhandle.
Our website is www.mlfed.com, sothat's kind of our nickname, ML
F Ed, so Mainline family ed.
And yeah you know, our, our.
Email address is on there, onthe website, our phone number.
(38:29):
So as I said, you know, I, Ihave 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 theycall and I pick up the phone and
they get me.
But again, like I lovesupporting families.
I love talking to, to moms and Ilove to just provide them with
(38:50):
all of the resources that we nowhave that as a new mom I did not
have.
And so it just feels like such agift to be able to pay that
forward and connect women andmen and families with who they
need when they need them.
Kat (39:06):
This was so great.
And all that information will bein the show notes, so if you
didn't have a pen and paper, ifyou're out walking, driving, it
will be in the show notes sothat you can find that resource.
I'll have the socials, theFacebook and Instagram as well
as the website there.
But this was so great and I, Iknow I got some stuff out of it
and I'm, I'm sure our listenersdid.
Thank you so much for coming on.
(39:28):
Oh, thanks so much for havingme.
This was super fun.
You're welcome.
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KatFit Strength.
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(39:49):
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(40:11):
every step of your journey.
Until next time, keep movingforward one mile at a time.
Welcome to MilesFromHerView, the podcast
powered by KatFit Strength,where busy women like you find
practical solutions to fuel yourfitness journey with
authenticity and resilience.
I'm Kat, your host, a mom of twoactive boys, a business owner,
and an ultra marathon runner anda strength trainer in her
forties with nearly two decadesof experience.
(00:21):
I'm here to help you cut throughthe noise of fads, hacks, and
quick fixes.
This is a space where wecelebrate womanhood and
motherhood.
All while building strength andresilience and reconnecting with
you from a place ofself-compassion and worthiness.
Whether you're lacing up yourrunning shoes to go out for a
run, driving your kids topractice or squeezing in a
(00:42):
moment for yourself, I'm righthere in the trenches with you.
Let's dive in.
Nicole is a Labor and deliverynurse and founder of Mainline
Family Education, a trustedfamily centered organization
offering personalizedevidence-based support for
expectant parents, families, andcaregivers since 2019.
(01:03):
Located in Devon, pa, mainlineFamily Education provides
in-person virtual and on demandclasses and workshops including
childbirth, newborn basics.
Infant and child CPR, sleepsupport, starting solids potty
training and more.
Each group is small,personalized and designed to
meet families where they are intheir parenting journey.
(01:24):
As an American Heart Associationauthorized training site,
mainline family education alsooffers CPR and choking relief
classes for families andC-P-R-A-E-D first aid
certifications for schools,businesses, and medical
professionals.
What sets Mainline FamilyEducation apart as a team of
(01:45):
experienced certifiedinstructors, experts in nursing,
lactation, pediatric care inmental health, who are
passionate about educating andsupporting parents on the
mainline.
Welcome, Nicole.
I'm super excited to have you onthe podcast today.
Thanks so much, Kat.
I'm happy to be here.
We've known each other for awhile now and I absolutely love
(02:09):
what you have to offer.
I know it is such a greatresource that some of my clients
have taken advantage of, and itis one that.
I wish I had when I was goingthrough planning for a family,
having my kids and yourbackground is a labor and
delivery nurse, and what madeyou have that calling to
transition into this role?
Nicole (02:30):
I worked in the hospital setting on labor and delivery
for 12 years.
And during that time I'm gonnadate myself a little bit because
we were doing paper chartingwhen I was a new nurse.
The electronic medical recordsweren't a thing yet.
So with that there was more timeas a nurse for myself and my
colleagues and even thephysicians who I worked with on
(02:50):
labor and delivery to.
Sit with our patients, spendtime really getting them
comfortable with what washappening on the labor unit as
well as on the postpartum unit.
And with the changes happeningin healthcare over those years
there became less and less timefor us to sit down and discuss
all these things and, and reallygive our patients.
(03:11):
The confidence they neededbefore leaving the maternity
unit with their newborn baby.
And so I felt like I wanted tospend more time with my
patients.
It became clear very quicklythat that wasn't gonna be
possible in the hospitalsetting.
So I left a job that Iabsolutely.
Adored.
(03:31):
I had my own two children on theunit that I worked and just
loved my, my colleagues, likethey 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 couldhelp in the community to provide
this for patients.
