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Writer's pictureAngel
Nov 13, 20234 min read

Skin to Skin Podcast Series: Kangaroo Mother Care, Skin-to-Skin & the Role of a Kangaroula

I created the Skin to Skin Podcast Series to highlight the Lifesaving care that is Skin to Skin and Kangaroo Mother care. It is an underused care technique and its importance is undervalued. My skin-to-skin series discusses why skin-to-skin and kangaroo mother care is so important, and a discussion on what a Kangaroula is and their role in advocating for skin-to-skin.







Madison and I talk about the unique job of being Kangaroulas, a unique birth worker that was developed by Dr. Nils Bergman and his wife Jills Bergman to focus on bonding and attachment of baby and mother. We also talk about our unique premature baby stories.


Madison Hendry (aka Mama Bird), transitioned into motherhood in 2014. As a visual artist and recent graduate in 2011 with a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture from Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY, she began to see a shift in her artwork, career, and perspective on life. Her artwork has been exhibited and published internationally and included in pioneering events such as Project AfterBirth; the first-ever international exhibition based on the subject of early parenthood.


With the premature birth of her second son, Madison became fascinated with the dynamics of the mother/infant relationship. She realized her touch, sound, smell, milk, and relationship with him were not only beneficial; she was essential and played an active role in his development. The process of having a premature infant taught her to listen to her instincts and her child's needs and respond to them. Madison received a scholarship and completed her Breastfeeding Educator Certification with Birth Arts International in 2018. She went on to become a Certified Birth Doula with BirthWorks Int. And Certified Kangaroula with Jill & Dr. Nils Bergman in 2020.


Madison has over 9 years (and counting) of personal breastfeeding experience. She lives in a 1950s Sears Home in Cleveland, OH suburbs with her husband, tattooer, Angus Hendry, two boys, Angus and Huckleberry, daughter, Evergreen, and a baby on the way.



Resources From Episode:




What is skin-to-skin and why it's vital to improving infant health and mortality




Did you know up to 150,000 infant lives could be saved if we had babies do skin-to-skin immediately whether they are considered stable or not? Today we discuss how skin-to-skin saves lives, improves health outcomes for baby, and helps babies develop socially and emotionally and develop resilience that last a lifetime.


Resources from this Episode:





This is part 3 of my skin-to-skin series where we address the importance of getting babies skin-to-skin on mothers and stressing how critical this life-saving care is. Today Kate a nurse practitioner gives us some insight into what she's learned about having babies skin-to-skin on mom during a c-section.


Kate (Katherine Chokan, DNP (Doctorate of Nursing), BSN, RN ) has been a maternity nurse (Labor and Postpartum) for 6.5 years. She recently graduated from a Nurse Practitioner program in December where she conducted a doctoral research project. The project was a quality improvement initiative to implement Kangaroo Care in the OR after C-section. She will be advancing her nursing career as a Family Nurse Practitioner starting in March. She has a 2.5-year-old son. She and her husband have enjoyed traveling and exploring around Cleveland trying to instill adventure in their son and explore the world through his perspective. She is always trying to maintain good physical health through various exercise outlets; running, hiking, biking, skiing, and swimming.


Resources from Episode:




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