And like you said, it was neveranything that I had when I was
(03:51):
expecting my firstborn.
Kat (03:54):
The amount of classes that you offer really in, in my
opinion, serve through thatfirst year and beyond.
It is one that I remember.
And to your point, it was like Igot the baby in my hands and it
was a barrage of people comingin, the people to meet the
lactation consultant, the nurse,and it was.
(04:15):
A quick tutorial.
And here I am, I'm like, I'mexhausted.
I have labored for 48 hours.
And then that like startlingrealization when we departed the
hospital, I was like, wait, whatdid they tell me?
What am I supposed to do?
As a first time mom, I was sopetrified of not doing it wrong,
but did I remember what thenurses said?
(04:37):
When I reached that back out tomy BGYN it was hard because
everything was in a differentplace.
And so having it housed in the,in one place for a new mother or
a new mother again, is so vitalbecause you're not getting sleep
and who wants to drag theirnewborn baby to like six
different places?
Nicole (04:57):
And that's, that's really what we try to do.
We wanna be a resource andsomething that parents can feel
confident and comfortablereaching out to us, whether it's
before they deliver or afterthey deliver, or maybe it's a
question that they think issilly.
But we have all these vettedexperts in our back pocket
because as a team, we've reallyworked with a lot of
(05:18):
professionals in this area andbeyond for so many years.
One of my favorite things isgiving that information to new
parents so that they don't feellike they have to reinvent the
wheel and figure all that out ontheir own.
Kat (05:31):
Most things that you need answered are in the middle of
the night, and if you have sometricks of the trade that expert
advice to rely on it helps.
It helps.
What are some common questionsthat,, parents have going into
this, preparing for childbirth,preparing for this first few
weeks at home, especially inthat new parent aspect where
this is your first time with thenewborn.
Nicole (05:54):
Absolutely.
So one of the things, one of thequestions we get asked a lot and
we like to help familiesnavigate is it's a very real
question, very honest question.
First time parents wonder howmuch of this journey can I
control and how much of thisjourney is outside of my
control?
So we like to, tell people yeah,you can control all of the prep
(06:15):
work, right?
So you can keep your bodyphysically healthy by
exercising, by,, monitoring yournutrition, making sure you're
attending all your doctor'sappointments, taking your
prenatal classes to get all ofthe content and information
before you welcome your baby.
But then.
Your baby decides that they aregoing to arrive.
And it really is on theirtimeline.
(06:37):
'cause your due date is not setin stone.
It's kind of a guesstimate.
So we, we like to tell parentsthere'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 theycome and they don't adhere to a
schedule when they first arriveand when you first get home.
(06:59):
There's no such thing really fora baby as sleeping for a number
of hours back to back or we'reused to getting eight hours.
I'm actually a nine hour girl.
But that all changes.
And so we are, we're truly ontheir clock.
For a bit and that's okay.
I think setting that expectationfor some families and, some
families are, are type A andthey like a schedule and they
(07:22):
like to know what's coming up.
So I think just mentallypreparing that there's gonna be
things that come at you fromleft field and you're just not
gonna expect them.
There's gonna be things that aregoing really well and all of a
sudden.
Something changes or a baby hitsa new milestone and we as
parents have to adapt and, andchange course.
And you're not.
I'm gonna know the answers.
(07:43):
You're not always gonna know theanswers.
Sometimes you feel like younever know the answers, but
that's when you tap into yournetwork and your support system.
So I do often recommend forparents asking, what do we
expect?
How much can we control?
You can also control setting upyour village.
Who is your phone call in themiddle of the night if you need
support, right?
If you call your pediatricianoffice.
(08:05):
And it's 2:00 AM on a Saturday.
Knowing ahead of time, who'sgonna be picking up that phone?
Is it a triage nurse?
Is it a call center?
Is it your doctor?
Because the pediatricians onyour team all take 24 hour call
and there's always somebody youcan speak with knowing.
Things like that ahead of time.
I think give those of us, andI'll include myself in this type
(08:26):
a description those of us wholike a plan and a schedule a
little more peace of mindbecause although we can't
control everything, we, we kindof can know what support is, is
gonna be there for us, if andwhen we need it.
Kat (08:41):
I like that a lot.
I am a type A person as well.
The one thing that I had beentold to me, and I don't know if
this is still out there is onceyou get your baby in your hands,
you'll just know, like you justknow your baby, and I feel.
That's not always the case.
And I like what you said aboutsetting up your village ahead of
time knowing who you can call inthe middle of the night knowing,
(09:03):
those details.
And for me, and I'll use myselfas an example, I didn't have
that the first time I wentthrough it.
It wasn't by choice or anythinglike that, it was just.
I just didn't realize thebenefit of having those, those
bits.
And with my second one and thisis something again, pregnancy
(09:25):
is, so there's a lot ofcontrollables and there's a lot
of uncontrollables.
I wound up having a high riskpregnancy where I had to by
default create a network becauseas it got closer towards the end
of the pregnancy, the risk wentup with a lot of different
things.
And so.
It was very helpful.
Then going through that NICUprocess, when I had that support
(09:45):
there, knowing I could text oneof my good friends in the middle
of the night, she was, shedidn't always respond.
She's like, you can always textme.
Don't feel afraid that you'regonna wake me up.
I want to be there.
It was that just knowing I couldtext someone if I needed that
help.
Sometimes she would be up in themiddle of the night too.
So it was just having that peaceof mind that there was a friend
(10:06):
there.
And I also like that youincluded your medical
professionals because it can bejarring that it's, you're
expecting it to be this, thedoctor that you know, but like
to your point, it could betriage, 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 atime where you're could be a
(10:28):
little bit more stressed.
So good.
It's having that who can tag in,who can tag out mentality.
We were talking about thiscommunity and today, and
motherhood can feel reallyisolating.
Even we're in different seasonsthan the newborn season and
every season I feel like therecan be this isolation, but in
the beginning you know.
From your standpoint and fromwhat you're doing, how are ways
(10:50):
that you help set the mom up forsuccess and having that, that
understanding?
Nicole (10:55):
Yeah.
Yeah.
So a couple different ways.
I think the first thing you kindof 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 myfriend group to get pregnant and
to have a baby.
There wasn't anybody in myfamily who had had a baby
recently for me to kind of.
(11:17):
Connect with and, and feel likeI was on the journey with
somebody else.
So it did feel isolating.
So that's not always built infor people or something they
could set up ahead of time.
And like you said, you don'tknow what you don't know.
So I found myself with thisnewborn and funny enough, like
I'm a nurse on a labor anddelivery unit, and I still feel
like a, I know nothing.
And BI, nobody else couldpossibly be going through the
(11:39):
same challenges I am right now,which.
Looking back, how silly is that?
But in the moment it felt soreal.
And so I wish I had had anothergroup of women that I could
connect with who also had babiesthe same age, and I just didn't
know where to find them.
And I was nervous about, youknow, taking my baby out to.
(12:02):
Parks and, and hanging out withstrangers.
Like I, I really kind of couldhave used a push a safe space
that I could bring my baby tokind of meet other people in a
controlled setting.
So that is actually somethingthat we created at Mainline
Family Education for New Moms.
Because as I put feelers outthere, as this company has been
growing over the past six years,a lot of women said the exact
(12:24):
same thing that I just shared.
As being their experience.
And so we created a group andit's called New Moms Support and
Connections, and the group meetsfor five consecutive weeks the
same day every week for an hourin our, in our office space.
And so it's in person and weinvite any mom can be a second
(12:46):
time mom.
Third time mom.
Anyone who has a newborn.
Or baby who is six months of ageor younger.
So the idea is in arms, baby ababy, you can wear baby, you can
bring in bucket seat.
Because the sessions are reallyall about moms connecting with
each other, getting to know eachother, giving and receiving
support.
And it is a session that isfacilitated by.
(13:09):
Dr.
Beth Kraus, who is a PhD.
She's a licensed clinicalpsychologist, and she is doing
research actually at SwarthmoreCollege.
She's a professor there in thepsychology department, and she
and her grad students are doingongoing research about rece,
which is similar to.
Adolescence, but it is thatidentity shift that women
experience when they become amother for the first time.
(13:31):
And how that affects usmentally, hormonally you know,
in terms of now we have thiswhole new persona and a a little
person who is relying on us ahundred percent.
So where does the identity of.
Self shift and, and how do youstill find that time for
yourself, for the self-carethat's so important in order to
(13:53):
be a mother, be a parent, andcontinue to be a wife and a
friend, and all of those things.
So Dr.
Kraus facilitates thesemeetings, these groups.
And she, we call it like asupport group on steroids
because she puts theseevidence-based tools into these
women's toolboxes.
So the idea is after the, theweek session, that cohort is
(14:15):
over, we send our mom groups offinto the world together and they
utilized these tools that theylearned and practiced while they
were in our office.
Space and then continue to meetoutside of our office and go, go
to things like swim lessonstogether, meet up at parks.
And one of our first groupsactually just sent me a picture
(14:36):
right after the holidays of allof their kiddos now in
kindergarten.
So that really like fills mycup.
I feel like, oh my gosh, theseare relationships that.
Again, I wish I had had as anew, new mom but that I feel so
excited that, that our, ouroffice and our community space
can give to others.
(14:58):
In a time when, when that's whatyou 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 steppinginto motherhood, you know?
Yes, there was a lot ofquestions on how to care for a
baby and dealing with the sleepdeprivation, but for me it was
that new identity and I feltlike I should have had it all
(15:25):
figured out.
I felt like this should benormal.
And I don't wanna say there wasresentment because, my husband
and I took a long time talkingabout like, do we want kids?
Do we want a family?
But I felt this Almost sense ofmourning, of a loss of grief of
the old me.
And who is this new me?
Could I still, do my hopes anddreams?
And then there was that societaltalk from whether it be friends
(15:48):
or family of you're a mom now,that's your identity.
And I'm like, well, no, I'm morethan that.
And I know with my clients, Ialways 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 thatwoman and that's the one person
that I'm working with.
With your whole wellbeing, withthe strength training, the
(16:10):
cardio, the mobility, becausethese titles, they are part of
who we are, but we're definingourselves as who we are and like
that's who we are, enhancesthose titles.
So I'd be really interested tolearn more about her work
because this really intriguesme.
And what a great communityoffering for those moms.
(16:31):
I'm sure motherhood has had animpact on the way you work with
families and understanding likefrom that lens of being a mom to
then that lens of being aprofessional in this field and
having, an immense amount ofknowledge.
Can you speak towards that alittle bit?
Nicole (16:48):
Yeah, I had the good fortune I'll say of becoming a
nurse and choosing maternitynursing, so labor and delivery
newborn nursery the postpartummother, baby unit.
And when I first started in thecity, I was working in the city
and I got the opportunity to dosome time in the NICU as well.
So, I did all of that before Ibecame a mom myself.
(17:11):
And so I really was looking atit from a lens of supporting my
patients, teaching my patients,you know, being there for them.
But I will say, once I, I had myown.
Daughter and then son.
Gosh, the, the compassion andthe connection I was able to
give to my patients and havewith my patients completely
(17:34):
changed the scope of my nursingpractice because I.
Just, you know, I saw myself inevery single one of them, and I
wanted to be there for them inthe way that would've felt
really supportive for me at thattime.
I remember being terrified in mylabor, right?
Even though I knew what wasgonna happen.
(17:55):
Like I, how many births did Ipersonally attend before I had
my own daughter?
But what's true is everybody'sjourney's different.
Everyone's pregnancy isdifferent.
Everyone's.
Labor and delivery experience isdifferent.
As you know, having two kiddosand I have two kiddos, our
children are completelydifferent.
Regardless of, we try to dothings the same way, right?
(18:15):
But they just come out withthese little personalities.
So I felt more passionate about.
Really meeting my patients wherethey were in the moment,
providing them the support thatthey would tell me they needed,
and I felt much more driven togive them the support that was
(18:37):
no longer offered in thehospital setting than I would've
never have known had I not beenthere every single day.
And felt frustrated that theyneeded more.
We as medical professionals wantto give them more, but that
didn't exist in our healthcaresystem.
So being a mother, yeah, changedeverything for me and I do what
(18:57):
I do now because I, I became amother and I, and I, I feel like
that really was able to shine alight on just how much more
women need and deserve.
Kat (19:10):
Absolutely.
I love that.
I also like that you said this acouple times, that even though
you were in the profession andyou attended so many births, it
was still scary of the unknownand going through that, and I, I
think sometimes that gets lostwhen you are in these, service
providing businesses where it.
(19:32):
You yourself go through it, andthat you, even though you're an
expert in that field, there'sstill that element of the
unknown, the anxiousness, thescariness 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'tknow.
Mm-hmm.
So, I, I still say this tofamilies that come to us for
classes.
I share that, when the nursecame in and said, okay, now you
get to take your baby home.
Which again, like I say to allmy patients, I send everybody
home between day two and four,usually right postpartum, and I
was like, I'm not, you really?
(20:07):
Are you sure?
Because I feel like you shouldcome with me.
You should come home with me.
I cannot take this baby home bymyself.
Are you crazy?
Right.
And, and I share that whenfamilies 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 intoyour village, as we were talking
(20:30):
about, you call yourpediatrician.
Those first couple weeks, Idon't know about you, but I
called them a lot and I wouldcall them and say, I'm so sorry
to bother you.
Right?
'cause I was like, I shouldn'tabsolutely call.
That is what they're there for.
The nurses that work atpediatrician offices, like they
want you to call, we don't wantyou losing sleep because you're
(20:51):
scared or not sure when it's aquestion that we could answer
pretty quickly and give you thatpeace of mind.
We want you to lose sleep'causeyou're awake looking at your
beautiful baby, right?
Yeah.
Again, like that fear, there's ahealthy fear.
But there's also a point atwhich I tell my, my patients
like, don't suffer in silence.
Don't be like me home.
(21:12):
Like, oh, I really shouldn'tcall them a fourth time in a
day.
If you're worried.
I want you to call, I want youto trust your gut.
And that kind of reminds me ofsomething you said earlier,
which was, you'll know, you knowyour baby like that advice, and
I agree with you that's like, ohgosh.
Like I was going home and I'mlike, do I?
But one thing I think is true tothat sentiment is to trust your
(21:36):
gut as a parent.
I think we as mothers just.
We know a lot more than we giveourselves credit for.
And again, this is likesomething I realized.
Not as a brand new mom, but asthe years passed and I look back
on moments when I just felt inmy gut like something was off or
wrong or I wanted moreinformation, I wanted to dig a
(21:57):
little deeper.
'cause you're just in tune withyour baby.
So I would say to parents,whether you're a new parent or a
seasoned parent don't forgetabout your gut.
And trust it because you do knowyour baby and your child and
you're maybe young adult at thispoint.
More than anybody else.
Kat (22:15):
Yeah.
Oh, a hundred percent.
I fullheartedly agree.
I always say, you have a PhD inyour baby.
I want to hear more about yourclass.
'cause you offer a wide varietyof classes, so it's not solely
just in that for six months.
It goes beyond I love howthey're small group and
personalized.
Nicole (22:31):
Absolutely.
So the earliest classes we offerare really ideal for parents
who've just found out that theyare expecting.
We have a lot of first timeparents come through our
prenatal classes.
They are offered in person, butwe also have on demand options.
So for maybe families who don'tlive close to the Philadelphia
(22:54):
area.
They can still take our coursesa prerecorded version, but the
difference between ourprerecorded on demand and some
others that are out there arethat included in the purchase of
those classes is one-on-one withthe instructor afterwards.
So we are all about.
Personalized content.
So we don't want that to not beavailable to families who maybe
(23:19):
are a bit more of a distanceaway or have busy travel
schedules for work and can'tattend 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 thosefamilies.
We meet them, you know, justlike on a Zoom call or a phone
call, whatever works for them.
We meet them where they are.
And make sure that all of theirquestions are answered outside
(23:40):
of the core curriculum thatwe've created for them to
prepare them for things likechildbirth, newborn basics and
breastfeeding 1 0 1.
So our, our core four, as wecall it for prenatal, are those
three classes as well as infantand child CPR.
So those are all offered inperson in Devon in our office.
Space.
(24:01):
Like you said, we max out ateight couples or 16 individuals
per class.
We will never go over that andwe, we stick to that on our
virtual live classes as well,so.
What we found is once parentshave babies in arms or maybe
second babies or third babiesit's very difficult to come out
(24:21):
in person again at a scheduledtime, get childcare.
It feels more.
Of a burden than it does helpfulin that moment.
So families that we've workedwith have asked us to create
that postpartum or earlychildhood class menu to be more
live virtual with q and a.
(24:43):
Again on Zoom with cameras on,it's.
Super small group that eightcouples, eight families max
still or the on demand version.
So we offer things like newbornsleep one oh one.
We offer that live or on demand.
Potty training simplified is onefor kiddos that are a little bit
older and that's available ondemand any time.
(25:05):
We have a starting Salads andcups class for families who are
getting ready to start salads.
And again, that's another.
Journey, the feeding journey forevery 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 wasit?
Yeah.
It's crazy.
(25:25):
Right?
And so the knee jerk is what weall do, which is you go to your
pediatrician appointment and yousay.
Do you think my baby's ready tostart solids?
And they say, yep.
And you say, okay, great.
How?
When?
You know, and they're like, go.
And that is so daunting becausethere's no roadmap for this, and
there's no roadmap for yourbaby.
(25:46):
So as an example in, in thatclass, we give a really lengthy
timeline and roadmap.
So anywhere from six months, allthe way through 18 months.
But what's even more helpful forour families that take our
courses is we tell'em what tolook for in terms of
developmental milestones, toknow that it's safe to proceed
(26:08):
to the next step.
So like we're, we're startingsolids and cups.
We're gonna guide families,okay, look for this, then you
can do that.
So it's because not every sixmonth old baby is gonna be ready
to start solids.
And then how do you know whattype of solids?
How do you progress throughthem?
When and how do you introduce acup?
How much volume are you giving ababy?
(26:29):
Right?
So all of these things areincluded in those courses with,
of course, the opportunity forparents to say, well, my kiddo's
doing this at this time.
So what do you think would be myroadmap or my timeline for my
baby?
'cause it is gonna be differentas it was for, for both of my
children.
Very different milestones atdifferent times.
Kat (26:49):
Yeah, I love that.
If someone is not local to you,that they can still get that
personalized one-on-one touchwith the instructor.
I think the virtual capacity isamazing, but having that human
entity on the background of thatis and to your point, two
children are totally different.
With, with all the differentmilestones and with, you know, I
(27:11):
always joke my kids couldn't bebe more opposite.
And, and, which is great.
It adds a lot of spice to life.
So, but they, they are the bestand worst of friends as any
sibling can be.
But, and I love that eating,that there is that roadmap
because I know for myself, theone thing I was most terrified
(27:32):
was.
Feeding the baby any sort ofsolid, even if it was like, a
rice cereal or a puree of somesort.
Yeah.
I was so terrified of a chokingchild.
That was the number one thing.
I've gotten past that because mychild did choke on a piece of
pretzel and I had to do likeback blows to dislodge it.
(27:55):
Mm-hmm.
Which.
Was very vital of that.
I knew that information and, wasable to help him.
I know that's also a huge partof what you offer as CPR and a
ED
Nicole (28:06):
yeah.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
And, and that infant and childCPR and CPR certification, a ED,
that.
Was it, I mean, we knew it wasimportant and we knew parents
wanted to.
Learn this information and getconfident in it.
What I didn't anticipate was youknow, the timing of, we, we
typically will see expectantfamilies and grandparents to be
(28:30):
coming into that class beforedelivery or right around that
starting solids timeframe as youwere mentioning.
And our CPR program started totake on a bit of a life of its
own.
And I realized after partnering.
Up with the American HeartAssociation, we are recognized
as a training site under the aHA.
(28:50):
So we're really proud of that.
I realized, oh my gosh, youknow, outside of the perinatal
population who need what weoffer so far.
Our CPR curriculum is beneficialfor anybody and everyone.
Even if you don't need acertification for your job or if
you're not a medicalprofessional, you don't need it
for that.
Having those skills and gettingmuscle memory by practicing on
(29:13):
mannequins, that's justsomething that makes our entire
community safer.
So that became a renewedinitiative for us at when we
saw, oh gosh, you know what?
This is applicable to so manymore people than we initially
realized.
And so now we are offering thoseclasses and, and those trainings
really for anybody in the areawho needs them.
(29:34):
Unfortunately, with CPR, it'snot something we can offer
virtually.
That's our only class that doesnot have a virtual option.
Because we want you to come inperson and put your hands on the
mannequins.
And I know, Kat, you were here.
Recently putting your hands onour mannequins with the red
light and the yellow light andthe green light.
So you get that instant feedbackbased on the depth and the rate
(29:57):
of your compressions.
And, you know, playing with thea ED trainer, because the goal
here again.
Anybody could be out in, in youknow, a Costco or a Wegman's and
someone could have an emergency.
And if you have played with asimulator, a ED, you're gonna be
way more likely to look for itwhen you walk into these stores.
(30:17):
Grab it off the wall, put it,put the pads on someone, and,
and really, this could be adifference between life and
death because we know on averageit takes eight minutes for
paramedics to arrive to a sceneafter a 9 1 1 call.
That's an average in the UnitedStates.
Maybe where we are, we're alittle more populated here in
suburban Philadelphia.
Maybe it's.
(30:38):
A little less than that.
But what we do know for sure,statistically is there's only
four minutes without oxygen forbrain tissue to be able to
survive.
And brain tissue, we can't healonce brain tissue has died.
If it's deprived of oxygen, wecan't fix that.
Whereas bones heal, tissueheals, bruises heal.
Right?
So.
(30:58):
Not hesitating, knowing we havefour 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 whatour CPR program is all about.
Kat (31:15):
I was there and it was very thorough and mm-hmm.
I say accessible, it wasn'tfrightening.
I've taken many A CPR courses.
I've been CPR certified for thelast 20 years.
And some can be reallyterrifying.
And so the way you did it, itwas very affirming that like,
you can do this and here's howand here's why.
(31:37):
It was very compassionatefeeling, I would say.
Aw, thank you.
And it, and it's, to me, I thinkit's a very, very useful for
anyone to take.
It just, I know when I walk intostores, 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 surprisedwhen I'm like, oh, I remember,
(32:00):
okay, yep.
This is the cadence, this is howit feels.
Yes.
'Cause each time I've taken, andlike I said, I've been CPR
certified for the last 20 yearsthat I'm like, oh yeah, I do
know this stuff.
It's tucked away back there.
It will come up and I will beable to recall it pretty
quickly.
Even in my exhausted mom brain,so that
Nicole (32:19):
that is true.
Yes.
It's, the struggle is real, butyeah, and like you mentioned
with the Heimlich and with backblows, so for infants it's
different than for toddlers oradults.
Right.
So the Heimlich is really.
Used for, for children who canstand up and support their own
weight and adults as well.
Like the Heimlich, is prettyuniversal from the time that
(32:39):
you're steady on your two feet.
But for infants or for smallbabies, you have to learn the
coordination of flipping themover while still supporting
their head to maintain thatcervical spinal integrity.
I like the hands-on practicethat we're able to do with the
mannequins, and I think that iswhat gives a lot of parents
peace of mind with that startingsolid journey to like, kind of
(33:01):
circle it back to that.
So you're, you're producing, youknow, things that you think, oh,
these are really soft and mybaby can eat this, but what if,
and once, you know, okay.
If all of a sudden they're nolonger coughing, there's silence
that is identifying, choking.
That's a bl airway block.
And then you know that musclememory again to flip that baby
(33:21):
over and do those back blows asyou did with your son.
It, it makes the whole feedingjourney a little less scary.
Kat (33:28):
Yeah, exactly.
The last time I did, you know,held a doll and did with a baby
was and the NICU that we were inMassachusetts at the time in not
Pennsylvania.
One of the requirements for usto be able to have our son
graduate from the NICU was wehad to become CPR and a ED
certified and with child.
(33:49):
And prior to that.
I hadn't done anything with,with child, and that was the
coordination, like to teach likethe, the choking and so it was
kind of cool to have thatrefresher in your office.
I was like, oh my goodness, Ihaven't done this in, he'll be
11 next Saturday.
And I think everybody should beCPR and a ED certified.
(34:09):
I think it, like you said, toyour point, it just helps the
community be safer.
Should there be a medicalemergency that you have people
who can be that bridge betweenthe EMS, so what is your one to
two most powerful tips that youcan tell any parent out there,
if they're listening, they're anexpect expectant parent or
expectant parent again, orthey're in the thick of things
(34:32):
right now?
Nicole (34:33):
I think you know, we, we kind of talked about this a
little earlier, line up yourvillage no matter where you are
on your parenting timeline, Ithink that every single one of
us, and again, speaking formyself, right there are probably
resources and experts.
Your in your circles that youcould be getting more
(34:53):
information from and feel moresupported by.
So think about in this moment,in the season of parenthood,
wherever you find yourself whowould you like to get a little
more information from?
What kind of your information oradditional input into your
parenting journey would feelsupportive for you right now?
And then, you know.
(35:14):
Carve out the time to, to makethat phone call or write that
email and get that support.
I think, you know, so many timesas parents we try to
troubleshoot things i'm I, I'llfigure it out.
Right.
But that process is really.
Hard.
Because again, we are doing it alot of times inside our own head
and we feel like a bit likewe're on an island and we don't
(35:34):
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 youare the only one.
Going through this because Idon't know why a lot of us tell
ourselves it must just be me, orit must just be my baby, or it
(35:56):
must just be my familycircumstance, or whatever the
case may be.
I like to remind families, momsin 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 outthere who want to support you
and are here to support you.
(36:16):
I mean, I, this is my life'swork.
So I love when, when familiestake me up on it and, you know,
to your point, Kat, like.
You know, you're up at two inthe morning with a baby that's
not sleeping and you send me anemail, I get it first thing.
The next morning I will callyou.
I'll email you back, like, Ilike to be a point of contact
for, for new parents because Iremember what it's like as if it
(36:41):
were yesterday, and I think mostof us can.
Right?
Motherhood, bringing a baby intothe world it's a forever memory,
so.
As much as we can try to makethat positive and supportive,
even when the journey doesn't goexactly the way we want it to,
right?
'cause there's no such thing asa perfect birth.
So, you know, finding space andgrace for that moment and
(37:05):
knowing that, you.
Are the best mom for your babyand that there's so many other
moms out there and nurses andexperts who want to support you
and are here for you.
So just that would be my tipreminding everybody of that.
And I'm gonna walk the talk andremind myself too.
Kat (37:25):
I have to remind myself that on the daily, because it
it, and you hit the nail on thehead that, we have a vast
listenership, you know, some inthe thick of things too.
Some where their kids are, aregrown and flown or getting to
that point where they're aboutto leave the nest, so to speak,
and it is parenthood.
You go through these seasons andit can feel really isolating.
And we do feel like this is anonly my child thing or an only
(37:47):
me thing.
And you know, and having thatvillage in your village kind of
can change and mold and grow.
There are people for differentstages in your life to support
you in this, and especially inmotherhood that can help.
Such great powerful tips.
Where can people find you andconnect with with you?
Nicole (38:05):
Yeah, so we are on Instagram and Facebook at
Mainline Family Education.
So it's just a really longhandle.
Our website is www.mlfed.com, sothat's kind of our nickname, ML
F Ed, so Mainline family ed.
And yeah you know, our, our.
Email address is on there, onthe website, our phone number.
(38:29):
So as I said, you know, I, Ihave 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 theycall and I pick up the phone and
they get me.
But again, like I lovesupporting families.
I love talking to, to moms and Ilove to just provide them with
(38:50):
all of the resources that we nowhave that as a new mom I did not
have.
And so it just feels like such agift to be able to pay that
forward and connect women andmen and families with who they
need when they need them.
Kat (39:06):
This was so great.
And all that information will bein the show notes, so if you
didn't have a pen and paper, ifyou're out walking, driving, it
will be in the show notes sothat you can find that resource.
I'll have the socials, theFacebook and Instagram as well
as the website there.
But this was so great and I, Iknow I got some stuff out of it
and I'm, I'm sure our listenersdid.
Thank you so much for coming on.
(39:28):
Oh, thanks so much for havingme.
This was super fun.
You're welcome.
Thank you for tuning in toMilesFromHerView, powered by
KatFit Strength.
If this podcast inspires you,don't keep it for yourself.
Hit follow or subscribe to stayupdated on the new episodes, and
leave us a review to help morewomen and moms discover this
(39:49):
space.
Your feedback fuels this podcastand I'd love to hear what's
working for you or what topicsyou want to dive into Next.
You can connect with me onInstagram at KatFit or share
this episode.
Road with a friend who is readyto embrace her strength.
Remember, fitness isn't aboutperfection.
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(40:11):
every step of your journey.
Until next time, keep movingforward one mile at a time.
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